Is GM ripping people off??

06Accordx2

New member
A lady at work today told me that she paid an extra $900 for that "special stuff" on her new Gran Prix so that it will never need waxing. I said "what?" "oh yeah" she replied, "the dealer said that I'll never have to worry about waxing my car if I got this stuff on it".



Sounds like a rip off to me, but I'm no expert. What's up with this???
 
Same story since the beginning of stealerships, really.



It's a paint sealant. They will usually claim that as long as you get "suggested touch ups", it'll last forever.



As sneaky as it is, $900 for a guy to go over the car with sealant is a heck of a profit.
 
I wouldn't think it's just GM(why do people always think domestic automakers rip people off?). Many automakers do this, and it can vary from dealer to dealer. Most dealerships "detail" the new cars anyways, putting some sort of sealant on it, and I can't imagine the "special" one would be much different. They are somewhat true, however, in that as long as the sealant is on the car it wouldn't need additional waxing until it wears off.
 
GM and the dealership are two completely different businesses.



The dealer is ripping people off. Wow, I've never seen that before.
 
Most all dealerships suffer from that disease....it's not specific to GM.



Hey, I'll gladly wax your car for $900 with my uber-special paint sealant too!
 
i worked at a GM dealer here in the UK , they pushed a sealant that was near $600 , its a rip off beacuse if you read all the get out clauses in the paperwork its worth less
 
Toyota offers xylion (paint sealer) for about $900. They don't claim it will last forever like GM, they say it will only last 5 years. They'll probably change the name of their product in a few years and say it's a new type of paint sealer.
 
I don't know how much the paint sealant costs at our dealership.. but it seems to be decent stuff. I think we used Pro-tech in the past, but it's some other company now.
 
The simoniz product I saw had a very strong, and very clear warranty. They would pay to repair damage caused by acid rain, and other environmental things.

I myself would not pay for it, but for someone who does not take care of the car, it seems to be a no-brainer.
 
Imagine if they get hold of DavidB's Red Dot #49 stuff (presuming it would eventually pan out to have as much promise as he thinks it might have). I hate to think how much they'd charge if they had something that DID work for years. And yes, I'm j/k'ing
 
1. How many years is the guarantee on this no-wax needed? (not joking)



2. If by a stroke of chance it needs waxing, what will the dealership do? (not joking)



3. Are you sure this isn't 3 coats of Zaino costing $900? (not joking)
 
Acura dealers, too. When my customer bought an '06 MDX last year, the Acura dealer offered her a "paint protection package" for a mere $1,000. :nono
 
They've (Dealers) been doing that for years; Its one of the oldest tricks in the book. Actually, GM doesn't recommend dealer installed paint "sealant" products on their new cars, but dealers have been offering these additives for centuries.



So in affect, I'd say that she did lose out on that deal. Paint still requires routine maintenance.
 
A member here gave me some xillion to try. I did my truck which sits outside all the time in the summer. I'm going on 4 months or so now after application and I'm really not all that impressed. TO me it needs a clay polish and wax really soon. Glad I didn't pay $900 for it.



My thoughts, it lasts long enough for the ink to dry on the check, and the customer to forget about the fact they bent over the table for it.
 
(For all of those who are naming automakers)



It's not the car manufacturer, it's the DEALERSHIP. The orginal poster only mention GM because the car was a Grand Prix.
 
We've gone over this a few time on this forum...but it never gets old. Most dealerships are running this scam - they need to be exposed. And as far as their 5-year guarentee goes...I guarentee they'll find some escuse or loopehole as to why you voided "the agreement" - there is no way in hell they are going to pay to have your vehicle repainted because you applied this junk (unless it's under factory recall and it's covored by the manufacturer).
 
red02accordv6 said:
(For all of those who are naming automakers)



It's not the car manufacturer, it's the DEALERSHIP. The orginal poster only mention GM because the car was a Grand Prix.



True...but we have a Camry and guess what the stuff the put on it was called? TOYOGUARD. It is something that Toyota branded themselves for the dealers to sell. On my Civic that was the dealer themselves though. They charged $600 to "put on presale things". I was too stupid two years ago to contest the charge and I actually paid for it. Thats one of the stupider things that I have ever done.
 
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