An argument with a detailer

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TORG

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I had my car hand-washed at an auto detailing shop. The car looked nice and shiny right after it had been washed or perhaps, I just wasn't paying attention. An hour later, I noticed a semi-round scratch/swirl on the hood of my car. It APPEARS faint and superficial, although it may not be the case. The picture below makes it look worse than it actually is. I am pretty sure that it wasn't there before I dropped it at the detailing shop.
I talked to the guy on the phone. Of course, he implied that I couldn't see it because the car was dirty and told me that they use only high quality sponges, microfiber and chamois cloth.
I still want to confront him in person.
The swirl/scratch on the hood of my car doesn't appear accidental. It doesn't look like it was made by a buffer or an automatic car wash brush. Even if it had been covered up by a dealer, whatever they used would've been washed away a long time ago. Is there any other possible cause besides improper washing/drying techniques by the detailer?

 
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Yikes, if they are using an old fashioned chamois, that may very well be unsafe for the finish. You need someone who uses only the highest quality microfiber mitts and towels. I doubt they are using a foam gun in their technique like I do and really take their time

Rushing and a dirty car is a recipe for disaster!
 
There is a good chance this will happen again and again..maybe worse next time unless you wash it yourself.
 
And this is why I video every vehicle I detail, and ask the customer to do a walk around before they leave at drop off.
 
You want my opinion...

Anyone that has their car washed or detailed by others cannot be closely enough involved to know where every little blemish is on their own car. Other than obvious, gross defects, the smaller blemishes are usually discovered while detailing. So, if you don't wash and/or detail your own car, and do it often, you'll never know where every blemish is, or when it might have happened.

Then to try to lay blame when you do discover a minor blemish is way out-of-line to me. That blemish may have gone unnoticed for a while, especially since you're not maintaining your car yourself, and could have happened anywhere, anytime, anyhow.

Just my two-cents.
 
As the saying goes, if you want it done right you gotta do it yourself.
 
I wouldn't call it a minor blemish.
 
It APPEARS faint and superficial, although it may not be the case. The picture below makes it look worse than it actually is.
Click to expand...

Does the defect catch a fingernail? Do you own a machine polisher?
 
That's not a polisher, but could be that chamois. Like everyone said, it could have been there before hand and you didn't notice because you don't maintain the paint. It is your word against his and you have to prove it wasn't there before hand. Even when I take my car in for service, I have them walk the car with me to show them it is babies so don't f it up and I take pics.

If it is at all possible, start maintaining your car so things like this don't happen.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Autogeekonline mobile app
 
2black1s said:
You want my opinion...

Anyone that has their car washed or detailed by others cannot be closely enough involved to know where every little blemish is on their own car. Other than obvious, gross defects, the smaller blemishes are usually discovered while detailing. So, if you don't wash and/or detail your own car, and do it often, you'll never know where every blemish is, or when it might have happened.

Then to try to lay blame when you do discover a minor blemish is way out-of-line to me. That blemish may have gone unnoticed for a while, especially since you're not maintaining your car yourself, and could have happened anywhere, anytime, anyhow.

Just my two-cents.
Click to expand...

Voice of reason like usual right here :cheers:
 
TORG said:
The swirl/scratch on the hood of
my car doesn't appear accidental.
TORG said:
I still want to confront him in person.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
•I take it that you are implying that this
Detailer purposefully inflicted damage
to/upon your vehicle’s hood?

•Would you be so kind to list your
definition of “to confront”? TIA.


Bob
 
This is why I always hated detailing a random person's car. It would be so clean afterwards they'd notice all kinds of stuff that was hidden by poor maintenance.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
 
The size and the way the defect bends on the hood is consistent with a dirty wash media or a dirty drying towel. I lean toward a dirty wash media. It can be fix...that's the good news.
 
Unfortunately you left the lot before you found it. Theirs no proof that you didn’t inflict it by trying to wipe something off a little while later.

Not saying you did it but hard to prove they did it once gone. Always when getting work done of any kind, inspect your vehicle before you leave.

Once gone pretty much no recourse. I doubt it was on purpose as from what it seems the guy who cleaned your car... it’s his business? If so doesn’t make sense.

If you are he did it leave a google review about it but again did you have eye’s on it the whole hour you were gone?

Agree with others looks like it will buff out and if you want to avoid this in future take care of it yourself.

And if everyone seems a little defensive it is because this is a community of DIY’ers and detailers.

DIY’ers either had something like that happen and do it ourselves or would never let someone else touch our cars to begin with.

All the detailer’s have probably had someone who either had damage or got it right after try to blame it on them.

