Questions and Answers
Is “Detailers Across America” only in Waldorf, MD for this deal?
As for the “only in Waldorf?” question, the Groupon includes $45 of transportation cost for them to come to you anywhere in the greater DC area. Waldorf is the only location where you can wait for your car, but why would you want to?
What I would like to know is how much upcharge Minivans have? I’m guessing it’s $20 like an SUV, but would like to know before I buy.
This seems like a great deal but a few questions to find out if it will work for me… Is Reston, VA included? Is Lansdowne, VA included? How do appointments work? (i.e. is there a specfic time or a range of time and does it include weekends).
the details say “light interior cleaning ($10 value)” which I’m thinking does not include the steam cleaning of carpets, etc. anyone know any differently?
I have the same questions as David S. This is a wonderful deal but I am interested in the logistics such as access to water, etc. and true costs if they come to Tysons or other locations in NoVa.
How far east will they come? We live in Arnold, MD
I too have the same question as David S. How far will they travel from Waldorf?
I called the company direct. They said they will do Tyson’s. Recommend calling them with questions about where they travel. They seem pretty open to travel to the greater metro area.
Can you have the interior detailed for an additional charge? If so how much?
How do we know they’ll be better than Voila? I purchased that Groupon last year (and recently got it refunded.) They were pretty bad.
Hey Everyone,
I just called the shop and they’re going to log in and answer these questions momentarily.
Stay tuned and stay warm!
Emily
Groupon Staff
if u were getting just the outside done the inside cleaning would be a extra charge of 10 dollars for just vacumm. If u wanted the shampoo its an extra 35 dollars. If u have any other question post them thanx e
Follow up question…how big is Dealers Across America? # of employees? # of cars cleaned, etc? Just asking because sometimes Groupon’s popularity can overwhelm smaller vendors. :)
I live in DC and have only street parking. Will that matter at all?
What will you need access to when you come to detail the car? Just water/a hose?
The weather may limit access to my car for several days. Is there flexibility?
ok, What’s the fine print? After the GreenMaidWorks “scam”, I’m skeptical about ANY cleaning company on Groupon. Is this $50, “man hours”, do they break it up as per person? how is this $50 calculated?
I’m skeptical because after the “tip” and $45 going to “travel expense” for this company to come to my home in DC, where’s the savings.
More details please…
Marguerite… we wouldnt need nothing just ur car we have all the supplies to do the job..
Jim Wells.. we can do something for you we are u located at?? we have a shop that u come bring the car in if u have time..
Bruce P… street parking might be kinda tricky but we will try and work something out for u.
Zachary J Rodman…We are a company thats has mobile employees and also shop employees. We do number of cars just the weather permits us from some things but on a reg we do about 200 cars a month
I own a small toyota. My car would be in Tyson’s Corner. I read this deal as you come, fully clean, wax, etc. my outside, lightly clean the inside and leave…for $50. Is that correct? There would be NO other charges?
IF U BUY THE SERVICE IT IS INCLUDED WIT THE MOBILE TO COME TO YOU… IF U HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTION P[OST ME A COMMENT
How are you Zachary? I am a little confused about your comments relating to Voila’. Did they detail your car? The reason I asked because they do a wonderful job on our vehicles and all of the other vehicles that get done at my salon. I just don’t like to see a credible business get hammered by a consumer that clearly did not use the service.
Just to reiterate, this deal covers the fee that is normally charged for mobile detailing. So there is no extra charge on top of the Groupon for mobile service within the DC metro area.
You will get a car wash, an awesome wax, and a light interior cleaning (does not include shampoo/ steam cleaning). You can upgrade to a full interior detail for an additional fee.
@Joseph: There won’t be any surprise hourly charges, but gratuity is never covered by Groupons, so please remember to tip as you normally would for such a service.
Enjoy your sparkling clean vehicles, Groupies!
Vroom vroom,
Emily
Groupon Staff
does Reston VA count as the “DC Metro Area”?
Question about locations – I also live in the city (Adams Morgan) with street parking. You answered that you could “work something out” but what does that mean?
How have you handled similar jobs in the past?
Inga et al:
Fair point. Voila did not detail my car. My feedback was based on the fact that I was unable to reach them over the course of multiple attempts, and that this experience was shared by a number of other Groupon buyers. Ultimately, I requested a refund from Groupon.
I’m sure that Voila does a fine job when they work. It just seemed as though they were not equipped to handle the volume of business from Groupon. I’ve had that experience with a couple other Groupon’s, but generally my experience has been positive.
Hi,
If I buy one and my husband buys another – is that still within the rules?
