Dealer Scratched My Car!
Discussion
Asking where I stand with this.
Dropped my car off for £1050 worth of work at my local BMW dealer and they said they would give it a hand wash for £5 and I duly accepted.
The garage offer a complimentary mechanical wash but wanted the hand wash as I know they outsource valeting and thought this would stop the risk of any damage to the paint.
Pick up the car no problem the next day and drive out into the rain. After a pretty dreadful week of weather I wash the car as normal and there are some pretty long but not very deep scratches in the bonnet, doors, rear windscreen and on the rear.
I'm very particular with how I wash cars and know I wouldn't have scratched the car, especially as I carried out the same exact procedure as usual (pressure washed, wash mitts, two buckets, rinsed, microfibre drying etc)
Rang them and I'm going in for it to be assessed. I expect them to put it right but wonder where I stand? The car was immaculate before going in for work with them. For someone who washes car for a profession, whichever valeter worked on my car that day must have been a moron.
For reference, here is the bonnet a couple of weeks ago after a clay bar and a wax.
Would you expect the dealer to right this FOC or play the blame game?
Dropped my car off for £1050 worth of work at my local BMW dealer and they said they would give it a hand wash for £5 and I duly accepted.
The garage offer a complimentary mechanical wash but wanted the hand wash as I know they outsource valeting and thought this would stop the risk of any damage to the paint.
Pick up the car no problem the next day and drive out into the rain. After a pretty dreadful week of weather I wash the car as normal and there are some pretty long but not very deep scratches in the bonnet, doors, rear windscreen and on the rear.
I'm very particular with how I wash cars and know I wouldn't have scratched the car, especially as I carried out the same exact procedure as usual (pressure washed, wash mitts, two buckets, rinsed, microfibre drying etc)
Rang them and I'm going in for it to be assessed. I expect them to put it right but wonder where I stand? The car was immaculate before going in for work with them. For someone who washes car for a profession, whichever valeter worked on my car that day must have been a moron.
For reference, here is the bonnet a couple of weeks ago after a clay bar and a wax.
Would you expect the dealer to right this FOC or play the blame game?
ging84 said:
how long have you had the car?
if it's new to you, then the scratches might have been there to start with and covered up with some cheap polish which has now been washed off
Since November 1st last year.if it's new to you, then the scratches might have been there to start with and covered up with some cheap polish which has now been washed off
I've clay barred the car when I got it and a couple of weeks ago when the picture was taken so the paint was taken back to bare and then nice wax applied.
Any scratches would have shown up then if they were present.
Matt UK said:
Sorry to hear this.
Main dealers though are a bit crap at proper valets, most seem to use the same guys that wash cars in the local sainsburys car park.
Keep going at them though, if your car has been damaged they need to put it right.
Very crap by the looks of things. I expected more from them. £5 is nothing but I took it as a courtesy cost and would charge more for it if I were not to have work done - obviously not!Main dealers though are a bit crap at proper valets, most seem to use the same guys that wash cars in the local sainsburys car park.
Keep going at them though, if your car has been damaged they need to put it right.
I have a feeling they will say they cannot be blamed for it, which would really suck as I can't really prove it.
Good business practice would see them in my eyes, fix the fault as I will spend money there in the future if they rectify this, perhaps I'll go elsewhere if not.
Valet lol a valet costs a bit more than 5 quid you'll be talking about a service wash
You think of the quality of it if you had say 35 service washes to do in a day
The process consists of wheel acid on the wheels TFR all over the car also burning any anodised trims
Then blasted off then shamied off there are no buckets involved generally
I've done it for a living as part of being a staff valeter its not really the valeting part
that happens on the payed for service vallets or sales work
Service washes are just that a quick blast off and quick Hoover out
You think of the quality of it if you had say 35 service washes to do in a day
The process consists of wheel acid on the wheels TFR all over the car also burning any anodised trims
Then blasted off then shamied off there are no buckets involved generally
I've done it for a living as part of being a staff valeter its not really the valeting part
that happens on the payed for service vallets or sales work
Service washes are just that a quick blast off and quick Hoover out
1. I'm surprised they charged you at all as these are generally complimentary.
2. They said they would do it for £5. That's got dirty, synthetic chamois slapped on your paintwork, written all over it.
I do, part time, a detailing service for friends who are into their cars but have no clue about washing one, and although it's all mates rates and favours rather than a business I still don't charge £5 because foremost, I know I'm good at it but also because the total cost of all of the products and polishing equipment that I use on the car is over that value anyway. So, at the very least I make sure I cover my costs.
At the very most you got about £0.60 worth of some cheap fluid flushed over the body of your car by some guy who's job it is to get through as many per day as he can, regardless of his desire to do a much better job.
Hopefully they rectify it for you but when you get it home, I'd suggest laying some protection on the paintwork as likeky the TFR stripped it all.
2. They said they would do it for £5. That's got dirty, synthetic chamois slapped on your paintwork, written all over it.
I do, part time, a detailing service for friends who are into their cars but have no clue about washing one, and although it's all mates rates and favours rather than a business I still don't charge £5 because foremost, I know I'm good at it but also because the total cost of all of the products and polishing equipment that I use on the car is over that value anyway. So, at the very least I make sure I cover my costs.
At the very most you got about £0.60 worth of some cheap fluid flushed over the body of your car by some guy who's job it is to get through as many per day as he can, regardless of his desire to do a much better job.
Hopefully they rectify it for you but when you get it home, I'd suggest laying some protection on the paintwork as likeky the TFR stripped it all.
Edited by 1Addicted on Tuesday 3rd March 09:09
Do not ever let dealer wash your car!! Likely they use typical Eastern European roadside car washers who might as well use a Scotchbrite pad to polish the paintwork. Just go out back and check who is actually doing the washing before you tackle the garage about your problem!.
Ive had this happen twice after Ive specifically requested the garage not to way my car. In both cases they paid for proper paint refinish by James at Ti22 Services (who, by the way, did an excellent job!). Cost for tis sort of work is typically around £300 (your mileage may vary)
Ive had this happen twice after Ive specifically requested the garage not to way my car. In both cases they paid for proper paint refinish by James at Ti22 Services (who, by the way, did an excellent job!). Cost for tis sort of work is typically around £300 (your mileage may vary)
Chongwong said:
If they do repair it for you, then good on them. Though i wouldn't be surprised if they just tell you that you shuold have checked it before you left (I realize that this is unpractical if the car is wet), and that anything could have happened since you left them.
Good Luck
When I rang them yesterday they didn't seemed surprised and asked me to come in straight away. I get the impression that this may have happened before. Let's see what happens. Good Luck
I went through the same thing with BMW yesterday. They serviced the car & washed it, I picked it up in the dark & didn't use it over the weekend, then yesterday round 3 hairline scratches on 3 panels.
Reported it to them but due to 4 years old & it being so so dirty before they got it I couldn't push but just wanted to let the service manager know. Car was in very good condition, luckily I think most of it will polish out.
Never again!
Reported it to them but due to 4 years old & it being so so dirty before they got it I couldn't push but just wanted to let the service manager know. Car was in very good condition, luckily I think most of it will polish out.
Never again!
Grandfondo said:
The most interesting bit is the fact that after £1050 worth of work they want £5 to wash your car!
I don't find that interesting at all.Many people fall into this trap in thinking that giving a dealer work somehow means something to them and it encourages the dealer to 'look after you'
Many couldn't care less aslong as they get the car in and out and sell you some snake oil 3000 paint protection polish whilst you are there.
This is not the case with all dealers but I would suggest most!
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