a sicky story

[makipuppy]

We use a car pool. At the weekend we took the kids to the beach, one was travel sick on the way there. We washed it and cleaned up as best we could then went on to the beach. I called the company immediately and told them it still smelled. A lovely lady said don't worry our maintenance team will call by after you return the car.

When we got back we cleaned it a bit more, returned it, and that was that.

I just got a call from them saying they would be charging us £50 for the valet service.

Can they do this? If we'd known it would cost us £50, we'd have scrubbed more, used a freshener or something, and made other arrangements to air the car instead of leaving it in the beach car park.

[MoonIsATiredSlayer]

Why would they do it for free? I would have queried that one over the phone before agreeing to it. I don't trust no-one me!

[hercules1]

Don't see how you can avoid that really although I can see why it's annoying.

[IsItMeOr]

I thought this was a standard condition for car pools? I can see why the next people to use the car would prefer to know that it had been thoroughly valeted rather than cleaned to your standards which may not be the same as theirs iyswim. They should definitely have mentioned the charge though.

[VinegarTits]

If you dc has been sick and the car still smells then what else do you expect them to do? I would have made sure it was cleaned properly with no smells before giving it back

[makipuppy]

Oh, but shouldn't they tell you? I suppose I'm hoping they'll halve the charge or something.

Kids are sick quick aren't they? This was DP's niece. I asked her 3 times if she was feeling ok and she said she was, then suddenly she said she was going to be sick, DP stopped in seconds but alas....

[MmeLindt]

Hmm, they are within their rights to have the car valeted as the next person to use the car would obviously object to a car that smells of vomit. I do think that the costs should have been made clear to you.

You would probably have had to have the car professionally cleaned anyway. DH's Gran was sick in the car one time and it took ages for the smell to go away, even with repeated cleaning/airing etc.

[makipuppy]

On mumsnet balance, I think I'll cough up. They are usually very nice and reasonable to deal with and I don't want to be mean or get the girl I spoke with in trouble.

[MoonIsATiredSlayer]

Very reasonable noe makipuppy

[MoonIsATiredSlayer]

now not noe

sounds like a song