£180 deducted from my final salary for car cleaning

[Kkimjones18]

Hi all. So... after 2 months working in a sales job, the manager took a dislike to me and I got given a week's notice, that's a different subject. So, I got 1 week's pay as notice and asked to return my car the day after they dismissed me, which they collected. The car had been used about 5 time's, and was in the same condition as was delivered to me.
I received my final 'week' pay which as a single mum left me financially in a crisis, but then they deducted £180 from that for 'cleaning of the returned car'. I couldn't believe it. They didn't tell me prior, and apparently, they don't have to. It left me unable to even buy food.
Is this reasonable?

The car was absolutely fine, if I thought it was unacceptable I would never have given it back like that, as I have respect for things like that.

I think for me it’s not about whether or not they can deduct the money. They have it in the contract. But it is about the reasonableness of getting the car cleaned and what is deemed an acceptable state. That is open to interpretation. I dont think it is reasonable at all for the company to have arranged a valet for a car that someone has had for 5 days. So I think that’s the argument if you wanted to take it further. You are well shot though, they sound terrible.

I suspect the courts would find this clause unfair as it stands. The amount they have charged you would cover a top end valet service on an excessively dirty large vehicle. They would need to show that they have actually incurred that expense (unlikely) and that it was necessary (even more unlikely). I still think you have a case for unlawful deduction of wages.