If you have recently purchased a new or used vehicle, upon closing the deal, you may have been offered an extended warranty, a tire road hazard warranty, and/or dent repair insurance. But how about insuring your vehicle’s paint against bird poop? Spilled coffee on your seat? No problem; we got a plan for that too! No worries! Insurance—does it ever end?

Paint protection insurance is another ingenious marketing plan that nets big numbers for car dealers. Who would have thought car wax could become so profitable?

Simonize, a veteran in the car wax industry, is the leader in the paint and upholstery insurance business.

Simonize uses a Teflon-based wax to protect paint against acid rain, tree sap, the elements, and yes, bird poop. The interior is protected against coffee, soda stains…etc. All of these are quite harmful to your car. And yes, Teflon is the same non-stick material used on frying pans.

The full insurance/wax treatment process is called Simonize System 5.

The natural occurrences listed above are not covered by manufacturer warranties, thus Simonize steps in to fill this warranty void. The Simonize System 5 Protection Plan provides coverage of the paint and upholstery for five years, unlimited mileage.

Important Disclaimers

Simonize System 5 does not protect against the most common paint and body ailments such as dings, dents, scratches, and accidents. No “wax” could.

Also, Simonize does not and can not protect against cigarette burns or the normal wear and tear of an interior.

Application

According to Simonize, the treatment should only be applied by trained experts. I have asked those in the business who actually use the product, but they weren’t able to speak English. I’m sure they understood the training program taught in English…right?

Filing a Claim

It’s easy and straight forward. Your service center just needs to fax an itemized estimate to Simonize and voila a check arrives in the mail.

How Much Do These Plans Cost?

Protection plans cost several hundred dollars. You might be encouraged to conveniently roll it into your financing. Don’t!

Should I Buy The Simonize System 5 Protection Plan?

Absolutely Not!

Do I Need to Protect My Paint?

Absolutely! Wash and wax your car regularly…Hint: never wash your car with dish soaps—they contain detergents which strip any protective wax from your car.

You do need to wax your car, preferably with a premium wax. It doesn’t have to be Simonize System 5. Any premium wax will provide the same protection against acid rain, the elements, bird poop…etc.

Why is this protection even offered?

Profit baby! In the highly competitive market of auto sales, car dealerships are finding ingenious ways to increase/maintain profit margins.

In the end, despite the fact the System 5 is a good product; the extra expense of a protection plan does not make economic sense. The odds of ever having to file a claim for a spot or blemish (that would break the bank, or that you’d even care about) are not in your favor.