Ceramic Pro KL - Think twice

I can't help it but to post my experience here on Ceramic Pro KL. Initially I thought to just post it on Google Review but after the obvious manipulation of reviews I got to share it here.

There was a few unpleasant experience I encountered there:-

1) Was told that hydrophobic effect can only last a few weeks, and it's common due to various factors, and it's not under warranty. To get back the effect, need to send in for maintenance at RM 150 per session. However, upon checking the after care warranty online, it's mentioned that hydrophobic is under warranty, FOC.

2) As I was quite curious at how they do the coating, so I stood there watching how they do it, but was told that I cannot be there. I've no issue with this, respect that, I just told him I just wanted to watch a while, but I was told that I cannot be there, so I left. However, saw another 2 customers went in later, and one of the PIC was chit chatting with them there for quite some time, probably the customers know him, so it was allowed.

3) This is what I'm most dissastified about, it's a grey area, and contentious one but I thought they could do better. When my car was ready, it was raining, so I was a little concerned and asked if it's ok to still drive. I was told it was perfectly fine, so I drove back. Along the way, really heavy rain, splashes all over my car, then I got really worried. When I went back home, I feedback to them, and was told that they used Short Wave IR which will cure the coating immediately. I then started Google a lot on the curing time, this is what I found:-

a) I can say 99% online sources mentioned that post curing time is important, normally at least 24 hours to 3 weeks (3 weeks being no IR curing used). Ceramic Pro website dare not to publish the curing time, if they're so confident, just publish it. US website did publish it at 2-3 weeks.

b) Curing time during coating and post curing duration are entirely different. Quick curing time with IR treatment during coating doesn't mean a fast/ immediate post curing time.

c) General recommendation is still to allow some post curing time, preferably at least 24 hours

d) I asked Nanoshine directly, and they replied that Ceramic Pro MY is experience in using the short wave IR, but they didn't want to answer my question if they confirm that there will be no impact at all for immediate exposure after coating. They just mentioned MY weather justify using short wave IR treatment. So again, no one dares to publish written confirmation on immediate curing time.

e) For the fun of it, I attached some responses from ChatGPT too.

I then just found out from some colleagues and friends that their agents from Ceramic Pro advised them to keep the cars for 2 days, so that it allows more time for curing.

My conclusion-

a) I read lots from this forum, thanks to all who shared and also read online, actually quite a few customers who mentioned that there are some spots on their cars which were not coated. However, they were all satisfied because upon returning their car to Ceramic Pro again, Ceramic Pro will apologise and do the necessary coating on the parts left out. While I certainly agree that Ceramic Pro has good customer service in general, that doesn't make their workmanship perfect. How many of us actually test out the coating (by pouring water? I not sure how to check), so for those who don't test it, they will never know if there are any issues with the coating.

b) As with any businesses, the objective is to maximise profit, so for sure, keeping the car in the shop longer (ie >1 day) means less capacity and loss of revenue. Hence, Ceramic Pro got to adopt new technology, ie Short Wave IR to expedite curing time, while surprisingly, not many countries use this. However, if this method is so effective, I would like to challenge them to make an official post in their Q&A section, to claim the immediate curing and exposure to extreme weather without deteriorating the results of the coating (which their USA website proudly shared the curing time for US customers)

c) Ceramic Pro has many excellent (5 star) reviews on Google, and I've no doubt that there are many satisfied customers. However, it's questionable that their number of comments didn't really increase lately, until I posted a negative review, suddenly 7 x 5 star reviews appeared within a day. In fact, 3 new reviews were from new reviewer (1 and only review on Ceramic Pro), all 3 were posted during the same hour, and Ceramic Pro replied to all 3 during the same hour too. I've posted a screen cap here too so everyone can judge if all reviews are genuine or not.

d) On a fair note, they did offer a reinspection, but I declined, as I've lost trust in them, and I don't expect them to recoat by admitting that their claim earlier is false.

Hello Ceramic Pro, you need 4 x 5 star reviews to average a 1 x 1 star review to get an average of 4, but I know you've deep pocket to spend on advertising.

