# Autoglym Lifeshine!



## Al_G (Aug 11, 2008)

Hey!

I posted this on another forum but I wanted to ask for your advice too!

I think I know the answer to this but was wondering if anyone had any first hand experience of this product.

My mum has just ordered a brand new A1 in solid white direct from Audi. Checking the order form (unknown to us) Autoglym Lifeshine was added to the order at a total cost of £400!!! After speaking with Audi today they will remove the product which will save my mum £11 a month on her PCP.

She’s really unsure as to whether it’ll improve the overall look of the paint (being a solid white) and is swaying towards paying for it. Audi really sell it well. We’re going to try and get it thrown in for free but failing that would my mum be utterly bonkers to pay for it? Will it last longer than 6 months in reality? 

If it was me I’d scrap it and take it to the detailers for a full correction and ceramic coating. I know for a fact that my mum won’t do this though because of the up front cost and the effort/time involved.


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## James_R (Jun 28, 2007)

Scrap it.

I'm not for once saying its not a good product, but its likely it won't be applied correctly, so they're just having your trousers down for £400.

Save your mum the £11 a month on her PCP mate.

Get some Fusso Coat (£25?) to seal the paintwork, and some fabsil/scotchguard for the interior (<£15) and job done mate.
A few hours of work from her good old son will likely well outlast the LIfeshine from the stealership


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## wayne451 (Aug 15, 2016)

Don’t bother.

Some ‘Life Shine’ in bulk on eBay currently, think it’s the fabric protection and glass sealant?


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## Audigeezer23 (Oct 8, 2017)

Al_G said:


> Hey!
> 
> I posted this on another forum but I wanted to ask for your advice too!
> 
> ...






 you better off doing it yourself

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

Deffo don't bother. If she really wants life shine then get the kit yourself off ebay and do it for her.


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## MrPassat (Mar 30, 2018)

£400 buys a lot of polishes etc....be a good son and apply them for her lol


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

I’d agree with your thought process, I’d go for it if you can get it thrown in for free, if not, then I’d decline it and save the money and you sort it out


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## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

You already know the answer:thumb:

But yes decline their kind offer of an additional £11pm and either buy a bottle on ebay and do it yourself or apply a.n.other durable sealant or wax.

From experience it wont be applied properly at the dealership, if at all.:wall:

cheers

Chris


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## Woodsmoke (Feb 12, 2018)

Even its a free don't... in fact just don't let them even wash the car if you can avoid it... the mess they make is enough to make a grown man cry


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## westerman (Oct 12, 2008)

The fact they tried to sneak it onto your invoice without prior consent is enough for you to tell them to stick it. I hate those practises.
As has been said for £400 you can buy a lot of products or you could employ a professional detailer to do the job properly.:thumb:

Harry


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## Al_G (Aug 11, 2008)

Thanks everyone, you've all been a great help!

There was no mention of it throughout the entire purchase process so was a nice surprise when I spotted it on the order form as removing it (which Audi have agreed to do) will reduce the monthly payment by £11.

I’ve had a good scout online and although the product is deemed ok the general consensus is that it’s often either applied incorrectly (due to the rushed pdi process) or not applied at all! Most of those that have it were given it for free and hardly anyone has anything positive to say about it. Many question the durability and most seem to quote a max of 12 months. 

I think we’ll push for free. If that doesn’t work we’ll just leave it. £400 sounds like daylight robbery IMO.

TBH I think we'll walk out without it as the deal has already been done so theres no incentive for Audi to apply it FOC...Not the end of the world.


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## GC450 (May 22, 2018)

They applied this to my met black S8 i hadnt realised as it was effectively “thrown in” and no mentioned of it until the day i collected the car. 
The first time i washed the car it looked appalling covered in smears and marring. Took me a few weeks of hard work to get it looking right especially in direct sunlight.
I did get a nice bag of autoglym goodies but dont let them do it and buy your own gear, I will never make the same mistake again. 
My wifes Audi was delivered later with none of this and looked perfectly fine.

:thumb:


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## Oldsparky (Jun 18, 2014)

Definite no. I got into detailing after having applied to a vw and wondering what it was all about. They simply aren’t capable of applying it properly 




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## Plank (Mar 28, 2018)

Def NO

I got a Q3 17 plate in Feb, they tried a hard sell it for £500 but said no to Lifetime Shine, when I picked up the car in the showroom to drive it out inspected car and pointed out all the bits they had missed just cleaning/ washing it, said I am glad I didn't have it done as you cannot even clean a car properly.

