Hi everyone! I will try to make this as brief as possible, but that isn’t one of my strong points, so….LOL. Anyway, I would really appreciate any advice or insight regarding a problem I am having with a company, which I will not name at this point. If it is figured out, that is fine, too.
I recently completed a car wash shop for this company that went south almost from the very beginning. I allowed the salesperson to do his pitch of the different washes available, per guidelines, prior to asking for the specific wash required. After asking for the wash, the salesperson told me that I would be required to pay a $10.00 “extra dirty” fee, in addition to the regular price for the wash. This is where the fun began. I began reviewing the guidelines in my head:
“…..do not complete it correctly by following the instructions and questions listed on the survey form, ………..you will not be paid and will no longer be considered an active shopper for……” “you must ask for the __________ wash only” “you will not be reimbursed beyond the specified amount……” and came to three conclusions: 1) if I refused the wash altogether and left the location, I would not be paid, may be deactivated, and would probably be made as a shopper; 2) If I took a lower priced wash that would offset the extra charge in order to stay in the reimbursement range, I would not be paid and may be deactivated; and 3) If I accepted the correct wash and paid the extra fee, I could complete the shop correctly, explain on the report what happened, and ask for the extra $10.00.
Being the diligent and prudent shopper that I am, I chose #3. I explained on the report what happened, pointing out that my car was really not that dirty (the honest truth), and suggested that it was only fair that I be compensated for the extra money as to not do so would have resulted in a bad shop.
After hearing nothing for about a week, I contacted the scheduler (whom I later learned was also the owner of the company) and explained the situation to her. At first she claimed to know nothing of the problem, and cited the guidelines regarding “any extras ordered would not be reimbursed.” Explaining that this charge was not for extras, but was required and according to the salesman, would be for any wash I requested, fell on deaf ears for a couple of rounds of emails. Then it was an issue that my receipt was illegible (which it was, due to the salesman placing greasy air fresheners on top of it prior to handing it to me – a fact I also mentioned in my report). I offered to send a copy of my bank statement to show how much I paid, but was not taken up on said offer. Next, she made issue that I did not have an itemized receipt. I pointed out to her that I was not aware that an itemized receipt was even available from the location and furthermore, the guidelines made no mention of obtaining one.
This went on for several emails, and then things started getting good. I suggested to her that this charge probably wasn’t even authorized by the client, since no mention of it was made in the guidelines and it was not on the menu board of the location and as such, I was sent to do a shop without the needed information to perform it correctly, and therefore should be reimbursed. She finally relented and said she would present the issue to the client and go from there. About a week later, she contacted me and said she had talked with the client and without an itemized receipt, she couldn’t help me. I reiterated my response about that issue, and several back and forths later, she once again said she would talk to the client.
When I was next contacted, she said that the client was aware of the “extra dirty” fee sometimes charged, adding that it was out of their control that my car was that dirty. However, she said that they were able to find a legible copy of my receipt (not itemized, mind you) and had spoken with the salesman and that he remembered me and that my truck was caked underneath and outside with mud. Ok people, I DO NOT NOW, NOR HAVE I EVER OWNED A TRUCK AND I DID NOT TAKE ANYONE ELSE'S TRUCK TO THE SHOP. When I pointed this out, although she didn’t come right out and say it, she alluded that I was a liar who was just trying to get paid for services I shouldn’t have ordered. She said that I should have asked for a lower priced shop, other shoppers have done that and still been paid, even though the guidelines said to ask for one specific wash. She came at me again about the itemized receipt. She then asked for the make and model of car that I “allegedly” used for the wash, saying she would need the information if she were to help me any further.
I refused to give her this info, on the basis that I believed it would only allow them (or her) to fabricate another story of how well the salesman remembered me and that I didn’t believe she was trying to help me at all, but just trying to avoid paying me the extra money. I told her if the client was truly aware of such a charge, it should have been mentioned in the guidelines, so that I would know this issue may come up. I “alluded” that I didn’t think she had actually spoken to the client, but that I thought maybe I should. There was a lot of other things said back and forth, but she has now stopped responding.
Finally, I noticed on the website that I have been “self deactivated.” I did not do this, and when I inquired about it, and pointed out that I knew it said self-deactivated, but that I didn’t do that, she admitted to doing it herself because she did not have time to argue with me further.
At this point, this isn’t about the measly $10 at all. It’s about making her (and the client, if in fact the client is aware of any of this) take responsibility for bad guidelines, sending me out on a shop unprepared for the situation, and her lack of faith and total disrespect for me as a shopper. How should I proceed here?
I recently completed a car wash shop for this company that went south almost from the very beginning. I allowed the salesperson to do his pitch of the different washes available, per guidelines, prior to asking for the specific wash required. After asking for the wash, the salesperson told me that I would be required to pay a $10.00 “extra dirty” fee, in addition to the regular price for the wash. This is where the fun began. I began reviewing the guidelines in my head:
“…..do not complete it correctly by following the instructions and questions listed on the survey form, ………..you will not be paid and will no longer be considered an active shopper for……” “you must ask for the __________ wash only” “you will not be reimbursed beyond the specified amount……” and came to three conclusions: 1) if I refused the wash altogether and left the location, I would not be paid, may be deactivated, and would probably be made as a shopper; 2) If I took a lower priced wash that would offset the extra charge in order to stay in the reimbursement range, I would not be paid and may be deactivated; and 3) If I accepted the correct wash and paid the extra fee, I could complete the shop correctly, explain on the report what happened, and ask for the extra $10.00.
Being the diligent and prudent shopper that I am, I chose #3. I explained on the report what happened, pointing out that my car was really not that dirty (the honest truth), and suggested that it was only fair that I be compensated for the extra money as to not do so would have resulted in a bad shop.
After hearing nothing for about a week, I contacted the scheduler (whom I later learned was also the owner of the company) and explained the situation to her. At first she claimed to know nothing of the problem, and cited the guidelines regarding “any extras ordered would not be reimbursed.” Explaining that this charge was not for extras, but was required and according to the salesman, would be for any wash I requested, fell on deaf ears for a couple of rounds of emails. Then it was an issue that my receipt was illegible (which it was, due to the salesman placing greasy air fresheners on top of it prior to handing it to me – a fact I also mentioned in my report). I offered to send a copy of my bank statement to show how much I paid, but was not taken up on said offer. Next, she made issue that I did not have an itemized receipt. I pointed out to her that I was not aware that an itemized receipt was even available from the location and furthermore, the guidelines made no mention of obtaining one.
This went on for several emails, and then things started getting good. I suggested to her that this charge probably wasn’t even authorized by the client, since no mention of it was made in the guidelines and it was not on the menu board of the location and as such, I was sent to do a shop without the needed information to perform it correctly, and therefore should be reimbursed. She finally relented and said she would present the issue to the client and go from there. About a week later, she contacted me and said she had talked with the client and without an itemized receipt, she couldn’t help me. I reiterated my response about that issue, and several back and forths later, she once again said she would talk to the client.
When I was next contacted, she said that the client was aware of the “extra dirty” fee sometimes charged, adding that it was out of their control that my car was that dirty. However, she said that they were able to find a legible copy of my receipt (not itemized, mind you) and had spoken with the salesman and that he remembered me and that my truck was caked underneath and outside with mud. Ok people, I DO NOT NOW, NOR HAVE I EVER OWNED A TRUCK AND I DID NOT TAKE ANYONE ELSE'S TRUCK TO THE SHOP. When I pointed this out, although she didn’t come right out and say it, she alluded that I was a liar who was just trying to get paid for services I shouldn’t have ordered. She said that I should have asked for a lower priced shop, other shoppers have done that and still been paid, even though the guidelines said to ask for one specific wash. She came at me again about the itemized receipt. She then asked for the make and model of car that I “allegedly” used for the wash, saying she would need the information if she were to help me any further.
I refused to give her this info, on the basis that I believed it would only allow them (or her) to fabricate another story of how well the salesman remembered me and that I didn’t believe she was trying to help me at all, but just trying to avoid paying me the extra money. I told her if the client was truly aware of such a charge, it should have been mentioned in the guidelines, so that I would know this issue may come up. I “alluded” that I didn’t think she had actually spoken to the client, but that I thought maybe I should. There was a lot of other things said back and forth, but she has now stopped responding.
Finally, I noticed on the website that I have been “self deactivated.” I did not do this, and when I inquired about it, and pointed out that I knew it said self-deactivated, but that I didn’t do that, she admitted to doing it herself because she did not have time to argue with me further.
At this point, this isn’t about the measly $10 at all. It’s about making her (and the client, if in fact the client is aware of any of this) take responsibility for bad guidelines, sending me out on a shop unprepared for the situation, and her lack of faith and total disrespect for me as a shopper. How should I proceed here?