Car Wash Nightmare!

Andy1.6 · Post by **Andy1.6** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:01 pm

Ok, so I got back from a holiday on saturday, looked at my car which had been parked under the tree at my girlfriends house and it was covered in bird poop... so, sunday morning after hours of scrubbing I got most of it off and all was well until I ran out of time and took it to the car wash to get the main car clean!

Took it to the Arc car wash at my local tesco in Chichester and payed the full whack Â£8 for the super duper wash thingy (which I naively thought would not kill the paintwork on my car!) While the guy was spraying my car off to begin with with the jet hose he obviously sprayed too close and got it under the windscreen seal so water was pouring in there... fair enough I thought, probably wont damage anything too bad... Then he went in close again and he made an odd face which I thought nothing of at the time until I got the car home and looked at it today. Two fairly large patches of paint on the roof have lifted and the laquer had peeled off leaving horribly ugly marks.

Went into tesco today to complain and they have sent me on to Arc car washes who I couldn't get hold of today as it was too late.

Can anyone give me some advice on anything I can say or do? I will speak to my brother tonight as he is a barrister and could help! Also, anything about fixing the paint!!

Pics to follow later! (after Ive eaten!!)

Sam3352 · Post by **Sam3352** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:11 pm

Nasty formal letter always work, not as in aggressive but as in very disspleased customer.

Had a lot of friends have trouble with insurance and things liek that, im sure you know hwo they try and wiggle there way out of it, and have sent a formal letter and 90% of the time have got money back etc. Even if the company did not agree they still wanted the good customer reveiw so they gave him the money ( this one was for isnurance and having a mod. they made him pay for the previous years he hadnt told em which really racked up and they obviously had a foot forward and could rip him off as he already had the modification (alloys)).

I just get my dad to do it, nice grumpy old men lol

Hope you, or tHEY, get it sorted lol

Tim_GTi · Post by **Tim_GTi** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:23 pm

Ah man that sucks, i would've advised NOT ever going to get your car washed with someone like that, and also checking the car completely. but a little late now.

Go down and speak to them in person mate, try and find the person in the heighest position available and see what they can offer. if the company is linked with Tescos I'm sure it'll be quite successful if persistant.

Andy1.6 · Post by **Andy1.6** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:04 pm

That was the plan, Im going to write one with my dad tonight.

I thought about going straight to the car wash and speaking to them but its pretty much a one man show down there and hes a lot bigger than me and I dont reaaally want to wind him up!

I normally steer well clear of the car was as its paint work suicide but I just have no time!

Photos of the damage.

vw-po-low · Post by **vw-po-low** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:15 pm

Ouch, thats bad, that guy should get the sack and they should pay for damages!

Andy1.6 · Post by **Andy1.6** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:17 pm

Well thats what I thought, which is kind of why I dont want to go and see him so he remembers my face and plates etc!! Its so painful to look at I might have to borrow my mums car til its fixed!!

Tim_GTi · Post by **Tim_GTi** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:20 pm

Geezz what did he use on it?!

Andy1.6 · Post by **Andy1.6** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:24 pm

pressure washer far too close.. which at a guess lifted the edge of the laquer around the widscreen, followed by going through the car wash rollers which probably finished it off! Would be nice to get a roof respray!! Unlikely though Id imagine!!

sylvester · Post by **sylvester** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 11:56 pm

It's a lesson learnt, point out the damage before you leave or they will deny it (how many have had an alloy damaged getting a tyre fitted?).

To be fair, what I can see in the photo's the laquer stripped off from rust spots so it wouldn't take much using a pressure washer, so they may argue the paintwork wasn't in good condition.

Handwash next time!

Andy1.6 · Post by **Andy1.6** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 10:04 am

Yes thats what I thought they would try and pull but the rust was not visible before hand!

sylvester · Post by **sylvester** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 1:34 pm

You're photo's are too good, you can see the bubbling of the paintwork which means the rust bug hiding under it. If you were out to buy a car that's one thing you'd be looking for.

If you get new tyres on alloys, watch the fitters every move, they'll deny any damage.

ModifiedMadness · Post by **ModifiedMadness** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 5:23 pm

Was that bit of rust there to start off with? If so, then I think you'll be hard pushed to get them to do anything about it - as all that's happened is the water has got underneath and lifted the lacquer.

Andy1.6 · Post by **Andy1.6** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 5:34 pm

There wasn't any rust or anything visible before hand. I'm sure everyone on here is as meticulous as I am in looking and checking over their cars!

TheDubStrikesBack · Post by **TheDubStrikesBack** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 2:21 pm

ouch - i most definitely wouldnt have been impressed as mentioned above anything remotely like a complaint for me gets handed straight over to my dad who seems to have mastered the angry customer

nikz · Post by **nikz** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 11:08 am

If you're worried about the dude being bigger than you, just go with either an adult (Sorry don't know how old you are) or with someone even bigger than him sitting in the car. That way you know you can complain and be assertive etc without the dude geting too edgy. Besides if it's in a Tesco car park then surely he wouldn't be able to do much with the amount of people/security around. Also about the plates thing, you maybe could just remove them once you get into the car park? If that's a viable option. Either way I don't think it'd hurt your argument too much, if the guy's being a bell, just go straight through the company.