I believe some here might disagree with my opinion on the curing time, fine with that, but what prompted me to write this review is mainly because of the many suspicious new reviewer just right after my low rating post on Google. I couldn't post long review on Google as somehow Google blocked me from my genuine review, so I can only share it here.

So my advice to all, if you really want to consider them, do your research, and read all the 5 star reviews with a pinch of salt.

I would recommend going to ScottHD's channel on coating testing. You'd find that even with most "professional" grade coatings, they don't even last for more than 1.5 years. The hydrophobic effect will usually deteriorate after a year. Any 'maintenance' you do is basically adding another layer of topper which of course will once again increase the hydrophobics again.
Most shops often advertise coatings as added scratch resistance but it really does next to nothing to protect from scratches (this really pisses me off whenever I see them saying it protects your car that way). At best coatings are an added layer of UV protection for your clearcoat, and it does make it a bit easier to clean as contaminants will not bond directly onto the clear coat.
I've personally tested a few DIY coatings myself and concluded that my money is more worth doing it myself. I've tried IGL EZ Graphene, IGL Premier, Gyeon Cancoat Evo, Fusso Coat. Each bottle of coating stated costs only +/- RM150-RM250. And you will be able to coat at least 3-4 cars and the leftovers can be kept for 1-2 years if stored correctly. Currently I'm using Gyeon Cancoat as my coating layer, and IGL Premier as my maintenance solution. Premier isn't ceramic but a variant of water based silicone, very easy to apply as it does not dry off and leave high spots, lasts at least 3-6 months before I need another layer. 
Regarding your question on the curing time, the general recommendation for most coatings within the detailing community is to allow at least 1-2 days without exposure to water after application. With the assistance of IR curing it could potentially bring it down to a day.. however that really varies between coatings and how strong your IR lamp is. If exposed to water or rain it is recommended to rinse off with water and wipe it off to prevent any watermarks from forming. Do not wash with any shampoo for at least a week to allow sufficient curing time.

Do you think a complete newbie is ok to do it? or better send to do outside.. Not much choices here in Penang without breaking my bank

Everyone starts off as a newbie so i think you should be fine if you can dedicate a few hours. I think the main problem for most newbies is polishing the car. If your car is brand new and does not have any scratches or swirls that you don't mind leaving, then you can just skip it. Usually it's still recommended to do at least a light claybar and polish so that the coating can bond properly to the clear coat. But really for my older cars I mostly just put on IGL Premier or Fusso Coat. The hydrophobics last 4-6 months and I can reapply it as often as I like without spending RM1k++..

yea new car, sounds good. Where do you buy em? Lazada? I saw they are selling 300+

thinking to drop by osren shop next weekend too
..

Saw gyeon coat is easy, just spray on microfiber and wipe on car after wash...? ... is it on wet cloth or dry cloth ya...?

The original price is 330 correct. But usually during big sales events like 11.11 you can get it for approx 230 with vouchers. Same goes to IGL Premier.. usual price RM200 but with events and vouchers you can get it for approx 120. I got mine off Lazada.
Osren has their spray coating as well but those only last for about 2 weeks. It's quite inexpensive and good as a maintenance topper as well.
Yes Gyeon Cancoat is quite easy to use, just make sure you don't do it under sunlight or when your car body is hot. Spray it on a dry cloth and apply, then you need another clean cloth to buff off and level, making sure you wipe any excess off.

If you REALLY want something cheap and works well at the same time you can consider Soft99 Fusso Coat. They're only about RM50 per container and will last you for many many application. It applies on like normal car wax but it's synthetic, and from testing they hydrophobic properties usually last from 6 months to close to a year.

