Ok, I am completely losing it right now. As some of you know I bought some new rims and shoes for my max only like a month ago, maybe even less. There is a water ban in my town so I couldn't wash my max myself so I had to resort to a car wash. I went to one of the ones advertized as "touch-less" but learned the hard way that that wasn't the case. I knew I'd likely get a few fine scratches in my car's paint but I'm going to be detailing the max anyway so I didn't care about that...but I didn't think it would not only scratch my rims, but BEND them!!!! They must have rubbed and gotten bent on the little track that pulls the car through the wash cuz as the car was going through the wash the guy was having me turn my wheel in different directions and stuff but if the rims were gettin f'd up you'd think he'd have me stop and backup out of the wash but no he just let me keep on going and let my beautiful new rims get destroyed. I mean...look at this..this is a pic of my driver's front wheel but the driver's rear is also bent in the same manner. Both passenger sides are fine but that's because the track only runs on the driver's side (though all the rims have lots of scratches in them now)...I hate car washes and I hate water bans :'( What's worse is I doubt the car wash will do jack sh*t about it

http://public.fotki.com/kennstdumich.../p1010316.html

 

Holy ****

Did you talk to anyone while you were there? You should be able to get that bend taken out. Damage like that where I used to live (Iowa) cost $100-$150 to repair.

 

Man, I feel for ya... That really sucks.

 

No I didn't notice they were bent until long after I got home. I was in a hurry since I was driving about an hour to visit my best friend at college I hadn't seen in almost a year so I didn't notice they were f'd up until today. Now that it has been 2 days since I had the max washed there I doubt they'll do anything, plus I'm sure most places like that have some sort of sign that says they arent responsible for damages (like broken antennas and stuff). Then again it's not like they give you a receipt so they won't know it's been 2 days since i was there unless they remember me (which they likely will). Either way this is ridiculous these rims are less than a month old and already look like they've been beat to sh*t. The scratches don't show up in the pics but trust me, they're bad :'(

 

ouch. id be REAL pissed. if ur in the CT area i know a guy that can fix any rim with any kind of damage for 150 a piece. email me and lemme know.

infuser72@netscape.net

 

Thanks for the offer swazey I'd be willing to drive up to 4 hours (even though you're much closer than that) to have my wheels fixed right. The problem is $150 a rim is way out of my range. I had to stretch my finances to afford the rims and tires in the first place and on top of that I just bought a $3k toolbox for work (i'm a mechanic). I care more about the bends than the scratches because those I can buff out myself. I do repair rims at work but am much more comfortable with steels. I hate working with alloy/aluminum rims because one false move you crack the rim then it's junk. I know if I take the torch to it and heat it up enough i'll be able to bend it back alright but the problem is part of the rim is painted black and i'm afraid the torch will burn the paint off so it ends up being a lose/lose situation either way. The ideal would be for the car wash to pay for the repairs but the chances of that happening are slim to none. I'm 20 yrs old and I feel like I'm havin a heart attack right now. Way too much stress for today

 

Sorry to hear of your loss man. I unfortunately think you are out of luck, since it's been two days. Had you have gotten out of your car right after pulling out of the car wash and noticed it, it would be a different story. You can try though, and be nice and professional in your approach. You get more bees with honey than you do vinegar. If they deny responsibility, than it's been a hard lesson learned. That can be fixed though and the scratches buffed out. The best of luck to you man.

 

HOLY ****, there is no hand car washes over there? There is like 20 by where I live. There has to be 1. I never go to those machine wash guys because 1. They don't do that good of a job and 2. they **** **** up.

 

Even if he had noticed while he was at the wash, it's entirely his fault (as far as the shop is concerned), since they'll claim he didn't "drive straight onto into the channel/track". It would be a different matter altogether if a porter or someone else was driving the car when it happened.

I understand that the attendant was directing him and should have noticed, but you know that the attendant couldn't give 2 sh*ts about the wheels, his car or any car that goes through the wash for that matter... he's just sitting there pushing the start button all day long...

