Str8ridin

Since I am in the process of buying a house and currently do not have a place to wash my ride, I took it to the local automatic car wash. I was a little aprehensive because this place was unique. You drive your car inside the entrance, leave the keys inside and let the "kids" jump in, vaccuum, wash the windows etc.. and drive it on to the track. The track starts as a Y shape and narrows into two parrallel rails to carry your car through the entire washing proccess in Neutral.

Well, as I am watching through the window, this kid jumps in my car, confidently takes off to bring it to the track upon hitting the rail and consequently pops my left tire. That little a**hole. So I calmy walk out and inspect the tire which was pinched on the inside between the rail and my rim and consequently cut.

Well, to make a long story short, they denied everything until I threatend to take them to court and they finally cut me a check for $210.

Moral of the story, watch out for automatic car washes with low profile tires. They can pop your tire. AND, don't ever stop complaining if they say it isn't their fault. 99% of the time, it is.

ILoveMyMax

man what a ***** i would have smacked that kid for lying. still a ***** now u gotta go get a tire etc.. etc..

Maximan190

iTrader: (8)

thats one of the reasons why i never take my car through a car wash...except in the winter when i have my fat-*** Micheleins on

:shudder:

NickStam

iTrader: (3)

that's why you should never go to an auto car wash -- under no circumstances

blizz20oma

iTrader: (1)

I used to work at one for a while. They're not that 'unique'. I'd highly recommend not going, or if you did, only get an express and take the car through yourself. Even then factor in the crappy watered-down solutions they use with extremely high-pressure sprayers (that part, even on expresses, you can't control yourself, and $10 says the spray guys will get right up close to your paint with the guns), and it doesn't add up to a good wash.

black019

automatic car washes takes away from the necessary bonding with you car when you wash her yourself

Str8ridin

Yes, our relationship has suffered without a garage to work on her. But things will get better.

She had me at "vrooom!".

Myrv

Unless your tires are fairly new, you should be replacing them in pairs. So they should have cut you a check for $420 plus install and balance (not to mention money for your time wasted fixing all this).

Str8ridin

I thought about that. But they would have said no way, and I would have to have proven to the judge that I need 2 new instead of one. I know some of the AWD cars today with hyper-sensitve awd/traction control systems require a replacement of all four tires if one blows out (Audi TT), but is there a written rule that says if one goes, two need to be replaced for FWD cars?

Scruit

Uh, like.. duuuude... uhh, it was, uh, like that when you drove it in here....


Scruit's Honesty in Business Act, 2002

2.F.(i) When an agent for, on behalf of, a business makes a false or misleading statement when the truth is readily apparent and the false version is apparent to a reasonable person as complete horsecock, the customer, client or member of public to whom the lies were told may choose from the following remedies;

a) Kick the lying pr!ck right up the ****.
b) Make him admit in front of all future customers for one (1) week that he is a lying sack of pig muck with no greater right to live on god's green earth than a mangy rat with effeminate tendencies and a Honda Sh!itvic.
c) Make him pay 10x for the damage out of his own car fund.
d) All of the above.




Look out for alternate sections of Scruit's Honesty in Business act, such as;

1.B Any fast food establishment that displays pictures of the food you are purchasing must only display photographs of the food that was sold to an undercover agent. When the falt, manky cowpat of a burger is given tot he undercover agent he will immediately photograph it and that photograph will be placed on the display.

I guarantee this will make them pay more attention to making your food like edible.


Scruit for Congress!

Scruit

In some places the responsible party may offset their liability by claiming 'Betterment'. If you have tires that cost $200 each, only have 75% tread left and they wreck one of them, they are not expected to pay $200. They can say that the tire was 75% gone and therefore you are only entitled to a new tire (200) minus betterment (150), = 50.

Other states simply limit claims to the actualy value at the time of the loss, which work s out to be pretty much the same $ value.

You could not have claimed for both tires, otherwise they could have claimed betterment on the part of the tire that was not wrecked. If you have an Audi Quattro and the tire was more than a 1000 miles gone then you should replace both and in that particular case you can get a written statement from the dealer specifying why both should be replaced. (it screws up the AWD if tires have different circumferences.)

