What are you charging for Opti-Coat warranty?

Richard Grasa

New member
Those who offer the warranty with OC, how much are you charging for it? I plan to give my customers the choice of getting it or not and want to make sure I'm in line with others.
 
Perfections said:
50 dollars more, from my standpoint I don't care to charge a crazy amount more. I get paid for my time, not for paperwork.



You do realize that's less than you're paying Optimum for the warranty, right?



EDIT: COG Pricing redacted



This is exactly why Optimum really needs to do something different like a MAP agreement with installers using the warranty packs. Without everyone on the same page as far as pricing is concerned it devalues the entire program and what they're trying to do.



toyotaguy said:
There is a warranty for this???? WHY?



Marketing, mostly. Optimum's way of breaking into the dealership coating/protection package market with a product that we all know actually can deliver on the false promises most others are making.



I can absolutely see the business case for it, but I also know it isn't going to be for everyone. Seems geared toward wholesale, not so much for retail.
 
Perfections said:
50 dollars more, from my standpoint I don't care to charge a crazy amount more. I get paid for my time, not for paperwork.



That's nuts man.



I have not settled on a exact price yet. But I am thinking about $550~$600.
 
When I say 50 dollars more, it's 50 dollars more then what I'd charge for the same job with opticoat pro. Prep/correction plus price of opti coat pro. Or 50 bucks more here's your warranty... I guess I could've worded that better but I thought with saying more people could read between the lines.. My bad.
 
Perfections said:
When I say 50 dollars more, it's 50 dollars more then what I'd charge for the same job with opticoat pro. Prep/correction plus price of opti coat pro. Or 50 bucks more here's your warranty... I guess I could've worded that better but I thought with saying more people could read between the lines.. My bad.



I understood what you meant. May I ask what you charge for OCP without the warranty?



If I may, I would like to explain why it does not make sense to charge anything short of a substantial amount for OCP.



It is true that there is no difference between how you should apply OCP with or without the warranty. But with the warranty, you will be putting your name on it for the lifetime of the ownership. If the coating fails, you will be on the hook to repair it and reinvest time in repolishing the surface and application. You are providing a peace of mind with the warranty and you standing behind the product for potentially many years. Your cost is substantially higher for this application. Exclusiveness dictates that an owner can not just go out and attain this on their own. The years of investing in your business and being where you are now is the reason you are able to apply OCP. The owner has not invested in the ability to apply anything.



On the surface, there is no difference. But behind the scene there is a lot more that comes with that warranty card. For all that behind the scene extra trouble the client has a peace of mind.
 
Jean-Claude said:
I understood what you meant. May I ask what you charge for OCP without the warranty?



If I may, I would like to explain why it does not make sense to charge anything short of a substantial amount for OCP.



It is true that there is no difference between how you should apply OCP with or without the warranty. But with the warranty, you will be putting your name on it for the lifetime of the ownership. If the coating fails, you will be on the hook to repair it and reinvest time in repolishing the surface and application. You are providing a peace of mind with the warranty and you standing behind the product for potentially many years. Your cost is substantially higher for this application. Exclusiveness dictates that an owner can not just go out and attain this on their own. The years of investing in your business and being where you are now is the reason you are able to apply OCP. The owner has not invested in the ability to apply anything.



On the surface, there is no difference. But behind the scene there is a lot more that comes with that warranty card. For all that behind the scene extra trouble the client has a peace of mind.



I'm about to start doing OCP applications, and this post has made me really rethink potential fees/pricing. Thanks for the insightful post.
 
you guys really think that opticoat will last 5 years?



its just like clear coats...they will fade when left alone and that is the point to opticoat, to be a one and done never needing to wax or polish for a long time, "permanently". GM offers a 36000 mile warranty for its paint jobs, after that, you are SOL if your paint fades/cracks. AND THATS FOR FACTORY APPLIED CLEAR, not for a product hand applied as a boutique product.



I just dont see how there is a warranty for something like this...kinda like full paint corrections...next wash and the person COULD screw up the perfected paint with the wrong towel, technique, etc...are you going to offer a warranty there next too??? hope not!
 
toyotaguy said:
you guys really think that opticoat will last 5 years?



its just like clear coats...they will fade when left alone and that is the point to opticoat, to be a one and done never needing to wax or polish for a long time, "permanently". GM offers a 36000 mile warranty for its paint jobs, after that, you are SOL if your paint fades/cracks. AND THATS FOR FACTORY APPLIED CLEAR, not for a product hand applied as a boutique product.



