To be quite honest and fair, I bought this deal on Living Social to try something new. I have a…read morevery busy lifestyle, so even taking my car to an Autobell (who always does a wonderful job with my vehicle for $40 or less) was out of the question at the present time. The review on their website were quite good, so I was excited.
I had to book an appointment a couple months out, due to so many bookings. I live in Raleigh and work on the Wake Co/Durham Co border. I asked them to come to my place of employment, assuming I'd probably have to work from home that day so they could accommodate my service in Wake County, but they accepted the Durham appointment with no questions asked. I was impressed.
Long story short, even after checking with my company's security and getting an okay for them to be there, there was an environmental hazard with Durham County regarding soapy water run-off that both I and the Shining Star Mobile Detail employees clearly had no idea about. I don't live in Durham County, so unfortunately, I had no idea two neighboring counties could be so different. Even after offering to accept another appointment another day, or even move my car to a proper location as to not upset the City of Durham ordinances, I was ensured there would be no problem by the 3 gentleman cleaning my vehicle.
They finished the task in 30-45 minutes. I was only a little upset about the job they had done. I had tipped them $15 and paid almost $60 for the coupon only to have to go back over the WHOLE outside of my car to get the wax off, and re-clean the inside of the windshield because the streaks made it difficult to see while driving in the sun.
I still wouldn't have written a complaint until receiving an email from the "Marketing Director" stating such things as "Usually there is a charge for servicing outside of Wake County," and how they "went out of their way to service me only to almost receive a citation from the "City of Durham." Basically that performing a service on my car that they INITIALLY accepted to perform burdened their company. Then I saw they had slandered me and written the most absurd comments about me on their company's Facebook page! First off, who even posts about disgruntled customers? Any legit business would handle those offline and concentrate on the positive reviews...but to make multiple posts on FB about it and be so disrespectful and rude to a paying customer....out of control!
After 6-10 emails back and forth, being completely slandered on their business's Facebook like a 12-year old gossip column of name-calling and fabricating, and after explaining to Ms. LaTonya Taylor how ludicrous this whole mess was, this was a direct quote from a personal email from their "marketing and public relations department:
"It is your responsibilty to know the policy of your work place as well as the county that you work in, before you ask someone to perform a mobile service for you. It is my job to make sure that customers do not compromise our company over something that is the customers responsibilty, and I will make the customer aware when they have done such."
My only response to the above is "wow." I paid a total of $75 to have a half-a$$ job done on my car, so they could beat the environmental "po-lice," and then be told it was MY job to know the laws regarding a business I know NOTHING about before I ASK them to perform a mobile service. Are you freaking kidding me? I tried to be nice and tip and apologize and I got nothing in return except slander and disrespect.
I am sorry, but if you want a good job done on your car, go to Autobell. They won't hassle you for not educating yourself on the ins and outs of THEIR business and environmental laws, and promise they sure as hell won't leave wax on your car and streaks on your window!
