Currently down in essex for my sister-in-law's wedding and haven't had chance to wash the car so had to chance it and took it to the local Essex polish hand car wash... They didn't do a bad job, even dressed the plastic when I asked them do have the a few quick tip - job done!!

Apparently not though - I could not understand why one of the chaps was gingerly polishing my near side wing mirror... Anyway as it turns out when the mirror fropped out down the road, the ham fisted Must have pushed the glass out of the socket and broke the plastic clip at the Sam time...

A quick trip to lookers, Chelmsford and a very useful parts and service staff got me back on the road 40quid shy + the tenner for the wash... Not what I was expecting from a cheap car wash

I did think about going back and getting them to pay-up but there was 5 of them and they clean cars all day and do are probably marginally fitter than I am. Besides a black eye at the wedding probably wouldn't go down that well!

Oh well - teach me to not was my own car! Freelander 2 TD4 Auto, SE, Narvik Black, Alpaca full leather, Rear Headrest Entertainment System, 6 CD, 18 HSE Wheels, Privicy tints

My local hand car wash have increased there prices because of the increase of business due to the hose pipe ban! Crafty little fookers

Ps poor English courtesy of ios and iPhone!  Freelander 2 TD4 Auto, SE, Narvik Black, Alpaca full leather, Rear Headrest Entertainment System, 6 CD, 18 HSE Wheels, Privicy tints

a bad workman always blames his toolz  2002 Honda VFR800
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Could be that the mirror was already loose and the guy noticed it. Should have told you if that was the case though. 2013 RR Evoque Pure Tech
2012 TD4 GS Auto Orkney Grey - gone

I have lost count of the times I have heard similar stories to this regarding all these type of places. I have lost track of the amount of times I speak to people as to why to avoid them but still they use them!

It is all to do with cost & people's perception of value!! Why pay a valeter (like me) circia £45 to do a standard valet on a FL2 sized car when I can get it done for £10?
I charge circia £50 to do a standard service on a RRS but that is an average of 2.5Hours, can you see the local Joe Soap spending that amount of time? If time was relative to cost then they can only spend a maximum of 20 mins to do an RRS or equivalent & it is impossible to valet something like that (properly) in that time - then you get cases as stated in post 1 which is not only expensive but time & fuel consuming as well. (Past) Freelander 2 HSE 2010 MY In Rimini Red.
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a friend of a friend runs one of these car washes, he says quite bluntly if someone complains they get an instant refund - then told never to come back. At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

TV, With all due respect to you and your chosen profession, I think that my local car wash offer a quick and professional service. My cars are always well finished and I haven't experienced any damage to date. A few years ago I would have cleaned them myself but these days my dodgy back & knees dictate that I delegate the job to someone in better nick than me.
They charge me £8 for a good 'normal' wash & dry in 10-15 minutes - I can then do the detailing at home if I consider it necessary (which is seldom) Life's too short to spend all day on my cars - I would rather enjoy them on the road  Cheers,
Raz
FL1 TD4 GS Auto 2001 Silver
FL2 TD4 Auto 2007 Black
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i go every week to the local polish car wash and valet and car looks fantastic each time. I always chat to them whilst they're are working on it. I cant complain with the service I get. I think if you go often they get to know you and i get a discount now anddd they told me when the SMART repair came off the alloy, which wasn't really their fault its a stupid way to repair alloys anyway!

chicken george wrote:

a friend of a friend runs one of these car washes, he says quite bluntly if someone complains they get an instant refund - then told never to come back.

yes he doesnt give a toss, just watches the fivers roll in, still most of his customers dont care as long as their car looks cleaner as they leave.
people like you wont be put out of business by the cheapo car washes I guess.


he also fits quality kitchens  At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

a coouple of years back my Aunt whose back garden overlooked Staningley Road in Leeds had the pleasure of watching the " Benny-Hill - esque " scene of two transit loads of Plod and Immigration screeching to a halt at the old Shell station which was operating as a car wash, all the washers off at a high rate of knots leaving the bewildered customers in various states of wash completion ! 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

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2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

MartynB wrote:

a coouple of years back my Aunt whose back garden overlooked Staningley Road in Leeds had the pleasure of watching the " Benny-Hill - esque " scene of two transit loads of Plod and Immigration screeching to a halt at the old Shell station which was operating as a car wash, all the washers off at a high rate of knots leaving the bewildered customers in various states of wash completion !

 2013 RR Evoque Pure Tech
2012 TD4 GS Auto Orkney Grey - gone

Bugblatter wrote:

Could be that the mirror was already loose and the guy noticed it. Should have told you if that was the case though.

Possibly yeah, but tbh unlikely. Once I had the car washed the mirror rattled like So I think I would have noticed. When it actually fell of I could not believe how much I missed the nearside mirror!

Personally I've nothing against these guys - they offer a good value service (especially compared to garage machine washers). However I wouldnot want to mess with them!

The thing that annoys me the most is that he must have known he done it... Why not just tell me??

Oh well  Freelander 2 TD4 Auto, SE, Narvik Black, Alpaca full leather, Rear Headrest Entertainment System, 6 CD, 18 HSE Wheels, Privicy tints

chicken george wrote:

yes he doesnt give a toss, just watches the fivers roll in, still most of his customers dont care as long as their car looks cleaner as they leave.
people like you wont be put out of business by the cheapo car washes I guess.

100% correct only that those sort of places have and are having a damaging effect on mobile valeters - simply from the cost (of the wash) point of view.
I have often thought that if you can't beat them join them but I can't lower the tone or most importantly work out how they seem to be able to spring up anywhere when all of us would likely be rejected by the council

I have witnessed many of the following points & also gone to valet many customers cars & seen strange marks scratches etc & asked them where they have had their car washed previously (I knew the answer) & about 95% of them confirm what I knew.
My main point when I speak to customers about these places is what they use to wash your car as in truck wash (not proper shampoo) & how they wash it as in when you pull in they go round with the large spray container spraying all over a dry car = this is truckwash & will ruin/bleach window rubbers etc as most of them use caustic products which strip all wax etc off.Depending on what products they use on the wheels some will use acid wheel clean = definate no no on hot wheels or any wheel other than standard alloy. I have seen warped discs on a BMW X5 too due to one of these places (cold pressure wash on hot wheels) and so on. Then often the mitt used to wash your car gets tossed from hand to bucket or trough unless it misses & lands on the floor then gets used on your bonnet - I valeted a Range Rover Vogue last year & said to the owners employees I bet I know what caused all the scratches on the bonnet then to open the drivers door & find a hand car wash leaftet in the door pocket

A friend of mine has witnessed more than one place shampooing the interior of a car with (no not a wet vac or similar) but with a pressure washer - I rest my case!

I am not saying they are all like it as I am aware they are not but the majority are & I have heard cases of people complaing & being threateaned........... (Past) Freelander 2 HSE 2010 MY In Rimini Red.
(Past) RR Evoque Dynamic Lux Si4 In Firenze Red.
(Past) RR Evouque Pure Tech in Barollo Black with bespoke Firenze Red colour coding.
(Present) Freelander Metropolis 2015 MY In Santorini Black with Ivory Premium Leather.