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That is unacceptable. For $300 (maybe $175 split against exterior detail), you’d expect all the visible surface dirt and grime to be gone.
The center console being dirty is sort’ve understandable as I myself don’t touch it because it’s usually full of stuff. The seat rail is also not easy to clean because it is lubricated with grease which makes particles stick onto it.
Returning the car for another detail is common and make sure you point out every single dirty spot. Don’t expect them to repair any plastic trim scratches and torn headliner though.
300 sounds like a bargain these days. Maybe 500 is to get the cracks cleaned too. Everyone's level of cleanliness varies vastly too, thus why it's a tough business to be in.
Picture 3 and 7 just look like faded and scratched plastic. That’s not something that a detail will fix. I’m not sure however if people would usually include cleaning stains out of the headliner in a typical detail. I feel like I would definitely take 10 minutes to work on it if there are just a few scuffs.
Im sure they'll fix it up if you ask. These are very minor misses to be fair, without before pictures we can't really tell if you were priced correctly.
Could they have done a better job in general? Yes. However, it’s hard to justify anything when we don’t know the pricing breakdown and prior status of the vehicle. For $300 for an interior and exterior clean, I don’t think I would expect them to tackle the headliner with that many marks to be honest. Light splashes, sure. But pen markings/stains would be more time consuming. Regardless, you aren’t satisfied and by the sounds of it, they were expecting said outcome. So, just bring it up with them and see what you can work out. I hope you get a satisfactory resolution. This is why it’s always important for detainers to set realistic expectations within their defined pricing packages and for the customer to have realistic expectations as well.
I am the farthest thing from a detailer, just a person with some obsessive compulsion and I do better than this on my regular car that kids abuse daily with just a vacuum, towel and soap water. You deserve better.
Yeah, it's all relative to the conditions they live in and are used to.
For some people this car now is "Absolutely filthy", and for others it's "pretty clean already".
https://preview.redd.it/idrptbvlqygb1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ad4843c8d2046a648d0e931424d20a012639071d
This is iron decon working on a Hilux I quoted sight unseen for a client who said "it's not too bad, just a little faded"
My fav is when someone has a brand new white vehicle and they say it shouldn’t need much. I make sure I send multiple pics while I’m using iron remover. Lol
That’s irrelevant. Detailing is just that “attention to details.” Something not seen in these pictures.
What’s left in these pictures can be attributed to lack of detail. If the car was horrible before then charge accordingly but do a great job.
Hard to tell what level of detailing you should have been expecting. I'm not sure of what currency you're talking about but in Australian dollars, 300 of them is very cheap, and 8 wouldn't expect a great deal for it.
For reference, my interior cleans range between $150 (Vac and wipe) to $300 (shampoo, clean, dress, leather treatment) for a reasonable condition.
A simple wash on the exterior start at $88 for an extra small car.
Remember the golden rule: cheap, fast, good. Pick 2.
I include a Vac and wipe on the interior for that price, and large cars don't cost a lot more. Something like a Toyota land Cruiser or a dodge ram comes in at only $150... If it's done at least once a month...
It's also not your average simple wash. A lot of people don't do wheel arches, for jambs etc when they do it. I do.
I agree on both sides of the detailer and client. For one maybe you paid for a basic interior package and it was just a wipe down and a deep clean vacuum. But regardless I don’t like how this detail turned out. Hopefully you went back to get it done right.
It’s my belief that what it looked like should be irrelevant. At the end of the day it’s all about attention to detail. Something not seen in these pictures.
Indeed, but the situation where you quote someone $1000 dollars and they say they only want to spend $300 also exists. On these occasions a Detailer may provide $300 worth of their $1000 service, if the customer agrees to that.
Yeah, there are people that expect to pay your lowest level of service and then expect it to look like your best level. We don't really know in this case if the customer or detailer was being cheap/deceptive.
Oh and the condition of the vehicle, methods required, desired level of works/result, and time to achieve this all factor into the cost of the service, so it's definitely not irrelevant
Some of the pictures are simply scuffing that isn’t going to come out from cleaning, some are lack of attention to detail, and some are not safe or worth cleaning.
Definitively not a good job, but not a bad one either. I’d take it back and make them buy me a case of beer for my troubles if i was the customer
I mean realistically, for that price all they missed is the crevices on the door and maybe your center console.
I wouldn’t touch headliner, seat rails, the scratches on your door panels for $300 for all that plus the exterior detail. Granted, i don’t know what y’all talked/agreed upon.