They must also pay any costs you incur getting the tire replace, ie loss of pay if you must take time off work. If they gave you $210 then they probably also had you sign a waiver of righ to sue, or a 'full & final payment' agreement, so any future costs you incur are on you. Which is a beeatch if you get to the tire place and they tell you you rim is toast too but you couldn't see itat the time.

Congrats on getting the payment... But be careful in future - especially in an accident where damage may be hidden. Don't sign nuffin' until a trusted mechanic gives you a complete run down on all damage.

deezo

iTrader: (3)

I like to hear stories like this.

Str8ridin

You just won my vote, Scruit. Thanks. Although, they didn't make me sign anything, they simply wrote me a personal check and I was off. Things could have been worse I guess if they didn't pay...I had a whole list of things to charge them including machining the inside lip of my rim, time off of work, etc. etc. if I had to go to court.

Myrv

I know it's a generally accepted rule that you replace tires in pairs (unless your current tires are sufficiently new). Just about every tireshop will tell you this as well (although they aren't exactly unbiased in this). A quick search of the web gives these links:

http://www.mileone.com/mrtire/safetytips.htm
http://www.aaa-calif.com/auto-own/ma...01698tutor.asp

But neither is really authoritative.

You could just ask your tire store. If they say you need to replace both tires ask them if they'd put it in writing and if they'd be willing to say so in court. If they put it in writing just take the note back to the carwash (they've already admitted to causing the flat, just cash the check before you go ). Even if they aren't willing to go to court for just ask for the note anyways and try bluffing you case to the carwash (assuming you get the second tire).

The note doesn't have to be complex, just something like, "In my professional opinion it is unsafe to replace just one tire due to treadwear mismatch.". Stick it on a shop letterhead with the techs signature and there ya go.

One more edit: If he hit the curb hard enough to blow your tire you should really get the alignment checked(at least on that wheel).

undercvr

Something similar happened to a friend of mine. They drive the car in, hop out and then when it emerges they hop in and pull it up to finish drying it off, etc. Guy pulls the car over too far to the right, pops open the door right into a cement encased trash receptacle and made a "ding" bigger than you'd have thought possible. Guess what they tried to offer him to compensate? ready? . . . a year's worth of car washes! Fortunately, before Jeff could put his hands around the neck of the 20 year old "manager" several people stepped forward to say they'd seen what happened and were willing to give their names and #'s to Jeff. Long story short, he had it repaired and has never been there since. He considered taking the year's worth of free washes in addition to having it repaired for free; figured he could give them to his in-laws for Christmas!

pvaudo

Took my old 93 in to my favorite car wash (Randy's in Malden, MA) and noticed after I drove away (too late) that something had gouged my rear windshield really badly. There was an area about 2x2" that looked like someone went nuts with a heavy-duty engraver pen.

jkratzer

Those car wash guys don't own the car so they treat them like crap. Myself or my wife are the only people allowed to wash one of my cars.

Now maybe if the carwash employee was female and looked like a supermodel in a string bikini...nah...not even then.

pvaudo

In my case it was an automatic car war, known for being gentle on cars too. no people involved except for the guy that takes the money. I figure something was broken and scratched my car when it should have scrubbed.

Parliament

I go to the Car Wash last Sunday and the car came out dirtier than when I went in. I went to speak to the manager and her tells me this car needs a good compound and waxing.Which was just done. He says he'll put it through again, no charge. Damn right no charge. The car comes out the same way. The guy was wiping my car off and I went to inspect it. The guys says " good? good?"
I told him to get the **** away from my car and left out of there sideways screaming: "*******". Never again. I now use my landlords hose in the driveway. My wife didn't think that is was cool to do so.
F' it I am using his hose from now on!!!!
CAR WASHES ARE THE DEVIL!!!

purmax

In my lil town, there was some kids who thought it would be funny to go to an automatic car wash at nite, and tie bolts to the spinning washer. so when a car would pass through, it would beat the living he11 out of it. sad to say, i don't know if they were caught, but i know for sure that a car found out the hard way that it was done.

MaximaPower

iTrader: (3)

i used to work at a car wash like that...soft touch car wash was the name until they changed to oasis. well that stuff happens. and if the kid doesn't drive it up on the rail/track right, ur wheels will definitely get damaged...most of the time it's on the inside of the wheels so u can't really see it

PrinzII

iTrader: (2)

<< stays away from auto car washes like the plague. In the winter, I go to a detail shop whose owner lets me come in and do my car.