Not saying that’s the case but those are the ears you are laying your problem on.

If the guy is a true Detailer and see if he’ll buff it out...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
TORG said:
I had my car hand-washed at an auto detailing shop. The car looked nice and shiny right after it had been washed or perhaps, I just wasn't paying attention.

An hour later, I noticed a semi-round scratch/swirl on the hood of my car. It APPEARS faint and superficial, although it may not be the case.

The picture below makes it look worse than it actually is.
Click to expand...


Here's your picture,

72971d1617311407-argument-detailer-image000000-jpg



It doesn't look that bad to me. But I'm not there to see it or feel it personally.





Here's the deal. It was either there before the wash or after the wash but this does NOT mean it was done intentionally.


Clearcoats are scratch-sensitive. They scratch easily.


It's a simple fix but the fix is easiest if you own any brand of random orbital polisher. The way I see it is you have two options.


Option 1

Drive the car back to the detail shop and speak to your contact there and be nice, be professional. Simply explain you didn't notice it before and you're not implying the shop caused the scratch, what you would like to know if they have the ability to remove it. This means they own some brand of random orbital polisher and at a minimum - a quality All-in-One product or fine cut polish. If they say "yes", simply ask what would it cost to have the scratch buffed to remove it.

If this happened to me and a customer car I detailed - I would simply fix it with a smile. I would also do the Baggie Test to your car's hood and if I discovered above surface bonded contaminants - I would then show you and let you do the Baggie Test. Once you felt the paint and figured out he was right about the contamination - if it's important to you to take care of your car's exterior - then at a minimum, ask them what they would charge to,

  1. Wash
  2. CLAY
  3. Machine polish and seal the paint


If your car has contamination that you can feel via the Baggie Test then this is a sign it's time for more than a car wash.

If it's NOT important to you to take care of your car's exterior finish - then if they will buff the scratch for free or a nominal charge go with this and be done with it. Then moving into the future - take ownership of the washing and drying process. "We" collectively on this forum are more than happy to help you to get the right tools and products to SAFELY wash and dry your car.

If you don't want to take ownership of washing and drying your own car - then you're at the mercy of every other option and at this point - seek out a true professional detail shop that offers HIGH QUALITY HAND WASHING and whatever it is they charge - pay it.

Talk to the owner first, explain that you are bring you car to them because they advertise high quality work. Inspect your car with them. Give them the chance to look at the entire car and document any pre-existing damage. Then once you agree any discovered damage is present BEFORE they hand wash your car - then let them wash your car.

I've been in the car detailing industry my entire life now, 30+ years. And while "yes" it's true there are "Hack Detailers" in our industry, I firmly believe the majority of detailers in this industry and in this for the long run, (like me), do not start out each day hoping to damage someone's car. Just the opposite. A person in this industry tends to be OCD about how a car looks, they enjoy taking a diamond in the rough and turning it into a glistening gemstone even though it's a LOT of HARD WORK.

This means if you do your due diligence by researching and looking for a detailer and/or detail shop that has a great reputation, express your concerns, do the inspection and then hire them to do you car washing - you will be able to find someone that can do the job right and do it safely.

But remember - clearcoats by their very nature are SCRATCH-SENSITIVE. More and more washing may clean the surface but marring of the paint is normal over time. It's simply how things work. This is why once in a while, in order to maintain a FACTORY NEW APPEARANCE - you need to DO SOMETHING and the "something" is more than washing. It's machine polishing. Followed by careful washing. And down the road - machine polishing again.

No paint on any daily driver that is washed as a normal part of regular maintenance stays looking brand new. Paint simply does not work that way. Bite the bullet, figure this stuff out and move forward with a plan.

You can also wash and hand wax and of course - this will "help" to maintain a new looking appearance but the real-world truth and facts are - hand waxing will never replace a professional with an orbital polisher, foam pads and quality products.





Option 2

Skip going back to the shop. Start doing some reading on this forum. Myself and others will help you to locate and read good and accurate information. Invest around $300.00 to purchase a simple polisher, some pads, some microfiber towels and few product and then take ownership of detailing your own car.

It's never been easier or safer to detail your own car and by the word "detail" I mean to machine polish the paint.





Option 3

Be a real jerk about this issue, go back to the shop and act in an unprofessional way and you'll probably simply be asked to leave and never come back.




I would opt for either option 1 or option 2


And here's one more option - if you live within driving distance to Stuart, Florida - bring your car to Autogeek and I will be happy to remove the scratch - no charge.


Hope that helps...


:)
 
It doesn't catch a fingernail. I don't owe a polisher
 
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