# Dealer washed car, when told not too.



## Ch!lledBudwei2er (Apr 23, 2006)

Just looking for a bit of advice, had a look at the search but came up blank.

I took my Black Honda Accord into the local Honda, as it needed it's third service, it's first whilst in my ownership ( hence why it went into Honda this time ) and not a indie.

I specifically told them not to wash the car, and even left a note on the drivers seat, as a couple months before I spend the best part of 20hrs on the car due to the state of black Honda paint we all know and hate.

Since the car has only been Snow Foamed and two bucket method cleaned a handful of times since, on checking the car after a wash yesterday the car is now swirled all over, the car still has it's shine but there pretty obvious on looking.

My other concern is they washed it with traffic film cleaner etc and now it's stripped of its wax and so.


What are people's experience with such happenings? The gentleman on the desk was happy to agree that they had gone against my wishes and washed the car.


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## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

I'd ask that they give you some sort of compensation towards the cost of possibly rectifying the swirl marks or some polish costs.

The fact that the guy on the desk agrees with you is surely enough evidence to support your claim.


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## Miglior (Feb 12, 2006)

I've had correction work paid for by dealers because of this. Albeit my own customers cars, so it is easy to produce photos of how the paint did look and original invoices for the work carried out. Stick to your guns mate, I know they thought they'd help you out, but you've worked bloody hard to get your paint how you want. Plus you've told them not t undo all the hard work by washing it. 

It's not really fair that a breakdown in comms on their part leaves you with another 20 hours work.


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## stevengeelan (May 10, 2009)

I think you should ask for money off your service as they have agreed that they went against your wishes. 

Also I wouldn't be going back. If they can't listen to you about something as simple as that who knows what else they'll get wrong.

My experiences with main dealer garages has been poor, wouldn't let them change a bulb in my car let alone do any work on my car, but I won't get into that....


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

Ch!lledBudwei2er said:


> Just looking for a bit of advice, had a look at the search but came up blank.
> 
> I took my Black Honda Accord into the local Honda, as it needed it's third service, it's first whilst in my ownership ( hence why it went into Honda this time ) and not a indie.
> 
> ...


Did you wash and vac the car before delivering it to the dealers?
Sadly you won't have much of a leg to stand on, fortunately for me, when I took my car in for it's 1st service I requested no wash, was pleasantly surprised to see the bill was £50 cheaper than the original quote


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

Avanti said:


> no wash, was pleasantly surprised to see the bill was £50 cheaper than the original quote


:doublesho they charge £50 a car for it,

i used to work for audi doing the service washes years ago and probably only got paint 50 a day :wall:


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## nickmak (May 29, 2010)

50!!! They gotta be having a laugh!

Paying 50 quid for swirls? It's like paying someone to destroy your car and hand it back to you.


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

Pride & Performance said:


> :doublesho they charge £50 a car for it,
> 
> i used to work for audi doing the service washes years ago and probably only got paint 50 a day :wall:


I think it was pro rata their hourly rate (£100/hr) , so although they 'include' it in the service realistically they are charging for it


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## Frothey (Apr 30, 2007)

Corsa D-Driver said:


> I'd ask that they give you some sort of compensation towards the cost of possibly rectifying the swirl marks or some polish costs.
> 
> The fact that the guy on the desk agrees with you is surely enough evidence to support your claim.


Unless it's on the jobcard, it's only your word that he agrees....

how long between you having the car serviced, and you noticing the swirls - you mention you've washed it a handful of times, I'd say your chance is loooooong gone. 2BM and snowfoam doesn't guarantee no swirls - especially on jap paint!


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## Ch!lledBudwei2er (Apr 23, 2006)

The car was filthy when I took it in, as it had just been used for 500 miles of motorway use, more of a reason for them not to touch the car in my eyes, what that dirty 'finishing' rag has picked up and swiped across the paint work isn't worth thinking about.

A friend who also uses the garage said he's seen them power wash his car, one bucket cleaned it with a sponge, blade dried it and then chamois the rest, bottom to top, then another rag to finish it off. I died a little when he told me that.


I'll be sending them a letter, and considering asking them to foot the bill for a company off these forums to get the car back to how she was before she went in, as I haven't the time to spend on the car this time of the year, or a area indoors to do it.