Intrigued I looked into getting this done properly else where, local Autoglym centre did it for £300.... thought what a result!!

Did a good job until I spilt some water on passengers seat expecting it to sit their....o no sank in so took it back and they re did inside again, same happened, turns out it depends on the fabric weave as to if it sits on top or not....told Autoglym help desk, not happy they wearnt to bothered, said it's in the small print, shame I wasn't told this at the beginning.

So if I were you use the money to get a good detailer to put something decent on your car and not Autoglym 

Plenty ceramic coatings that guys on here could recommend 


Wish I had asked on here, but the deed was already done before I joined.

Good luck: Thumb


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## westerman (Oct 12, 2008)

This thread is just another example of how informative and useful this Detailing World site is to all of us.
I'm sure that somewhere along the line we've all been helped in some capacity either by asking a question or simply searching.

Harry


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## Triggauk (Feb 1, 2017)

Get out while you still can. I’ve had the mispleasure of seeing the Autoglym lifesh**e being applied on two separate occasions at 2 different Sytner BMW dealerships and it really is a sorry state of affairs. Being in the detailing trade and installing well respected ceramic Coatings for a living, this kind of backhanded sales tactics (basically outright lies regarding the products abilities/Durability) is a disgrace and should be reported to trading standards a lot more than it currently is. 

The BMW Valeters get paid £3.00 extra per vehicle for applying this stuff and there are boxes of half empty bottles all over the floor that they use randomly. These guys are sub contracted through an outside employment agency and are classed as self employed. They are paid £5.00 per every new car prep and £8-£9 per every used customers car. Whilst the salesman picks up a nice commission wedge for sneaking it into the customers bill. 

During my time there I played it a bit dumb and asked a couple of the Valeters to show me what the Autoglym stuff was all about and how it gets applied etc. The lad opened the top of the little bottle dropped it onto his dirty chamois and just smeared it across the bonnet a couple of times and said “That’s it... “ I had a good look at the car and as expected it was covered in dirty water smears from drying and applying this product. 

All of these products are just Polymer based sealants that have been knocking about for decades and lucky to last past 6 months


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## Al_G (Aug 11, 2008)

Thanks for all the input everyone! Really, really appreciated.

Mum went back to Audi today to sign the pcp paperwork. Audi weren’t willing to apply it FOC so it was removed from the monthly cost saving my mum over £11 a month.

Based on what I’ve read it sounds like a blessing in disguise!

Will update you on the paintwork once the car is collected on Saturday.

Thanks all


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## FTB (Jun 17, 2018)

Hi Al. Interesting. I have an S5 sportback on order and just found out lifeshine was added to the order without asking me... whilst new to DW, i read enough to get the product cancelled. Just hope they heed my request to NOT wash the car before delivery too.hope you and Mum enjoy the new motor....


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## Al_G (Aug 11, 2008)

Ok, here goes.

Picked up the car Saturday morning. Looked perfect even without the Lifeshine. It was then driven out of the "unveiling bay" and bam...I noticed this:










I was told to bring it back on Tuesday for it to be repaired. As long as it's only a PDR job I'll accept the repair (or should I request a replacement???). Any filler and paint needed and I'll tell them I definitely want a replacement. They were very apologetic. The paint is scratch free with the exception so some light marks on the door which are visible under torch light). No idea how it wasn't picked up as part of the inspection.

The double skinned arch is fine. It's just whether a PDR specialist can access the ding???


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## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

I hope whichever dent man the dealer uses can pop that out...

What about the missing paint on the wheelarch lip?

cheers

Chris


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Al_G said:


> Ok, here goes.
> 
> Picked up the car Saturday morning. Looked perfect even without the Lifeshine. It was then driven out of the "unveiling bay" and bam...I noticed this:
> 
> ...


Thats a real PIA - lucky you spotted it ...

Just check the wing, next door neighbours 17 Polo has plastic front wings as did my A5 - if they are, "could" be a relatively simple fix for them...

