To be offended by valeters?

[littlejellybaby]

I’m feeling a bit offended.
Saw an offer on Facebook last minute this morning for a valeting slot at 9am.
Saw this right at the last minute and did the school run and dropped it to the valeting place.
Was due to pay £50 instead of £80 for a full valet in and out.
They called me to ask me to collect the car as they refused to do the valet because there were toys in the car and car seats on the back seat and a buggy in the boot.
They said that their job is not to pick up things in the footwell and they just hoover the floor, so any toys on the floor would get hoovered up?
I would say there was maybe 10-15 little toys on the floor, think happy meal toys, a few books, a few comforters that the kids like on long journeys.
I feel like an absolute minger now, and that they think my car is too dirty to clean.
They said they can take car seats out if necessary (as I said how was I meant to walk 2 miles home with 3 car seats and a toddler), but still insist that they won’t pick anything up off of the floor.
Is this common practise? I’m sending my husband to collect the car, as I’m too embarrassed to go myself.
The man on the phone sounded a bit awkward and said it was too cluttered to clean so I need to book it in again when it’s empty.
I’m thinking that for £50 they didn’t want the challenge of my car. Bet I wouldn’t have been turned away if I was paying the full £80.

OP, if you're so sure the rest of us are in the pay of Big Valet and you're completely, utterly right and reasonable, why did you bother posting?

"OP, if you're so sure the rest of us are in the pay of Big Valet and you're completely, utterly right and reasonable, why did you bother posting?"

So they could feel all smug when the rest of us joined them sticking the boot in.

Thing is though, if they had of moved them and they say, got damaged / dirty / lost then they're responsible for them. They don't want to risk moving a load of toys and blankets and be responsible for expensive car seats and buggies too. You admit to took seconds to pick up so lesson learned, and do it before hand.

Why do you let your car get in such a state in the first place?

It sounds absolutely awful.

From what you've posted I'd want a hazard suit before I got it it - yuck.

I've always taken rubbish out of the car (including toys etc) at the end in and journey.

Frankly you sound pretty lazy - you say it's an easy task hence the complaint but one you're unwilling to do yourself.

The answer is if you want to drive a skip feel free and use your regular cleaners who seem unfazed by your messiness.

I wouldn't have left toys, sorry. I thought the deal was that you gave them an empty car. I pay £25 but my car is titchy.

You're taking the piss. I would always leave a car as empty as possible for it being valeted. If you think it'll take a few seconds to remove the toys, do it yourself. Teach your kids to clean up after themselves and you won't have this issue.

I tend to pick up everything out of my car after most trips but for arguments sake say I didn't and the car was untidy.... if I was taking it to be valeted then I would 💯 pick up everything myself and remove the car seats. It's not their job to do that, it's their job to clean the car so it should be ready for them to do so. Also I have a people carrier and pay £25 for a wash and wax and hoover/windows cleaned so I think £50 at a discounted rate is extortionate.

YABVU.

And I feel embarrassed for you.

I take everything out of the car I can find - it's a general courtesy. They always seem to find something I've forgotten but this is not anything I'd intentionally leave there!

And I don't get why you'd take out all the rubbish but leave the toys. You've removed the rubbish so they can clean the car, so why wouldn't you take everything else out?!

As you say......My usual valeting place is £30. A group of lovely polish men.
And I figured if they pick up toys for £30 then the new valeting place would for £50.
I’ll go back to my original place in future. And for what it’s worth they always get £10 tip as they do an amazing job.

So why did you book elsewhere and were prepared to pay £20 more?

I always clean (!) and empty the car before a valet. I wouldn't expect them to pick up my mess/toys.

Competely agree with the valeting company.

It's very bizarre that you didn't feel the need to clear the car in order for them to clean it 🙈

Mine is absolutely vile (straw, hay, mud...) but I empty everything and stick it in the boot (I tell them not to do the boot) so they just have the rest to do

Not going to answer why you couldn't pick them up yourself if it only took a few seconds? The entitlement is strong with this one.

If your regular place is so good then why pay more elsewhere? You sound very entitled. As a previous poster said, I bet you do leave shit stains for 'your' cleaner!

I bet they were reeeaalllly upset to lose your business

You will ignore this which is fine but I'm going to say it anyway.

It doesn't matter how long it takes to put stuff in a bag, whether it's 4 or 40 seconds - IT'S NOT THEIR JOB. Same as it's not my cleaner's job to pick stuff up from the floor before she cleans.

God, that's disgraceful of you. The fact you thought nothing of it...you can't be arsed to pick your own shit up but expect exploited workers to do it because you're paying for a cleaning service anyway. How bloody dehumanising for them.

Umm...no. You clear the car of anything in the way of those cleaning it. Also a cleaner is a cleaner not a tidier. My kids knew their bedroom floors had to be clear when the cleaner came, and I would ensure things weren't lying around in the way of her doing her job.

Any valeter moving stuff is taking a risk on a) missing something when they put it back and being accused of stealing and b) putting a car seat back in imperfectly (or erroneously being accused of doing so) and being sued in the event of a child being hurt in an accident. It's way too big a risk.

I'm surprised you've found a place that will do those things for you. It's certainly not usual. And it's absolutely not usual to expect them to.

if the ops usual place does it is it so weird that she thought for 50 quid someone else would

find a cheaper place anyay thats a rip off

I'm so glad a few other posters have pointed out what I was thinking after reading your posts.

Why would you go to this new company who charge £20 more than the company you normally use just because they had a promotion on, you are still paying £20 more than you normally would. It makes literally no sense, its not a bargain if you normally pay £30.

Also in agreement with the majority of others here that you pick up items from the car. The cleaners wont do it otherwise they could be accused of theft.

On a separate note have they really had your car since 9am this morning?

So my usual place is in a supermarket a 20 minute drive away. And I means I have to walk round the shops for an hour or so and usually sit in the cafe for a bit with a toddler before my car is ready to collect. He’s particularly tantrumy at the moment, and I just fancied an easy day.
I saw this one advertised at the last minute, within walking distance of my house for £20 more (well £10 more if I include my usual valeters tip) and I thought it might be easier to go local on this occasion.
But I’ve taken it on board re removing items, and when I go back to my usual valeters I will pick things up before I take the car in.

jobsworths 🙄