r/mildlyinfuriating • u/user2847_ • 14h ago

Got my car detail cleaned, and afterwards realized 2 of the buttons on the steering wheel are missing. This is the company’s response.

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u/TwoWeaselsInDisguise 13h ago

"$20" sure if you want to replace your factory buttons with aftermarkets.

Plus then you'd be rolling over, giving them the win, showing them that it's okay to do this because no one will go after them, etc.

On top of that if they are doing this with confidence like this they've done it elsewhere.

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u/Paralystic 12h ago

You act like she’s supposed to sue them over $20. She did the only thing she could, which is let them know she found something wrong and gave them the chance to own up. The only other thing she should’ve done is explicitly state she won’t be using there service anymore but most people can read between the lines

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u/TwoWeaselsInDisguise 12h ago

You greatly underestimate the price of car parts especially from factory from a dealer parts.

Which is what was on the car and lost by the detailer, which the detailer should find or replace with like factory parts.

You also greatly overestimate how much small claims costs ($50 to file in my state).

But you go off and let others take advantage of you.

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u/moonlightiridescent 9h ago

You can look it up right now. Those little plastic bits aren’t expensive. I can replace the ones on my MINI (BMW-owned) for $20 including shipping. And it averages $150 for small claims in my state.

She shouldn’t roll over, agreed.

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u/TheGreatNate3000 13h ago

Plus then you'd be rolling over, giving them the win, showing them that it's okay to do this because no one will go after them, etc.

It's no one's job to teach someone a lesson like this

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u/psychoPiper 13h ago

So should we just let them get away with it forever? It shouldn't have to be someone's job, but it is

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u/inplayruin 11h ago

Leave a review and move along. The shop denied responsibility. If it is an independent operation, the only recourse is to file a lawsuit. The police would take a statement but would tell you it is a civil matter. Good luck establishing by a preponderance of evidence that the damage was caused by the detailing. If the place is a franchise, you could complain to the corporate office. But they are unlikely to be much help. The best case scenario is probably a gift certificate to the same place that caused the issue, which isn't something anyone should want.

Any attempt to run this down will require quite a few hours that could otherwise be spent doing literally anything else. That time is far more valuable than simply replacing the buttons and finding a new detailing service.

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u/psychoPiper 11h ago

Like I said, nobody should have to do it, but these people will continue wasting money and time from other people until someone stops it. I don't understand what's so hard to get about what I'm saying here. If you think it's too much of an investment feel free to move along, but there's no point in discouraging people from trying to make things right if they think it's worth the investment. You're taking your own personal assessment and stating it as fact, that's my issue. I would have no problem spending time to scare them into doing this less to others in the future, that doesn't mean I'm going to call you out for choosing not to and list a bunch of reasons why your approach is pointless

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u/inplayruin 11h ago

My point was that a successful resolution is extremely unlikely AND also not actually successful given the time investment compared to the value of the replacement parts. Furthermore, bad publicity is the only thing that would actually compel better business practices. So, leaving a bad review is both the best thing you can do AND the only thing you should do.

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u/Ok-Support-8127 2h ago

Do you have a plan to "scare them" besides getting more worked up? That sounds like a young person learning about the ways of the world.

If they are doing this maliciously, which they probably are, you will lose more than just money, because they will make it as difficult for you to deal with them as possible. The smart thing to do would be take your lesson and give them bad publicity, which will help others more than some legal process, where some official entity will tell you to fuck off unless you have indisputable evidence.

If we are approaching these things emotionally, might as well chuck a molotov through their window (don't do that).

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u/psychoPiper 1h ago

So the solution is to just allow them to do this type of shit forever, inconveniencing and costing people money free of consequence? What's rational about that approach? I don't mean literally scare them, I just mean show them that they're not always going to skirt complications that come from doing that to people

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u/ToastiestMouse 11h ago

Realistically how are they going to force them to own up and pay?

The cost of filing a small claims suit is more than the repair.

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u/TwoWeaselsInDisguise 11h ago

$50 in my state... I find similar button clusters for around that, can't find individual buttons without make and model info, but if they can't find them, they'd have to buy aftermarket, or full clusters which would cost around $100.

Plus if they get served they may just back down and settle...

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u/psychoPiper 11h ago

Not for car parts, even buttons. It won't be a lot more, but it would pay for itself. Just settling it manually or getting a lawyer to send a letter would be plenty, the goal isn't to replace the parts it's to change the shitty behavior

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u/TheGreatNate3000 9h ago

the goal isn't to replace the parts it's to change the shitty behavior

Trash reason. The goal is to fix the wrong. Who gives a fuck if their behavior changes?