I have pictures of the detail, and should still be on here from a couple months ago.

It was also defiantly on the booking form for it not too be washed, as I also had no washer fluid to be added too.


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## Ch!lledBudwei2er (Apr 23, 2006)

The car was picked up from the service yesterday, I meant it had only been washed a handful of times since the detail had been completed.


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## Frothey (Apr 30, 2007)

Ch!lledBudwei2er said:


> The car was filthy when I took it in, as it had just been used for 500 miles of motorway use, more of a reason for them not to touch the car in my eyes, what that dirty 'finishing' rag has picked up and swiped across the paint work isn't worth thinking about.
> 
> A friend who also uses the garage said he's seen them power wash his car, one bucket cleaned it with a sponge, blade dried it and then chamois the rest, bottom to top, then another rag to finish it off. I died a little when he told me that.
> .


Bear in mind that 99.9% of their customer would _*expect*_ the car to be washed if it was that bad, and most of them wouldn't rinse before washing the car! Not excusing the dealership, but we are the minority.... and you only have your word that since the detail it's only been washed a couple of times - and that swirls can happen as people brush past in car parks, etc - you can see where the argument could go! Which is why I take the service advisor around the car when I drop it in (she's fit - I mean "into" detailing so understands lol!)


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

Avanti said:


> I think it was pro rata their hourly rate (£100/hr) , so although they 'include' it in the service realistically they are charging for it


i wish i was on that much when i was doin it, i think it was more like £5 a hour :wall:

do you guys really want to know the process cars went through when they came in for a service wash at a high end audi dealers???


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## m0bov (May 2, 2007)

I would have looked closely at it there and then. At least would have asked for something back as it was breach of contract. Did they write it on the job card? I always do this.


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## m0bov (May 2, 2007)

Pride & Performance said:


> i wish i was on that much when i was doin it, i think it was more like £5 a hour :wall:
> 
> do you guys really want to know the process cars went through when they came in for a service wash at a high end audi dealers???


YES PLEASE!! :devil:


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## Flair (Dec 11, 2010)

BMW in warrington, use and Automatic carwash in doors. :doublesho And all the morons in there think It's great to abuse and drift the cars around the indoors while its wet


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## m0bov (May 2, 2007)

Flair said:


> BMW in warrington, use and Automatic carwash in doors. :doublesho And all the morons in there think It's great to abuse and drift the cars around the indoors while its wet


YouTube it and send the link to BMW HQ!


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

still don't know why some people take their cars to dealers for servicing...


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## EliteCarCare (Aug 25, 2006)

Did you say anything about it upon collection?

If not, there's less chance of them doing anything do rectify this as you "could" have done this after it was collected in their eyes.

It is frustrating though!


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## Ch!lledBudwei2er (Apr 23, 2006)

EliteCarCare said:


> Did you say anything about it upon collection?
> 
> If not, there's less chance of them doing anything do rectify this as you "could" have done this after it was collected in their eyes.
> 
> It is frustrating though!


I did indeed, I told them that the car had been washed against my wishes.

I was told sorry, the valet guy had "seen it and cleaned it" ( the inside had been done too, so I can't see how the car wasn't moved for cleaning, thus requiring the keys ), and should there be any problem to get in touch" . The guy did say he had seen the job card/booking form, and it did state no cleaning. I also had the Mrs there for dropping off and picking up, so she witnessed it all too.


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

m0bov said:


> YES PLEASE!! :devil:


well when i used to do it there was, myself and carl,

me & carl, :lol:










as you can see, very sophisticated guys

we would fill up the bucket on monday morning, 1 of those big garrilla baskets that holds around 50l

pour in a silly amount of shampoo and jet wash our shammys on the floor to clean them,

this was it for the preparation for the whole week, we might top the water up if needed mind,

the wash process then consisted of covering the car in tfr and the wheels in neat acid, before blasting off with water from the steamer as hot as possible,

1 dip of the sponge then washed the whole car,before bring thrashed about a mile down the road to the valet bay, dryed with a shammy and the dash wiped with the same cloth,

windows polished in and out tyres dressed and a quick hoover,

then a quick thrash back to the car park and reversed into a parking bay for the customers convenience,

cars looked 100 times better than when they arrived to joe public so they were always happy :thumb:

ps . nb . disclaimer etc etc

these mothods are no longer applied at pride & performance HQ :lol:


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## Frothey (Apr 30, 2007)

you don't have to thrash it a mile to the washbay now....... lol!


