# OKCpedia > Businesses & Employers >  Fastlanes car wash- don't use them!!!

## Jettmiester

Anyone ever use them? They damaged my car and WONT own up to it. I used the one on Penn, their Quail location. I am new to the area (here about a year now), so was wondering if anyone else had any experience with them.

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## Kerry

You didn't do this did you?

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## TheTravellers

> Anyone ever use them? They damaged my car and WONT own up to it. I used the one on Penn, their Quail location. I am new to the area (here about a year now), so was wondering if anyone else had any experience with them.


Yeah, they're bad.  They put some Armor-All-type crap on my steering wheel and gearshift, unbelievable, *never* had that happen....  Wife used them (against my recommendation), her car wasn't as clean as it should be, windows had smears on them, etc. (I would've made them fix it, but she didn't, for some reason).  Nothing damaged permanently, but still a sorry excuse for a car wash.  USA Car Wash (I think that's their name) on NW Expressway just east of MacArthur is who I use now, they've done a good job the past few times.  Red Carpet has a good rep, not sure if they're still good or not, though.

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## Jettmiester

I've heard good things about Red Carpet car wash. After I get my car repaired (over $1100.00) I'll look into them and see where their locations are. 

Even though one of their own employees admitted that the damage on my car was not there prior to entering the wash tunnel (and the damage was caught right after exiting the tunnel during the drying off process), they are still trying to back out of being liable for this. Unbelieveable.

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## Kerry

While not near $1,100 - I took my car to CarSpa and the guy with the hand vacuum sucked out the liners to all the cup holders in my car.  They replaced them (about $30) but I still had to take time to go to the dealership.  I still use CarSpa on occasion, but I take out the liners on my cup holders first.  In fact, I remove everything I don't want sucked out of car.

On a funny note, many moons ago I purchased a used car and when I got home I pulled the window sticker off the car.  It left some glue residue on the window so I used a razor blade to scrape it off, which fell has a white powder on the black carpet.  When I got done I just dropped the razor blade on the floor with the glue and about a month later when to Jiffy Lube for an oil change.  When I got the car back I was expecting them to vacuum it, which they did, but they left the white powder and razor blade right where it was.  I asked them to vacuum it again and they left the glue and razor blade again.  I then figured out why they weren't cleaning it up.  They thought it was cocaine.  I hope they didn't try to use any.

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## Jettmiester

Just contacted KFOR about this, In You Corner. We'll see if this route works. Anyone have experience with them? Seems they do alot of good for people who are victims of bad business.

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## swilki

I took my last car to the one in Norman. That was the first and last time I will ever went there. They are HORRIBLE.

Red Carpet on May gets my money now.

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## OKCMallen

I worked at the one in Norman for a short period of time in 2001.  Believe it or not, at least back then, the lower and mid-level management cared very deeply about the job getting done correctly. 

My guess is that the problems have a lot to do with their hiring base.

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## Jettmiester

I remember when businesses cared for their customer base and/or it's clients. That day is just about total history now. This place never kept its work on contacting me, returning phone calls or anything they promised. It's amazing how people are not only treated, but lied to.

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## OKCMallen

> I remember when businesses cared for their customer base and/or it's clients. That day is just about total history now. This place never kept its work on contacting me, returning phone calls or anything they promised. It's amazing how people are not only treated, but lied to.


Lodge a complaint with the Better Business Buraeu.  Hit'em where it hurts.  I believe in consumer feedback, much like it sounds like you do.

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## OKCMallen

https://odr.bbb.org/odrweb/public/complaintlink.aspx


They have a B- rating right now.  Looks like the Better Business Bureau attempted to contact them for background info, and they didn't respond.

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## Jettmiester

> https://odr.bbb.org/odrweb/public/complaintlink.aspx
> 
> 
> They have a B- rating right now.  Looks like the Better Business Bureau attempted to contact them for background info, and they didn't respond.


Thanks for the great advice, that was going to be my next step. I am getting ready to file it now.

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## OKCTalker

Don't use the BBB - ineffective and widely-suspected of giving positive ratings to subscriber businesses, lower ratings to others. 60 Minutes did an expose in 2010 I believe. 

Why not small claims court?

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## OKCMallen

> Don't use the BBB - ineffective and widely-suspected of giving positive ratings to subscriber businesses, lower ratings to others. 60 Minutes did an expose in 2010 I believe. 
> 
> Why not small claims court?


People still use BBB anyway.

Small claims court is another, better, option, but it will be a little bit of a time suck.

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## Brandon_sharp

So how exactly did they do $1100 worth of damage?

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## Jettmiester

Doing the small claims court thing as well. 

Brandon, there is a gouge in the hood thats deep and well into the sheet metal. The hood has to be replaced. Body shop says filler wont last with the opening and closing the hood in time.

