Free car wash - is that common? What about taking it away?
03-03-16, 11:00 AM
#1
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Free car wash - is that common? What about taking it away?
A dealer near us throws in free car washes if you buy the Lexus from them.
Is that a common freebie?
How would you feel if they took it away?
We saw this at a dealership recently. What's weird is that another Lexus dealership nearby owned by the same company STILL offers the car washes and doesn't expect them to go away.
Id expect the 2 locations to use the same insurance company / have the same rules?
What does insurance purposes mean?!
I'm thinking that 1st dealer is just trying to cut costs - the purpose of insurance is to protect us from having to provide the free services we promised you?
Is that a common freebie?
How would you feel if they took it away?
We saw this at a dealership recently. What's weird is that another Lexus dealership nearby owned by the same company STILL offers the car washes and doesn't expect them to go away.
Id expect the 2 locations to use the same insurance company / have the same rules?
What does insurance purposes mean?!
I'm thinking that 1st dealer is just trying to cut costs - the purpose of insurance is to protect us from having to provide the free services we promised you?
03-03-16, 11:04 AM
#2
Lexus Fanatic
Unless you want a bunch of swirls and scratches, water spots, and maybe worse I would not take any "free car washes" from anywhere. Someone getting paid close to min wage is not going to take the time to wash your car properly or care if they put a bunch of swirls and scratches in it.
03-03-16, 11:40 AM
#4
Same here. I decline courtesy washes at both my local Lexus and Toyota dealerships.
Case in point, just had my Tacoma serviced over the weekend. The dealership hadn't pulled my car up from the back lot, so I volunteered to get it myself rather than have some kid move it. Walked back and witnessed first hand what the so-called detailers use to dry the cars off. They literally were using what looked to be an extremely dirty pink towel. It didn't look like it was microfiber or plush at all. He used the towel to dry both the paint and the wheels. The man was also wearing what looked to be garden gloves and rubbing those gloves all over the hood of the car to prop himself up to wipe down the side of the car. Nooo thank you.
Case in point, just had my Tacoma serviced over the weekend. The dealership hadn't pulled my car up from the back lot, so I volunteered to get it myself rather than have some kid move it. Walked back and witnessed first hand what the so-called detailers use to dry the cars off. They literally were using what looked to be an extremely dirty pink towel. It didn't look like it was microfiber or plush at all. He used the towel to dry both the paint and the wheels. The man was also wearing what looked to be garden gloves and rubbing those gloves all over the hood of the car to prop himself up to wipe down the side of the car. Nooo thank you.
03-03-16, 12:32 PM
#5
ALOT of deserships here offer free carwashes with oil changes. I always declined it when I had my black IS250, but I always accept if for my DD silver Civic. They both have an auto car wash station much like the gas station. If your car is white or silver and you don't care too much about having it absolutely pristine with no swirls, then why not?
03-03-16, 01:17 PM
#6
Lexus Test Driver
Free car washes have been happening for about twenty years now. Not a new thing at all. Most dealerships offer them and that should not be an incentive to give them your business. Especially, as mentioned above, most scratch the surface and add swirl marks.
03-03-16, 01:33 PM
#7
Lexus Champion
This might be more as a result of California Drought Regulations, if said car washes are NOT done with reclaimed/recycled water.
The Toyota dealer we use for my wife's car has discontinued them for CA Drought Reasons. My Lexus dealer has not, but they use a water recycling system.
My city will not allow driveway car washing, it is a $500 or higher fine, we are required to use car washes with recycled water.
The Toyota dealer we use for my wife's car has discontinued them for CA Drought Reasons. My Lexus dealer has not, but they use a water recycling system.
My city will not allow driveway car washing, it is a $500 or higher fine, we are required to use car washes with recycled water.
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03-03-16, 01:48 PM
#8
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a) this is in NJ
b) they aren't using a drought as a reason, they are using 'insurance purposes' as an excuse
b) regardless of the value, do you feel they should take away something they offered when you bought the car?
b) they aren't using a drought as a reason, they are using 'insurance purposes' as an excuse
b) regardless of the value, do you feel they should take away something they offered when you bought the car?
03-03-16, 02:08 PM
#9
Lexus Champion
your profile says CA that is why I thought CA.
as far as taking something away. I suspect the dealer has a disclaimer stating it can change it at any time.