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

Frothey said:


> you don't have to thrash it a mile to the washbay now....... lol!


:lol:

yeah i have an indoor wash bay now so just thrash them for 3-4 meters :lol:


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## ianFRST (Sep 19, 2006)

dont give them a reason to wash it, and they usually wont 

mine go back to main dealer in pristine condition, they get told not to go near it :lol:, and touch wood, ive never had a problem yet!!


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## Bungleaio (Jul 18, 2010)

I don't think you'll have much luck with the garage unfortunately. The vast majority of people will be thrilled that their car has been washed so they will probably just think you are weird.

I would download the do not wash this car notice from the dowload section mate and make sure it is on the dash when you go next time.

I don't use a main dealer at the moment and the garage I use doesnt offer washing so I don't have to worry about it.


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

Is a sod when that happens. They will say it was a mistake, as they will say mistakes happen.

I saw a Volvo XC90 new in a certain Volvo main dealer getting a good valet the other day. One brand new car, covered in white wrap taken into valeting bay and washed with a old sponge. Car was then shammied off and put in the lot. 

To say disgusting on a £30k+ car is an understatement. It was full of swirls.

If they woul dhave just peeled off the film and wiped it with some QD and a MF I am sure the car would have looked good.

The service manager there has stated to me that all dark cars have swirl marks and get over it.

I will not name the dealer as I have had a few run ins with them.


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## -damon- (Aug 19, 2010)

at the end of the day time is money and the next 20 hours you will spend sorting it could be spent making money somewhere else,i know we all enjoy doing it but its not the point.


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## Frothey (Apr 30, 2007)

Mirror Finish said:


> If they woul dhave just peeled off the film and wiped it with some QD and a MF I am sure the car would have looked good.


And what about the bits that would've been covered in dirt in between the film?besides, once it rained it would have big squares on them from the transport glue!



Mirror Finish said:


> The service manager there has stated to me that all dark cars have swirl marks and get over it.


Had the sales manager at a Ferrari dealer tell me that once....


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

I would never take my car to a main stealer... just as a side note, if they can't follow a simple instruction like "don not wash" - how do you know that they have serviced the car properly?!?!?!!?

It's one of the reasons I take my car to indy specialist garages... I actually get to speak to the person working on my car, and can sort things out much easier...

Although, I never say don't wash the car, as that is pretty boring IMO...

So I talk to them about how there is a special coating on the bodywork to protect it against dirt etc, and it can't be washed or it will destroy the paint..... :lol:

Bending the truth a little bit, but it's more "oohing and ahhing" and far more interesting for a 'bloke' than just don't wash...

So now, when I take the car in...the guy is like...wow the coating is holding up, looks great etc etc...

:lol:

:thumb:


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## Magic Detail (Jul 25, 2010)

This practice is carried out across the board when it comes to main dealers. I have some images on my home computer of a brand new Mercedes SLS that was prepped in a similar fashion to what P&P has suggested. Scratches on the bootlid, swirls, and also plenty of grubby water under the bonnet. Still, it's only a £170k car, not like it's a Phantom or anything....


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## zachtdi (Jan 11, 2009)

having a brother that works for a large car dealer i can honestly say that i will never use a main dealer again, hearing the stories of how an apprentice with no licence is allowed to move cars around on and off ramps etc, how they get a bonus for every bit of work done that it didnt come in for, and the horror stories of how they thrash cars on a test drive, i am not impressed at all. one of their mechanics actually wrote a customers car off by flipping it into a field after aquaplaning going round a corner too fast in the wet.

and fyi its ford!


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

I done my weeks work experience in a VX garage...

They got a bonus for every minute under the job card when fixing things...so everything was a rush job!

I remember they let me do a service on a calton (not a lotus one mind you) all by myself while they were on a break...

It wasn't rechecked either!

