Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  09/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Have tried to cancel membership several times via their website, have repeatedly been charged again for a membership I have cancelled.

  Business response

  09/27/2024

  This issue has been resolved with customer ******* *****.

  Below was the correspondence and resolution emailed to *** *****:

   

  After looking into your account, I can confirm that you submitted a cancellation for your Monthly Sharecard on July 28, 2024, and that account has been successfully canceled. However, I noticed that theres a second account under your name and payment method that has been actively used, with the last wash on July 28, 2024.
  
  I also see that you were charged for both July and August without any washes being used. To rectify this, Ive processed a refund of $72.00 for the past two months back onto your **** ending in 3962.

   

• Initial Complaint

  04/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I have a membership with Surf thru Express, I took my car to be washed and upon exiting I noticed scratches on my windshield. Since their machines are made of soft material; I was told, it must have been the spray wand the young man was using. I didnt have scratches going in, but had scratches upon exiting. I filed a claim with the company and they denied it. I spoke with the management of the Esplanade branch asking for a copy of the denial and he told me I couldnt have it. He also canceled my membership that Ive had for over 3 years. I tried contacting the ***************** but there is no phone number, nor anyway to reach them.

• Initial Complaint

  12/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 9/8/2023 I arrived at Surf Thru Car Wash to purchase an advertised promotional monthly car wash plan of $14.99. The plan would be $14.99 1st month and $19.99 after. I spoke to cashier and advised her to sign me up for the plan. I provided my debit card and when she returned with the form to sign I noticed the amount was wrong $34.99. I Let her know I did not agree to the plan and she advised me she had to cancel and start all over again (alot of cars were behind me at this point) She assured me I can return any other day and cancel the plan. I agreed to not be a difficult customer. I returned 9/14 to change the plan. I signed a new form in hopes this resolved my issue. On 11/8/23 I noticed I was being charged $34.99. On 11/10/23 I made a visit to Surf Thru and a different cashier advised me to call ************. On 11/11/23 I was involved in an accident and my vehicle was totaled. The number I called was not helpful and the woman refused to credit me anything back for that month. Please help me find a resolution.

  Business response

  01/02/2024

  To Whom it May *********************************** you for bringing this concern to our attention. We have conducted a thorough investigation into the matter raised by **************************
  
   
  
  Upon reviewing the records, it has been determined that ************ signed a recharge card on 9/8, explicitly authorizing our company to charge her card for the initial month at $14, with subsequent automatic recharges of $34.99 each month until cancellation. Attached to this response, you will find the signed agreement for your reference.
  
   
  
  Our records indicate that ************ visited Surf Thru Express on ************ on multiple occasions, specifically on 9/8/24, 9/14/24, 9/19/24, 10/6/24, 10/27/24, 11/6/24, and 11/10/24. On each visit, she received an Extreme Surf Wash, our top-tier wash priced at $34.99/mo. for members.
  
   
  
  Additionally, it is worth noting that on 12/1/23, ******** was issued a refund, and the relevant documentation is attached for your verification.
  
   
  
  We understand the importance of addressing customer concerns, and we strive to maintain transparency and resolve issues promptly. If there are any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us directly. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter.
  
   

   

• Initial Complaint

  11/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company damaged my car a week ago and is not willing to provide there insurance information as required by law to have my car issue fixed. I need to make a claim with their insurance due to the damage. The employees as well are extremely unprofessional and do not want to take responsibility for their own behavior. What they like to do is try to turn the tables and blame the customer and retaliate the customer so they don't have to take responsibility for their own actions. This company will be held responsible for what they've done to me

  Business response

  11/10/2023

  This letter is in response to the complaint filed by ******************************* on 11/7/2023 concerning her 2023 ****** Prius. Surf Thru appreciates the opportunity to explain the facts of her claim.
  
  In an effort to provide excellent customer service, our greeter;upon the request of ******************, removed the fast pass sticker that had been applied to her front windshield. This was done as a courtesy and would normally place the burden on the guest to remove said sticker.
  
  The reported damage to ******************** dashboard was investigated and the evidence shows that there was no employee negligence upon removing the sticker that could have caused any scratch to her dashboard.  When removing the sticker our greeter only used a towel and some rubbing alcohol. There were no other objects or tools used to remove the sticker. Furthermore, ****************** did not return to the site to file a claim until 5 days later.

  In consideration of all the evidence and facts as explained above, Surf Thru respectfully denied ******************** claim.