 

damn dude i once hit a peice of lumber out on the freeway and the dammage to my wheel was about the same as what you've got there, but as i said that was after hitting a 4x4 peice of wood going about 75mph

its worth your time to at least try to get the carwash to pay for the dammage to the wheels. if the place is corporate then the local manger probably doesn't give a damn about the bottom line and will happily settle the claim to avoid having you make a complaint to the head office. at least thats what i've found when dealing with discount tire. scrached up rims after tire install = they paid for two new wheels, not that i had to get new wheels rather than just buffing out the scraches but the check didn't hurt my wallet much either

 

yea i remember u like 3 weeks u showed us ur new rims, nice rims

sorry to hear it man,

yea just repair them, or talk to that carwash guy

 

damm thats the reason i dont go to car washes..well i really wont beable to clear the ramp thing, but wtf!! a bent rim!

my boy over here does it for 40 dollars to bend it back

 

what? are u out of ur mind? sue them !

 

Elmo...no they have a handwash section at this place I went to as well but I went through the automatic since I was in such a hurry but I never in my mind thought it'd ever do this kind of damage!

njmodi - I can just about guarentee that I drove straight into the track at the wash. Not only because the attendant was there and actually seemed like he genuinely cared about the rims (he was eyeing them very carefully and even after I was on the track continued to have me turn my wheel in different directions as to prevent them from rubbing). The problem is what's unique about these rims is they project out from the tires, so it's very easy to mess them up by hitting a curb, etc... because the rim will hit anything before the tire does. In addition I work in a shop as an auto tech and drive cars in and out all day long and have to line the wheels up with the little block we have in each bay that acts as a wheel chaulk, so I have developed good accuracy in that sense. Also what's the point in having a guy there to direct you onto the track if he's not going to make sure you're on straight and that your wheels/tires aren't so wide that they'll rub while inside the track?

007 I'm gonna try to get them to pay for the damage the problem is it seems the average going price for repair is $150 a rim for a good job but I only paid $162 a piece for the rims so to me it almost makes more sense to get 2 new rims and keep the others as spares and I can later on repair them and polish them up nicely and sell them on ebay or to an orger for cheap. Another option too is that if I can get the carwash to cut me a $300 check I can get the rims repaired for free since i bought them from discount tire direct and am covered for free rim repair for 1 year (I think).

2 Da Max - Fixing an alloy/aluminum rim isn't as simple as just bending it back. They will just crack/break. You need to be very careful and use heat to do it successfully. I know I can do it myself in the shop but I'm just afraid the heat will do something to the paint but i'm going to do some research and see what I can find out.

98mikeXima - It's not that easy to just go ahead and sue. Most of these places have many things going for them in terms of protection against damaged personal property. However I'm still going to see how things go tomorrow and if need be I'll call a friend of the family who happens to be an attorney.

And as for everyone...thanks for your support. I needed it

 

definitely keep us updated im curious as to how this will turn out....i can imagine how angry u r at this point

 

i use to work at a car wash and have seen this before..."The more you ***** the better the results", no company wants negativity on thier name. I would go down with a family member or older adult and represent yourself in a professtioal manner and tell them exactly what happened. If they say there not going to fix it, report them to better business, and go from there. There would be no way i would fork money out of my pockets for something that a company did to my max..just my 2 cents

walshy
good luck!

 

dude that sucks....I feel really bad for you man. I am currently working at one of those places where they put it through the big tunnel cleaning thing. About half of the people that work with me are complete idiots they cant comprehend anything. I wouldnt doubt the guy who was directing your car in could care less if they got messed up. Its all about the blame game at the place i work at. when you go and confront them about the problem they WILL deny it.

 

Walshy, I'm glad to hear you've seen this kind of thing happen before because I'm sure they'll try to pull some BS with me and tell me it's impossible for the track to bend my rim, etc... It won't be possible for me to bring anyone else with me when I go but that doesn't mean I can't pay them a second visit (if needed) with some additional company. I'll have no problem presenting my case in a professional manner considering I am an exceptionally intelligent dude, but at the same time I know no matter how well I pick my words they're still not going to take a "20 year old kid" very seriously. But I'm sure if hell starts to break loose and I threaten to report them to the BBB and get our family friend who is an attorney involved that I may very well get the compensation I deserve. I know it's not going to be easy but if I'm able to come out on top then it'll be worth it in the end. I just hope it all does end up working out otherwise it looks like this $1,200 I spent will just turn out to be a big waste

 

I'd say it's time to dish out some beat-downs.

