FTC Approves Final Changes to Used Car Rule

The Federal Trade Commission has announced final amendments to its Used Car Rule.

The FTC has sought public comments on a series of proposed changes to the Rule (formally known as the Used Motor Vehicle Trade Regulation Rule), which requires car dealers to display a window sticker, or “Buyers Guide,” on used cars offered for sale. The Guide discloses whether the dealer is offering to sell a used car “as is” (without a warranty), or with a warranty. If the sale is with a warranty, the Guide discloses the terms and conditions, including the duration of coverage, the percentage of total repair costs the dealer will pay, and the vehicle systems the warranty covers. In states that do not permit “as is” used car sales, dealers must use an alternative Guide that discloses whether the sale is with a warranty or with implied warranties only. Most signwriters Sydney need to be artistic because of the competition in sign writing business.

In December 2012, the FTC sought public comments on proposed changes to the Buyers Guide as part of its systematic review of all of the agency’s rules and guides. In response to comments received, the agency sought comments on additional proposed changes to the Used Car Rule and invited comments on alternative approaches that public commenters proposed for the vehicle history disclosure and the “As Is” statement.

As announced today, the Commission is revising the Buyers Guide by:

  • changing the description of an “As Is” sale;
  • placing boxes on the face of the Buyers Guide that dealers can check to indicate whether a vehicle is covered by a third-party warranty and whether a service contract may be available;
  • providing a box that dealers can check to indicate that an unexpired manufacturer’s warranty applies;
  • adding air bags and catalytic converters to the Buyers Guide’s list of major defects that may occur in used vehicles;
  • adding a statement that directs consumers to obtain a vehicle history report and to check for open recalls. The statement also instructs consumers to:
    • visit ftc.gov/usedcars for information on how to obtain a vehicle history report; and
    • visit safercar.gov to check for open safety recalls;
  • adding a statement, in Spanish, to the English-language Buyers Guide, advising Spanish-speaking consumers to ask for the Buyers Guide in Spanish if the dealer is conducting the sale in Spanish; and
  • providing a Spanish translation of the statement that dealers may use to obtain a consumer’s acknowledgement of receipt of the Buyers Guide.

The amended Rule permits dealers to use their remaining stock of Buyers Guides for one year after the effective date of the amended Rule.

For more information about the Used Car Rule, read Buying a Used Car. For used car dealers, the FTC offers A Dealer’s Guide to the Used Car Rule. “Fillable” versions of the Buyers Guide in English and Spanish are available at FTC.gov.

The Commission vote to publish the Notice of Final Rule in the Federal Register was 3-0.

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about consumer topics and file a consumer complaint online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). Like the FTC on Facebook (link is external), follow us on Twitter (link is external), read our blogs and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.

Protecting Your Car Paint Work With Opti-Coat Pro – Is It Worth The Investment?

Many new car buyers will recall hearing about ‘paint protection’ from the car dealership salesman. Experiences with this ‘paint protection’, while varied, are still mostly underwhelming – and always expensive. How then does Opti-Coat car paint protection differ from the ‘paint protection’ sales pitch of a dealer?

Firstly, the Opti-Coat product itself is not just a wax coating; rather it is a pre-polymer that crosslinks and forms a continuous protective film on the painted surface it is applied to, forming a clear coat finish and permanent protection.

A bit of online research verifies that experiences with the Opti-Coat product are predominantly positive. Discussion threads are more about finding an Opti-Coat dealer that will apply it at a reasonable price, than any issues with the product.

Having OptiCoat done is absolutely, 100% worth it… It’s rainy here today and the water still beads up every bit as much as it did two nearly years [sic] ago when it was applied. Every Tesla I have in the future (and I plan on having many) will definitely get the OptiCoat treatment. – highfalutintodd

Two years, 18,000 miles with Opti-coat pro. Have only cleaned it with water and a soft cloth. No soap, no cleaning formulations, no waxes. Just water.
Couple of tiny dings, otherwise looks like new. – thranx

What is it about Opti-Coat car paint protection that makes the product so well spoken of and worthy of investment? There are many: advanced protective qualities that enhance the vehicle’s paint work; chemical resistance to things like bird droppings and tree sap; a thick coating that gives superior gloss and scratch resistance; and finally, superior hydrophobic properties.

The Opti-Coat application process will of course have an impact on the cost. Contributing to the cost are the techniques that dealers use to improve the effectiveness of the product – like the number of coats and the way each layer is applied (hand or spray gun). In order to get the thickest and smoothest finish for superior vehicle paint protection, multiple coats are recommended by Sydney’s own Opti-Coat dealer – Definitive Car Detailing.

The flash time of Opti-Coat is shortened as temperature rises; Opti-Coat also reacts faster with the paint substrate when there is more moisture in the air. So as we start entering the warmer months, getting Opti-Coat car paint protection may just be the investment that will help your car retain its value.

