Local car wash - theft & insurance implications
Discussion
I've started using a new car wash, essentially in the car park of the local garden centre/Waitrose. It's a good professional setup and they do a good job, they've even got credit card facilities. You basically hand your keys over and collect it in 30 minutes or so when you've finished your shopping or have a coffee in the garden centre.
It occurred to me yesterday that anyone could wander up, say they own the Ferrari or whatever, pay the fee and drive off as they don't give you any token or anything in return for the keys - there's nothing to identify me as the owner of the car.
In that situation, could I expect my insurance company to cough up, or would I have to try and get recompense from the car wash or their insurers? Would you be happy with this arrangement...?
Cheers
Jason
It occurred to me yesterday that anyone could wander up, say they own the Ferrari or whatever, pay the fee and drive off as they don't give you any token or anything in return for the keys - there's nothing to identify me as the owner of the car.
In that situation, could I expect my insurance company to cough up, or would I have to try and get recompense from the car wash or their insurers? Would you be happy with this arrangement...?
Cheers
Jason
How long do you have to wait ? I'd stay with the car while they wash it.
My local car wash is a similar set up but I doubt very much they have proper insurance if the worst was to happen your own insurance would argue you gave the car and the keys to a 3rd party so your own cover would not payout.
My local car wash is a similar set up but I doubt very much they have proper insurance if the worst was to happen your own insurance would argue you gave the car and the keys to a 3rd party so your own cover would not payout.
I wouldn't ever leave my car and car keys with this type of operation, just to risky in the event of any problems that might arise.
Many people keep their house keys on the same keyring, I know I do, so what's to stop them making a copy. They have your car keys so can drive your car, your car reg so can probably find your address through devious means, a copy of your door key possibly and you don't even know their names.
You wouldn't hand over you car and car keys to a stranger in the street for 30 mins safe keeping.
Many people keep their house keys on the same keyring, I know I do, so what's to stop them making a copy. They have your car keys so can drive your car, your car reg so can probably find your address through devious means, a copy of your door key possibly and you don't even know their names.
You wouldn't hand over you car and car keys to a stranger in the street for 30 mins safe keeping.
Anyone who leaves their pride and joy with these kind of operations is mad (imo).
What happens if they prang it parking?
In some cases the "workers" are illegal immigrants working for £4 an hour.....(Not all obviously)
The idea (in principle) is good, but no thanks, I would stay by my car.
What happens if they prang it parking?
In some cases the "workers" are illegal immigrants working for £4 an hour.....(Not all obviously)
The idea (in principle) is good, but no thanks, I would stay by my car.
I work for a large retail centre which has one of these types of operations on its grounds.
They do have insurance but usually prefer to settle things themselves should say any alleged damage arise to a car.
We have had problems with the car wash refusing to hand over insurance information until we step in.
I've only trusted them to valet my car once, but I'm only willing to do that because I know they won't cause me any problems, I will cut off their water supply if they did. Lol.
They do have insurance but usually prefer to settle things themselves should say any alleged damage arise to a car.
We have had problems with the car wash refusing to hand over insurance information until we step in.
I've only trusted them to valet my car once, but I'm only willing to do that because I know they won't cause me any problems, I will cut off their water supply if they did. Lol.
Redmax said:
Thanks chaps, you've confirmed my instincts. I just won't bother getting it washed again until it's warm enough to wait outside with it 
I used one at a very large shopping centre near Manchester, they attached a tag to your key fob and asked you to write a "password" on it which was asked for to get your keys backKungFuPanda said:
Wow obviously have no insuranceIs a Health and Safety law poster being displayed? If not then that gives you a steer as to how law abiding they are and how they are likely to tackle your claim.
There was an incident like this at Milton Keynes a few years ago.
Can't recall what the outcome was, will see if I can find it.
http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/clean-getaway-a...
Can't recall what the outcome was, will see if I can find it.
http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/clean-getaway-a...
