Beware Morrisons Car Wash & Washing Hands Of Liability

alanwk43

Earlier this year I paid £6 for the top wash at a morrisons carwash. Drove in, came out and checked the car as always to find deep grooves on the bonnet and the LH passenger side. I straightaway asked to see a manager and got the Assistant Deputy Manager(!) who took notes. At home I took photos and sent a claim in.Guess what? After 6 months (and them mislaying my claim) I have been told that I entered the carwash at my own risk and therefore Morrisons are not liable. Also they say that noone else reported anything. And that the technicians could not find a fault. A further call with a manager has got them investigating the photos again with their technical dept.

I was told that Morrisons requires proof before they settle a claim. Other than getting the manager out I'd need before and after photos. Apparently, who is to say that the scratches did not happen before, elsewhere.

I replied that this particular vehicle has never been in a carwash in its 3 years, that I chose a top wash to mitigate as best I could. That as Morrisons does not say Use This Car Wash & Screw Your Car that I was enteruing a relatively safe contract between myself and morrisons and that any risk is covered by sales of goods/services - ie the service needs to be decent quality.

I now know that unless I take before and after pics, use a carwash that then affects other people's cars in the same way afterwards - and can rewind time to take Morrisons insurers back to when it happened - I have sod all chance of this being settled fairly.

Moral - don't use a carwash. If you do dont use a morrisons carwash. Their adverts make out that they are of the people, for the people when their actions say they don't give a monkeys.

Needless to say I won't be doing my twice weekly shop at morrisons nor using their cafe which I have done regularly with my child. In time, they will lose more than the value of the damage to my car, and also goodwill. Hopefully, anyone reading this will think twice of using them too.

Living_proof

I have had a couple of bad experiences with their carwash, but only to the extent that the car simply wasn't washed and the brushes hadn't even reached some of the car (which is one of the diddiest you can buy). On both occasions they gave me my money back and after it happened the second time I decided that their equipment just wasn't up to the job and have since gone elsewhere. It's annoying as I buy my petrol there, but I would def. advise everyone to give the car wash the cold shoulder.

arcon5

Where possible I always use one of those you drive through and washed by hand -- usually about a fiver. The automated ones just don't get the harder places suchas wheel trim.

mandragora_2

I don't use automatic car washes because the sight of all the muck on those big brushes at the side looks like a sure-fire way of getting your paintowrk scratched, whoever runs the machinery, especially when you can get a really good hand-wash round here for £5-6. This posting about Morrisons does, I'm afraid confirm my suspicions.

alanwk43

I never usually use a carwash but I succumbed because I couldn't face washing the car with our jet washer at home as my wee daughter was not well and a bit clingy. My fault - have learned an expensive lesson. I wonder if Richard Hammond's cars ever go to a Morrisons carwash? heh heh

Antispam

I always wash by hand using a long reach car brush, good quality car shampoo, hose down(fine spray) and dry when possible. I also hose down before washing with hose 30 minute job if done properly. I avoid washing when its very sunny

squeaky

Hi

Since there's no request for consumer help here I'll move this post across to our dedicated Warnings board to help alert others.

Forum_Team wrote:

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL='forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com']forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL]

Azari

alanwk43 wrote: »

I now know that unless I take before and after pics, use a carwash that then affects other people's cars in the same way afterwards - and can rewind time to take Morrisons insurers back to when it happened - I have sod all chance of this being settled fairly.

Even taking pictures before might not work because they could say that you took them at any time before you used their carwash.

Consider taking them to the small claims court. It's a civil matter so you only need to show 'on the balance of probabilities' that they were responsible. It should be fairly evident that the scratches were made by a car wash and the judge may well take the view that if you had your car damaged in a car wash you are unlikely to claim against one other than that responsible.

alanwk43

Update; Morrisons showed my photos to their technical team engineers who refute the fact the scratches were made by the carwash. The customer services manager who I wont name rang me and stated that my claim was rejected as there was no proof morrisons damaged my car. I repeated that I drove in with no scratches and came out with scratches on the passenger side - and then alerted the manager as asap. What more could I do? Oh, and paid £6 for the privilege. Another 30 minute circular conversation took place and it was stated that the damage could have happened before and I was unaware. I repeated that I saw no scratches before I went into the carwash - I had decided the car needed a wash while I filled it with petrol and therefore had seen the condition just before I bought the topwash. So, rather than admitting that they have screwed my paintwork and rather than apologise and offer to repair and compensate, they are saying no proof we did it so take us to court. I replied that I would not have wasted so much time on the phone to make a claim unless it was true. I did not like them implying that I am a liar.

A technician is coming out at their expense now - six months after the event. No doubt he or she will say it was caused by something other than the rollers and Morrison will get off scott free as I cannot afford to take them to court.

Their customer service pretends to be concerned but trots out a party line which is to imply that loyal customers are liars. Many other people have shared the same distressing circumstances as me. The company is (allegedly!) a disgrace, run by ignorant bullies who have no understanding about customer relations. Already they have missed out on me and my friends doing our local shops there - so it has cost the company £500 plus in turnover. What idiots!!

mattyprice4004

It won't have cost them £500, the profit on groceries is next to nothing.

alanwk43

Ok - turnover - whatever - I am just saying that poor service turns customers away, well, intelligent ones anyway. Not sure why you bothered commenting.