# Countering the Supaguard sell...



## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

So, you're at a car showroom, ready to buy a car you'll spend hours polishing, waxing, sealing (whatevers your bag) - or indeed, it's soooo precious you'll be heading straight for the quartz coatings or whatever. You've probably already gone round and noticed all the marks, blemishes, swirls, or whatevers on the "mint" stock...

You make a decision, but you can't pay for this car without being sold "Paint Protection", because modern paint is rubbish, and is: "water based, porous, has orange peel" (probably all true), and supaguard (or whatever equivalent) is the answer for you. It will fill the pores, make your paint smoother, and you'll NEVER have to wash it.

And what about inside... never fear coffee spills again!

My favourite "Safegard" says (verbatim):

"Traditional polishes or waxes only last between two - ten days depending upon:

Sunshine, birdline, tree sap, salts and pollutants" _ two - ten days! :doublesho _

Whereas Safegard has:

-"Lifetime guarantees... (First three years no polish)." 
-"Removes microscopic imperfections"_ (never mind swirls ey?)_ 
-"Prevents unexpected and costly repair bills" 
-"safe to drive through car wash".
-Etc. Bleurgh!!

It's about this point my foot starts twiching, if it gets that far. I've heard it 4 times in the last fortnight...

So, what do you say? Do you say anything - or do you play nicely? I've had a bit of fun with them, but someone must've set the cat among the pigeons before...? :lol:


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## Miglior (Feb 12, 2006)

you say its my car I'm buying, so ill decide if i waste my money on it!±


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

When I bought my E92 the salesman mentioned Supaguard briefly and was understanding when I said I'll detail it myself. He even asked me about various products etc.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

just cut them off, and say no thanks with a smile...

:thumb:


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## Naddy37 (Oct 27, 2005)

When I brought my smart car from Smart of Lincoln a few years back, the sales chap didn't try it. Sales Manager did though.

It wasn't till I let him bleat on about how good it was that I said, "No, sorry, not interested, don't want it"

He tried again, and failed.

"Why don't you want it....."

"Simple, I know how much you buy it in for, and how much you're gonna charge me for it"

:lol: look on his face was priceless, his jaw hit the floor.


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## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

The Cueball said:


> just cut them off, and say no thanks with a smile...
> 
> :thumb:


Blimey, even you play nicely CB! That of course is the sensible thing to do. :thumb:

I wonder if anyone's ever got fed up and called "BS" though?


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## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

neilos said:


> When I brought my smart car from Smart of Lincoln a few years back, the sales chap didn't try it. Sales Manager did though.
> 
> It wasn't till I let him bleat on about how good it was that I said, "No, sorry, not interested, don't want it"
> 
> ...


Sounds like the sales manager here too. We were alright until he joined in! :lol:

http://www.detailingworld.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3378621&postcount=18


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## Naddy37 (Oct 27, 2005)

-PJB- said:


> Sounds like the sales manager here too. We were alright until he joined in! :lol:
> 
> http://www.detailingworld.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3378621&postcount=18


If I can remember, the sales guy did try and sell it to me, I said no, and that was it. Till his chummie boss walked in....:lol:


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## alxg (May 3, 2009)

The Audi dealership I have had my last two cars from know me and my "weird thing" so they also know better than to even offer it; in fact last time the salesman was going through the list of "extras" and said:

"warranty will be.........servicing will be......and would you be interested in....oh yeah, I'd better just move on with that!" to which he actually tossed the leaflet in his drawer. 

I have them well trained now. :thumb:


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## Fish (Nov 16, 2011)

When I bought my iQ last September the dealer was really going for gold trying to get me to buy this.

My first question was why would I want to buy a product that costs circa £40, that you're trying to charge £300 for?

Then to follow that up, I saw that there was a receipt for it having been done by the first owner, and that as the car was only a little over a year old the product should still be working well. When I asked why the car wasn't sheeting water (raining outside) he looked a little sheepish to say the least.

Fish


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## craigeh123 (Dec 26, 2011)

When I worked at a dealer the valeters had diamond brite
Cupboards full of it , if it got applied it was done badly 
And it was a big if ! I used it as I got it free . 
When my fater in law bought his focus he bought it 
I didn't have the heart to tell him its 
50 quids worth and your paying 300 .


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## great gonzo (Nov 4, 2010)

Not sure if it's true but I heard that the salesman earns more from selling paint protection package than the sale of the car?


