The decision to add Paint Protection Film to your vehicle can be very personal.

At Signature Detailing in Northern New Jersey, we have found that the decision to invest in PPF comes down to three major decision categories. While the weight of these areas is different for every person, we have found that some level of each category ultimately factors into the vehicle owner’s decision.

We share this information because it is proven very useful in helping some of our clients who were previously unable to come to a decision alone. Happy clients have often commented to us that the following decision criteria questions helped guide them to better understand their own decision-making process.

PPF Decision Criteria #1 | Your Personal Preferences

• Are you the type of person who tends to like things in a very particular way? At all times?
• Does it bother you if things are not just right—as they should be?
• Will it bother you if your vehicle looks great at first and slowly changes for the worst over time, with the accumulation of rock chips?
• Do you work in an industry where your appearance influences your revenue, advancement, and/or stature?

PPF Decision Criteria #2 | Your Vehicle Preferences

• Is this the vehicle you’ve long dreamed of and/or saved up to obtain?
• Do you plan on keeping this vehicle long term?
• Do you want your vehicle to always look its best?
• Do you view your vehicle as an extension of yourself?
• Do you take great pride and joy in your vehicle?

PPF Decision Criteria #3 | Dollars & Cents – Your Monetary Preferences

• Are you a person who places great value in saving as much money over time as possible?
• Do you pride yourself on making decisions that protect and maximize your return on investment (ROI)?
• Is it important to you to optimize the resale value of your vehicle down the road?
• Are you okay with potentially spending 200-300% more money in the future for a body shop to repaint damaged panels vs. long term PPF protection costs now?

Determining if You Need PPF – Wrap Up

As you can see, the decision to protect your vehicle may be influenced by the many factors of: personal preferences, love for a vehicle, and monetary considerations.

Did you mostly answer “YES” to many of the questions in the three sections above?

If so, then Paint Protection Film is an option you should seriously consider to protect your vehicle.

For some, it may seem expensive as an immediate investment. However when you stretch the cost out over time and weigh it against your personal preferences, the value of your time, your personal frustration, and future out-of-pocket expenses for repairs – then the cost of PPF may begin to seem very reasonable, if not a bargain. For comparison, a quality repaint of a front end alone could costs upwards of $4,000.

All of the decision factors, and their particular weight of influence, are different for each person and their individual situation. If you cannot decide, then a helpful exercise might be to take out a piece of paper and list out all of your different preferences in the following 3 categories:

• Personal Preferences
• Vehicle Preferences
• Monetary Preferences

We believe this exercise will help guide you to understand if Paint Protection Film is the best option for you to protect your vehicle and your money over time.

To read all of the articles in the Buyers Guide to PPF series, click here!