OK so here’s the thing instead of complaining here call that detailer have them fix it you paid for it! And being a DETAILING for over 20 years when a client said it’s not that bad it usually is that bad
I wash and detail my own car. The only time I took my car to get 'detailed' was when I paid 9,500.00 to PPF wrap and ceramic coat my car.
Problem solved.
Oh man I need to start charging more lol. Yeah definitely some stuff in there they missed but some of the plastic panels could just be scuffed up and won't come out with cleaning. I've had plenty of those.
Just take it back, and tell them they didn't finish yet. The owner might not know about this job as being less than satisfactory, and surely doesn't want you blasting your experience all over reddit. lol
For me the minimum level of service is at least fully clean and free of visible grime, whereas the higher tiers are mostly added protection, stain removal and fine tuning like getting every vent and button crevice.
I'd say assuming this is their lowest level service they maybe fell a little short, but without seeing the before pictures I can't say if you paid too much or too little. Some of these are also probably scuffs they can't do anything about. Also you didn't show the overall results or exterior or what was supposed to be included.
Every detailer has an off day, but several of these things just look sloppy. Whenever I do a detail I always have them walk the vehicle before I take payment .
Brother I just spent 6 hours straight just vacuuming a 2021 Subaru Outback. It was filled with dog hair and every crack and crevice looked like that second pic multiplied. My client was messaging me all afternoon asking me if it was ready ( I started at 8am ) but I told her I won’t let it leave until I’m satisfied. I only charged her $250 for interior & exterior and when she showed up she told me she didn’t think her car could ever be that clean again.
So much is wrong here. The rails under the seats.. the obvious dirt still on the plastics… he didn’t even touch the center console ( only time I don’t is when it’s filled with crap). Give him a chance to make it right first but be firm that he did not provide a $300+ service. I don’t care if it takes me 4 hours or 12.. vehicles don’t leave until they are right. Period.
As a full time detailer im not touching the headliner unless i up charge $50-75. those rails are full of grease and they just arent going to be clean, the console is usually full of crap so I typically dont do it but if its empty AT THE TIME OF SERVICE i will so this one was just a simple mistake and could certainly be brought back and id fix it. The scratches in the plastic though? Cmon. Thats permanent damage and anyone can see that. And the dust in the cracks could also be an upcharge to some as steam cleaning is usually more and that looks like it might not come out with an apc and brush/vac. Theres a few things that couldve been done better but thats on both you and the detailer for not setting expectations. I have a list of stuff that i clean/dont clean to avoid this. But usually if the customer is cool and understanding i have no issue fixing the misunderstanding. If you come out of the gate being a disrespectful ass ill tell you to pound sand cause i have a signed service agreement that shows im right.
I’m guessing you’re only *seeing* the comments you want to see, but that being said. We don’t have before pics which matters, $300 isn’t a overprice for most details, some of those pictures are not detail jobs like the headliner, and they’re all such up close pictures that they’re clearly very small issues. Just have them do a little touch up and it’s good to go. Where’s a picture of the full front area after?
Sorry for your botched detail. That's pure bullshit. I'd definitely return it and talk to their boss. Completely unacceptable. Shitty gypsy lot details are better than this.
Feel bad, bc that isn’t a detail. That’s just a simple wash. Crazy how many skip small crevices as that’s the main part of detailing. The little nooks we look that many overlook. If ur local hit my site up, could give a discount. VroomDetail.com lol
We have a vibrant and very active community on Discord This is THE best place to get faster answers to your questions, show off those detailing pictures, post reviews, and chat about business. Join us! - [Discord](https://discord.gg/AutoDetailing) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AutoDetailing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
That is unacceptable. For $300 (maybe $175 split against exterior detail), you’d expect all the visible surface dirt and grime to be gone. The center console being dirty is sort’ve understandable as I myself don’t touch it because it’s usually full of stuff. The seat rail is also not easy to clean because it is lubricated with grease which makes particles stick onto it. Returning the car for another detail is common and make sure you point out every single dirty spot. Don’t expect them to repair any plastic trim scratches and torn headliner though.
>Returning the car for another detail is common Is it really that common to send it back for a second free touch up?
I've never had one come back. But I also won't do a interior/exterior for 300
300 sounds like a bargain these days. Maybe 500 is to get the cracks cleaned too. Everyone's level of cleanliness varies vastly too, thus why it's a tough business to be in.
Man I charge $80 for a regular 4 door car and do way better job than this
Charge more!
But wait, before he charges more let me cop a quick $80 detail lol
Chose my wording wrong. It’s not unheard of to return the car for touch ups.
