Vent and rant about the car cleaning services in car parks (and other people touting)

sv650s

Welcome the modern day Britain.

Just go to Calais and see all the future car washers trying the get in the next ferry over the channel

We live in a mad world

oliveoil99

Lou67 wrote: »

It happens in quite a few car parks, including my local shopping centre one... EVERY time I get out of my car (and I go into my shopping centre 4 or 5 times a week for work or shopping; ) I get 'you want car wash?' And I say no every time, as I wash my own car. My problem is not so much with the fact that they are asking, (although I get sick of it 3 or 4 times a week!) it's the dirty look I get when I say 'no thank you.' Like I am robbing them of their livelihood!

Same goes for this eyebrow and eyelash shaping stall in the indoor shopping centre. EVERY time I go past, they try to drag me in, and I say 'no.' They asked me three times in one visit a few months back, and on the third time, I said 'No,' quite firmly and then said 'you already asked me twice today..' And this past few months, the girl that runs it gives me a nasty scowl. I am so tempted to tell the centre manager. I actually avoid the mall that this stall is in if I remember, making me have to walk an extra few minutes.


And don't get me started on charities that wait outside the door of M and S and Asda, to try and grab you, and make you sign up to their charity. And then when you say 'no' you get a 'look' from them... Anyone else experienced stuff like this? And does anyone else suffer the 'you want car wash' pests?!

I quite understand what your saying specially the chuggers. Learn a sentence of an obscure language then repeat it to them works wonders.

oliveoil99

Yes don't have eye-contact I'm a bit cross-eyed so can come in handy if that doesn't work learn a sentence from an obscure language will make you less likely to want a conversation with.

NeverInDebt

I tend to walk around town when I have too with blinkers on to avoid charity chuggers etc so dont make eye contact if approached I smile and say no thank you. Cant say I have had a problem with car washers although they never get business from me as I do my own car prefer it that way than some dirty sponge/rag that's cleaned other cars.

maninthestreet

Lou67 wrote: »

LOL!!! How did you know they weren't indigenous to this country?!

At my local Sainsbury store they are all, without exception, of African descent.

malkyh

upsadaisy wrote: »

You clearly make too much eye contact with these people. I have never been approached for a car wash. Pretty sure that in car parks the system works that you park in a designated wash bay and that's how they know you want your car washed. I suspect that because it irritates you and you think they are going to ask you, you look for them.

Either that or you have a filthy car and really bushy eyebrows...

If they are quiet then they are instructed to wander around the car park looking for business. The designated bays are mostly used for valets, simple washes can be carried out wherever the car is parked.

Idiophreak

This is quite interesting. I'm bothered by *a lot* of stuff, but the car washers have never really bothered me. They say "do you want a car wash" and I say "no thanks" and that's it. TBH I agree with the people above - if you're paying attention to how they're reacting, you're giving them too much time and eye contact.

Chuggers are more difficult, because they say "do you have time to talk?" or similar, which I do...but I'm not giving them any money. So I chat to them for a couple of minutes, then when I refuse them money they get this look on their face that says "why would you lead me on like this!" and make me feel guilty for speaking to them..but they started it

Lou67

upsadaisy wrote: »

You clearly make too much eye contact with these people. I have never been approached for a car wash. Pretty sure that in car parks the system works that you park in a designated wash bay and that's how they know you want your car washed. I suspect that because it irritates you and you think they are going to ask you, you look for them.

Either that or you have a filthy car and really bushy eyebrows...

LOL at that. However I do disagree with the eye contact thing: I literally do not look, and turn my back and try and walk off minding my own business, if I see them about. They literally chase me like chuggers, and tbh if it doesn't stop, I think I will report it to the shopping centre management, because as I said, I am sick of the look I get when I say no.

Malkyh is correct: There IS a designated wash bay in my shopping centre in one of the car parks, but they also have their people in 3 or 4 other car parks, and they tout for business constantly. Just grabbing anyone and everyone as they park up and get out of their car; it's nothing to do with giving eye contact.

And Paddy: no, chuggers and people chasing you for business is NOT the worst thing or most annoying about living in this country - but it is ONE annoying thing! Thanks for the sarcastic response BTW, but is this board not for venting? I find it most odd when someone comes onto someone's thread, purely to post a sarcastic and condescending response and it seems particularly ludicrous on a board that is made for venting. This is what this board is for: for venting... do you not get that? :question:

robpw2

maninthestreet wrote: »

At my local Sainsbury store they are all, without exception, of African descent.

how do you know this ... have you asked them of their background

pinkteapot

We always use these hand car washes because of all the dire warnings from the parents about the damage automatic car washes do to the paintwork.

A few weeks ago we took our car to our regular hand car wash in a multi-storey in town.

Drove out afterwards and as soon as we were in daylight realised they'd scratched the windscreen and all the windows. :eek:

Fortunately the paintwork was OK. We paid our insurance company the £75 to get the windscreen replaced. Haven't bothered with the other windows as it'll cost a small fortune to replace them all and they're only fine scratches.

Wish we'd noticed while we were still with the car wash people, but I bet they'd still have said it was like that to start with.