This is what I have observed from outside of the Paint Protection Film arena but also inside of the detailing industry in the past two years.  There are two main categories of buyers, and the distinction is not often talked about.  Consumers and PPF business owners appear to be blurring the lines of these two groups.

Would I ever go to a shop that offers full PPF starting at $4,500?  No.  Absolutely not!  A low price for PPF would scare me away, potentially even if there was a reasonably good reason for it.  The elephant in the room being, I would request a lesser service at the best shop that I could find, based on my budget.  I may settle for a Full Front protection or maybe not have PPF all together.  There is no way I would buy a Ferrari, even with a picture of my dream car, for $20,000.  Most people in that situation know the short and especially long-term consequences of that too good to be true investment.

The Blurred Line

I know as a detailing industry professional that respected experts in the industry, who decided to offer Paint Protection Film, have taken years to be proficient in PPF application.  I have been told the following by various individuals many times.  After receiving REAL training, exhaustive hands on work in film application, “it took about a year to get really comfortable applying it.”  I know it is not unusual for a top PPF installer to be compensated in the realm of close to $100,000 per year.  I know rent for a PPF suitable shop in 2025 must be very expensive.  I also know real high quality film, that may have to be discarded due to application problems, is much more expensive than a ceramic coating bottle!  Just like the ceramic coating market of a few years ago, I am aware profit hungry film supply companies are opening the door more liberally to businesses.  Many consumers do not understand this, or more often at the very least have not thought this through.  Absolutely some will not care to be educated, until they are awakened to the consequences of their cheap decisions.  But the fast growing PPF market of buyers does not know this.

I have seen plenty of very bad looking installs of film from more competitively priced places.  I have seen some somewhat poorly looking installations with customers complaining, while ignoring that their expectations would appropriately be met by (the too expensive) place that charged $2,000 more.  I have seen the rants from business owners about cut marks that now require a bodyshop repaint to fix from the cheaper guy.  Although their customers did not care to research the business beyond price and film.  This is where there is a deja vu of where the ceramic coating service market was approaching a few years ago.

To be honest with ourselves, just like there is a McDonald’s, there is the local car wash with tunnel wash options.  The people that go to or even see a cheap local car wash or even tunnel wash as detailing, might find value in PPF.  It just wasn’t what we intended this to be, or the segment we made such an investment in ourselves for.  This segment may use this service as a substitute for using a car cover for UV paint protection in the or (like we advertise) rock chip resistance.  That might be a good enough proposition for them if keeping their car and or for resale value.  But there is also the segment of people that all your training was intended for.  Then there is the blurred line where those two groups might be INFLUENCED by either category of buyer.

My intention was to offer a clear perspective here so you can accept and plan accordingly.