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## great gonzo (Nov 4, 2010)

What's actually is Supaguard? 
Just a sealant?


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## R7KY D (Feb 16, 2010)

When I bought the wifes new KA a couple of weeks ago , After we agreed the price I said politely , Please don't try to sell me any extra things , I'm not interested I've just spent £9k on a new car and all the money is gone , I'll give the guy his due he almost did it but couldn't resisit to mention gap insurance , Of course he was met with a no thank you


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## tom-225 (Aug 30, 2009)

I know the BMW reps near me get £75 for each that gets their stuff applied to it.


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## great gonzo (Nov 4, 2010)

Mercedes tried to sell me wing mirror insurance. lol.


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## lofty (Jun 19, 2007)

I was in a MB dealership the other day and on the price list of a Matte White SLK (very nice) were the cost of the car, options and then a combined price for paint protection and gap, a snip at £1490.00 :doublesho


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

I've had it free on a few cars (and GAP insurance) but would never pay for it as I've seen them in action. I was looking at a new car the other day, the "valeter" brought the car around for me to see, "I've just finished polishing it" he said as it stood in the sun, I replied "ran out of finishing polish then have we?" he was a complete blank and thought the buffer trails and holograms would disappear on their own. Would you trust this kind of moron on what could be the 2nd biggest purchase in your life?


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## ZTChris (Feb 19, 2012)

Its a decent sealant that gets a bad wrap because dealers apply it badly for silly money, and the claims made for it are unrealistic.

Its nothing special, but its worth the eBay price for sure. Id say its durable but doesnt have the high shine of better products. Might be worth using as a protective layer under a wax or more reflective sealant, but the paint must be corrected properly first otherwise you are wasting your time.

The 3 year guarantee is a bit disingenuous. They dont claim it will bead water and make the car look like a new highly polished car for 3 years, they just claim it will 'protect it'. Any durable sealant will do that for at least 2 years and for the full warranty you need to use their maintenance products, again any product will do that.

I know a few cars that get nothing more than a wash and wax all in one shampoo once a month, and they havent faded or dulled. It actually requires quite some neglect to really dull a car these days. Owners who actually care about their cars and actually care if supaguard is working will look after them anyway, other wont notice the deterioration over a few years on their never washed supaguarded car.

The reason we wax and polish is to get the best possible reflectivity and shine. Supaguard doesn't give you that.


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## Hercs74 (Dec 29, 2011)

I had SG on my previous 2 cars.. The first time I explained unless it goes on for free I'm not interested... And told them I'd be inspecting and testing varying panels and the interior to make sure it's been put on... And I want any left overs should there be any... The 2nd car they refused to do it for free.. So I said don't bother... Had a friend in the car trade so he acquired me the dealer pack and did it myself... 

I found it to be a good product however after about 2.5 years I noticed the dirt starting to gather and not rinse off in the rain like at first... 

For somebody that's not into car detailing and wants a good protection it's an ideal product IMO... However compared to some of the products on the market now they contain nano technology SG is a thing of the past... 

Take a look at GTechniques EXO for example. At the right temp spray on wipe of, whole car done quite quickly...!!! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

When my sister got as a saleswoman she made SuperGuard 'her own' - the garage had not been promoting it and she decided she would promote it were possible. I was discussing it with her for 'sport' and they always have an answer.......even 'The SRP you're supposed to top it up with is abrasive and will remove the superguard' to 'You can buy it online for £25 and do it your self.' or 'There is no products that can last that long'. Now all the other sales staff have seen how she's doing it and started promoting it too.

For the people saying they know what it costs, I bet it costs a lot more than you think, ebay prices are not a true reflection, it's is 'detailers' using one pack to do two cars and flogging spare on the side. And comparing the cost of the products is like saying it only cost Polished Bliss £30 in products to detail the Enzo! Maybe the 'detailer' applying these products is a perfectionist and does everything to the best of his ability (within the allowed time) I certainly would if I had that job. I'm not saying they could ever be in the same league as the attention to detail and years experience shown by the likes of Polished Bliss.



great gonzo said:


> Not sure if it's true but I heard that the salesman earns more from selling paint protection package than the sale of the car?


No, it's not much.