I just dont see how there is a warranty for something like this...kinda like full paint corrections...next wash and the person COULD screw up the perfected paint with the wrong towel, technique, etc...are you going to offer a warranty there next too??? hope not!



Longevity of any product will always be dependent upon proper maintenance. That's why there are certain terms and conditions to the warranty Optimum is offering that are contingent upon the owner not doing something that will degrade the coating. Ultimately all we as service providers can do is educate our clients to the best of our abilities or provide proper maintenance services to them ourselves. What consumers do after that is outside of our control.



Will OCP last 5 years? I have no doubt it could; though I also have no doubt that the finish will pick up at least some towel marks, wash induced marring, or RIDS in that time. For the type of high end clients a lot of us deal with who want their car polished on a regular basis to maintain perfection, the warranty makes no sense. For most of the average consumer public, though, it's more than adequate since it WILL provide superior protection when compared with any other product on the market.



Your statement about "a boutique product" seems to be the biggest perception problem Optimum has; a lot of guys are writing OCP off as a fancy and expensive luxury for only the uber-elite, and dismissing the potential it has in other segments of the market. The warranty can be an effective sales and marketing tool for some consumers, and it all depends on who you are catering to whether it makes sense for your business or not.
 
toyotaguy said:
you guys really think that opticoat will last 5 years?



its just like clear coats...they will fade when left alone and that is the point to opticoat, to be a one and done never needing to wax or polish for a long time, "permanently". GM offers a 36000 mile warranty for its paint jobs, after that, you are SOL if your paint fades/cracks. AND THATS FOR FACTORY APPLIED CLEAR, not for a product hand applied as a boutique product.



I just dont see how there is a warranty for something like this...kinda like full paint corrections...next wash and the person COULD screw up the perfected paint with the wrong towel, technique, etc...are you going to offer a warranty there next too??? hope not!



If the paint fails, how does the OC impact anything?



Iirc, GM actually offers a 100k mile warranty on paint and frame. Though I could be mistaken. Regardless, GM only offers 36k mile warranty on the drivetrain, engine, ect. Does that mean it will only last 36k miles then fall apart? A warranty is only worth the company backing it up. In this case, I believe Optimum has good reason to stamp their name and reputation on this product.



If someone abuses the finish, it will void the warranty on the finish. But with OCP you are not required to sell a lifetime warranty. You can install the OCP, educate the client on proper maintenance and they are left knowing the finish may last many more years than they plan to keep the car. Optimum gives the professional the option to install with or without the warranty and I love that. My clients also love that.
 
Jean-Claude said:
I understood what you meant. May I ask what you charge for OCP without the warranty?



If I may, I would like to explain why it does not make sense to charge anything short of a substantial amount for OCP.



It is true that there is no difference between how you should apply OCP with or without the warranty. But with the warranty, you will be putting your name on it for the lifetime of the ownership. If the coating fails, you will be on the hook to repair it and reinvest time in repolishing the surface and application. You are providing a peace of mind with the warranty and you standing behind the product for potentially many years. Your cost is substantially higher for this application. Exclusiveness dictates that an owner can not just go out and attain this on their own. The years of investing in your business and being where you are now is the reason you are able to apply OCP. The owner has not invested in the ability to apply anything.



On the surface, there is no difference. But behind the scene there is a lot more that comes with that warranty card. For all that behind the scene extra trouble the client has a peace of mind.





This is not true. As the detailer you are not standing behind the product the warranty company is. If the product fails I am not on the hook for the time/cost of reapplying. The customer would file a claim and the company would pay me to re apply it. I agree that there should be a MAP price. I am also a finest installer and they do have a MAP. My prices are on my website to answer rich's original question. That is one of the reasons I was trying to reach you a few weeks ago to make sure we were going to be in the same ballpark. I would be willing to raise my prices based on what other guys are charging but very few installers list their prices on their websites. Everyone's Finest prices should be pretty close due to the MAP.
 
rustytruck said:
This is not true. As the detailer you are not standing behind the product the warranty company is. If the product fails I am not on the hook for the time/cost of reapplying. The customer would file a claim and the company would pay me to re apply it. I agree that there should be a MAP price. I am also a finest installer and they do have a MAP. My prices are on my website to answer rich's original question. That is one of the reasons I was trying to reach you a few weeks ago to make sure we were going to be in the same ballpark. I would be willing to raise my prices based on what other guys are charging but very few installers list their prices on their websites. Everyone's Finest prices should be pretty close due to the MAP.