Hope you get it sorted out on Tuesday :thumb:


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## Al_G (Aug 11, 2008)

Andyblue said:


> Thats a real PIA - lucky you spotted it ...
> 
> Just check the wing, next door neighbours 17 Polo has plastic front wings as did my A5 - if they are, "could" be a relatively simple fix for them...
> 
> Hope you get it sorted out on Tuesday :thumb:


Unfortunately it's the rear arch so quite possibly in the worst place possible...no idea how the PDR specialist will gain access.


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## Al_G (Aug 11, 2008)

Summit Detailing said:


> I hope whichever dent man the dealer uses can pop that out...
> 
> What about the missing paint on the wheelarch lip?
> 
> ...


No missing paint as far as I can see. Nothing that sticks out anyway.


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Ah - okay, hopefully they can sort it...


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

It will not improve the looks, it will not protect against the things they say it will, it will not last like they say, and any warranty provided is worthless. Just avoid. they are able to sell it as it is added to finance a lot of the time, thus the owner never really feel the pain of paying for it.


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## Autoglym (Apr 10, 2008)

stangalang said:


> It will not improve the looks, it will not protect against the things they say it will, it will not last like they say, and any warranty provided is worthless. Just avoid. they are able to sell it as it is added to finance a lot of the time, thus the owner never really feel the pain of paying for it.


Whether or not someone chooses to have LifeShine applied to their vehicle is up to them. As with any product, Autoglym or otherwise, the effectiveness of that product is in some part reliant upon the person applying the product. When a dealership opts to use LifeShine as their vehicle protection system, Autoglym will send our technical team to teach the dealership valeting team how to apply the product correctly, including all of the preparation work that is required before the products are applied to the customers car. We do not just provide the LifeShine kits and walk away. There is continuous training and assistance available to the application teams as required and we return to sites providing LifeShine to retrain as needed.

Here at Autoglym we do not like to make claims about our products that are not true. It is not in anyone's interest to lie, and quite frankly it would leave us looking a bit silly. Ultimately it just leads to disappointed customers. We do our very best to prove and verify every product feature or benefit we feel is in a product. if we can't, then we won't claim it. So, if we say LifeShine protects paintwork to lock in colour and a deep glossy finish and that's easier to clean, it is because we have tested this against non LifeShine protected paintwork and found it to be true. Similarly if we say LifeShine protects fabric and leather upholstery from marks and unsightly stains, again, it is because we have tested this. As with anything there are always exceptions, but we do point these out and everything you need to know about your LifeShine coatings are in the paperwork you would receive with your LifeShine warranty.

The warranty provided is not worthless, it is actually very good. If the LifeShine products do not do something that they are supposed to, then we will put it right. That is what a warranty is all about. We have teams out on the road every day visiting customers and helping with warranty claims.

I am ok with people not liking a product, I am ok with people saying they prefer to protect their car themselves, I am ok with people not wanting a warrantied product, I am ok with people believing they can apply products better than dealership staff, these are all things that could potentially be true.

However, it is not true, nor fair to say that "[LifeShine] will not improve the looks, it will not protect against the things they say it will, it will not last like they say, and any warranty provided is worthless."

That is why I felt I had to post a response.

Mark 
Autoglym Online


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## westerman (Oct 12, 2008)

Wow, that dent on a brand new car. They obviously don't inspect their cars prior to handing them over to the Customer.

I would be very suspicious of what kind of repair they intend to do.

How desperate are you? tell them you want another car that's not been pranged?

Harry


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## Al_G (Aug 11, 2008)

westerman said:


> Wow, that dent on a brand new car. They obviously don't inspect their cars prior to handing them over to the Customer.
> 
> I would be very suspicious of what kind of repair they intend to do.
> 
> ...


We're not desperate. Thinking about it I do believe they should supply a new car. If you bought a damaged Rolex and subsequently returned it to the shop would you expect a replacement or repair?

The car should have been checked 4 times.

Once when driven off the transporter
Once as part of the PDI process
Once when valeted 
Once as part of the prep and customer handover check

I'm struggling to understand how it wasn't seen and if it wasn't, why wasn't it.

I asked for a site manager to call me today, once in person and twice by email...Lets see if they call.


