NEVER again will anyone else wash my car

[neildavies]

I like a clean car for the Mot and didn't have time to wash it myself, so yesterday, I took it to a hand car wash. I nipped to the shop while they did the car. When I came back, the car was gleaming and they even did around the inside of the boot and doors, and shined the tyres, all for a fiver. I was very happy with it......

...then I got home, and found that I had a glaring scratch on my wing, and the headlight washer jet cover was missing.

I went back to the car wash to tell them, and obviously they denied everything, saying how did I know the scratch wasn't there and how could they have broke the washer jet cover. Eventually they agreed to pay for the washer cover, but I'm stuck with a scratched wing.
(I'm afraid to look at the car any further in case I see something else!)

So I'll stick with what I've done for the last 15 years and do the job myself in future.

[DaiRees]

Where was this Neil? Just so I know where to avoid....

[steve_earwig]

An old colleague of mine had a classic Jag, he was off to a wedding but made the mistake of putting the car into a hand car wash first. Seems as though the guy leathering it dropped the leather, picked it up and carried on without rinsing the leather out, apparently his bonnet looked like a skating rink afterwards

I wouldn't ever stick a car I cared about through any sort of car wash because no-one's going to take as much car of it as I do. As for machines that can rip parts of the trim off and use them to remove your paintwork, forget it. It also gives me the chance to check for any fresh car park damage etc.

Saying that, it's as filthy as hell again and I'm sick of washing it only for it to be just as dirty the moment I drive it anywhere. That's the bluddy tractors leaving tonnes of mud on the road again as they belch and fart their way home from ploughing

[plod]

Big chunk of paint missing from the grille, and 2 chips on each front wheelarch which I believe the guys did when flicking the lance round at great speed.

I'll stick with washing it myself.

[mjb]

I could swear I've read a very similar thread somewhere else this morning...


Took my Golf to a local IllegalImmigrantWash (IIW) yesterday. They did a pretty good job of it, even cleaning the door/body mating surfaces Was a bit alarmed by the proximity of the power washer head to the body though, but they can't really damage it more than it already is

[Welly]

Me at the Volvo dealer.......

"Can you not wash the car please!"

"Err, ok but it's 'free' Sir"

"Err, no I do it myself I don't want you to wash it"

Sure enough the bemused staff didn't wash it and on the key was a huge tag saying DO NOT WASH

My mum uses the local IIW (does every town have one? ) and the swirl marks on the bodywork are real bad

[neildavies]

I spoke to them today to tell them I had ordered the washer jet cover, and I said then that although I'd almost got rid of the scratches with T-cut, I was sure that they came from there.

She disagreed and said that if they'd done it, they have T-cut there and they'd have tried to get rid of any scratches they cause themselves.

(This in itself was admission that they've done it in the past).

Anyway, I said that I thought that whoever did it didn't realise what had happened, but besides this, it was definitely done there. Then I said let's leave it as it is and agree to disagree.

Myself, I think that whoever did it, may have noticed, but might have been new there and didn't want to get the sack.

It really is a shame though, because I don't know what they've used, but the car's gleaming.

[mjb]

My mum uses the local IIW (does every town have one? )

I can think of about 20 in stoke/newcastle off the top of my head

[steve_earwig]

Not one in this town

[plod]

Well at least mine doesn't have the big chunk of paint missing from the grille now

Only problem is had to walk home and will have to walk to work tomorrow, as car has been primed up on the bonnet, the front bumper, the spoiler I bought, plus all the mouldings, ready for paint tomorrow.

Definately staying away from the muppets with the lances after paying for this to be done