In May 2015, I purchased a "deal" on Living Social for Auto Shine Detail. The deal was for an "Interior Detail and Exterior Detail" for a large SUV and was purchased for $89. The deal was advertised as being valued at $258. Immediately after purchasing the deal, I contacted the owner of Auto Shine Detail to schedule my service. When I reached him, he explained to me that he doesn't make any money off of these Living Social deals and, therefore, can only schedule details for two Living Social customers per week. He explained that because of this, he could not complete my detail until August 20, 2015. Such a wait was not a stipulation of the deal, and I became suspicious at that time that he was violating the agreement of the Living Social contract, but chose to schedule the service and wait the three months anyway. He scheduled me for a noon drop-off on August 20 and stated that I would be able to pick my vehicle up by 4:00 PM on the day of service.
On August 20, 2015, I arrived at Auto Shine Detail at 11:45 AM. The owner was detailing another vehicle when I arrived. I noticed that he glanced at the "deal" voucher in my hands and then he told me that I would have to leave my vehicle overnight with him and that I would be not be able to pick it up from him until the morning of August 21, 2015. I stated that the agreement was that I would be able to pick my vehicle up at 4:00 PM and could not leave it overnight. He then told me that I could pick it up at 9:00 PM that evening. I told him that I could not do that either. He then told me that I could pick it up at 7:00 PM. Again, I told him that I could not do that. Finally, he stated that he would have it done at the scheduled time. I grew concerned about the service that he was planning to provide if just moments prior he was too busy to complete the service per the previously scheduled time. He explained what he was planning to complete and the explanation was essentially a car wash and spray wax - not the equivalent of the services listed for an exterior detail as detailed on his website. After arguing my point for about a half hour, the owner stated that for Living Social deals, he only provides the services of "Package 2" as listed on his website. "Package 2" is valued at $145, not $258 as he is advertising via Living Social. Also, "Package 2" includes an exterior "clean," not an exterior "detail" which would include hand wax and buff. This is false advertisement and a scam. The owner is selling an Interior and Exterior Detail service with a claimed value of $258, with the intention of only actually performing a glorified, and much overpriced, car wash. I stated that this is false advertising and that I would be making a complaint with Living Social and the Better Business Bureau. To that comment, he asked whether I believed in God and stated that if I believed in God, I wouldn't be trying to "ruin" him. read more