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## lewisniven (May 5, 2011)

Autoglym said:


> Whether or not someone chooses to have LifeShine applied to their vehicle is up to them. As with any product, Autoglym or otherwise, the effectiveness of that product is in some part reliant upon the person applying the product. When a dealership opts to use LifeShine as their vehicle protection system, Autoglym will send our technical team to teach the dealership valeting team how to apply the product correctly, including all of the preparation work that is required before the products are applied to the customers car. We do not just provide the LifeShine kits and walk away. There is continuous training and assistance available to the application teams as required and we return to sites providing LifeShine to retrain as needed.
> 
> Here at Autoglym we do not like to make claims about our products that are not true. It is not in anyone's interest to lie, and quite frankly it would leave us looking a bit silly. Ultimately it just leads to disappointed customers. We do our very best to prove and verify every product feature or benefit we feel is in a product. if we can't, then we won't claim it. So, if we say LifeShine protects paintwork to lock in colour and a deep glossy finish and that's easier to clean, it is because we have tested this against non LifeShine protected paintwork and found it to be true. Similarly if we say LifeShine protects fabric and leather upholstery from marks and unsightly stains, again, it is because we have tested this. As with anything there are always exceptions, but we do point these out and everything you need to know about your LifeShine coatings are in the paperwork you would receive with your LifeShine warranty.
> 
> ...


I think in a lot of cases people on here would happily concede that it's a good product, it's often the manner in which it is sold and the quality of the prep that irks people. Very often (and as stated above) these kinds of products are slid in under the radar by dealers (it was with my Golf GTI, nothing was said about it until I spotted it on the paperwork) in an effort to make some more money.

Also, whilst I have no doubt that Autoglym invest considerable resources in training for the product, there is bags of evidence to support that fact that it's almost never done correctly. Dealers in general have a terrible track record with regard to paint work prep. I opted not to have the the paintwork protection applied on my golf for collection (it wasn't 'lifeshine' but a competing product) but the state of the paint when I collected was horrific, absolutely covered in buffer trails and swirls.

Detailing and correcting paintwork is very time and labor intensive and I'd contend that most if not all dealers simply aren't prepared to pay someone to do it to a proper standard. Hence all the threads on here showing swirly brand new cars.

Again, absolutely nothing against Autoglym or Lifeshine, but in my opinion there raw economics of the thing mean that i'll almost never be done to a properly high standard.


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## Woodsmoke (Feb 12, 2018)

Autoglym said:


> Whether or not someone chooses to have LifeShine applied to their vehicle is up to them. As with any product, Autoglym or otherwise, the effectiveness of that product is in some part reliant upon the person applying the product. When a dealership opts to use LifeShine as their vehicle protection system, Autoglym will send our technical team to teach the dealership valeting team how to apply the product correctly, including all of the preparation work that is required before the products are applied to the customers car. We do not just provide the LifeShine kits and walk away. There is continuous training and assistance available to the application teams as required and we return to sites providing LifeShine to retrain as needed.
> 
> Here at Autoglym we do not like to make claims about our products that are not true. It is not in anyone's interest to lie, and quite frankly it would leave us looking a bit silly. Ultimately it just leads to disappointed customers. We do our very best to prove and verify every product feature or benefit we feel is in a product. if we can't, then we won't claim it. So, if we say LifeShine protects paintwork to lock in colour and a deep glossy finish and that's easier to clean, it is because we have tested this against non LifeShine protected paintwork and found it to be true. Similarly if we say LifeShine protects fabric and leather upholstery from marks and unsightly stains, again, it is because we have tested this. As with anything there are always exceptions, but we do point these out and everything you need to know about your LifeShine coatings are in the paperwork you would receive with your LifeShine warranty.
> 
> ...


To be honest your product may be amazing but unless its applied to pristine corrected paint its as useless as anything else.

Your products in my experience as a company are solid good options. But lifeshine from a dealership is the biggest waste of cash a car buyer can have!

The preparation and treatment done in your name every time I've seen it has been sub standard and you need too as a company to be performing quality audits on this product application! As its tarnishes your name in the detailing community.

A totally inexperienced Detailer may not realize how much they are being ripped off but many do.


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## westerman (Oct 12, 2008)

There are plenty of reputable dealers out there will do a proper job of applying AG Lifeshine. As indicated it is neither true or fair to make statements that lump all dealers together.

I know dealers with good body shops who I would trust implicitly to apply the products.

The quality of the work isn't the issue but sneaking the cost onto someones bill is. 

