“Ceramic Coating? More Like Comedic Coating.”
How My Aston Martin Became an Unpaid Instagram Influencer While Getting the Worst Detail Job in History.
2022 Aston Martin. A car that should turn heads — but not for all the wrong reasons.
This is the true story of how my vehicle, entrusted for a simple post-sale detail and ceramic coating, was turned into a public display piece without my permission, damaged by the very person paid to care for it, and ghosted faster than a bad Tinder date.
Scene 1: “Don’t Worry, We Got It Covered”
After purchasing my Aston Martin from Avondale (a dealership I have no quarrels with), the team kindly arranged to have the vehicle professionally detailed and ceramic coated. The guy they picked? Argus Vincze of Argus Professional Detailing in Addison, TX.
I followed instructions and dropped my car off where Argus asked — a place called Charge Mods. I never hired Charge Mods, never even knew who they were. My sole interaction was with Argus. All I wanted was clean paint and a proper ceramic coating. Seems simple, right?
Scene 2: The Invisible Coating and the Vanishing Detailer
I picked up the car and followed Argus’ instructions: let it “cure.” Parked it, covered it, left it alone. Then, I had it inspected by one of the top detailing professionals in the country — someone whose clientele spans multiple national events and high-end car circles.
What did they find?
- No ceramic coating. Not even a cheap one.
- No paint correction.
- Obvious compound residue in the crevices.
- Possibly burnt paint in a few areas.
- And most egregiously — my factory black chrome emblems, a premium option, were polished down to silver, permanently ruining their finish.
Total cost to replace the emblems alone? $1,700 in parts — not including installation or my rising blood pressure.
Scene 3: Surprise! You’re on Instagram.
As if the damage wasn’t enough, between May 1 and May 6, friends began messaging me — my car had made its social media debut on Instagram, courtesy of Charge Mods, complete with my license plate on full display.
I never authorized this. I never even spoke to Charge Mods. Yet somehow, they and another company involved in the filming, TTC Brands, thought it was cool to post my car to market their businesses. No waiver. No permission. No common sense.
A top marketing company that forgets how marketing law works? That’s like a Michelin chef forgetting not to microwave fish.
Scene 4: Ghosted by the Guy Who Did the Ghosting (and the Damage)
Now, here’s where it gets weirdly high school.
Since I started asking questions and pointing out the damage, Argus ghosted me entirely. No responses. No explanation. Just poof — gone. Except not really.
Because while he was ignoring me, he had time to call around to mutual friends, clients, and industry people to gossip, complain, and stir up drama like it was junior year and someone stole his prom date. Two of my business contacts even received harassing messages from someone defending him — and both walked away from active business projects to avoid the “drama vortex.”
The financial cost to me? Very substantial. The reputational damage? Growing daily.
Scene 5: The Fight for Accountability
At this point, I’m pursuing legal action — not out of revenge, but out of principle. Fraud, misrepresentation, unauthorized commercial use, and good old-fashioned lying don’t belong in the automotive or detailing world. And they certainly don’t belong in my garage.
All I ever wanted was a clean, protected car. What I got instead was:
- A fake detail.
- A destroyed finish.
- A public post I never approved.
- And the worst case of “bro, relax” energy from a guy who polished my emblems like they were hubcaps on a lawnmower.
This Story Isn’t Over
This page is for transparency. It’s for others who might find themselves in a similar situation. And it’s for anyone who believes that when you pay for a service, you deserve what you paid for — and when someone uses your property publicly, they better have your permission.
If you’re in the industry, a fellow enthusiast, a member of the press, or just love a good detailing drama — stay tuned. This isn’t about revenge. It’s about right and wrong.
And maybe a little bit about getting my emblems back to the color they were born to be.