Edited by Rick101 on Monday 9th January 09:05
There's a car wash at my local Sainsburys. Looks all kosher - you don't hand over keys as they wash it externally in its current parking space. However: the 'water' in their buckets must have been used umpteen times, so black, & probably full of grit/sand/muck. Not ggod for paintwork, so I avoid & wash car at home. Would only trust my car dealer with keys come service time....
Against my repeated advice, my other half took her 1 series to a hand car wash and they managed to tear a large strip of lacquer off the bonnet, right up the middle. Must have got far too close and got under a stone chip at the front.
I took the car back there as soon as I noticed the damage, and the 'boss' told me he would get his friend to fix it for me, and it would be fine because "my friend, he fix Taxis. My friend is good, yes?".
I told him no in very firm terms, and he then just opened his grubby leather bumbag and fished out £200 in cash for me to get my own repair done. He must have had thousands in there.
I was really quite surprised that he paid up so easily.
There have since been dozens and dozens of 'please share these photos and boycott the place' type Facebook posts about the wash in question and the damage they have caused with wheel acid, pressure washers, stones and grit in the sponges or drying towels etc.
But despite all this, the place is utterly rammed with 15-20 cars every single time I go past. Full of mostly premium and higher end cars, all getting scratched to bits...
And it doesn't matter how much damage they cause, people will always flock there because quite simply everyone is too f
king lazy to wash their own cars anymore.
The Mrs usually always washes her own car (or I wash it) as she likes to keep her cars absolutely immaculate inside and out, and the reason she went to the hand wash was beucause everyone at her work was going on about how good they are and what a lovely finish they leave, drying and waxing the car etc etc.
She learned her lesson when it came back with lacquer missing and the entire car covered in swirls, which resulted in me having to machine polish it all...
I took the car back there as soon as I noticed the damage, and the 'boss' told me he would get his friend to fix it for me, and it would be fine because "my friend, he fix Taxis. My friend is good, yes?".
I told him no in very firm terms, and he then just opened his grubby leather bumbag and fished out £200 in cash for me to get my own repair done. He must have had thousands in there.
I was really quite surprised that he paid up so easily.
There have since been dozens and dozens of 'please share these photos and boycott the place' type Facebook posts about the wash in question and the damage they have caused with wheel acid, pressure washers, stones and grit in the sponges or drying towels etc.
But despite all this, the place is utterly rammed with 15-20 cars every single time I go past. Full of mostly premium and higher end cars, all getting scratched to bits...
And it doesn't matter how much damage they cause, people will always flock there because quite simply everyone is too f
king lazy to wash their own cars anymore.The Mrs usually always washes her own car (or I wash it) as she likes to keep her cars absolutely immaculate inside and out, and the reason she went to the hand wash was beucause everyone at her work was going on about how good they are and what a lovely finish they leave, drying and waxing the car etc etc.
She learned her lesson when it came back with lacquer missing and the entire car covered in swirls, which resulted in me having to machine polish it all...
Rick101 said:
There was an incident like this at Milton Keynes a few years ago.
Can't recall what the outcome was, will see if I can find it.
http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/clean-getaway-a...
That story from the 'victim' stinks of BS. I'd be interested to hear the outcome of that! Can't recall what the outcome was, will see if I can find it.
http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/clean-getaway-a...
jamoor said:
KungFuPanda said:
Wow obviously have no insuranceNo one can get a f
king straight answer out of any of the s. It's always not their business, or their cousins business, or their uncles business, or their friends business who happens to be back home in Albania... none of the employees work there... well, they sort of work there and sort of don't, but you'll never know... no one seems be a manager, no one seems to be in charge, and no one seems to be the owner.
They will happily go bankrupt or simply disappear for the 487th time rather than pay out anyone a penny for any damage caused or any debts owed.
I know for a fact that if I tried to pull a fast one over anything I wouldn't get away with it for two seconds because I do everything properly.
As usual, it's the honest business owners that get totally f
ked over if something goes wrong, while everyone else just walks away or lies their way out of it safe in the knowledge that most people will just give up if you are prepared to give them the runaround for long enough.Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff