A St. Johns County father wants his daughter's car repaired after, he says, it was damaged at a local car wash.
Ronny Schnall said management is not taking responsibility for the damage and the repairs aren't cheap. So, he turned to the Ask Anthony team for help.
"I feel like I'm the bad dad in this situation who said go get your car done and this happens. She comes out with $1,400 damage," Schnall said.
Last month, Schnall suggested that his 19-year-old daughter take her brand-new Toyota Corolla to LUV Car Wash on Harper Lane in St. Johns County. When she got home, he noticed her left back wheel cover was missing and the front right corner panel was hanging off.
"Upon further investigation, we realized that the headlamp inside was cracked which holds the bumper in place. If it was such an easy fix, I would have done it myself. Unfortunately, the overall cost was $1,400," Schnall added.
Schnall said he reached out to a manager about the $1,400 repairs.
"Unfortunately, they would not go ahead with the repairs. They said they were not responsible."
This is a common complaint the Ask Anthony team receives from viewers. So, what should you do if a car wash damages your vehicle?
- Check the interior and exterior of your car before and after a car wash for damage. If you wait until you get home, it will be difficult to prove where or when the damage occurred.
- If there is damage, let the car wash owner know as soon as possible. Fill out an incident report and take pictures.
- If the owner refuses to cover the cost of repairs, your insurance may pay for it. You also have the option of taking the car wash owner to small claims court.
Schnall said the perfect resolution would be for LUV Car Wash to take care of the damages.
"We're sorry for your inconvenience. We would love to pay for your parts and repairs to your daughter's brand-new car," Schnall responded.
Anthony Austin reached out to LUV Car Wash and received a call back from the district manager. He said he wasn't aware of the issue, but he would look into it.
However, Schnall did provide a voicemail from someone who identified themselves as the general manager, who said the car wash would not be covering the costs.