Fake Aquapel (window treatment)

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I didnt know Fake Aquapel was a thing but my last 2 orders from amazon (fulfilled by amazon) were both fakes.

If you use aquapel and when you break it .. it should stink like its melting your nose and smoke slightly.

I'm pretty sure my fake ones had some sort of knockoff rain-x type silicone wax in them.
worked ok for about a week.

my last batch(not fake) came from amazon shipped and fulfilled by "tool deals" Its the real stuff.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004NFXA7I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


on the other sellers page I specifically ordered shipped from the seller not from amazon..

Apparently HUGE % of aquapel is fake.. just warning as I didnt know "fake aquapel" was rampant.

If you dont know about aquapel its similar to rain-x except no smearing and lasts 3-6 months easily.

I usually wash windows, sometimes additionally wipe windows down with 90%+ rubbing alcohol.
let dry for 5 min.. Apply aquapel.. I find 1 applicator can do front windshield and both side windows.

If your car windows are older you might want to clay bar them as well then rewash.

Buff with microfiber till it looks dry, grab second microfiber buff some more unti it looks like clean clear window.
repeat for other windows. Sometimes you need a 3rd microfiber use the slightly damp one for first buffing then the totally dry ones for second buffing..

I wear cheap disposable gloves.. aquapel is not good for skin. Also try not to breath it in when applying..
 
My Krown shop applies Aquapel and I can confirm it does stink when applied. I have had it done and been in the shop area watching as they did it for me. (Friends with the owner)
 
i purchase some from ebay and it was fake. Did nothing to the windshield. When i email the oversea's seller I got no respond.
 
Apparently, the same problem exists with Ceramic and Nano-type finish coatings. A great many of them are counterfeit so I'm told.
 
I wish there was a brick and mortar store in my area that sold detailing supplies. Sure, there is a limited amount of items at Walmart and the auto parts stores. For example, I've never seen Aquapel in the store. If you need a good backing plate for a dual action polisher, you must order online. I love that anything can be ordered online but would like to just drop by a store, get what I need, and get to work. This would also give people an opportunity to inspect what their about to buy instead of getting a fake product shipped to them. Do any of you have stores that carry a wide variety of detailing items? I could just be that I live in an area without a lot of demand for such products.
 
Originally Posted by TheLawnRanger
I wish there was a brick and mortar store in my area that sold detailing supplies. Sure, there is a limited amount of items at Walmart and the auto parts stores. For example, I've never seen Aquapel in the store. If you need a good backing plate for a dual action polisher, you must order online. I love that anything can be ordered online but would like to just drop by a store, get what I need, and get to work. This would also give people an opportunity to inspect what their about to buy instead of getting a fake product shipped to them. Do any of you have stores that carry a wide variety of detailing items? I could just be that I live in an area without a lot of demand for such products.


Hard to find brick and mortar stores for good detailing products anymore. Adams Polishes and Autogeek have been my two main online stores. Both have great customer service and don't have to worry about counterfeit products. The Rag Company is another great source for towels and some detain products.
 
PPG sells it in bulk lots of 500 or 1000(i forget which) so its not surprising people sell it on amazon or ebay.
One dead givewaway is shipping from china.. since aquapel is made in the USA by PPG.

On ebay the fakes outnumber the real... I was just surprised that amazon's warehouse appears stuffed with fake.

You can also shake your applicators.. my fake ones 2 were very dry, 2 were totally dry and 2 were wet as normal but no smell(when crushed).

I might just have to pay full retail price at a local auto glass store, as fakes are a total pain in the rear.. Having to remove their bs fake aquapel from the window, and rewash all of them more than outweighs the $2-$3 savings.
(easily 15-30min labor depending on how hard to remove it is)

I end up needing around 6 per year as I do 3-4 vehicles.

I used hot water and dawn dishsoap.
 
"On ebay the fakes outnumber the real... I was just surprised that amazon's warehouse appears stuffed with fake. "



The fakes are likely coming from third party sellers. When you purchase anything from Amazon, look at the seller. If it's not from Amazon or from the company itself then the chance of fake products increase. Not all third party sellers are bad but they are out there.

Some say to go by the sellers rating but I am cynical and I don't trust those number much, just like the reviews. A ten pound bag of salt is needed.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
"On ebay the fakes outnumber the real... I was just surprised that amazon's warehouse appears stuffed with fake. "



The fakes are likely coming from third party sellers. When you purchase anything from Amazon, look at the seller. If it's not from Amazon or from the company itself then the chance of fake products increase. Not all third party sellers are bad but they are out there.

Some say to go by the sellers rating but I am cynical and I don't trust those number much, just like the reviews. A ten pound bag of salt is needed.


Definitely. As a seller on Amazon, I can definitely understand the concern, and also remind you that there are plenty of good seller on there too. IMHO, the key is not to just look at the actual "Star-value" of the rating, but also how MANY reviews it took to get to that star value.

A seller with a 5-star rating, but only 3 reviews, is one you want to be wary of.

On the other hand, a seller with 4.5 stars, but over a thousand reviews.. definitely worth 'taking the chance' on.
 
I wonder if the stuff I used was fake, because it did absolutely nothing...
 
Originally Posted by SirTanon
Originally Posted by PimTac
"On ebay the fakes outnumber the real... I was just surprised that amazon's warehouse appears stuffed with fake. "



The fakes are likely coming from third party sellers. When you purchase anything from Amazon, look at the seller. If it's not from Amazon or from the company itself then the chance of fake products increase. Not all third party sellers are bad but they are out there.

Some say to go by the sellers rating but I am cynical and I don't trust those number much, just like the reviews. A ten pound bag of salt is needed.


Definitely. As a seller on Amazon, I can definitely understand the concern, and also remind you that there are plenty of good seller on there too. IMHO, the key is not to just look at the actual "Star-value" of the rating, but also how MANY reviews it took to get to that star value.

A seller with a 5-star rating, but only 3 reviews, is one you want to be wary of.

On the other hand, a seller with 4.5 stars, but over a thousand reviews.. definitely worth 'taking the chance' on.





Precisely. You said it better than I could.
 
i've only ever used rainx. i noticed that trico view #47100 look very similar to the aquapel applicator. is the the same as aquapel?
 
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