  Customer response

  11/13/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  The company used alcohol and it ate my dashboard as well they need to give me their car insurance by law. Next I will report them to the police for not giving me the information to make a legal claim. Send your car insurance information back as a response to this better business Bureau complaint 
  
  

  Business response

  11/15/2023

  We have thoroughly investigated *************************************************** concerns regarding the removal of the fast pass sticker from her 2023 ****** Prius. Our review, including footage from security cameras, affirms that our employee followed the proper procedure using a soft microfiber cloth with isopropyl alcohol.
  
  We maintain our position that there was no employee negligence, and our records show no evidence of damage. Consequently, we respectfully deny this claim.

  Customer response

  11/15/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  By law you can not directly deny a claim. You must provide insurance by law. This better business Bureau complaint is documentation that you did not cooperate. Dated 11/15/23

  Next you face legal liable with evidence to back it up especially not following laws 

• Initial Complaint

  08/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 7/25/2023 at approximately 1:15 pm. I arrived at Surfthru car wash on **** * ***** ** ******* ** ****** As I arrived on the track to enter the car wash. I shifted to neutral like the sign says. Rolled up my windows and I was given my ratchet strap I had on my trucks bed by the employee to put inside my truck. Half way through, the one of the brushes pushed my passenger side mirror out, then the mirror was caught on the blower and broke the mirror and bracket/housing. As soon as I exited I notified management and a claim report was filed the same day. I was told that they would get back to me within 5-7 days it is now 8/3/2023 and I haven’t heard anything back. I called on 8/3/2023 at 10:28am and talked to the manager and was told to keep waiting because they have many claims to get through. I asked for the District Managers name and number. Manager stated he couldn’t give me his information other than his name because the D/M did not have a company cell phone. For the record my vehicle does not have any aftermarket parts, any previous damage to the mirror or on the truck. And I followed all instructions posted prior to entering the car wash.

  Business response

  08/07/2023

  BBB CASE#: ********
  This letter is Surf Thru’s response to a complaint filed by Gerardo Valles on 8/3/2023 concerning his passenger side mirror on his 2019 Chevy Silverado RST.
  When Mr. Valles enters the wash at our First and Ashlan location, the top wraps and the side wraps were retracted. Therefore, any contact with the vehicle was negligble because of the retracts.  There were no mechanical or human errors errors during Mr. Valles’s wash process. Therefore, the damage reported could only have been preexisting or preexisting weakness.
  Surf Thru washed hundreds of vehicles that very day without any reports of damages of any kind.   That includes most of the vehicles that received more wrap contact than this vehicle.  If there was something at the car wash that was causing damage to vehicles, it would have damaged  other vehicles in the same manner.
  As an effort to provide excellent customer service our cashier also asked Mr. Valles if his mirrors and antenna were “Ok” to go through the wash before he entered the wash, which he confirmed he wanted to do.

  Customer response

  08/07/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  You’re correct the employee asked, never mandated though. Your employee also asked me 2 weeks before, and 2 weeks before that, and so on. But never did my truck receive any damage before. I’m surprised your CCTV system was able to catch bright red letters but not the blower breaking the mirror. The spinner never broke the mirror it was the blower that did not retract. Surf thru should be able to provide customers a copy of their claim and why it was denied with supporting documents such as daily maintenance and repair logs to a report. 
  
  

  Business response

  08/09/2023

  BBB CASE#: ********
  This response is to the rejection letter filed by Gerardo Valles on 8/8/2023 concerning his passenger side mirror on his 2019 Chevy Silverado RST.
  Upon reviewing your response, it appears there must be some misunderstanding regarding the functioning of our equipment, specifically the blowers. Our blowers are designed to remain in a fixed position throughout the car wash process, and they do not have a retractable feature. As such, it is important to clarify that the blowers themselves could not have been the cause of the damage to your mirror, but infact the reported damage could only have been preexisting or preexisting weakness.
  After a thorough investigation into the matter, including again reviewing our camera footage and discussions with our management and wash attendants, we have found no evidence to suggest that our equipment was the cause of the mirror damage. Many vehicles with mirrors larger than yours come through our washes daily without any problems or damages reported.

• Initial Complaint

  11/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My vehicle was damage from one of the top rollers. Upon management review, 4 days later, they claim I put the vehicle in drive and caused the damage from the video footage. Such BS!!!