I think where it starts to fall down is it's a job given to someone who may not be interested in it and has not his reputation/income on the line....and the general move in the UK to 'do as little as possible as long as you don't get too many complaints'


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## themk2 (Apr 15, 2012)

I was offered it when I bought my car... and I kindly told him that if he looked at my part ex, he'd see that I look after my cars a hell of a lot, and thus didn't want anyone but me going anywhere near MY paintwork...
To be honest I'm so glad I did. I paid extra for a 'valet', and got what, if I'm to not use foul language, I'd describe as very sub-standard, complete with enough swirls for a hundred cars over.
I'm now going to do it all myself, to my standard, and know that no one else touched my paint but me lol. Picky much?


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## themk2 (Apr 15, 2012)

On the flip side... if you like in a dusty, salty, sandy area like near the coast, it might be a bloody good buy! In Europe I've seen paintwork on 2009 cars thats shot to bits!


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## organisys (Jan 3, 2012)

Bero said:


> ....and the general move in the UK to 'do as little as possible as long as you don't get too many complaints'


Off Topic, but this must be one of THE most annoying things about living in the UK at the moment.


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## Adamk69 (Jun 13, 2011)

Without leaping to anyones defence... especially the dealers...

Different dealers will apply different products at different levels. Sealants whether they be Lifeshine, Diamond Brite, supagaurd etc etc have their place but rarely will they live up to the longevity claimed unless car is very low miles and kept immacualtely (i.e never washed with tfr or a dirty sponge etc) and regardless of whAt others have said, the kits don't cost the earth. between £30 - £80 quid cost price from your local parts dept depending on the kit. But that is 'supposedly' their COST price.

Ebay does have a selection of kits. Are they real? Don't know, I bought some and tested them on panels and my own (old) car and even glass guard on my shower door and they all worked and still work fine. Delivered in a sealed box for less than £10.00. 

Anyway, besides the point. Whatever the product... preperation preperation preperation... and that is where the delaers fall down. They neither have the time, space, money or inclination to apply the kind of prep that is required in order to apply a sealant successfully. I bought a 57 plate BMW 530 M Sport a few years back that was x BMW Management stock. 4K on the clock, a wedge of money off, 9 mths old and transit wax still bribbled down the sills....

I have also applied sealant kits at cost plus a decent bottle of plonk to freinds and families cars one of which rejected the first car she bought form a dealer as they had applied lifeshine on a 6k car without cleaning it first and hadn't even bothered to wipe it off properly, it looked a real sorry state!!

Dewax, clay, deep cleanse, all the bits we like doing () correct if necessary then the sealant will do it's job. 

Wax of your choice for the finish you want but.... PREP!! :thumb:


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## themk2 (Apr 15, 2012)

My mate was offered the paint from a dealer, and they umm'd and ahh'd about it... then the dealer said "It's developed by NASA for use on equipment they put into orbit" and all of a sudden he had a sale!...Amazing.


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## The_Bouncer (Nov 24, 2010)

Well if your as old as me :lol:






Or are they singing Just Zaino...

:thumb:


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## fatdazza (Dec 29, 2010)

themk2 said:


> My mate was offered the paint from a dealer, and they umm'd and ahh'd about it... then the dealer said "It's developed by NASA for use on equipment they put into orbit" and all of a sudden he had a sale!...Amazing.


Was your mate thinking of taking his car to the moon then :lol:


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## fatdazza (Dec 29, 2010)

The_Bouncer said:


> Well if your as old as me :lol:
> 
> Or are they singing Just Zaino...
> 
> :thumb:


Or just Zammo (yes I am old too)


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## nicks16v (Jan 7, 2009)

fatdazza said:


> Was your mate thinking of taking his car to the moon then :lol:


Ha ha, I love that one. Developed by Nasa. That made me chuckle. He fell for it too which made me laugh some more lol


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## themk2 (Apr 15, 2012)

I checked out the paint, and sure enough, NASA supposedly had some part in the development of it (or the technology behind it), either way, it's an ongoing joke now that they'll never live down. moon buggy my ****! aaahahaha


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## cts1975 (Feb 22, 2011)

We would always get min £50 for DB protection along with £50 M&S vouchers.
Sometimes the cars were 'blown out' for low profit deals which meant we didn't get much commission. 
Selling the extras seemed to add nicely when you came to getting paid.


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## walker1967 (Sep 12, 2010)

The fabric guard is pretty good its been keeping my converse clean and dry for over a month now


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## themk2 (Apr 15, 2012)

walker1967 said:


> The fabric guard is pretty good its been keeping my converse clean and dry for over a month now


Brilliant idea! Which brand?


