Automated car wash ruined my paint?

YELLAHEEP

YELLAHEEP

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Littleton, Colorado
I'm so pissed right now......

Yesterday late afternoon I filled up with gas and bought an $8 carwash at the Shell station at 6515 S. Broadway Blvd.

Got home and about lost it when I saw what my MJ's paint looked like........

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A few of you guys saw my truck at the Toys for Tots event last month and you know this truck shines up nice. I had spent 3 hours on the paint and gave it a healthy wax and polish.

This car wash destroyed that. Not sure if it's something on top of my wax, or if it burned off the wax and has etched/faded the clear coat but I took some Dawn dishwashing liquid and hot water and tried to wash it off and it didn't change it a bit.

I went back to the gas station immediately after I noticed this and of course, the clerk wasn't a manager and couldn't refund my money, telling me I had to come back tomorrow (today) during the day. He offered to take my phone number and have a manager call me when they got in.

Noon today and I hadn't heard from the manager so I drove down there. Had the manager come out to look at the truck and she offers me "unlimited" car washes to get this stuff off my truck. She points to 2 guys wearing green vests and hard hats "those guys are here fixing the wash right now." She has one of them come over and look at the truck. He tries to rub off the dull areas with his thumb and told me what I already knew "Man, this doesn't come off easily". He said the car wash ran out of soap and it was a heavy buildup of wax from the $8 wash that dulled the paint. He said he had more soap on the way and they'd have things running very soon.

I told them both that if I couldn't get this stuff off with Dawn and warm water scrubbing by hand, the car wash wasn't going to fix this. Nor was I going to run my truck through again and risk more damage.

I believe that if the clear coat isn't damaged, it's going to require a paint detail shop to fix this......

I'm currently waiting for the station owners to call me about this......

My truck looks like absolute ass right now....... :mad:
 
i ran my five nine though a gas station wash i dont normally the other day because a buddy gave me a wash ticket...dually's dont fit and he drives a dually
and when it came out had some funky stuff on it similar to that. took it through my usual wash and it came off....dunno....might be worth a try
 
That definitely sucks troy. I wont use those things, espcially since it is a common thing for this to happen and a lot of the automated washes post up signs refusing liability for any damages ad such - making it harder to get it taken care of.
Hope it pans out well for ya.
 
in4aride said:
a lot of the automated washes post up signs refusing liability for any damages ad such
Click to expand...
I noticed the fine print after one shattered a passenger window, while my wife and her GF were inside. I've been going to the wand wash ever since.

Troy, my bet is that a good detailer can get that scum off.
 
I would use some wax and grease remover and a clay bar in a small spot and see what it does. You could also run it by a detail shop and ask their advice and see what the bill would be to fix it and have the gas station pay for it.
 
The bad thing about car washes is that to get the dirt off easier they use a high concentrate oxidizer. If that stuff gets on anything at anywhere close to a high concentrate, it will do nasty things. I knew an old body shop guy that would spray it on full strength and use is as a stripper to take off ALL of the wax and even the top layer of the paint.

Next time you go to talk to him, just happen to be wearing your uniform.:wierd:
 
So...... it appears they're taking me seriously. They've allowed me to file an insurance claim with the gas station owner's policy. The claim adjuster has reviewed the photos and has requested I get estimates to have the paint buffed and polished.

I got those today ($168 and $158) and one of the places took some compound and showed that the stuff can be removed and no paint damage it appears.

I'll probably request a written agreement from their insurance to pay for the paint detail, then go get it done on my own to be sure the paint isn't damaged, then accept the check.



To be continued......
 
Which place did ya take it to? I'm gettin the subie clay and waxed tomorrow by Keri. Jazz car wash and detail quoted me 105-110 for a full detail. May be somethin to look at?
 
Jazz was the $168 estimate.
 
And I was wrong. They weren't taking me seriously.

I just became a victim of "the process".

The insurance adjuster I spoke to asked for the photos and a detailed account of what happened, who I spoke to, who's seen the damage and the estimates....... only to send me a form letter advising me that my claim (not even specifically addressed) was denied as there was no proof their company and/or equipment was at fault.

That letter came over 2 weeks ago. Since then, I've left countless messages for the people responsible for the operation of that Shell station to call me and I have received no calls in return.

So, I did some digging and found that Suncor Energy is the franchise that supports Shell stations - located in Centennial even. I switched gears and became a bit of a burr under their saddle, leaving messages for folks there to contact me.

Today, finally, I get a call from the store operations manager for the store where this all occurred..... the one who had been ignoring my messages up to this point. Of course, she tells me that once a claim of damage has been submitted to insurance "it's out of my hands." When I tell her that simply isn't acceptable, she refers me to HER manager with Suncor.

Just got off the phone with him and he tried the same "its out of my hands" thing. I reminded him that I was only seeking a $168 remedy to this issue and that I would ensure that the public and the BBB would know the details of Shell/Suncor and lack of customer care and satisfaction should they choose to brush me aside. Suncor also has a customer "blog" on their website that I would be more than happy to post my experiences on.

He said ultimately this is something that the store operations manager is responsible for and he would talk with her tomorrow about resolving this issue.

To be continued........ :banghead:
 
Last edited:
:shhh:
 
I love nillas, but they are not the best companion for beer... unless its a creamy stout. :lickout:
 
agreed. Not sure I'd eat them with a "winch" either :puke:
 
You should try finding out what their process is to dispute the rejection. Most insurance companies will, by policy, automatically reject the first few claims in hopes that you will just give up.
 
Maybe some progress. The Suncor District Manager I spoke to yesterday wants to meet me and see the truck for himself. We're meeting Tuesday morning.

He better bring his company checkbook.........
 
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