 

Hey Swazey, Were is that guy. There someone on ctmaximas.org looking for someone.

Sorry to say the car was mostlikely won't repair anything. They have that sign up for a reason. It sucks but i lost a whole mirror one time. The guys looked right at me and was like "that sucks" and that was it. They don't care.

 

Damn bro I bent my rim just like that in a bump in the road in Everett Ma and I went to rimpro in tewksbury MA and they fixed it perfectly. They have a machine that does it and it came out great. I think it cost me like 125 with the balancing done. Good luck....

 

u have to complain to the company...i worked for a very large carwash company here in buffalo and the more u complain the more they will do.....the common thing they always said was that "Although we have determined for this incident to not be the fault of Delta Sonic Carwash, however we will pay for said damages to keep our customers happy"....usually if there was a scratch they gave away a free detail with buff job....and i have seen them replace rims too

 

I find it hard to believe that a car wash track, pulling the car as slow as it does, did that to your rim.

A good sized pot hole at 40MPH will do damage like that, not a car wash.

 

I was thinking the same thing. If you pulled straight on I don't know how it could have happened like that. Unless they stick out that much, but if they do stick out that much then they probably won't fix it. And where are the scratches on the rim? I couldn't see them. Try to take close ups.

 

That is exactly what I was thinking when reading this thread. Can't comprehend how a car wash would do that....sounds kinda fishy.

 

Those tracks are scary, i'd never pull my car into those auto car washes. We have some car washes here where you wash it yourself w/ the wand that spits out soak and water. Those bays dont have tracks, you just pull in and start washing. Do you have those type washes?

 

I would say you'd get your money back since it occurred on the same side of car as the track, but I think you'd have to have some pretty weak rims to get them bent at a car wash. They don't look like they're oversized rims or anything. Since didn't complain about during the process or right afterwards I think your pretty much out of luck. I think making a big scene at the car wash is your best bet in getting money for repairs or replacement rims. I don't see how a judge would understand how you could get your rim bent like that and not notice. The speed that you should have been going at should've prevented any damage like that. Although, I have heard the new corvette owners are going to be warned not to go through car washes like that because width of the rear wheel. Were there any signs stating the maximum wheel width allowable?

 

If you have "lots of scratches" there is probably no way it is from the car wash. Especially if they are all over the rim. There will be no way to prove it was from the car wash and not from you hitting a curb or pot hole. Because if the scratches are around the rim it is from moving, if they are in one spot you will have more of a chance but I don't buy it.

 

I think you are SOL. I also think you hit a curb and bent your rim. I don't think you are going to prove they are responsible for the damage. You didn't notice it at the car wash and you don't have a police report. Ergo no proof. I don't think you are very smart if you have to get an attorney.

School of Hard Knocks Lesson 101: You will lose, take it like a man, move on and dig deep to get some more rims or figure how to bill the insurance companies.

Next time bucket wash. If you get stopped for breaking some bs code, just tell them that it's grey water from the bathtub or washing machine and stick to it.

 

WOW those rims look hot..sorry man if only you checked your car right after youcould have had them pay for the repairs

 

1. He should have never been allowed to drive his car through the wash. I am sure their insurance would freak if they new this happened.

2. If you car gets messed up because you followed their directions then its their fault.

3. Someone mention something about a sign stating not responsible for damages.......all you have to say is "What sign? I didnt see a sign. If they are afriad of damages then they should have me sign a waiver before I use their services." This is standard proceedure for any auto mechanic place. You generally sign saying that they are not responsible. Take them to small claims court.

 

Wow Bill that sucks and those new rims are so nice! I've been in one of those washes before and I was scraping up against the track...not too pleasant. Hopefully the wash attendent will remember your car if he was eyeing your rims. Why have they banned water use?

And for those who don't believe him, why would he lie about bending/scratching his rims? He would have noticed if he hit a curb or pothole. Every time somebody posts something like this there are always skeptics!

Sorry man!