03-03-16, 06:28 PM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
Unless you want a bunch of swirls and scratches, water spots, and maybe worse I would not take any "free car washes" from anywhere. Someone getting paid close to min wage is not going to take the time to wash your car properly or care if they put a bunch of swirls and scratches in it.
I wash my own car. No ifs, ands, or buts.
When I owned a Saturn, and dealer hand-washes after service were a customer-perk, I'd drive my SL2 up to the wash-bay at the dealership, wait my turn, grab the hose and some detergent, (I carry my own bucket and sponge with me in the trunk), and get to work. I wanted to do that with my Lexus IS300, but that particular Lexus shop was run by bull**** lawyers who would not let a customer touch a hose. So, I just said screw it.......I drove my car back home dirty and did it myself at my brother's house (he's got more room on the driveway and facilities than I do). Because of that rule at that particular Lexus shop, I might not buy or lease from them again while under the same management.
Last edited by mmarshall; 03-03-16 at 06:39 PM.
03-03-16, 07:22 PM
#12
If you don't care about swirl marks, go ahead and take full advantage of the lifetime free wash. Hey, they are not all show cars.
People in general are lazy. They don't want to climb on top of their minivan or full size SUV and scrub the bird **** off the roof. And most people don't know a swirl from a squirrel. Then there's the lack of time and energy to devote to washing your car at least an hour a week properly.
These free wash services are a godsend for the masses. Vehicles are probably kept around an average 3 years these days, so the little damage a brush wash does to your car does not really matter, not will it negatively effect resale value.
People in general are lazy. They don't want to climb on top of their minivan or full size SUV and scrub the bird **** off the roof. And most people don't know a swirl from a squirrel. Then there's the lack of time and energy to devote to washing your car at least an hour a week properly.
These free wash services are a godsend for the masses. Vehicles are probably kept around an average 3 years these days, so the little damage a brush wash does to your car does not really matter, not will it negatively effect resale value.
03-03-16, 09:01 PM
#13
Lexus Fanatic
I wash my own car. No ifs, ands, or buts.
When I owned a Saturn, and dealer hand-washes after service were a customer-perk, I'd drive my SL2 up to the wash-bay at the dealership, wait my turn, grab the hose and some detergent, (I carry my own bucket and sponge with me in the trunk), and get to work. I wanted to do that with my Lexus IS300, but that particular Lexus shop was run by bull**** lawyers who would not let a customer touch a hose. So, I just said screw it.......I drove my car back home dirty and did it myself at my brother's house (he's got more room on the driveway and facilities than I do). Because of that rule at that particular Lexus shop, I might not buy or lease from them again while under the same management.
03-03-16, 09:29 PM
#14
Lexus Fanatic
They have better facilities than I have at home, which is a strictly limited condo-parking space with no public-access outdoor faucets. I often do it at my brother's single-family house, a few miles away....and get the worst of the salt and dirt off his Kia Sportage while I'm at it. I'm not saying that, even at minimum wage, the minimum-wage guys at the dealership are a bunch of bozos (obviously, they wash and detail cars all day long for a living)...but I know for a fact that I know what I'm doing, especially underneath getting all of the salt out of all the little nooks and crannies, and I would much rather do it myself. And, if I do make a mistake and leave a scratch (rare, but it's been known to happen)....you know what's in that little yellow bottle LOL. 
03-04-16, 12:05 AM
#15
Lexus Fanatic
I highly doubt most people care, know, or have the time to notice about swirls and scratches. Most people are so busy that taking the car for an oil change is such a burden on their life that if they were given a free car wash they would take it.
I am sure there are some dealers that have a monthly service pass to take the customers car through a car wash off premises.
As for a customer washing a car, by hand, at the dealer, with their equipment, I probably would never return to that the location. It would look way unprofessional.
I don't think I have gone through an automated car wash in maybe 20 years. I am a bit scared of getting stuck or something happening to the smaller trims, seals and pieces here and there. I am sure others don't really care.
I am sure there are some dealers that have a monthly service pass to take the customers car through a car wash off premises.
As for a customer washing a car, by hand, at the dealer, with their equipment, I probably would never return to that the location. It would look way unprofessional.
I don't think I have gone through an automated car wash in maybe 20 years. I am a bit scared of getting stuck or something happening to the smaller trims, seals and pieces here and there. I am sure others don't really care.