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Should I spend the extra cost of a ceramic coat when buying my new MINI Cooper?
I've just done a deal on a pre-reg MINI Cooper and I'm happy with the price, but I've been offered half price (£250) for Williams Racing ceramic coat. Not sure about it, but the consensus seems to be that a bit of elbow grease and a good wax is just as good. I'm buying the car from a franchised dealer who have an admin charge of £30. I've never come across this before from a reputable franchise and, to my mind, it should be a part of their cost of business. Is this a new trend? There is absolutely no mention of this on their website. Unlike the old days, where you could try for a full tank, they now want a flat £30 for half a tank. How do I not know that it wasn't already half full or more? These seem to me to be practices to make up for marginal profits on the actual car.
Asked on 29 January 2018 by OGA
Answered by
Honest John
When cars are sold at cut to the bone prices, dealers use things like admin charges to cover their overheads. You don't get extras like floor mats and a full tank of petrol because these are the sort of things you used to get to sweeten a deal when you weren't getting a substantial discount. £250 for the ceramic coating is not too bad, but check the guarantee of it very carefully. £250 isn't cheap if it only lasts a year or if you constantly have to use expensive products to maintain it because then Autoglym High Def wax would have been cheaper.
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