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## walker1967 (Sep 12, 2010)

themk2 said:


> Brilliant idea! Which brand?


Supagard, comes in a spray can you should be able to get one from eBay


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## RamboRab (Feb 20, 2012)

I told the salesman I can get it on eBay for £3.50 instead of the £350 they wanted!

He was kool about it. He even told me that the guys at the dealership tend tI just slap it on anyway!


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## themk2 (Apr 15, 2012)

Does it waterproof your sneaks?


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## walker1967 (Sep 12, 2010)

themk2 said:


> Does it waterproof your sneaks?


Sure does :thumb:


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## themk2 (Apr 15, 2012)

walker1967 said:


> Sure does :thumb:


Sa-weeeet! I know what I'm getting for my next pair then 

Cheers


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## G3 Matt (Mar 29, 2007)

Ive worked selling cars for the last 10 years for various main dealers and as sales manager now, we task the guys with selling Supagard as a matter of course. The wholesale cost we pay is about £40 for the basic kit, retail at £299.00

Someone mentioned earlier that salespeople earn as much selling the Supagard as they do the car, and in some cases its true, incentives are in place to reward the salesperson £40 for selling it.

Its a profit centre for dealers, nothing more. The reps who come from Supagard are so "corporate" they are unflinching in their beliefs that it actually works. Ive had plenty of disagreements with them in the past, but they take no notice.

The three year guarantee is sticky ground. In all truth they get so few warranty claims they take the few they do on the chin, and nearly always blame the dealer for incorrect application, so the dealer rectifies the problem.

You will find most salesmen refer to it as "bul****" polish, and have no more faith in it than you or I, but as its their income, they will push it all the while.

Worst one ive ever heard is a dealer sold a 12m old car to the 2nd owner then charged the new owner £199 for the remainder of the original supagard left on the car..... and the silly sods paid it as well!:wall:

And no - I dont rate it incase you were wondering!!! LOL


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## renny (Aug 31, 2009)

I bought my 2 month old RS and the salesman gave me the speil about it had Supaguard applied, seemed quite proud of the fact.

Salesman "Yes sir, it's in showroom condition and has Supaguard applied"

Me " I'll be needing some money knocked off the marked price then please"

Long pause...........

Salesman " Er, not sure what you mean sir"

Me " Well I'm going to either spend my own time getting that rubbish off or pay someone to do it for me!"

Longer pause........................

Salesman " Do you want to take it for a test drive then sir!"

All tongue cheek by me and bought the car anyway but it was fun.


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

I have the Lifeshine discussion coming Saturday.

I know I'll be overly polite in my responses but after the first "No thank you" I don't expect to be asked again.

I hope it doesn't get to the point of me being blunt about it. 

I have "No is a monosyllabic word. Would you like two more?" running through my head while the smile on my face is saying "I'm a friendly guy, please try to rob me some more". Obviously. 

And the salesman has stupid hair. I don't have much hair left so it could be jealousy but it is still stupid. Or I'm getting old.


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

I know what I do to avoid this all together.Buy old second hand cars!


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## Paul.B (Mar 2, 2012)

When the dealer tried to sell me the Supaguard on my wifes brand new Hyundai, i just told the salesman that my mate was a professional detailer. Never mentioned it again.


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## Hercs74 (Dec 29, 2011)

My friend just phoned me.. She's bought an 18 month old Fiesta with 10k on clock.. She's really pleased.. But more so with the fact they said they would valet and SG car for free... 

Subsequently I chocked on my tea...!!!

I didn't have the heart to try and explain the world of detailing etc.. 

Told her I'll do her wheels and it'll take all day.. Gives me time to clay, snow foam, wash, dry, seal & wax... 😁


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

great gonzo said:


> Mercedes tried to sell me wing mirror insurance. lol.


stoneacre tried to sell me Mot insurance ..... Strange it didn't cover tyres, brake pads, discs, shoes, to name but a few....



nicks16v said:


> Ha ha, I love that one. Developed by Nasa. That made me chuckle. He fell for it too which made me laugh some more lol





themk2 said:


> I checked out the paint, and sure enough, NASA supposedly had some part in the development of it (or the technology behind it), either way, it's an ongoing joke now that they'll never live down. moon buggy my ****! aaahahaha


Oh i had that when i part exed my punto........ dont think they enjoyed the well look at my 5 year old car its in better condition than some of your demonstrators


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