Thanks.
@ I Y,
The limit is one per person, so if you buy one and your husband buys one, that is just fine with us!
Thanks!
Emily
This would be a great Valentine gift since my husband never has the time to clean his car :)
I understand a SUV is an additional $20. Do I just buy the $50 Groupon and give the person who shows up an extra $20, or is there a way to add the extra $20 upfront?
Hey Doug,
There is no way to pay extra on your Groupon; you will most likely pay the person who shows up. When you make your reservation, please mention the Groupon and that you have an SUV.
Enjoy your Groupon!
Emily
Still would like to know if Reston, VA is valid location for this Groupon. Thanks
Hey David!
I’m checking into this. Sorry for the delayed response.
-Em
Will they travel to Woodbridge, VA? And is a mini-van considered like an SUV?
@Riann: The additional charge will be $10 for a minivan; it’s considered a mid-size vehicle. Woodbridge, VA is fine.
@David S. Reston is fine!
Thanks guys!
Emily
Hello! Is Gaithersburg, MD considered in the Greater DC area?
I’m excited to get this deal!
Will they travel to Centrveille, VA?
Hello, I just bought this Groupon, but in My Groupon tab it says it expires on 4/10/10, but the add says 8/10/10. Can Groupon please rectify this problem. Thank you!
I’m in DC. What are the hours of service — weekends too?
@ the facebook user the groupon is until 8-10-10 they must have made a mistake.
@ theresa we do it mon wed and fri and everyother sat if u have anyother questions feel free to post..
What if you drive to Gaithersburg to the site? I have a mini-SUV, so would I be able to credit the $20 mobile charge towards the $20 extra it would cost for an SUV?
Thank you!
Would a CR-V (Honda) count as an SUV, as it’s about the same size as say an Accord station wagon, maybe even just a bit bigger than an Accord?
jeff….the cr-v is a mid size truck its a small suv so its a extra charge that u would have to pay its an extra 10 dollars if u have any other questions post it and ill try and get to it as soon as possible
I did not get response back yesterday. Will they travel to Centrveille, VA and Centreville, VA is ok…
Do you charge an extra $10 for a Toyota Camry Sedan??
Hi Noreen- I’m so sorry we missed your question. I am looking into this; hang in there.
Carolyn – sedans are covered by the Groupon. Enjoy!
Noreen, please contact support@groupon.com and they will fix you up. Centreville, VA is fine. Thanks for your patience and sorry again for the delay. -Emily (Groupon Staff)
So, has anyone used this groupon yet? My car won’t come clean at a normal car wash so I’m hoping this will do the trick.
We have a lot of appointments so far even with the piled up snow still around. Others have played it safe and scheduled in late March and April. Our staff will be sure to get it nice and clean. The best part is the wax we are using though. If it does snow once more, hoping not, a normal car wash should get it cleaned the next time!
EXCELLENT SERVICE! I couldn’t be happier. Nate from Detailers Across America showed up this morning as scheduled. He did a fantastic job. It took a lot of effort—and time. Really great attention to detail. Cleaner than I thought possible. Remember to tip on the full value (not the great Groupon price).
I had terrible experience with this company and would not recommend them to anyone. First, they were 2 hours late and did not bother to notify me. I had to take it upon myself to call every 30 minutes to find out their status. Then when he arrived, there was no apology for tardiness. And hour later, when he was supposedly done, there were numerous issues which he did not fully address. There was still bird poop on the back of the side mirrors. He did not vacuum between the seats. He applied armourall to most but not all of the dash. There were numerous spots of wax that he failed to wipe off. He did a pretty good job on the tires and wheels, but there was still clearly visible dirt that could have been cleaned. I had to ask him to remove the leaves from the crevices inside the trunk area. The door jams were not cleaned thoroughly. He did not wipe down the interior of the car, as there was a clearly visible coffee stain that remained after he was “finished.” The windows were not completely clean. The mirrors were not clean. One side mirror had wipe marks on it, while the other did not. And overall, there were just a number of dirty spots that I was able to wipe off with my finger. After pointing out some things, he made a half attempt to fix them, but did not really do anything. While I understand that this was not a full detail, I still don’t feel this was worth $70 ($50 groupon plus tip) for the service I received. I did not receive all of what the groupon stated. The only reason he got a $20 tip was because I didn’t have a smaller bill. The supposed more expensive wax was average in my opinion, but perhaps it will take more time to tell the true value of the wax.
Wow, we have never received such feedback like this and this is very alarming to us. I will research this and definitely follow-up with you. When issues do arise it is best to call us at the time of your service or the next day so we can ensure you are satisfied. If you are not satisfied with the work, we do ask you do not tip the detailer only because they leave thinking they have a happy customer.