Maybe had AG implied they agreed it was wrong to bill without consent and that the quality of work by agents is kept under review, it would instill more confidence ?.

Harry.


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## Woodsmoke (Feb 12, 2018)

I have yet personally to have seen one done to a great standard, I'm sure they exist. But if you see this thread and others, general opinion on main dealer application is very low, as a company I'd personally be concerned about that.


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

Autoglym said:


> Whether or not someone chooses to have LifeShine applied to their vehicle is up to them. As with any product, Autoglym or otherwise, the effectiveness of that product is in some part reliant upon the person applying the product. When a dealership opts to use LifeShine as their vehicle protection system, Autoglym will send our technical team to teach the dealership valeting team how to apply the product correctly, including all of the preparation work that is required before the products are applied to the customers car. We do not just provide the LifeShine kits and walk away. There is continuous training and assistance available to the application teams as required and we return to sites providing LifeShine to retrain as needed.
> 
> Here at Autoglym we do not like to make claims about our products that are not true. It is not in anyone's interest to lie, and quite frankly it would leave us looking a bit silly. Ultimately it just leads to disappointed customers. We do our very best to prove and verify every product feature or benefit we feel is in a product. if we can't, then we won't claim it. So, if we say LifeShine protects paintwork to lock in colour and a deep glossy finish and that's easier to clean, it is because we have tested this against non LifeShine protected paintwork and found it to be true. Similarly if we say LifeShine protects fabric and leather upholstery from marks and unsightly stains, again, it is because we have tested this. As with anything there are always exceptions, but we do point these out and everything you need to know about your LifeShine coatings are in the paperwork you would receive with your LifeShine warranty.
> 
> ...


When customers come to me with a poor looking car, zero water behaviour and non of the promised results within months of "application", who honours the warranty? 
Having appraised multiple multiple cars with it "applied" I know of not one single owner that has had a successful claim.

I do not question your ethics, my problem is with the laughable promises and unacceptable jobs done my the dealers. The best product in the world is worthless if the time isn't put into the job. 
I know if I sold the product to the dealers I would take this type of feedback very seriously.


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## Sheep (Mar 20, 2009)

Woodsmoke said:


> To be honest your product may be amazing but unless its applied to pristine corrected paint its as useless as anything else.
> 
> Your products in my experience as a company are solid good options. But lifeshine from a dealership is the biggest waste of cash a car buyer can have!
> 
> ...


This. If I were Autoglym, and seeing this type of feedback from owners and professionals, I would start a thorough audit process, and possibly a secret shop to confirm the state of application and product quality. As someone that works in the industry (Dealership) I've seen lots of permanent products applied and very few do it properly. The Majority are performed by the lowest paid employees, sometimes lot attendants, and the quality of work is below the threshold for a spray wax.

I love autoglym's consumer products, owning a good collection myself, but if offered I would never get LifeShine, simply due to the dealership applying it instead of myself.


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Al_G said:


> We're not desperate. Thinking about it I do believe they should supply a new car. If you bought a damaged Rolex and subsequently returned it to the shop would you expect a replacement or repair?
> 
> The car should have been checked 4 times.
> 
> ...


Did you get a call back ?

What are your thoughts - presume you're taking it in today still ???


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## Al_G (Aug 11, 2008)

Andyblue said:


> Did you get a call back ?
> 
> What are your thoughts - presume you're taking it in today still ???


Yes, I received a call from the salesman and a call (albeit 4 hours late) off the new car site manager. The salesman listened but the manager was a little less understanding. He basically said we've got no grounds to request a new car providing the repair is of a satisfactory level (going on to tell me that damaged new vehicles are commonplace and frequently repaired prior to handover. Also a replacement wouldn't be possible as my mother is now the registered owner and keeper of the car in question). I've since raised a case with Audi Customer services who will investigate further. The car went in for the assessment at 3:30 today. I'm led to believe I have to give the dealership the opportunity to put things right. If they don't I then have grounds to request a replacement. In truth it doesn't really sit right with me as we paid for an undamaged vehicle. I appreciate that some cars are fixed prior to handover and the customer is non the wiser (whether this is morally right is questionable) but on this occasion the car was handed over in a condition which we didn't agree to as part of the purchase. Ultimately we paid for a new car, not a new, damaged repaired vehicle (however insignificant).

