Butkus

And another thing, most of the Autopia crowd won't even let their new cars be detailed by the garage before delivery - they take them away still in all the transport wrapping etc, which is definitely what I will do next time I buy a new car. They even draw up a written agreement as part of the purchase stating that if the car is not as requested and has been detailed, it'll be refused.

The way they wash cars in the car dealers is shocking enough, without paying a further couple of hundred quid for the pleasure.

TonyFlow

If you do get it done, inspect it under some major lighting (halogen works well), as it has been known for dealers to inflict holograms etc when buffing (not easily noticeable in a lot of lights).

Edcase

I think maybe you misunderstand. The dealers don't do this, it's a 3rd party Autoglym-certified valeting and detailing company. Prices for these valeting services range from £180 to about £800 at the uber-top-end (using wax that costs £7000!!! a tub).

This isn't some work experience car sales exec at Audi with a bucket and a sponge. Audi don't make a penny from it. You pay the valeters directly, although I imagine they have some kind of commission deal in place.

645

Edcase - whichever way you choose to justify it, I'm afraid it's a complete waste of money.

There's always someone out there keen to take money from those with more of it than sense. I hope it's come back okay - I'm sure it looks fantastic and it's a great car you have too...but I bet you the same results could have been achieved for significantly less money.

The fact that they tell you they have wax costing £7000 per tub is a) one of the oldest sales tactics around to make you feel your deal is "good value" and b) likely to be, how shall I put it, slightly exagerated.

It's your money, spend it how you like!

robertdon777

Don't have it done at the dealer.

Speak to Rich at Polishedbliss (in approved traders under car care) and he may be able to point you in the direction of a good detailer, or look on detailingworld.

They will do the same procedure and take much more time over it and use better poducts.

They will or should give you some pointers on how to keep it looking good after they have left. Its not as labour intensive as you would think once its been detailed once properly. You will probably just need to invest in about £50 worth of products after the detail or just get them to come back say once a month for a wash/wax to maintain the finish.

The Autoglym lifeshine is a well known product that the main agents and the company supplying both make profits out of - cut out the middle men and get a better deal.

Rob

(P.S a £7000 pound wax will not make a badly prepped car look better than any £10 wax, its all in the prep stage in getting that perfect paint finish, a wax is just a protectant that adds a bit of depth.)

logiclee

Well the guy on 5th gear charged £6000 so £350's a bargain then.

It all depends on how good a job the company do, it may be worth it and maybe not. Try and get some past customers recommendations.

Cheers
Lee

Edcase

I wish people would read properly.

This is not being done or supplied by the dealer. it is a third-party valeting and detailing company, I am only having it done on the dealers premises because I want it done before the car is picked up. It is absolutely no different to, as you suggest above, going to a valeting or detailing company! That's what they are.

For example:

http://www.carvalet.co.uk/lifeshine/
http://www.professional-car-valeting...lifeshine.aspx

£350 is the going rate for a car the size of the RS6. So how am I being ripped off? Of course I could do it myself! But why do you think people use professional services? Because its they are proffessionals? Because they are too busy?

Sheesh, some people are very single-minded, I'm starting to regret starting the thread now

I will take some pics tomorrow and give some constructive feedback.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

For that much money, I hope they polish the factory orange peal off the paint (providing its thick enough)....best thing you can do to get a mirror finish ...shows up every ding and scratch afterwards though

TonyFlow

Sorry Chap, just looked back through the posts, and this was not made obvious (still cant see any reference to an external company)?

Edcase

Tony, sorry, I was directing that at the last few posters

See post 33. That was after you had made your comments so not aimed at you

Anders_WR1

iTrader: (8)

I paid £450 to have a Diamond Brite coating put on my car when it was new(included interior scotch guarding). I've been impressed with it. A quick wash with Zymol then apply the Diamond Brite conserver (which smells suspiciously like Brasso) and the car looks show room new again.

http://www.jewelultra.com/diamondbrite.htm

DaveMiddleton

Do not know what Mark is doing now but it is NOT Swissol/cleaning cars.

willy

Theres no magic or secret to detailing a car and keeping it pristine.
Its down to care and hard work...
Rocket science its not.
A £100 detail once a year with proper washing(ie careful) inbetween will keep the vehicle in very good order.
Now if you want to be more enthusiastic, additional top ups of protection etc can also maintain the shine.

Just my 2ps worth!

Edcase

*****, yeah I'm no stranger to 'care and hard work' I spent many a 3-4 hour period giving my old scooby the Swissol treatment. However, i just don't have the spare (read *any*) time nowadays to do it.

A such, I'm interested to see if this sealant with the occasional wash with the supplied kit can minimise the job of keeping it pristine.