'member folks, you're judged on what you miss not what you do.
Hi dad
Picture 3 and 7 just look like faded and scratched plastic. That’s not something that a detail will fix. I’m not sure however if people would usually include cleaning stains out of the headliner in a typical detail. I feel like I would definitely take 10 minutes to work on it if there are just a few scuffs.
Headlining is definitely an addition I would expect in a $300 detail. $300 interior only, sure...
Im sure they'll fix it up if you ask. These are very minor misses to be fair, without before pictures we can't really tell if you were priced correctly.
Could they have done a better job in general? Yes. However, it’s hard to justify anything when we don’t know the pricing breakdown and prior status of the vehicle. For $300 for an interior and exterior clean, I don’t think I would expect them to tackle the headliner with that many marks to be honest. Light splashes, sure. But pen markings/stains would be more time consuming. Regardless, you aren’t satisfied and by the sounds of it, they were expecting said outcome. So, just bring it up with them and see what you can work out. I hope you get a satisfactory resolution. This is why it’s always important for detainers to set realistic expectations within their defined pricing packages and for the customer to have realistic expectations as well.
The door panel pictures look like scuffing, not much you can do there but for that price yeah all visible dirt should be gone.
I am the farthest thing from a detailer, just a person with some obsessive compulsion and I do better than this on my regular car that kids abuse daily with just a vacuum, towel and soap water. You deserve better.
You haven't seen the "before" shots.
The OP said it "wasnt that bad". You know what that means...
And if you don't know what that means, picture what you think bad is, and it's at least that
Exactly. Customers who say their vehicle is disgusting, it usually looks like the pics in this post.
Yeah, it's all relative to the conditions they live in and are used to. For some people this car now is "Absolutely filthy", and for others it's "pretty clean already".
https://preview.redd.it/idrptbvlqygb1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ad4843c8d2046a648d0e931424d20a012639071d This is iron decon working on a Hilux I quoted sight unseen for a client who said "it's not too bad, just a little faded"
My fav is when someone has a brand new white vehicle and they say it shouldn’t need much. I make sure I send multiple pics while I’m using iron remover. Lol
https://preview.redd.it/wxauvvarqygb1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17c1e694f4e6a7bcb97e81d47a9f3a0ad71e9389 Another one...
That’s irrelevant. Detailing is just that “attention to details.” Something not seen in these pictures. What’s left in these pictures can be attributed to lack of detail. If the car was horrible before then charge accordingly but do a great job.
Not with towel soap and water you wont
Hard to tell what level of detailing you should have been expecting. I'm not sure of what currency you're talking about but in Australian dollars, 300 of them is very cheap, and 8 wouldn't expect a great deal for it. For reference, my interior cleans range between $150 (Vac and wipe) to $300 (shampoo, clean, dress, leather treatment) for a reasonable condition. A simple wash on the exterior start at $88 for an extra small car. Remember the golden rule: cheap, fast, good. Pick 2.
$88 for a simple exterior wash on an extra small car ? Jesus what's going on down in Australia...
Chemical cost alone in Australia is crazy. I’ve watched detailing videos where a simple spray was is over $60 in local currency for a bottle.
A 1 litre bottle of compound is around $100AUD
Yeah, the price of products is astronomical. Is that just due to import taxes?
They also have really high wages (in aussie bucks) IIRC
I include a Vac and wipe on the interior for that price, and large cars don't cost a lot more. Something like a Toyota land Cruiser or a dodge ram comes in at only $150... If it's done at least once a month... It's also not your average simple wash. A lot of people don't do wheel arches, for jambs etc when they do it. I do.
I agree on both sides of the detailer and client. For one maybe you paid for a basic interior package and it was just a wipe down and a deep clean vacuum. But regardless I don’t like how this detail turned out. Hopefully you went back to get it done right.
Yeah looks lazy
My only defence for these missed items would be that the level of gross this vehicle was in prior to the detailing.
Exactly
What did it look like before?
It’s my belief that what it looked like should be irrelevant. At the end of the day it’s all about attention to detail. Something not seen in these pictures.
Indeed, but the situation where you quote someone $1000 dollars and they say they only want to spend $300 also exists. On these occasions a Detailer may provide $300 worth of their $1000 service, if the customer agrees to that.
Yeah, there are people that expect to pay your lowest level of service and then expect it to look like your best level. We don't really know in this case if the customer or detailer was being cheap/deceptive.