 

I feel youre pain that sucks, personally, it seems I have hit some bad bumps and curbs. But amazingly I have had no damage to any of my wheels. I have Volks 18x8's (Hella strong it seems) though and the ones I have dont stick out past the tire like you were saying.

 

I would definitely give that car wash a big piece of my mind, regardless if they re-inburse you for the damage or not. I am the ONLY person who washes my ride. Even with hand car washes, they steal change out of your cup holders. Who wants to deal with that hassle? I prefer personal hard work, and peace of mind.

 

Thanks for your support man it really does suck. I don't know why some of you are calling BS on me like this is I hit a pothole and messed up my rims don't you think I'd make a post instead that said "Hit a pothole and messed up my new rims!!!"??? Yes I would. I park 1 foot away from curbs because I'm paranoid about scraping these things since I know they stick out past the sidewall of the tire, so no I did not rub them up against a curb. There aren't very many potholes around here and most are small and I have not hit any. There are quite a few train tracks and I always go over them at like 5mph.

I'm telling you that the car wash did this. If I hit a speedbump too fast both front wheels would be messed up. If I hit a pothole just 1 front wheel would be messed up. But BOTH wheels on the driver's side only (the side that runs on the track) are bent. The rear isn't very bad and you have to be looking a little but to see it, but the front one (the one pictured) is enormous.

I went to the carwash yesterday after work and spoke to the manager (same as all the other guys that work there...hispanics that barely speak any english) so I knew I wasn't going to get very far. I told him that the carwash messed up my rims and he came out and took a look at them. He then brought me into the carwash and showed me the track and how it's lined with a thin sheet of plastic so it "can't scratch the rim." I'm sorry, but I touched that plastic, and it was as hard as a rock and had many surface imperfections in it (from when other peoples' wheels must have gotten f'd up from it too). Not only that but when a 3,000lbs car is getting dragged on a track like that and the rim is rubbing that little piece of plastic isn't gonna do sh*t in terms of protecting anything.

After he proceeded to show me the long brush that moved up and down to clean the wheels. The bristles on the thing were SO stiff they felt like they were made of metal! No wonder the rims got scratched to hell!

Once I made the two points above he finally asked if they were factory or aftermarket wheels and of course I told him they were aftermarket (duh). He then points to a sign that says they're not responsible for non-factory equipment. But here's the catch...the sign is posted INSIDE the carwash and you CAN'T see it/read it until AFTER you're inside and your car is already on the track! Therefore that sign doesn't mean sh*t if you can't read it before the car is in the wash. Also while I drove my car onto the track and it started pulling my car the wash attendant did have me turn my wheels a few times, but he never stopped the wash or anything to let me know my rims were actually rubbing against the track! Instead he just watched as the track destroyed them. Oh and as for those of you who don't believe the rims got bent from the track...how do you know there wasn't a rock or something stuck in there that the rim got caught on? There are thousands of possibilities.

So that's the end of my story for now. I contacted our family friend who is an attorney and asked him if he thought I had a decent case and he said while I do make good points I really can't do much in terms of legal action. However he did say it would be in my best interest to write a letter threatening to take legal action if they don't settle things with me, so I am writing that letter either later tonight or tomorrow. I did some research on them on the internet and it turns out the better business bureau already has a few other complaints on file with these guys, so that will help give me some additional credibility I believe. I know for sure the front rim needs to be replaced. Not only is the outer edge bent in but part of the spoke is bent in too and bending that back would decrease the structural integrity of the rim and wouldn't be safe. The rear is bent so slightly that I could live with it if I had to but if I had it my way I'd get 4 new rims since they're all scratched to hell. I'll take closeup pics tomorrow and post them for the non-believers to see for themselves. Thanks again to all who have supported

 

Man I feel your pain. I was at the car wash a few weeks ago and the r3tard working the pressure washer put the nozzle on the door and BLASTED the paint off the door. I was in shock. The car wash, thankgod ended up paying to get my door repainted. I saw it happen right in front of my eyes and I made sure they new about it before I left and was told to come back. I dont know how much of a chance you have gettin your rims fixed a few days after leaving the carwash. Goodluck.

 

Looks like you will be out 37 cents or whatever it cost to send a certified letter. Make sure you cc it to your attorney friend. Big help huh?