Did I get ripped off?

**TX78VETTE** · 05-07-2004, 12:31 AM

Getting ready to sell my 98 civic ex (a black one)...I dont have any time, so Tuesday I took it to a "pro" to have it detailed...Its been in the garage ever since I drove it home. The interior is fine, no complaints, but the exterior is totally crap....looks like the guy didn`t even do the lower body panels (when I wipe them I get a healthy amount of road gunk), and there are still TONS of bug guts in the front of the car..there are still unwashed nooks and crannies all over the car...I would never let anything I detailed go out looking like this, but I have absolutely no time....I paid $190 to have the interior cleaned , and the exterior detailed. I also had 4 nasty dings taken out (they look great...but he had someone come in and do them). What should I do, is this par for the course? I took my PC, some Fine Cut Compound, SMR, Vanilla Moose, and PS21, to the hood, and it looks great...a better looking panel cant be found on the car...I am a computer guy, not an auto detailer!!!! Did I get ripped off, and if so what would you do if you were in my shoes?

**imported_Cujo31** · 05-07-2004, 01:29 AM

Yes you did

The detailer should have had your car cherry for that price. If you were closer I would help ya out. Take it back to the guy and have them redo it. Tell him what he missed. The only way a detailer like that can get better is by him being told he f`ed up.

Good luck

**rickindy** · 05-07-2004, 03:23 AM

You got hosed. Get your money back. I`d be afraid to have him do the car again.

**Autoeng** · 05-07-2004, 06:00 AM

Originally posted by w302nv

I also had 4 nasty dings taken out (they look great...but he had someone come in and do them).

That alone would have run in the neighborhood of $100 so $90 for an interior detail and a poor outer wash might not be as bad as it seems. Still, even if he didn`t detail the outside it should have been clean.

**jasonatv22** · 05-07-2004, 08:01 AM

Don`t let them touch your car again.

For $190, you could own a PC. Though you did get rid of the dings.

**JimS** · 05-07-2004, 08:35 AM

Time to call Guido and Luigi and have them go "splain" to the guy how he needs to do better.

**jimmybuffit** · 05-11-2004, 07:09 AM

Sure, you got ripped, but the question is how to get satisfaction?

Have him explain his work... he may not know any better.

Jim

**Jesstzn** · 05-11-2004, 09:56 AM

Originally posted by jimamary

Sure, you got ripped, but the question is how to get satisfaction?

Have him explain his work... he may not know any better.

Jim

Excellent point. We have 2 detailers in town and both charge $125 if no interior shampoo or engine steam clean. An all round crap job. They wipe the dash not even the door edges and use an acid wash and throw on a bulk wax and slop some dressing on the tires. The car looks wonderful from 50 ` on a cloudy day .. swirl city.

The people that wash/ wax once a year think its great and the detailer has a bunch of $7/hr kids doing it. Pump out 10 / day.

I saw an old couple come out of there with a near new Burgundy Buick .. all happy as heck. The next day I saw it in town in the sun .. it looked like it was washed with a corn broom.

I live in a small town and now a lot of the hi-end car owners are approaching me to do thiers and I can be selective. I don`t shampoo carpet or engines .. in 99% of the cases there is no need. And they will pay more for less but higher quality.

Even the owner of one shop shows a Purple 69 Charger that is full of more fine swirls than a lot of the befor pix on here. Its embarassing..

jimamary is right ... some just don`t know any better..