This purchase has been quite traumatic for my mum (approaching her 70s) who has bought a number of new cars from Honda without issue. I feel partly to blame as I persuaded her to go for an Audi instead as arguably it's a more premium brand therefore I presumed they'd pull out all the stops and deliver a car in satisfactory condition.


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Hopefully they'll sort it out and it'll be perfect and you / your mum can move on, but yes, do agree it shouldn't happen...


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## Al_G (Aug 11, 2008)

Andyblue said:


> Hopefully they'll sort it out and it'll be perfect and you / your mum can move on, but yes, do agree it shouldn't happen...


I think it was the approach of the sales manager that really wound me up most. Suggesting this kind of thing is the norm and giving me very little option but to accept the repair.

When my mum dropped the car off he walked over and said "I thought the damage would be much worse". Well if he'd bothered looking at the pictures that I sent over on Saturday he'd know. Shoddy.


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Al_G said:


> I think it was the approach of the sales manager that really wound me up most. Suggesting this kind of thing is the norm and giving me very little option but to accept the repair.
> 
> When my mum dropped the car off he walked over and said "I thought the damage would be much worse". Well if he'd bothered looking at the pictures that I sent over on Saturday he'd know. Shoddy.


Yes very - a quick and easy, "Sorry Mrs xxx for this, I'll try to find out what's happened, it shouldn't have been delivered to you like this " would in my eyes have made the world of difference, unfortunately you've just got the arrogance that seems to be with a lot of Audi sales...


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## Al_G (Aug 11, 2008)

Andyblue said:


> Yes very - a quick and easy, "Sorry Mrs xxx for this, I'll try to find out what's happened, it shouldn't have been delivered to you like this " would in my eyes have made the world of difference, unfortunately you've just got the arrogance that seems to be with a lot of Audi sales...


In fairness to the sales rep he's said all the right things. I just expected the Sales Manager to be a little more considerate of the situation. Especially considering it's supposed to be a enjoyable process. This has been anything but. Although I've been told otherwise I'd like to think the purchaser has a few more options than just having to accept a repair on what should have been a brand new unblemished car. Had I been told the car had a ding in the arch before paying I'd not have paid full price.


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## westerman (Oct 12, 2008)

I don't know the law but had you bought this on HP or similar you would have a 14 day 'cooling off' period in which you could change your mind and not gone ahead with the agreement.
Seems odd that you don't have the same rights if you've paid up front. 

Is there any small print on your invoice that may cover your rights as purchaser?

Harry


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## Al_G (Aug 11, 2008)

westerman said:


> I don't know the law but had you bought this on HP or similar you would have a 14 day 'cooling off' period in which you could change your mind and not gone ahead with the agreement.
> Seems odd that you don't have the same rights if you've paid up front.
> 
> Is there any small print on your invoice that may cover your rights as purchaser?
> ...


It's on PCP.

Deposit was around 15% off the top of my head.

Regulations regarding rejection seem relatively straight forward for mechanical issues (albeit potentially costly), cosmetic seem a little more muddled.

https://www.thecarexpert.co.uk/rejecting-a-car/

Although it's far from ideal I think it's best if I pursue the dealership for a flawless repair then push Audi customer service for some kind of compensation/recompense for all the hassle and poor customer service. I'm just thinking about my elderly Mother as she's been through enough without her potentially being stuck without a vehicle.

Personally I'm not a fan of the compensation culture of today (we made it clear from day 1 that all we wanted was a new, undamaged replacement car) but as of this point I don't believe we have much of an option but to accept the above.


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## westerman (Oct 12, 2008)

Al_G said:


> It's on PCP.
> 
> Deposit was around 15% off the top of my head.
> 
> ...


You don't have to be a fan of the compensation culture, I'm not suggesting you abuse the system just demand a fair and proper service.

If you accept the deal I'm sure the repair will be 'invisible' and if you can get some recompense you'll have a nice car at a good price for Mum.

From what I know of VAG group service ( I have a Skoda and am a member of the forum Briskoda) they are not the most yielding of companies and will stand their corner more than most. But it's worth a shot.

I understand your concern for your Mother and agree you don't want to drag things out.

Good luck, it will be interesting to see how it all pans out for you.

Harry


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## Al_G (Aug 11, 2008)

westerman said:


> You don't have to be a fan of the compensation culture, I'm not suggesting you abuse the system just demand a fair and proper service.
> 
> If you accept the deal I'm sure the repair will be 'invisible' and if you can get some recompense you'll have a nice car at a good price for Mum.
> 
> ...