Anything you do for your clients will have your name on it. If it becomes a problem for the owner, it will reflect on you and your company.

Iirc, Optimum will provide replacement coating but does not provide compensation for labor.



Are you aware of price setting laws? If you're calling competitors and fixing prices, it would be good to know that it's all legitimate. ;)
 
Jean-Claude said:
Are you aware of price setting laws? If you're calling competitors and fixing prices, it would be good to know that it's all legitimate. ;)



Don't think he wants to fix prices with anyone, probably just get an idea of how close we are to each other in terms of pricing. My quoting/ pricing structure is quite a bit different than his it seems, so no problem there.
 
Jean-Claude said:
Anything you do for your clients will have your name on it. If it becomes a problem for the owner, it will reflect on you and your company.

Iirc, Optimum will provide replacement coating but does not provide compensation for labor.



Are you aware of price setting laws? If you're calling competitors and fixing prices, it would be good to know that it's all legitimate. ;)



I was told that No out of pocket expenses come from Opti-Coat pro installers after the initial installation. If you read the paperwork in the box it says your warranty covers the initial cost of the product installation up to $1500. If the customer has Opti installed and then five years later the product fails they would be reimbursed for the cost of the initial install as long as it was not more than $1500. So if a $600 Opti job fails the insurance company would be paying who ever re-Optis the car the $600. That is how it was explained to me. It is a warranty that is covered by all installers. If you do a car and then that customer moves to my part of the country and the product fails then I would be compensated by the insurance to reinstall it.



Price fixing laws are very complicated. Getting an idea of what other detailers on a web forum are charging for a product is a far cry from a price fixing scheme.



Side note- on your website homepage down on the bottom where it says about us the company info is a dead link. Also your Facebook link does not take you to your Facebook page.
 
toyotaguy said:
There is a warranty for this???? WHY?



BIG PICTURE: Any paint protectant/company that wants to play with the big boys has to offer a warranty. If you don't have one, you aren't going to even get your foot in the door at dealers who are the real marketers of these types of products. David G obviously saw the light and moved on it.



toyotaguy said:
you guys really think that opticoat will last 5 years?



its just like clear coats...



Modern clearcoats last a heck of a lot longer that 5 years and I'd be willing to bet that Optimum's Professional Coating will too. And Optimum is so confident that they're offering a lifetime warranty through a major insurance carrier. I'm sure David G provided quite a bit of documentation to their Underwriter/Actuary for them to offer this level of warranty for only $50.
 
rustytruck said:
I was told that No out of pocket expenses come from Opti-Coat pro installers after the initial installation. If you read the paperwork in the box it says your warranty covers the initial cost of the product installation up to $1500. If the customer has Opti installed and then five years later the product fails they would be reimbursed for the cost of the initial install as long as it was not more than $1500. So if a $600 Opti job fails the insurance company would be paying who ever re-Optis the car the $600. That is how it was explained to me. It is a warranty that is covered by all installers. If you do a car and then that customer moves to my part of the country and the product fails then I would be compensated by the insurance to reinstall it.



Price fixing laws are very complicated. Getting an idea of what other detailers on a web forum are charging for a product is a far cry from a price fixing scheme.



Side note- on your website homepage down on the bottom where it says about us the company info is a dead link. Also your Facebook link does not take you to your Facebook page.



Ya, dead links. I know they are there and will one day move on fixing it haha.



For installer liability see Optimum's post below.
 
When Chris Thomas and Dr.G discussed the new Opt-Guard at SEMA we were told the warranty covered any damage to the painted surface up to $1500.00. We were told no re-reimbursement went to said installer. I understood this as payment to repair painted panel, not reapply OG-

Pro.This was intended to be for new car sales or within the first few months of sale. There were other conditions that were to be met such as no tunnel washing and periodic inspections or corrections from original installer at additional charge. I haven't read the brochure since it has come out but this covers the introduction as presented.
 
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