Concept Artist – Ready At Dawn

It is a reality that very lots of people are unable to visualise a scene for a film, TELEVISION commercial, training video, sales video, or other kind of film simply from looking over the script or a text. The reason why we have concept board artist for our film is to create a story in a storyboard for us to interpret it easily.

Present those exact same individuals with a photo or picture of some sort and they will grasp the concept immediately. The old expression is that “a picture tells a thousand words” and for very numerous individuals that holds true. Attempt, for instance to describe the charm of a Red Admiral butterfly to somebody in words only. Unless your name happens to be Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, or Colleen McCullough, you may find it extremely difficult aiming to get over to them precisely what it looks like. In truth, you might have a tough time attempting to visualise it on your own as you attempt to discuss it.

However, present those exact same people with a photo or a painting of a Red Admiral and they will get the message immediately.

The Same With A Film Script

It is exactly the exact same with a film script or a book that you desire to become a movie. It can be really tough to explain to someone how excellent your TVC or video is going to be when you only have words to describe it. In many circumstances, they literally cannot “see” it.

What you require is a method of developing an image showing your idea in a manner where it can quickly be comprehended by the individual or persons to whom you are displaying it.

Enter the freelance storyboard artist. A storyboard artist is somebody who has the capability to visualise the idea of a script or other piece of text and turn it into an image or series of images so that it can easily be comprehended. To puts it simply, he (or she) can see a picture in his mind’s eye then draw it so that anyone can understand exactly what is going on in a scene.

An Additional Step

Some people think that having actually a storyboard produced before starting production of a film or TVC is merely an added action which includes greater cost to the total spending plan and really isn’t really a requirement. However, this is far from the truth. Certainly, utilizing a freelance storyboard artist includes a little extra expense, but the time and cost savings later on can far exceed this.

Your storyboard will show each shot of the movie or video in the correct order and will have notes stating what is going on in the shot and explaining any script that is being used in the scene. This makes it extremely easy to explain to your potential customer, your team, or indeed anybody else, how the video will continue and what it is everything about. Many stakeholders discover it really hard to visualise something from a script, but your storyboard reveals them precisely how the video will play out.

It Will Help Considerably When It Comes To Production

Your storyboard will likewise help substantially when it pertains to production. In effect you have produced a prepare for shooting your movie or video that includes all of the different shots, the order in which they happen, and how the script will communicate with them. It allows you to consider your protection– the various video camera angles that you will utilize– and it also ensures that you don’t mistakenly leave any scenes out and have to go back to movie them later on: that of itself might conserve a significant amount of cash if you are shooting on place. It will also conserve you time spent on modifications in the future if you don’t have a storyboard and something doesn’t rather work out the method that you considered.

Some people will inform you that you can create a storyboard on your own, however it is a lot easier stated than done, specifically if you are not good at drawing. It’s real that you do not have to be a Picasso considering that a poor drawing is better than no illustration, however you have to illustrate each shot as precisely as possible. You also have to add the script beneath each drawing with notes about what is going on in that certain shot.

Many individuals just do not have the abilities to create their own storyboard, so it is far better to use the services of a freelance storyboard artist such as Dean Mortensen who can visualise exactly what it is that you wish to state and after that draw the shots accurately for you.

Making Storyboards For 30 Years

Dean Mortensen has actually been an art director of an advertising agency for 30 years, and has actually been producing storyboards for all 30 of them. He has now left the advertising business and is working out on his own as a freelance storyboard artist. He has the unique ability to take a look at your script or text and then produce a storyboard revealing each shot precisely as it need to look, together with the accompanying notes and script. What’s more, because he has actually been producing storyboards for many years he can produce them extremely rapidly when there are time restraints.

Dean has produced storyboards for the likes of Revlon, Y & R Group, Avis, Foxtel, Cuddly, Emirates, NSW Transport Maritime, Colgate, Tabcorp, visitnsw.com, BWM, and a lot more. He has actually worked in many markets consisting of alcohol, FMCG, tourist, telecoms, retail services, home entertainment, motor automobiles, and sport, among lots of others. He has likewise won prestigious awards consisting of Gold & Bronze Cannes Lions, London International, D & ADVERTISEMENT, One Show, and New York Festivals.

Dean is fully able to handle local work, and international freelance jobs with ease. Thanks duly to Dropbox and the inter-webs, he is able to work remotely and deliver his same exceptional quality and accuracy, as if he were just in the next studio, in the next room.

Dean’s storyboards can be produced in different styles such as quick line basic, graphic pencil, line and a splash of colour, or exactly what he calls line and the entire caboodle.

So now you understand why you ought to have a storyboard produced and why you must use a freelance storyboard artist in order to get the very best outcomes. You can get in touch with Dean at +61-432564690 or email him at scenesbydean@gmail.com.