truman911

Local dealer has a detailing special. Says they will detail my vette inside and out. Clean the egine, shampoo the carpets, polish and detail the outside for $80. Should I trust the dealership?

jbust3

worth the $80 to get the inside detailed.. But doubt the Polish job will be up to par

BrendanS

I would stay far away. Dealerships use products that are the most cost effective for them. So their interior detail may consist of a dash protectant that is greasy and will be a pain in the *** to strip off for you later. The polish job will be horrible I can guarantee that, $80 alone for polishing is dirt cheap. I'd go find a reputable detailer in your area. It'll save you the headache later on. Let me know if you need help finding a local detailer, I frequent a couple detailing forums so just gimme a shout.

Brendan

foremaw

In a word, No. UNLESS, you are absolutely sure you know/have spoken to whoever is doing the detailing, have looked at the detail shop/area, approve of all the products they're going to use on the car, write down the mileage, get a written agreement that there was no damage on the car when you brought it in, find out who will be driving/moving the car, where it will be parked, etc, etc.......

AquaJohn

You might also want to find out if they do it or if they contract with a local detailer to come in 1-2 times a week to clean multiple cars. I know a good detailer that does this. He charges the dealership 75 bucks a car when they have 6+ cars. Its alot cheeper when he does not have to move his mobile detail trailer around.

STiRob

NO!!!!!!!! They will do more harm than good.

Tim Coltrain

NO NO. The only time you want a dealer to detail your car is when you are purchasing other than that no. TIM$VETT

jimmie jam

because we don't want to see your post AFTER the disaster .

BSE1956

Bring a DD there, not your Vette.

K9KUZ

I had never tried this. So, I had my DD done, more of an experiment to see if it was worth it. Here's what I got:
The polish was gone after just two washings.
No vac under the carpets.
No vac of the seats.
Some dust on the dash.
Very clean windows.
Worth $80?, heck NO.

dvilin

Ask to speak with the person who does the detailing. Find out what products he uses, and speak with any other customers that have had the detail special done. $80.00 seems aweful cheap for a complete detail job.

toxin440

the only time it's acceptable for a dealership to "detail" your car is *NEVER*.

The problem with detailing is that there is no standard, no training, or even skill involved in what most people THINK is detailing. 80 bucks for a full inside/outside job? If you care about your cars finish you will put that 80 dollars towards a contracted, researched, and insured detailer. What's funny is if you search Craigslist for "detailer" there are people calling themselve professional detailers, but are willing to do your car for 20 dollars.

www.autopia.org

The forums are a great tool - if you arent the DIY kinda person, ask around in the local section for your area. Ask for references, a portfolio of their past work. For a good detail the RIGHT way, you will probably pay anywhere from 150 to 300 dollars depending on how much and what you want cleaned/fixed.

Even when a car is brand spanking new -- I never want a dealership to touch it in their prep. I'm no detailer but I do enjoy reading about the techniques and tips/tricks on that site. Good luck man!

Badgerfan87

I agree with Toxin440.. There are no standards for detailing. You do not have to licensed and it is a veryvery subjective process. Also at many dealers it is the "intern" or high school kid who does this work part time and is probably encouraged to get it done "swiftly" i.w Volume for the dealership is key rather than quality(not all dealers , but many)

c54u

if it sounds too good to be true.....

$80 is a great price....but what is the quality...you need to find out from others that used that dealership....and you'll have your answer

Bat Man

Fact is that dealers CAN do a great job at cleaning and detailing. They just aren't set up to do it on a daily basis. How do I know this? Their body shop regularly details paint.

Most high end dealers will have a dedicated detailer. Ferrari, Lambo, Porsche, Lexus, etc...

KneeDragr

If you decide to do it, bring your own products, good polish/wax, wash, microfiber towels ect.

Gearhead Jim

Which the monkey working on your car will promptly drop on the ground and continue to use, scratching the he!! out of your paint.

There are very few detailers I'd trust to work on any car i like.

chgoblue

Auto body shops have a decent reputation, and would be logical. The one near me gets $150 for a thorough detail. $80 is too cheap.

I would ask anyone doing it what they use. For instance, Armorall is reputed to dry out leather, etc.

Imagine going out and buying the worst products to detail both the inside and out. And, then doing it in the worst way you could imagine.

Is that worth $80? (rhetorical question)

maybe, like -$500

Mad*Max

I would just do it myself as you are going to be horrified if you let them do it for $80.

wolfdogs

God no.