I would recommend going to ScottHD's channel on coating testing. You'd find that even with most "professional" grade coatings, they don't even last for more than 1.5 years. The hydrophobic effect will usually deteriorate after a year. Any 'maintenance' you do is basically adding another layer of topper which of course will once again increase the hydrophobics again.
Most shops often advertise coatings as added scratch resistance but it really does next to nothing to protect from scratches (this really pisses me off whenever I see them saying it protects your car that way). At best coatings are an added layer of UV protection for your clearcoat, and it does make it a bit easier to clean as contaminants will not bond directly onto the clear coat.
I've personally tested a few DIY coatings myself and concluded that my money is more worth doing it myself. I've tried IGL EZ Graphene, IGL Premier, Gyeon Cancoat Evo, Fusso Coat. Each bottle of coating stated costs only +/- RM150-RM250. And you will be able to coat at least 3-4 cars and the leftovers can be kept for 1-2 years if stored correctly. Currently I'm using Gyeon Cancoat as my coating layer, and IGL Premier as my maintenance solution. Premier isn't ceramic but a variant of water based silicone, very easy to apply as it does not dry off and leave high spots, lasts at least 3-6 months before I need another layer. 
Regarding your question on the curing time, the general recommendation for most coatings within the detailing community is to allow at least 1-2 days without exposure to water after application. With the assistance of IR curing it could potentially bring it down to a day.. however that really varies between coatings and how strong your IR lamp is. If exposed to water or rain it is recommended to rinse off with water and wipe it off to prevent any watermarks from forming. Do not wash with any shampoo for at least a week to allow sufficient curing time.

Thanks so much for sharing all these info, I've spent many hours reading this forum, and I really almost ended up:-

1) Coating myself, but thinking of getting all the equipment, unsure if I'll do it the right way, what brand to use etc, really gives me headache
2) Do a wax every few months, and polish maybe every 1-2 years

After much research, I concluded that all those expensive coating is really not worth it, but somehow, as many friends suggested, we already spent so much on the car, don't be so stingy lor, just add few thousands for the coating, it sort of like getting a peace of mind only.

Lessons learnt, for sure my next car, or this current car after the coating is gone, I'll explore to do it my own.

Guys..have u heard of Carwash2u? Apparently they will come to your house to wash, polish and cost your car for rm599. Anyone tried before? Is it good?

Thanks so much for sharing all these info, I've spent many hours reading this forum, and I really almost ended up:-

1) Coating myself, but thinking of getting all the equipment, unsure if I'll do it the right way, what brand to use etc, really gives me headache
2) Do a wax every few months, and polish maybe every 1-2 years

After much research, I concluded that all those expensive coating is really not worth it, but somehow, as many friends suggested, we already spent so much on the car, don't be so stingy lor, just add few thousands for the coating, it sort of like getting a peace of mind only.

Lessons learnt, for sure my next car, or this current car after the coating is gone, I'll explore to do it my own.

Here's the thing.. if your car is a daily driver, there's not much point spending thousands to polish till the surface is like a mirror and coating it with a 'pro' grade coating. If you drive it daily to work on dirty roads and highway, it will get stone chips, scratches from other cars and motorcycles, light accidents etc. Once that happens your coating is pretty much gone at those spots. If you've been DIY-ing you can always just reapply those spots back easily.
Alternatively there's PPF - which protects from scratches and stone chips but once again, you're not immune to dents and those cost 2-3x more than coating.
I like detailing and want my car's paint and interior to be maintained as best as possible, but at the same time be practical. My cars are all daily drivers and not sitting in a showroom.
That's just my opinion la.. I'm sure there are some who would disagree. Everyone is free to spend their hard earned money however best they see fit. 

For Polishers I've been using a decent china brand SPTA. You can get it off shopee. Opt for the 5" ones.

i had ceramic pro coating for my previous car. i did not feel this brand is so "superior" than other coatings. it is just normal performance at rocket package price. dont be fooled by the marketing. it is Nay for me. i will never believe 5 years warranty or 7 years warranty 

i had ceramic pro coating for my previous car. i did not feel this brand is so "superior" than other coatings. it is just normal performance at rocket package price. dont be fooled by the marketing. it is Nay for me. i will never believe 5 years warranty or 7 years warranty 

I totally agree with you, if we really weigh the pros and cons objectively, I really don't see that it's worth paying so much. But as I've mentioned, difficult for many new cars owners, including myself, to assess it objectively, that's why they are still so popular, and still so many people pay for such service.
IMO PPF is way overpriced too, ya I've also asked, the whole car will cost >3 times vs coating.
Can only see more objective comment, Google review rather useless, everything positive. Ceramic Pro spends a lot on marketing, the ads appear on my FB non-stop, even after I flagged it and remove it, it still appears. Unlike other ads, normally after I requested not to see it anymore, they normally don't appear again, but Ceramic Pro is different, I don't know how to stop the stupid ad keep appearing.

