Diamond Brite & Scotch Guard

[Junior Senior]

Hi folks, i am getting a new car and they have said I have the option to have the paint coated in diamond brite and the inside scotch guarded.  Its £395.  Is this actually worth it and has anyone any advice or good / bad news stories to tell about diamond brite and scotch guardng new cars?  I will do some internet research in this myself but interested in thoughts.

thanks

[byronkincaid]

huge margins, seriously huge.

scotch guard was banned for having cancer forming chemicals in it. i'm sure the new stuff is much safer

[Sack it off]

I got an Audi TT Diamond Brited and the dealer made a complete hash of it, it came covered in this strange grit.

Could negotiate

[EvilPie]

It's one of those things that you'll never know if it was actually any good or not.

I had my car done and it looks fine. I'm pretty sure if I'd not had it done it would still look pretty much the same.

Best thing about scotch guarding was the guarantee it came with. If the interior gets any kind of stain that you can't get out they sort it no matter what. Pretty useful when you've got a rottie rolling round in the back seats covered in all kinds of nasties.

[GreekStein]

It's one of those things that you'll never know if it was actually any good or not.

I had my car done and it looks fine. I'm pretty sure if I'd not had it done it would still look pretty much the same.

Best thing about scotch guarding was the guarantee it came with. If the interior gets any kind of stain that you can't get out they sort it no matter what. Pretty useful when you've got a rottie rolling round in the back seats covered in all kinds of nasties.

And Matt's not even talking about Ronnie.

[MPOWER]

Buy a used BMW and you can have it for free.

Regards

M

[RED-DOG]

Nothing is for free.

[byronkincaid]

Nothing is for free.

You charge visitors for a cup of tea round your gaff?

Although the usual way this is done in my experience is that you are given a free DB instead of a £300 discount (great for the dealer and salesman) it is possible to get stuff like this for free if the salesman is willing to pay for it himself. A very obvious example would be if a family member were to buy a car and the salesman did not wish to make money from them, they could pay for extras up to the value of their commission themselves.

It is also possible for general Billys to get a salesman to do the same thing. For example you could visit/ring a dozen dealers and play them off against each other and eventually get down to the actual cost price of a new car for the dealer. So if you were to have rung me when I was selling cars and said I can get this car for £X which turns out to be the lowest I can sell it for, to get the deal I might have paid for a set of carpet mats or whatever myself.

DB is interesting in that the customer thinks it's value is £300ish and with a tame cleaner a salesman could probably get it put on for £10 cash in hand. It is even more likely for this sort of thing to happen if the sales staff are paid more per car for hitting certain targets. As a very simple example say if you sell 9 cars in a month you get paid £100 per car and if you sell 10 you get £150 per car you would probably be very happy to spend a few quid to sell car number 10.

Although I suppose it is theoretically possible to get a salesman to pay you some cash for buying a car from him I have never heard of this happening and it would not be looked at in a good light by management I'm sure so I believe that you are pretty much getting something for free doing this.

My experience of course was in a high volume dealership with brutal competition nearby. Mpower works in the rarefied atmosphere of the prestige car world and for him it is probably totally different.

Junior if DB is something that you feel has value for you why not offer the salesman £50 cash (off invoice) for it. I would have been delighted to do that.

[RED-DOG]

Nothing is for free.

You charge visitors for a cup of tea round your gaff?

Although the usual way this is done in my experience is that you are given a free DB instead of a £300 discount (great for the dealer and salesman) it is possible to get stuff like this for free if the salesman is willing to pay for it himself. A very obvious example would be if a family member were to buy a car and the salesman did not wish to make money from them, they could pay for extras up to the value of their commission themselves.

It is also possible for general Billys to get a salesman to do the same thing. For example you could visit/ring a dozen dealers and play them off against each other and eventually get down to the actual cost price of a new car for the dealer. So if you were to have rung me when I was selling cars and said I can get this car for £X which turns out to be the lowest I can sell it for, to get the deal I might have paid for a set of carpet mats or whatever myself.