I learned lots during that week, I can tell you! :doublesho

:thumb:


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## SNAKEBITE (Feb 22, 2010)

zachtdi said:


> having a brother that works for a large car dealer i can honestly say that i will never use a main dealer again, hearing the stories of how an apprentice with no licence is allowed to move cars around on and off ramps etc, how they get a bonus for every bit of work done that it didnt come in for, and the horror stories of how they thrash cars on a test drive, i am not impressed at all. one of their mechanics actually wrote a customers car off by flipping it into a field after aquaplaning going round a corner too fast in the wet.
> 
> and fyi its ford!


I knew someone who worked in our local Ford dealer. He said that when they rebuilt engines the ran them dry for a while to "run the piston rings in" 

I have NEVER taken my car in there except for having the keys recoded, and that was paiful enough.


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## zachtdi (Jan 11, 2009)

SNAKEBITE said:


> I knew someone who worked in our local Ford dealer. He said that when they rebuilt engines the ran them dry for a while to "run the piston rings in"
> 
> I have NEVER taken my car in there except for having the keys recoded, and that was paiful enough.


if you go in for any form of work from them, expect them to advise new discs and pads are needed


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## 3M UK (Jul 29, 2010)

My car went for its first service yesterday...company car so done at the nearest dealership. I forgot to ask them not to wash it so a quick check in the sunlight this morning shows...shiny scratches all over what was previously pretty immaculate pearlescent black paint. Nice. At least it gives me a good challenge for a full spring clean and machine polish, though! Just annoying that all my hard work over the last few months can be undone in a couple of minutes with 1 poor wash.


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## JenJen (Jun 30, 2010)

I had a silmilar problem with my golf - search prismdetailing threads as he posted up a thread with pics (I'm on iPhone just now so can't hook up the link) but after alot of heartache and calls I never got anywhere or replacement bbs caps I ended up buying my own! 

Prob best just to get out the polisher and start again and never go back!


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## CoopersE91 (Oct 29, 2010)

Pride & Performance said:


> :lol:
> 
> yeah i have an indoor wash bay now so just thrash them for 3-4 meters :lol:


You may jest but I was at a motorway service station on the M5 (or possibly M4) and there was this guy plying his 'valet' trade in one corner of the car park.

Old chap rolls up in this lovely classic 80's Merc SL, handed his keys over and walked in to the station.

Well every opportunity the valet guy got to move it around, he did, and he dumped the auto and wheel spun it for the 3 - 4 meters EVERY time, forwards and reverse - trying to J turn it too. Guy was a tool. Especially when there was no need to even move it in the first place - his plot was about 16 -20 spaces IIRC and not a single other car in the plot and his hoses & flex were like 30 meters long.

I had to boost otherwise I would have marched up and told the owner when he returned.

Wish I could remember the service station but it escapes me now.


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## 3976 (Nov 20, 2006)

Been down this road many times before, both with Renault and more recently with Audi.

Got absolutely no where, sadly. I will still try in the future and have printed off a few of the "Do no wash" detailing world banners - I'd rather a few bluetac marks on my windows than the God awful marks they've left 

I did, however, get somewhere with a local Indi after my car came back with two curbed wheels - they sorted out a respray on all four, FOC... the finish was shocking however


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## bluenose (Aug 15, 2007)

I had this happen with a black Range Rover. Despite having the dealer write it across my file and putting notices in the car, they still managed to 'clean' it. 

Their excuse.......? the valeters english isn't very good and he didn't understand! 

Believe me, it looked like he'd cleaned it with a broom. One considerable row later they paid to have the car repolished by a pro of my choice.


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## SNAKEBITE (Feb 22, 2010)

bluenose said:


> Their excuse.......? the valeters english isn't very good and he didn't understand!


You no likey Kosovan car wash? Very good no?


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## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

I feel your pain buddy. Had my car valeted yesterday as it was going into the Stealers for some potential warranty work today and I didn't want to take my chances of the latter having a go... lesser of two evils I thought, but still wasn't totally impressed. :wall:

Having said that, being Ford they probably wouldn't have washed it anyway... just left a bunch of smudgy handprints on the areas in question.

Hopefully the collinite did its job anyway! I should make a vow now to never be caught short again.

Sorry, realised that my post adds nothing to solve your problem... Hope the sympathy suffices.


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