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## Jettmiester

> Don't use the BBB - ineffective and widely-suspected of giving positive ratings to subscriber businesses, lower ratings to others. 60 Minutes did an expose in 2010 I believe. 
> 
> Why not small claims court?


I already filed with BBB, didn;t know about the 60 Minutes Expose on them. Nothing can be trusted now days huh? 

Small Claims court is in the works. I am doing anything and everything possible I know of to hit em where it hurts.

I've even thought about getting a group of friends and picketing in front of their business during business hours.

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## Video Expert

For the record, the Fast Lanes in Norman is now independently owned and has nothing to do with the Fast Lanes in OKC and Edmond other than having the same name.  Their automatic wash part was closed for about three weeks last Fall while they put all new equipment put into the wash.  Not sure of the problem swilki had there recently, but I think they do a great job now as opposed to before the new owner took over.  I had stopped going there years ago and a friend of mine told me about the new ownership and recent changes.   Just had them flush the transmission recently and got good service and didn't have to wait very long either.  I've never used the ones in Edmond and Quail, so I really can't comment on their services.

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## Snowman

I always wash mine by hand, granted I do it less in the winter and it is a mustang so fairly small surface area.

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## Jettmiester

I was using them when washing by hand was not feasable....like when building my home and during my bout with Pneumonia. From now on I'll just let is stay dirty when it's not feasable to hand wash. 

This company has no integrity and just will not own up to it's wrong doing. It is so amazing how no one is responsible for their own actions any longer. Especially when one of their own managers who prepped my car himself stated that that gouge was not present before entering the wash. Simply amazing.

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## Jettmiester

This business still refuses to work with me at all on the matter. Just a heads up and hope no one else gets damage there and has to go throught what I am dealiing with.

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## Glamourcat

Don't use them.  I went to have my Sequoia detailed and I paid extra for carpet shampoo and for large car and for seats.   I go to pick it up and they tell me it's $5.00 extra per mat of I want the mats shampooed!  Not only that, there is a spot on my paint that looks dull.  They say they did not do that, but this car is only a year old!  Wow...a 60k car that needs a new paint job!!  Please take this advice and stay away from this place!!

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## Jettmiester

Too bad you didn't come acrosss this thread first. Sorry to hear about your misfortune. You can claim up to 6k in small claims court. Did you talk to anyone at the wash abut your situation?

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## Jettmiester

File with Better Business Bureau. I already have a file on them there, the more the merrier they say!

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## Jettmiester

My court date is set....mid April. Wish me luck!

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## Ginkasa

Don't most car wash places have a sign warning you they're not liable for any damage?

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## WilliamTell

Growing up I watched my dads bronco and my moms aerostar van both be damaged at different times by full service car washes or automatic ones. 
To this day I hand or power wash my own and have a shop vac that I use to vacuum it out. I never understood why someone is willing to pay 40+ plus dollars to go to one of these places, wait for 20 or 30 minutes when you could easily do it on your own at your house for free and know it was done right.

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## ljbab728

> Growing up I watched my dads bronco and my moms aerostar van both be damaged at different times by full service car washes or automatic ones. 
> To this day I hand or power wash my own and have a shop vac that I use to vacuum it out. I never understood why someone is willing to pay 40+ plus dollars to go to one of these places, wait for 20 or 30 minutes when you could easily do it on your own at your house for free and know it was done right.


I see nothing suprising about that.  There are countless things people could do for themselves that they pay others to do.  It just depends on what your priorities are and how deep your pockets are.  Do you ever go out to eat instead of fixing your own food at home for much less money?

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## Thunder

> Anyone ever use them? They damaged my car and WONT own up to it. I used the one on Penn, their Quail location. I am new to the area (here about a year now), so was wondering if anyone else had any experience with them.


If the place have a sign posted that they are not liable for any damages caused to vehicles, then you are doomed as you were bound to "contractual agreement" by allowing your vehicle to enter the auto-wash building after reading the disclaimer.  My advice, get a good insurance policy and just file for a claim to have it repaired without having the rates hike.  It is better that way in order to move on.  However, if there was no disclaimer, then you have a chance in court, if you have pictures of the place in whole showing no such warning sign.

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## Jettmiester

> If the place have a sign posted that they are not liable for any damages caused to vehicles, then you are doomed as you were bound to "contractual agreement" by allowing your vehicle to enter the auto-wash building after reading the disclaimer.  My advice, get a good insurance policy and just file for a claim to have it repaired without having the rates hike.  It is better that way in order to move on.  However, if there was no disclaimer, then you have a chance in court, if you have pictures of the place in whole showing no such warning sign.