Here's the funny thing about all of these multi-year-warranty coating. They all have T&C which requires you to go in for a bi-yearly or yearly 'maintenance'... and during the maintenance sometimes they will even charge you for it. You know what they do during those maintenance? They spray on or add on another thin layer of coating! If I were to top off my coatings every year I can even say my coating lasts 10 years no issue at all.
There is one brand overseas "Icon Rocklear" which is a little different though. I've been told that it does not require maintenance topper, and it's so thick that it can fill-in most scratches. However this isn't available in Malaysia as far as I'm aware.

msa9696 sad to have read about your experience and i can absolutely relate to how you feel  money wasted is one thing but looking at how the coating does not perform on your car is the worst part of the day but i find it really strange that Ceramic Pro told you that hydrophobic properties of their coating only last for a few weeks before they wear off - from the way they described it, more like they applied wax and not coating - even Soft 99's Fusso Wax can last close to 8 months before showing signs of wearing off.

by the way, am just curious. how did you get your car washed and did you use a PH neutral car shampoo?

I think they didn't even mention a recoat, think didn't clearly answer my question during the maintenance, they just say will check and if any areas need improvement they just do some touch up. It's not free, it's RM 150 per maintenance, I believe those who mentioned free are those who will argue with them on the condition of the coating which probably Ceramic Pro agreed to maintain it for free.
Yes they clearly mentioned on the hydrophobic wearing off, and quickly clarified that don't trust car wash shop when they tell you without hydrophobic means no coating. I guess they faced many backlash from customer claiming that hydrophobic gone and complained about it, what's astonishing was them telling me that if that happened, I need to bring the car back and pay RM 150 for maintenance, despite their website clearly mentioned it's under warranty.

I haven't sent my car for wash yet, as it's less than 1 week out from coating. I've bought most of the necessary tools and yes bought Meguiar PH neutral shampoo. For now, I do plan to wash myself as I don't know which car wash shop I can trust. Even those RM 50 per wash also I don't think they're careful enough, but even so, RM 50 is too expensive. I think those RM 20+ one might not be pro enough, just my guest.

The car detailing industry is constantly changing and evolving. Even sometimes I'm not quite sure what's based on real science and what's not. There are some detailers who believe that the hydrophobics property does not truly indicate if the protection layer is still there or not. But without the hydrophobic property I'm not sure how will you verify if anything is still on your car. And usually the current standard is to see water bead on top of your car. However some detailers are now saying that beading is bad because it causes watermarks.. so there are products right now that won't cause water beading but instead causes the water to sheet. But water sheeting looks like a weaker behavouir of beading so.... *shrugs*  :confused:  :confused:    (no longer know what to believe.. also one of the reason I refuse to pay so much to shops)

is that really depend on product we apply?
example real world scenario
water beading - if small rainy day (cause watermark, due to dust trap in the droplet and then dry under sun)
and
water sheeting - if heavy rainy day (less likely watermark, dust being flush away by heavy rain)

not sure my understanding correct or not.

Yes they clearly mentioned on the hydrophobic wearing off, and quickly clarified that don't trust car wash shop when they tell you without hydrophobic means no coating. I guess they faced many backlash from customer claiming that hydrophobic gone and complained about it, what's astonishing was them telling me that if that happened, I need to bring the car back and pay RM 150 for maintenance, despite their website clearly mentioned it's under warranty.

I haven't sent my car for wash yet, as it's less than 1 week out from coating. I've bought most of the necessary tools and yes bought Meguiar PH neutral shampoo. For now, I do plan to wash myself as I don't know which car wash shop I can trust. Even those RM 50 per wash also I don't think they're careful enough, but even so, RM 50 is too expensive. I think those RM 20+ one might not be pro enough, just my guest.