DB is interesting in that the customer thinks it's value is £300ish and with a tame cleaner a salesman could probably get it put on for £10 cash in hand. It is even more likely for this sort of thing to happen if the sales staff are paid more per car for hitting certain targets. As a very simple example say if you sell 9 cars in a month you get paid £100 per car and if you sell 10 you get £150 per car you would probably be very happy to spend a few quid to sell car number 10.

Although I suppose it is theoretically possible to get a salesman to pay you some cash for buying a car from him I have never heard of this happening and it would not be looked at in a good light by management I'm sure so I believe that you are pretty much getting something for free doing this.

My experience of course was in a high volume dealership with brutal competition nearby. Mpower works in the rarefied atmosphere of the prestige car world and for him it is probably totally different.

Junior if DB is something that you feel has value for you why not offer the salesman £50 cash (off invoice) for it. I would have been delighted to do that.

I was simply pointing out that the cost of nothing....  is nothing. 

[DaveShoelace]

when i saw the thread title in the lounge sub forum, I thought Diamond Brite and Scotch Guard were two blonde member names that were having a birthday today.

[MPOWER]

"My experience of course was in a high volume dealership with brutal competition nearby. Mpower works in the rarefied atmosphere of the prestige car world and for him it is probably totally different".


A bit different but we still have to push the buttons of a payplan. Supagard is about the only thing we don't discount
although we can reduce the top line price of the car to help.

I have never sold anything other than Supagard. And to be honest I actually think if you can get a deal on it, it's worth it.
We sell @ £345 Including VAT done properly with a 3 year guarantee to any BMW. £395 sounds a bit steep.


I cannot see a dealer walking away from a sale for a D/B or Supagard unless there down to the bone.
Playing off dealers does not really work with us. We would not give you a firm deal over the phone or part exchange price
without a credit card number. It's all about commitment a customer may bid us a deal we'll ask for a credit card number.
Sorts the men from the boys. But we will be the cheapest in the country.

Having a side deal with a salesman is a no go. How does he/she get the kit out of parts and who's going to apply it.
There is also the honesty factor. Who in the right mind would risk there job for £50 or even £5000
I'd think at £395 there's £30-£100 for the salesperson depending on his performance. £100 for the Kit including a valeter to apply it  v.a.t and profit.

Rather than £395 for Diamond Brite I'd put that money into G.A.P cover.

Like to know what your looking for Junior. Sounds Audi'ish for D/B @ £395.

Regards

M

[bobby1]

when i saw the thread title in the lounge sub forum, I thought Diamond Brite and Scotch Guard were two blonde member names that were having a birthday today.

I thought they were the new range of alcopops.

[byronkincaid]

How does he/she get the kit out of parts and who's going to apply it.

tons of the stuff floating around the valeting bay, 1 kit does approx 1.5 or more cars. £7 on ebay if you feel that is not "honest"

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUPAGARD-PAINT-AND-INTERIOR-PROTECTION_W0QQitemZ160390597554QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item2558064bb2

GAP has the same sort of profit margins, can buy it online as well.

[MPOWER]

£7.00 Bargin.. Buy it 

Buying GAP online you pays your money you take your chance.

I'd buy from a dealer. Easy to find if it goes tit's up.

Even we get Drama between the GAP v Insurance companies but we always
get the money for the customer and in super quick time.   

Regards

M

[EvilPie]

Slight subject change aimed at mr MPower

You know when you give a guaranteed buy back price on a BMW which covers the remainder of the finance owed.......

Have you ever valued one at above that guarantee?

The reason I ask is that I was told after owning my car for just one year that it was only worth the buy back, £16k ish even though there was an identical car on the forecourt at £23k.

When I bought it the guy told me. "Put down a deposit. Have the rest on finance. Bring it back in 2 years and hopefully there'll be an overlay to use as a deposit for your next car".

Seems like a great plan apart from owing to my new experience I'm guessing there's never an overlay.