Originally Posted by HyperDrive

Thanks for your input. I live in Maryland, approximately 20 miles from the DC line.

Originally Posted by HyperDrive

Unfortunately I can't say all's well that ends well. The work performed was far below my expectations. The first vehicle I checked was my daughter's Xterra, and there were several places that obviously needed to be addressed. I opened the glove compartment and could leave marks in the dust with my fingers there. I opened the gas cap cover door, and not only was it not cleaned, there was still a water in there. The outside plastic had been heavily oxidized and I asked if there was something they could do to address that (I have product that will darken areas like this). They wiped it a bit but no improvement. I also asked if the interior plastic had been wiped down with an interior/exterior cleaner/protection such as Armor All, and the owner told me they usually don't do that unless someone asks for it. What?! I would think they would ask NOT to do it first rather than the other way around. Sheesh!

In checking my G8 GT, the first thing I noticed was that the exterior finish didn't feel as smooth as the GT-R (I could feel contaminants, old wax, etc., underneath), and did they clay bar it? They said they did, but went over it again, and finished with an application of a carnauba wax. The honey comb plastic in the front grill and above the bumper had not been individually cleaned and Armor All'd.

The GT-R's interior plastic areas had not been Armor All'd. When I popped the hood, there was water pooled up about the area of the bottom of the windshield wipers and the inside edges of the hood still had water on them. The inside of the gas cap area still had water inside and was not cleaned.

They started at approximately 9:45-10:00 a.m. and were finished by 3:30 or so for three vehicles. All in all, it was what I would consider a, "super wash", with a quasi detailing, or something I would have done to a vehicle with about two to three hours' time for each vehicle. In the end the cars looked good, but not great. Some people may feel I am too demanding, but when I purchase a total interior and exterior vehicle detailing, that's what I expect, going over EVERY DETAIL of the car. Otherwise, I can do it myself. I expect that when I pay a, "Professional" Car Detailer, that I'm going to receive professional results.

The total for three vehicles was $453.50. I paid the owner, and I gave his employee $40 cash, but nothing to the owner. Maybe my expectations were too high, but now I feel I shouldn't have paid more than $200 to $250 for all three cars, after looking at the results. I will NEVER use this person again. I'm questioned now the 4 to 5 star rating this business had in Google reviews and Yelp. Caveat Emptor.

Originally Posted by Jersey Shore

The only thing I would add is, you get what you pay for. $453 for 3 cars is approx $120 per car. A really good detailer will charge upwards of $500 for one car to do a real good minor paint correction and full detail. I would say this price was not for this level of work or could meet your expectations not saying that is a reason for poor work.

Originally Posted by landshark

As other said, for that price, it's kind of expected for the level of the work. A decent detailing job for interior & exterior , without any polishing, should be around 5-7hrs per car. At least that's the time I spent on clients cars.

If you have any questions about detailing, feel free to let me know as I'm in the DMV area too. (Silver Spring MD)

Originally Posted by landshark

As other said, for that price, it's kind of expected for the level of the work. A decent detailing job for interior & exterior , without any polishing, should be around 5-7hrs per car. At least that's the time I spent on clients cars.

If you have any questions about detailing, feel free to let me know as I'm in the DMV area too. (Silver Spring MD)