  Business response

  11/23/2022

  Surf Thru appreciates the opportunity to respond to this complaint. Mr. **** claims that his vehicle was damaged by Surf Thru equipment. After investigation, it was determined that the damage was caused by the actions of Mr. ****. First, he failed to keep his vehicle in neutral as he was instructed at the front of the tunnel both by the attendant and a large sign in plain view and then second, he placed his vehicle in drive which caused him to advance on the conveyor at a greater speed than normal. Video evidence confirms these facts. Video evidence confirms that Mr. **** accelerated during the wash cycle, which caused interference with the timing of equipment and resulted in Mr. **** hitting the top brush. The video clearly shows Mr. **** advancing on the conveyor and not pushed by the conveyor rollers as normal. The only way this can occur is if Mr. ****’s vehicle was not in neutral and in drive. There was no malfunction by Surf Thru equipment, in fact hundreds of vehicles were washed during that day without incident. Because Mr. **** ’s actions caused the damage, there is no liability by Surf Thru and his claimed is denied. It is recommended that he contact his insurance company for repair.

  Customer response

  11/28/2022

   I am rejecting this response because: the response from surf thru regarding how it happened is false. There is no good reason for me to accelerate as such. The purpose is to let it run its course in Neutral. I was instructed from staff to put in reverse and put in drive due to machine getting caught and stopping the whole line. The event is false unless they are able to show me proof that it was cause by me with their video surveillance. 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  11/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Charged my account for more than was authorization

  Business response

  11/18/2022

  Surf Thru appreciates the opportunity to respond to this complaint. Due to increased business costs, a price increase for all car wash memberships went into effect on 11/9/22. Surf Thru posted price increase notification signs at each car wash site weeks prior to the effective date. Surf Thru apologizes for any inconvenience, but Mr. ****** was not over charged. In fact, the membership agreement Mr. ****** signed states "Monthly membership prices are subject to change from time to time, prices will be listed at the car wash location."  Mr. ****** was contacted and offered a new membership plan at the original price he chose, however, he declined. Mr. ****** chose to object the new charge through his bank rather than accept a refund from Surf Thru and his membership has been cancelled per his request. 

• Initial Complaint

  10/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On October 11, 2000, I went to the car wash that is on Prosperity St in Tulare CA. My car was damaged in the wash. I have proof and an employee as an alibi. The damage was done on the wheel covers of my car. One of them was completely removed and destroyed by the machines. I will attach two images to this document. One being of the destroyed wheel cover that an employee took and the other being proof that it belongs to my car. I have a premium membership since March 2022 so this experience was incredibly disappointing.

  Business response

  10/25/2022

  Surf Thru appreciates the opportunity to respond to this message with an explanation of the events that occurred on 10/11/22. Video footage shows customer ******** ******) did come in for a wash on 10/11/2022. The footage also shows that there was previous damage on the wheel covers. Due to the pre-existing damage, the front driver side wheel cover came off during the wash cycle at the blowers. The customer left the site without notifying staff to retrieve the wheel cover and did not return to file a damage claim. Although the claim would have been denied due to preexisting damage, the manager would have been able to share the video footage showing the preexisting damage that supports the denial. Surf Thru values Ms. ******** patronage, however, the damage was not caused by employee negligence or equipment malfunction and therefore is not responsible for the repair and/or replacement on her wheel cover. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  06/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I brought my car to the car wash and the attendant broke the mirror on the drivers side.

  Business response

  06/27/2022

   

  Surf Thru Express Car Wash regrets that Mr. ***** ***** believes the damage to his vehicle is the responsibility of car wash. This damage claim was denied because there was NO employee negligence nor car wash equipment that caused the damage. When Mr. ***** arrived at the wash entrance, the cashier/greeter folded in his driver-side mirror at his request and with his approval. He was present with his window down during this entire interaction. As the cashier/greeter did what she was asked to do and did so in a normal fashion, the mirror assembly based failed. This failure is due to the either normal wear and tear and/or a pre-existing condition.  Otherwise, it would not have failed.   Because there was no way for the cashier to avoid the outcome, Surf Thru is not responsible for the responsible for the damage that occurred.   It is always Surf Thru’s intention to provide excellent customer service and strive to fulfill each customer request when possible.  Unfortunately in this case, Mr. ******* vehicle was not fit to tolerate his request to the cashier and the mirror failed while she followed his instructions.  Surf Thru regrets any inconvenience that Mr. ***** experienced and appreciated the opportunity to respond to his complaint.

   

  
  

   

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