Thank you.

I'll keep the thread updated with the outcome of the repair.


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Al_G said:


> In fairness to the sales rep he's said all the right things. I just expected the Sales Manager to be a little more considerate of the situation. Especially considering it's supposed to be a enjoyable process. This has been anything but...


Sorry, this is who I meant - was replying in response to your post re how he was with your mum when she arrived to stop the car back off...


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## Autoglym (Apr 10, 2008)

stangalang said:


> When customers come to me with a poor looking car, zero water behaviour and non of the promised results within months of "application", who honours the warranty?
> Having appraised multiple multiple cars with it "applied" I know of not one single owner that has had a successful claim.


If a car treated with LifeShine is not performing as expected, the first thing a customer should do is contact the LifeShine dealer that applied the product. The product was purchased from them, and applied by them or their staff. In nearly 100% of cases the issue is with application, not a manufacturing issue with the product itself. The LifeShine dealer can usually easily rectify the issue and hopefully the customer leaves happy.

If the LifeShine product fails to protect against something it is warrantied to product against, that is where we would get involved. People may claim against a warranty (as they may do against _any_ warranty, not just LifeShine) and it not be successful due to them claiming against something not covered by the warranty. For instance, some people may believe they never have to wash their car again, or that the product will stop their car from getting scratched. We have never claimed this is the case, and therefore a claim against these would be unsuccessful. Sometimes a customer may get a stain on a seat that would be covered by the warranty and we will advise them that they simply need to clean it with the products provided in their care kit. That is why the cleaners are provided. We have not managed to crack durable, 100% dirt repelling coatings that can't get dirty yet, so there is an element of user upkeep involved with LifeShine, again we do include all this information with the warranty docs.

If you have seen our posts on DW or dealt with us elsewhere online or in the real world, hopefully you have had a good experience with Autoglym. To the best of our knowledge we always post honestly and are trying to produce products that work very well, do what they claim to do on the label and are of real use to people that choose to use them. LifeShine can be a very useful system to purchase for some people, for others it is not for them, we simply present what it does and let them decide. If LifeShine isn't for them there are other Autoglym products that they can purchase and apply themselves, or indeed non-Autoglym products. No hard feelings.


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## Al_G (Aug 11, 2008)

Autoglym said:


> If a car treated with LifeShine is not performing as expected, the first thing a customer should do is contact the LifeShine dealer that applied the product. The product was purchased from them, and applied by them or their staff. In nearly 100% of cases the issue is with application, not a manufacturing issue with the product itself. The LifeShine dealer can usually easily rectify the issue and hopefully the customer leaves happy.
> 
> If the LifeShine product fails to protect against something it is warrantied to product against, that is where we would get involved. People may claim against a warranty (as they may do against _any_ warranty, not just LifeShine) and it not be successful due to them claiming against something not covered by the warranty. For instance, some people may believe they never have to wash their car again, or that the product will stop their car from getting scratched. We have never claimed this is the case, and therefore a claim against these would be unsuccessful. Sometimes a customer may get a stain on a seat that would be covered by the warranty and we will advise them that they simply need to clean it with the products provided in their care kit. That is why the cleaners are provided. We have not managed to crack durable, 100% dirt repelling coatings that can't get dirty yet, so there is an element of user upkeep involved with LifeShine, again we do include all this information with the warranty docs.
> 
> If you have seen our posts on DW or dealt with us elsewhere online or in the real world, hopefully you have had a good experience with Autoglym. To the best of our knowledge we always post honestly and are trying to produce products that work very well, do what they claim to do on the label and are of real use to people that choose to use them. LifeShine can be a very useful system to purchase for some people, for others it is not for them, we simply present what it does and let them decide. If LifeShine isn't for them there are other Autoglym products that they can purchase and apply themselves, or indeed non-Autoglym products. No hard feelings.


How is one expected to dispute application of a product if it's pretty much invisible?

I'm having difficulties disputing a damaged car at a dealer, I wouldn't fancy my chances of disputing application of LifeShine if I felt the beading properties weren't up to scratch. In addition I'm not sure I'd be confident a second application would be applied correctly either.

