When will the dealer figure out that they are messing up a cars paint with their washing techniques. From now on I am going to have to wash my car before I take it there so they won't wash it. My hood has some nice new swirls after they touched it. I am sure there are other areas as well.

 

Oh yeah - that's almost a universal experience. When my wife picked up her new MINI, they talked her into the clearcoat protectant (what can I say, I was out of the country at the time), and the buffer-monkeys at the dealership swirled up the paint something fierce when applying the protectant. Fortunately, she knows what to look for, called them out on it, and waited there while they fixed it.

So, any time one of our MINIs goes to the dealer, the first thing I tell the service advisor is "no wash - no detail", and I watch him put it on the work order. I also have a sign on the dash that says the same thing, and they've been really good about it so far.

 

Yup, make sure you tell your SA not to wash it and put a sign on the dash, even if you wash it before you bring it in chances are they will still wash it. Its a nice thought that some people like but for people who love their car its not so nice

 

When I took Clara in for the first service, the SA and I were standing next to the car and she looked it over and said "So I'm assuming you DON'T want the free wash..."



I was like "HOooooooo thank you but NO." I asked her why they insist on swirling up the cars before they deliver them and she said that most people don't even notice.

 

hm. when i take my mini in for my first oil change i gotta make sure i tell them no washing. i didnt realize until you guys said anything. but i've noticed two times i took it there. they washed it for me. i could tell by the water spots all over the windows..

the sucky part was. that i ALREADY washed it the day before..now wat kind of torture is that?

 

so they do it on PURPOSE?!

 

When we took our MINIs to the dealership for their 1st scheduled service, I made big signs and put them on the dash of both cars that read:

YOU WASH IT...

YOU BUY IT !!

 

I'm gonna have to make me some of those

 

if i wanted your car i'd wash it so i could buy it from you!

 

Trust me, neither the dealer nor you would like my price.

 

i leave a DO NOT WASH sign on my dash and tell the service advisor
not to wash it. my dealers that i deal with have been very good.

but on the civic, i like it when they wash it for me so that i dont have
to wash it. i get mad (well, not really, i just tell them to go wash it)
when they dont wash it after service.

 

The "Do not wash" sign is a very good idea. My soon to be ex-car, a TSX, got nice and swirled the first time I brought it in. Succeeding times I brought it in for service, I would tell them NOT to wash it, and they'd look at me like I must be short a prescription or two. Not letting the same thing happen when my MINI gets here.

 

I think I'm going to change up my sign the next time I take one of the MINIs in:

"Don't Wash Unless You Use...
Prima Mystique
Griot's Wheel Cleaner
Mf wash mitt
Two bucket method
Prima Hydro
Waffle Weave Dry Towel
Prima Clarity"

That should keep them off the paint. Or **** them off so much they key it.

 

CR&PW&JB - Print one of those up for me too! I've also gone off the detailing deep end. We were just in Vail visiting our son and stopped into Detailer's Paradise in Denver to stock up. Also stopped by MITM Sat. afternoon - but without our car. (We flew from Florida)

 

Sure I will !

Hey... you were actually at THE Detailer's Paradise store ? WW ! Did you take pics ? Did you meet Heather ? Did you get her autograph ? What's the store like ? Did it smell like Hydro in there ?

 

Wow, your easy to please. Yes, it is a nice store, Heather and Rick are both nice people.

I hope Pam agrees. Last time I stopped into the store was on a Monday (closed on Mondays, NOT). I did not notice any lingering Hydro smell, but it was clean.

Btw, if you do your signs up in a 5x7 for the dash, I will take one. I'm sure they will try to wash the MINI. At delivery I had them call the detail man and come up and redo before I drove it out of the dealership. He was pretty cool about it, but.....

 

No, I'm not easy to please. This is THE Detailer's Paradise we're talking about here.

For us East Coasters who happen to be OCDetailers, it's like... well... did you see the eposide of The Simpon's where Apu traveled to the HQ of Quickie Mart ? If so, that's how I would feel getting to THE store of DP.

 

I also have a "DO NOT WASH" sign in red Sharpie that I keep in the glovebox, and take out everytime I am in for service. I have even used it when the car was filthy. It is amazing to me how poorly things are done at dealerships, and like many of you, mine also happens to be a BMW outfit with some pretty pricey hardware on the other side. Although, like I always tell people, dealers are in the business of selling cars, not washing them!

TJM

 

Yes, my husband did take a picture in the store. Yes, Heather is very nice, helpful and pretty...dark curly hair. I have tried for the last hour to get the picture attached to this reply...obviously don't know what I'm doing - no success. I got it into NAM but can't get it attached here. It's a good pic of the Jag (BRG - highly detailed of course) sitting in the store w/product behind. Will see if my son can help me get it attached when he comes over in a few days. Sorry

 

When I had my MINI in for service they also gave me a free "wash." It ended up dirtier than before I drove into the shop! It looked like the mechanic that worked on it hadn't washed his hands in a week and the driver's door had a huge, nasty wet muddy smudge on it. The water they used must have been recycled from all of the cars that had been washed for the week. It looked horrible. There were no swirls because I guess all they had done was spray dirty water on it and then park it in the sun to bake water spots in. On my next trip in for service I will have signs on my dash and I will make sure it is not "washed"

 

I wonder if you can sue someone for doing something to your car against what you stated, have written and obvious wishes (three huge freakin signs). hm. The suit could spark the sending of a memo from BMW to every dealer about wising up to detailing obssesed peeps like us!

power of the people!