When I am unhappy with service at a restaurant regardless on how much I do not want to hurt that servers feeling, I tip them for what I thought their service was worth. I do not want to give them a good tip and have them leave thinking I am happy. I do not want them to do what they did to me to the next customer. I inform the manager too and let them know how unhappy I was with the service.
I am responding from what I have seen on this website not from a phone call. I am in process of researching this and your appointment. I am reading over the detailers log and comments as well.
As far as time there is no excuse. We do allow an hour time frame for our detailers to show up and I know you were in constant contact with Megan, our Office Manager because she does remember you.
We value our customers and like to have repeat business so contacting management to rectify unsatisfactory situations is important at time of service. We would like to continue to do business and do business again with you. Megan will set you up for another appointment to ensure your satisfaction.
Additionally, please call Megan with your address so that the detailer may return the tip you paid as well.
Stay away! They no showed me two weeks in a row, and even a call from “the owner” did not get me a new appointment. Even he did not call me back as he promised he would. Countless phone calls after waiting hours, no response to voice mail after voice mail.
Not reliable. Lied to me and said they were on their way…. cancelled another time because it was raining but I assured them they could work inside my parking garage.
Stay away!
Unfortunately, it did rain off and on yesterday. The only reason we cancel due to rain is because if your getting a wax job, we can not do it in the rain. Also, if your getting an interior cleaning, we have to keep your car door open which puts it at risk for getting wet and damaged. We understand that customers do put in their appointment requests weeks in advance but when it rains we have to cancel. You will not be satisfied and you would not be able to see the true results of the work.
As far as doing in a parking garaging, we have tried this for our customers. The only issue with that is customers tell us to come in their parking garage and property management tells us to leave in the middle of our service. During the rain if property management tells us to leave then we have no choice to finish a wax job in the rain which just leads to more of a mess. So we understand that you have a parking garage but we no longer risk doing it in parking garages regardless of weather.
As far as receiving a call back, we are trying to fit our cancelled appointments in sooner verses later. We are looking for some openings to give you are soonest availability to offer you at least 3 days which you can choose from instead of placing you at the end of the line.
Unfortunately, you did not speak to the owner but I will be sure to find your information and give it to her so you receive a call. She is very prompt and understanding when it comes to customers.
I have not used this Groupon yet but have my appointment scheduled for the first week of July. I am a bit concerned about the information I received on the phone while making the appointment. I was told that the inside detailing includes shampooing of the carpets, dashboard wiping, and through cleaning of leather seats. My seats are not leather, they are cloth so I’ve been informed that they will vacuumed but not shampooed. So basically, if I had leather seats my car would be fully detailed but just because I don’t, I get a vacuum job only? I can vacuum my seat myself for $2 worth of vacuum time at my local carwash. How is this deal worth $165?
What has been the experience of others? If you don’t have leather seats, just cloth ones like me, did they shampoo them for you? Or vacuumed only?
This was my only negative experience with a Groupon so far. I hope the Groupon staff will refrain from ever doing business with Detailers Across America. I just had my “full package” appointment, and I was more than a little shocked when I came down for the final inspection and found that the trunk had not even been touched, even though I opened it for the guys when I left! They did not vacuum it at all or clean out all the gunk around the trunk door jambs. They said that this is not included in the Groupon, even though nothing at all is stated of this nature on the Groupon or the description online. They finally agreed to clean it only after I paid another $10. I’m pretty disappointed with the whole thing, because I could have gotten a nicer clean and wax by going down to my local gas station and running through the automatic wash.
I, too, was disappointed by the service. I had them clean two of my cars a few weeks ago. Considering that it is “detailing” not just washing, they hardly got any of the bugs off my windows or lights. The dashboard was only partly cleaned. There were streaks on the inside of my doors and spots on the outside of both cars. Some of this I didn’t notice until after they were gone. I had to also ask them to clean two of my windows again because they left spots. Honestly, if I had paid full price, I would’ve felt cheated. I’ve gotten detailing done before by other companies and my car would like as if it just came off the showroom. This service was about as good as my local car wash. Maybe my detailers were just in a hurry to get to lunch.
I have also had a lot of problems with scheduling this service. They’re supposed to come today but this is the 4th time we’ve rescheduled. While once was due to rain, the other times were not. At some point, I had the assurances of the owner that the work had been done but when I finally went to my car, it was clear no one had been by. They claimed that I didn’t give them the address, but I was very clear in my directions (I park on the street) The ‘convenience’ of having these folks come to my house have been completely offset by the numerous calls to follow up (since they never call back despite assurances they will) and the number of days I’ve tempted fate by leaving my car on the street unlocked. I could’ve gotten my car washed weeks ago at the regular car wash and I’m sure I’d be just as happy. Wouldn’t recommend this service again.