Those disclaimers do not work. You can place a sign on your property "not responsible for accidents" , but you can still be sued if someone is injured on your property. The damage done to my car is not the usual kind of damage. Disclaimer or not, they were very negligent. So it is up to the judge to decide. Those disclaimers are only up there to discourage people into not making a claim. Now if it was in paper form, they had me read it and sign it in front of a notary, then it may actually mean something. Even when making my complaint a posted discliamer was never brought to my attention. The manager on duty prepped my car, even admitted the damage was not there when he prepped the car, and in turn had me go get estimates. The entire way it was handled after I left their property when the damage occured is what is awful. Never contacted me in any way shape or form as promised, never returned any messages, no contact at all. Was handled very poorly an unprofessionally. They run a bad business. And come April we'll see how it turns out.

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## ImTheDude

> Don't most car wash places have a sign warning you they're not liable for any damage?


There was a Seinfeld episode about this:

VIC: Hey, you see that sign right there? 

JERRY: Oh, I see. So, you put up a sign so you can do whatever you want?

VIC: I'm not responsible.

JERRY: So, anybody leaves anything here, you can just take it? You have a

license to steal? You are like the James Bond of laundry?

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## oneforone

Speaking of Bad Car Washes




From what I understand this was over property the driver claimed the car wash took from him.

This one is just plain funny.

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## Jettmiester

Lol

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## EdmondMan

I just took my fully functional Ford Explorer there for an oil change and ultimate wash.  The customer service was terrible to begin with and then when I picked up my vehicle I found that none of my power windows worked.  I know they worked when I dropped the vehicle off because I used the power window to talk to the initial attendant and I didn't even leave the lot before I learned that my power windows were all non-functional.  So basically they had the vehicle for an hour and somehow damaged my electrical system and have refused to take any responsibility and that came directly from the owner.  I too have filed a claim with BBB and have already spoken with an attorney on this issue.

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## RadicalModerate

Open the Pod Bay Doors, HAL . . .
Sorry, Dave . . . I can't do that.
It would F-up the mission.

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## Thunder

Read...the...reviews...first...

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## RadicalModerate

EdmondMan is apparently unhappy.
With a car wash.
Thanks, Thunder, for moving current events along in a timely manner. =)

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## oneforone

> I just took my fully functional Ford Explorer there for an oil change and ultimate wash.  The customer service was terrible to begin with and then when I picked up my vehicle I found that none of my power windows worked.  I know they worked when I dropped the vehicle off because I used the power window to talk to the initial attendant and I didn't even leave the lot before I learned that my power windows were all non-functional.  So basically they had the vehicle for an hour and somehow damaged my electrical system and have refused to take any responsibility and that came directly from the owner.  I too have filed a claim with BBB and have already spoken with an attorney on this issue.


1. Check your power window lock out switch. The newer cars and trucks lock out all the windows when you hit the window lock out switch. If it is not the switch check the fuse. 

2.It is very likely a fuse popped while they were servicing the vehicle. It's pretty hard to kill vehicle equipment. They would have had to dump or spray a stream of steady water into the control to kill it. You would have been able to tell right away if that was the case. Your seats or door panel would have been soaked.

 When it comes to cars and trucks start with the simple stuff and work your way to the complex. 9 times out of 10 the problem is something simple. If your not familiar with the location of your fuse box, stop by Autozone or O'reilly Auto Parts. The guys at the stores will usually help you find the fuse box and they might just replace it for you. If your vehicle is still under factory warranty, take it by the dealership and let them deal with it. Just leave out the story about the Car Wash. Tell them you got in it this morning and the windows would not roll down. If you tell them the car wash story, they will tell you to go back to the car wash.

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## Jettmiester

More than one reason not to use this crooked outift. A friend of mine has a son (a minor) that worked for them. He got injured at work, and the owner also refused to pay for any of the medical issues, had no insurances on his employees. The owner of these establishments is a crook with no morals. It went to court, he was ordered to pay (more than the bills). Just stay away from this place. The owner is a disgrace to the human race.

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## kevinpate

jetmiester, how did your small claims action turn out last spring, or did they finally agree to fix it before you got to court?

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## Jettmiester

Thanks for the inquiriy. Needless to say it was a fiasco. The owner of the place is an incredible liar and had a relationship type bond with the small claims judge. As soon as I seen how the two of them talked, I knew I had the chance of a snowball...you know where. The judge was even speaking on his behalf.  At least I gave it a fight.

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## chemalurgy

I use the Fastlanes car wash on 142nd and Pennsylvania for my car washes and as a mechanic.   They have done about $700 worth of work on my car and all of it was done well and at a price comparable to other mechanics or less. They also send my car through to be washed and vaccuumed after doing the mechanical work, which is great!  My old mechanics left oily fingerprints all over, but now it's cleaner when I leave than when I bring it in to be looked at.  They always treat me respectfully, get the work done quickly and listen to what I have to say.  I don't know about the other branches, but I'll vouch for this one.

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