I think you'll find the quality of customer service diminishes massively post sale, specially from a car sales perspective.


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## Woodsmoke (Feb 12, 2018)

Indeed, most car sales people will not except swirls and embedded contamination as an issue pre-application.

We are not complaining about your products as such but about the people you allow to apply them in your name which reflects badly on yourselves. No one has said your products are awful, but the end dealers you allow to apply your products in your name are not up to scratch generally across the board, and that is as a company reflecting badly on yourselves. 

There is no come back to that other than we will audit them quietly and correct the situation asap anything else is just shifting responsibility and that just looks poor as a company.


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## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

Al_G said:


> No missing paint as far as I can see. Nothing that sticks out anyway.


Not right at the bottom of the arch lip, in front of the wheel where it meets the end of the side skirt?


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

Autoglym said:


> If a car treated with LifeShine is not performing as expected, the first thing a customer should do is contact the LifeShine dealer that applied the product. The product was purchased from them, and applied by them or their staff. In nearly 100% of cases the issue is with application, not a manufacturing issue with the product itself. The LifeShine dealer can usually easily rectify the issue and hopefully the customer leaves happy.
> 
> If the LifeShine product fails to protect against something it is warrantied to product against, that is where we would get involved. People may claim against a warranty (as they may do against _any_ warranty, not just LifeShine) and it not be successful due to them claiming against something not covered by the warranty. For instance, some people may believe they never have to wash their car again, or that the product will stop their car from getting scratched. We have never claimed this is the case, and therefore a claim against these would be unsuccessful. Sometimes a customer may get a stain on a seat that would be covered by the warranty and we will advise them that they simply need to clean it with the products provided in their care kit. That is why the cleaners are provided. We have not managed to crack durable, 100% dirt repelling coatings that can't get dirty yet, so there is an element of user upkeep involved with LifeShine, again we do include all this information with the warranty docs.
> 
> If you have seen our posts on DW or dealt with us elsewhere online or in the real world, hopefully you have had a good experience with Autoglym. To the best of our knowledge we always post honestly and are trying to produce products that work very well, do what they claim to do on the label and are of real use to people that choose to use them. LifeShine can be a very useful system to purchase for some people, for others it is not for them, we simply present what it does and let them decide. If LifeShine isn't for them there are other Autoglym products that they can purchase and apply themselves, or indeed non-Autoglym products. No hard feelings.


May I suggest that you revisit all of your installers. I think its fair to say your product is being over sold, and under applied, so much so the product itself is a running joke on most forums and Facebook pages. I can tell you from first hand experience, the products are not being applied a lot of the time, and being sold on line, or in person. If they are applied, they are rushed or done improperly, and put on unprepared surfaces. And regardless of weather it is, or isn't applied, the assumptions the owners are allowed to leave with, as to what it will or will not protect against is are often unforgivable. 
I say this with all sincerity, if a ran a product line that was basically an internet meme for poor quality, I would want to turn that around and do it quickly. It would appear you are being let down very very badly


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## Al_G (Aug 11, 2008)

Summit Detailing said:


> Not right at the bottom of the arch lip, in front of the wheel where it meets the end of the side skirt?


I'll check it out in person but I believe that's just shadow from an area where stoneguard paint hasn't been applied. Nothing too concerning.


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## Al_G (Aug 11, 2008)

Well the PDR was done on the car today. We went to view it at the end of the day. It’s a 95% improvement and all that’s left is a slight ripple in the double skinned arch which is only visible at certain angles/light. Had it been a darker colored car it would be more obvious. If it was my car I would have told Audi to sort it or offer a replacement (I made this clear to the sales manager who remained quiet throughout). Unfortunately however my mum accepted the repair on the basis of being sick of the situation. I think the big plus is it’s not seen any filler or paint.

Slightly disappointed but ultimately it’s her money and her car. She’ll end up replacing it in a few years anyway.


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## Exotica (Feb 27, 2006)

Yes a complete rip off, no better than a cowboy builder doing the same. Autoglym should cut links to the dealers they supply but money is money no matter how it comes.


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## footfistart (Dec 2, 2013)

You can buy the lifeshine kits off the well known auction house for around 25 pounds. But your still better off just getting some fusso or something like that and that will put perform any crappy dealer applied stuff. Plus they make a mess of your car. Trust me I’ve been there with dealers and been banned from one 


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