Hi everyone – given all these comments I decided to try my luck and request a refund for this Groupon since I haven’t used it yet. Groupon offered me a refund as credit to my account. According to Groupon, the credit does not expire and can be automatically applied to future purchases until it runs out. I sure plan to take advantage of it. Just a thought to consider for anyone else out there, who did not yet redeem this groupon, spooked by all the comments as much as I am. And BTW, I cancelled my appointment for next Tuesday earlier today so I hope the cancellation request will really get through to the right folks.
So unsurprisingly, despite cancelling last Friday, I just got a call from downstairs of my apartment building. It was Detailers Across America. I am so glad I was able to get a credit for this Groupon, especially since I just found these reviews:
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&rlz=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=detailers+across+america+reviews&fb=1&gl=us&hq=detailers+across+america&hnear=Chevy+Chase+Section+Three,+MD&cid=16602086314607332278&dtab=2&ei=VjUzTM30DsO88gbpuMDICw&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQqgUwAA
I had it out with them on Friday when they didn’t show up again. The woman I spoke with admitted that they don’t check the voice mail all the time. She also told me that much of this wasn’t their fault, because they show up to places and the cars are very dirty and not ready to be cleaned, so what was scheduled for 30 minutes takes 2 hours, then traffic can really mess up their schedule. I pointed out that this seems to be a fundamental part of their business (scheduling, figuring out traffic, etc) and they should be able to better management this. And guess what happened when she arranged with me to have the guy come on Sunday to do the work (“promise!”) That’s right: nothing.
I have asked for my money back on this.
I was upset this am when I read all the negative comments .However,the detailers arrived to day ON TIME and after 1 1/2 hrs.had done an excellent job.
Marko was the main guy .
I have no complaints. Paid $10 for SUV and also paid$10/seat to be shampooed (only three needed it)
My only comment is that I have previously used a mobile detailer for $85
Update- After my reading my complaint, the company called to schedule a new appointment and sent their “best” guy, Marko. He arrived a little early, and had even called to ask if that was okay. Upon arrival, he immediately got to work on my car. It was a super hot day, but it didn’t seem to phase Marko. He worked very diligently and did a great job on my car. He mentioned that the person Detailers previously sent was apparently screwing up a lot of jobs. Unfortunate. Although Marko did a great job, I don’t feel that it would have been worth the full detail price. Nevertheless, I appreciate the company making an effort to satisfy the customer.
When I called to make an appointment to use my groupon, I was told that the 165.00 detailing did not cover shampooing my carpets. I agreed to pay 45.00 more and five minutes later I was called and told it would be 55.00. When I arrived early for my 1:00 appointment, the price was raised again. When I said no thank you, it went back to 55.00. I was told the service would take two hours. When I returned the car was not ready.
It was not ready when I returned at 5:30. I was then told that they could not get the hard water stains off my windows or my car. They wanted to sell me a very exspensive buffing job.
For my supposed 220.00 detailing, my car still had marks on the outside including places where road splash had not been removed. My tires were sprayed with something while I waited that was left to drip dry and the tires are now brown again. Also, the interior smells musty but most of the crab smell that I wanted removed from the back is now gone. However the leather around the gear shift and one of the cup holders still have coffee stains. Buyer beware!
I called yesterday and learned that all appointments were booked until September. This Groupon expires in August. However, I was told by Anthony that my Groupon would still be honored if I made the appointment now. Can someone please confirm this? Thanks.
I have a 3pm appointment today and so far they are a no-show. I spoke to someone at 3:05 who assured me they were on their way. It’s now 3:40 and the message I left at 3:30 has not been returned yet. It’s not looking good…
Add another unsatisfied customer to the list! Called this morning to confirm my appt. They said they’d be here. An hour after they didn’t show up and several calls made by me, they finally call back and say “Sorry, can we reschedule?” Yeah right!
I have a rescheduled appt for Tues. I’d better call to confirm.
Strike two. I got the reschedule request too. I called at 2:15 to confirm my 3pm appointment and they asked to call me back. When they didn’t I called back close to 3 and they said they were running late on another job and could I reschedule to next week. I’d better get the $20 SUV upcharge waived.
This is AWESOME! After all this snow my poor car badly needs to be cleaned inside and out. It will be wonderful to drive a clean car again. YEA!