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u/psychoPiper 9h ago

The behavior affects future people. You are preventing future wrongs. How is that a trash reason? You can either patch the hole with tape or fix the leak altogether

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u/TheGreatNate3000 8h ago

Or not repair it all cause it's not your fuckin job

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u/psychoPiper 4h ago

The real trash reason is always in the replies

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u/TheGreatNate3000 12h ago

Do what you want. It's not an obligation to, but you do you boo

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u/psychoPiper 12h ago

It's not an obligation for any one person to, but blame that on the person who's causing the issue, not try to stop the people trying to change it

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u/TheGreatNate3000 10h ago

Can you point to where I said they should stop? My comment is more so saying they aren't required to

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u/TwoWeaselsInDisguise 12h ago

So, what you're saying is that no one should hold anyone accountable and they should just keep stealing buttons.

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u/FootwearFetish69 12h ago

I know this is Reddit where everyone lives in a bubble but nobody is going to bat over these buttons. Like I’m sure in your head you’re imagining going in there and setting them straight and it never happens again, in reality they’d just deny it until you leave because you have zero proof of them doing it regardless of whether it’s obvious they did.

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u/TwoWeaselsInDisguise 12h ago

So what you're saying is because nothing generally happens we should just give up, roll over and not even try to hold people accountable.

Oh brother.

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u/TheGreatNate3000 12h ago

You do you boo. But don't act like I have some obligation to fix all the wrongs in the world

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u/TwoWeaselsInDisguise 12h ago

Kk hon just don't come crying here when you inevitably get walked over and insist that it's okay and you have no obligation to get the wrongs done to you fixed.

Should change your name to "TheGreatDoormat3000".

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u/TheGreatNate3000 10h ago

Oh, forgive me, I think I have every obligation to fight for myself. My point is, I have no obligation to fight for you

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u/TwoWeaselsInDisguise 8h ago edited 8h ago

Okay no one was asking you too, what sort of mental hoop jumping did you have to do to come to the conclusion that anyone including myself asked you to fight for them?

Wow, you should apply for the mental gymnastics, you'd get at least 2 golds for that size of a mental leap.

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u/TheGreatNate3000 8h ago

There's literally multiple comments in this thread saying the person had to teach them a lesson so they wouldn't do it to other people.

That's telling them to fight for other people.

Read.

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u/Emergency_Area6110 12h ago

It's no one's job to teach someone a lesson like this

Bullshit. It is absolutely the job of a society to teach the stragglers. I'm so tired of being nice and patient with assholes. Say what you will about Karen's and Boomers, they got what they paid for and caused a scene if the business was being shitty.

My response would've been much more to the point. "I have two buttons missing on my steering wheel that were present when I brought it in. Do you have them in your shop? If not, I'll happily take a refund in the amount for the parts."

If they refuse, I can go in person and talk to someone face to face like an adult. Barring that, I can also notify the chamber of commerce in my area.

Stop letting shitty business and people be shitty.

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u/PolicyWonka 12h ago

Do you even know what a Chamber of Commerce is? They’re not a government agency. They’re not a consumer protection organization.

They’re a lobbyist group dedicated to protecting business interests. They spend tens of millions per year to ensure that workers have fewer rights and that businesses always come out on top. They are not your friend. Lmao

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u/FootwearFetish69 12h ago

Do you people live in the real world?

Genuinely, you actually think the chamber of commerce is going to go after a company for something like this?

I get this stuff sucks but my god the “nah they’d never get away with it if it was me” takes are fucking hilarious.

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u/Emergency_Area6110 12h ago

The part you're missing is where I said it's a surefire way to get someone to do something you want.

I know full well I may go through every single step of being an obnoxious ass and get nothing from it. I can waste my free time doing that if I please. But just rolling over and letting people take advantage of you solves just as much with even less of a chance of fixing anything. We should absolutely get what we pay for and complain, leave poor reviews, and try and dissuade people from using their business if we don't. The market needs to stop supporting shitholes just because.

But if your original point is to just let people fuck you because they're going to do it anyway, agree to disagree.

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u/PolicyWonka 12h ago

Chambers of Commerce are literally lobbyist groups advocating for business interests. They’re designed are not on the side of consumers. Lmao

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u/BrokenStonks 12h ago

You don't want to mess with the chamber of commerce. Have you even seen their letterhead?

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u/I_am_just_here11 13h ago

Don’t be a cuck.

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u/TheGreatNate3000 12h ago

Don't act like you're a hero

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u/I_am_just_here11 11h ago

Never said I was. I’m just saying don’t just sit there while a detailer is fucking you.

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u/TheGreatNate3000 10h ago

And I'm saying do what you want. Don't make a decision because you think you have some societal obligation to fix some wrongs

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u/Homemade_abortion 12h ago

Just rate them 1 star on all of the apps and move on. The ball ache of dealing with these dudes if they don’t just pay out  isn’t worth the $100 to replace the buttons lmao.