Rip-Off #1: Car cleaning company not responsible for stolen belongings
No doubt you’re run into this lack-of-responsibility type of attitude many times before. Let’s put it in a different perspective for a moment.
Would you consider, even for a moment, inviting a guest to your house and not be responsible for the way he is treated? Imagine that his coat, which upon arrival he hung up by the door, went missing. Wouldn’t you do everything in your power to find it? Would you decline responsibility? Not even for a split second!
The same way, an honest car cleaning company, while cleaning your car, should assume responsibility for your belongings placed inside.
Rip-Off #2: Car cleaning company not responsible for damage to your car
Sadly, when damage to your car is caused by car cleaning equipment or employee, some car cleaning companies may try to place the responsibility for the incident on the customer.
Sometimes, the disclaimer is prominently placed where you can see it. More often than not, it is buried somewhere deep in the car cleaning menu. Asking them about it beforehand is your best defense against such shameful practices.
Rip-Off #3: Hard pressure up-sells
“Would you like fries with that?” You’re probably familiar with this question which most fast food places use to squeeze a few more dollars from you. In the car cleaning world, such an attempt sounds more like: Would you like your car waxed as well?
Offering you unnecessary (but highly profitable for them) add-ons is how many car cleaning companies make their money. Their focus is not on providing you with a good experience and real value for your money, but to make innocent customers overpay for service.
Rip-Off #4: Clear coat protector
Unless your car was made before 1980, it has a clear coat. The clear coat on your car serves as a protection layer for the color coat underneath. It is designed to the scratch and UV resistant, within certain limits.
So when a car cleaning company tries to sell you “clear coat protection” make sure to ask for details first. They are, after all, trying to sell you protection for something that’s meant to be protective in itself.
Rip-Off #5: Rust inhibitor
Any modern day car comes from the manufacturer with a corrosion warranty of minimum four years. That is possible because, during the manufacturing process, the metal components of the car are covered in protective layers.
As long as these layers are in place, it is impossible for water to reach the bare metal and cause rust. Once those factory applied coatings are gone, and metal is exposed, only a professional re-application can protect further.
The spray-on “rust inhibitor” from the car cleaning place is extremely short lived, and absolutely ineffective against corrosion.
Rip-Off #6: Leather conditioning
The so called “Leather Conditioners” on the market, sold by car product manufacturers, are nothing else than topical “dressings”. When applied on the surface of your leather, they will simply sit on top, unable to penetrate the surface.
Because they have been factory-coated with a thin vinyl film, your leather car seats require only a gentle cleaning for optimum results.