Time will tell

Butkus

OK, sorry for my misunderstanding. Good luck with the new car, I'm sure it'll look awesome :-)

Edcase

Will be sure to post pics!!!!

Christ

I payed £9.99 for the same kit, 2 bottles of applicator (first one cleans and prepares the surface for the second which goes directly over the top), a bottle of wash, and a bottle of conservor.

I thought it was fairly good for almost a year, at which point I started polishing again.

Anders_WR1

iTrader: (8)

So the dealer took me to the cleaners with labour then .

Christ

I personally would have said so yes, but then if you were/are happy then why worry...

This is like the kit I got (forgot I got the conserver/wash seperately)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DIAMONDBRITE-C...QQcmdZViewItem

Anders_WR1

iTrader: (8)

At this price, I might buy another kit and re-apply! Doubt it would do any harm so long as I gave it a good wash first.

I've changed dealer now anyways. I found they charged the book price, rather than the time it took to do the job.

StickyMicky

i did try to tell him

to many people get sucked into the sales patter

spike69

iTrader: (1)

I can understand why you would want to do do this.I hate washing the car,and if im getting a new one,i like it to be as clean as poss etc.

£350 is not exactly a fortune,if its a damn good thorough job done by professional people.Then hey,go for it

My wife gets an earache off her mum for buying carrots that are already chopped etc because they are more expensive LOL.

At the end of the day it depends where your reference point is..

StickyMicky

yes

when i worked for "interclean" up here in newcastle as a young 17 year old whipper snapper, our company was buying in the full kits for around £40 IIRC

dealers were charging around £200ish supplied and fitted

i sold the spare bottles for £10 a shot

Anders_WR1

iTrader: (8)

My old dealer had a live in sub-contracted valet service. Severely doubt he would be charging £75 + VAT / hour like the dealer does...

When I collected my car after service they had the apprentice swapping a clutch on a P1. I bet the apprentice gets paid £10 / hour if he's lucky. Way I see it, if you pay a premium you should have a qualified person working on your car. I know everyone has to start somewhere, but it takes the P1ss.

Sorry for straying off topic.

Anders

NotoriousREV

It's the same as every other normal person's car.

Christ

Precisely why I never use a main dealer for anything other than warranty work.

(Also apologies for straying off topic!)

Chris

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Bloody hell, 350 quid for a polish, you must be mad, part of getting a new motor is the joy of getting it dirty and giving it a good clean, plus if you do it properly you get a sweat on and free exercise. Even at 350 quid it will still look **** after a week of driving, and I have had some crap looking ten year old cars that after a good valet (by me) look mint, and then get me 350 quid, (usually more) in profit when stuck in the AutoTrader, give the used banger buyer a bit of new car smell and they are hooked, Febreze on a whiffy interior, repaint wheels, replace scabby numberplates.

I cant imagine what a molecule layer of anything can actually do against stones, acids, tar more than just standard car polish.

Keep on top of it, clean all the shut lines, dont get polish on the black bits, dont go ver the top with shiny dash stuff, tyres arent meant to shine either, just look black (not grey), leather it after a wash with a proper Chamois.

Anyway, whats a qualified person in car valeting, not meaning to offend their by the way as I am sure there are proper pros out there but most seem to just be the junior members of staff, is there a course you can do, I learnt to do it as the junior by instruction and trial and error, sound advice like dont use Autoglym Truck Wash on bodywork !

TBH, I reckon all these 'processes' are just like the 'Extra Cover' on a ten quid kettle or Gold Plated Scart leads from Comet, a way of extracting a fair chunk of cash out of you as part of the purchase experience, just psychology rather than any added value.

Today I will be mostly valeting a stinky Golf Estate, My mother in laws, just me being a creep !

Edcase

Haha, you were all right! It was utter rubbish, they honestly hadn't touched the interior at all and had just rubbed over the surface of the car with some polish and thrown a kit in the boot.

I laughed at them, and told them I wouldn't be paying.

You live and learn! Thanks for all the advice etc.

BTW the car is *insane*

StickyMicky

i was being paid £10 to do a new car valet and diamondbrite coating
£5 for the new car valet, £5 for the diamondbrite (self employed contract)

i thought that was good money when i was 17
did **** me off a bit that the companys above me were getting all the reward for my hard work, but thats life, now i am the one getting the rewards while my staff on min wage do all the work

bonus!!!

StickyMicky

honestly, i saw one lad who was a team leader bring a brand new silver ford cougar around to be "diamond brite" coated

no ****, he parked it up in his valet bay, had a cuppa with me and a bar of choclate, and took it back around the front 45 mins later

punter was "amazed at how shiney it now looked"
"wow it looks so different from the other one parked over there"

if only he knew