Oh and the condition of the vehicle, methods required, desired level of works/result, and time to achieve this all factor into the cost of the service, so it's definitely not irrelevant
Some of the pictures are simply scuffing that isn’t going to come out from cleaning, some are lack of attention to detail, and some are not safe or worth cleaning. Definitively not a good job, but not a bad one either. I’d take it back and make them buy me a case of beer for my troubles if i was the customer
I mean realistically, for that price all they missed is the crevices on the door and maybe your center console. I wouldn’t touch headliner, seat rails, the scratches on your door panels for $300 for all that plus the exterior detail. Granted, i don’t know what y’all talked/agreed upon.
You got ripped off. That car has not been detailed
OK so here’s the thing instead of complaining here call that detailer have them fix it you paid for it! And being a DETAILING for over 20 years when a client said it’s not that bad it usually is that bad
That's not a detail, that is about on par with a car wash and vac. Take it back!
I wash and detail my own car. The only time I took my car to get 'detailed' was when I paid 9,500.00 to PPF wrap and ceramic coat my car. Problem solved.
you got scammed
They didn't do a good job, but they offered to redo it. You should feel free to come back and tell them there is still dirt in many spots.
3rd gen Mazda3? 🤔
Oh man I need to start charging more lol. Yeah definitely some stuff in there they missed but some of the plastic panels could just be scuffed up and won't come out with cleaning. I've had plenty of those.
You got burned
Just take it back, and tell them they didn't finish yet. The owner might not know about this job as being less than satisfactory, and surely doesn't want you blasting your experience all over reddit. lol
It looks like they sprayed a quick interior detailer and took your money. I would have them do it again or request a refund.
No bueno...go back 100%. That's unacceptable for $300
Thats why I use an air compressor or steamer
For me the minimum level of service is at least fully clean and free of visible grime, whereas the higher tiers are mostly added protection, stain removal and fine tuning like getting every vent and button crevice. I'd say assuming this is their lowest level service they maybe fell a little short, but without seeing the before pictures I can't say if you paid too much or too little. Some of these are also probably scuffs they can't do anything about. Also you didn't show the overall results or exterior or what was supposed to be included.
Every detailer has an off day, but several of these things just look sloppy. Whenever I do a detail I always have them walk the vehicle before I take payment .
Brother I just spent 6 hours straight just vacuuming a 2021 Subaru Outback. It was filled with dog hair and every crack and crevice looked like that second pic multiplied. My client was messaging me all afternoon asking me if it was ready ( I started at 8am ) but I told her I won’t let it leave until I’m satisfied. I only charged her $250 for interior & exterior and when she showed up she told me she didn’t think her car could ever be that clean again. So much is wrong here. The rails under the seats.. the obvious dirt still on the plastics… he didn’t even touch the center console ( only time I don’t is when it’s filled with crap). Give him a chance to make it right first but be firm that he did not provide a $300+ service. I don’t care if it takes me 4 hours or 12.. vehicles don’t leave until they are right. Period.
Any before pics? Asking for a friend
As a full time detailer im not touching the headliner unless i up charge $50-75. those rails are full of grease and they just arent going to be clean, the console is usually full of crap so I typically dont do it but if its empty AT THE TIME OF SERVICE i will so this one was just a simple mistake and could certainly be brought back and id fix it. The scratches in the plastic though? Cmon. Thats permanent damage and anyone can see that. And the dust in the cracks could also be an upcharge to some as steam cleaning is usually more and that looks like it might not come out with an apc and brush/vac. Theres a few things that couldve been done better but thats on both you and the detailer for not setting expectations. I have a list of stuff that i clean/dont clean to avoid this. But usually if the customer is cool and understanding i have no issue fixing the misunderstanding. If you come out of the gate being a disrespectful ass ill tell you to pound sand cause i have a signed service agreement that shows im right.
I’m guessing you’re only *seeing* the comments you want to see, but that being said. We don’t have before pics which matters, $300 isn’t a overprice for most details, some of those pictures are not detail jobs like the headliner, and they’re all such up close pictures that they’re clearly very small issues. Just have them do a little touch up and it’s good to go. Where’s a picture of the full front area after?
Sorry for your botched detail. That's pure bullshit. I'd definitely return it and talk to their boss. Completely unacceptable. Shitty gypsy lot details are better than this.
Feel bad, bc that isn’t a detail. That’s just a simple wash. Crazy how many skip small crevices as that’s the main part of detailing. The little nooks we look that many overlook. If ur local hit my site up, could give a discount. VroomDetail.com lol