ComplaintsforFlagship Carwash

• Initial Complaint

  03/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hi,This car wash has asked me to do a trial for a month at $59.99 and no agreement to continue was signed.They went ahead and charged the following month at a higher charge of $63.59 without any agreement.I asked them to refund the money but they refused.These are fraudulent and deceiving practices.

  Business response

  03/08/2024

  Hello, 

   

  Thank you for contacting us. I looked up your account. I do see that you went to the Flagship in DC and signed up for a recurring membership and that you received a text message to your cell phone that you provided to the cashier at 3:52 pm on 2/1/2024 that informed you that you were signing up for a recurring monthly membership. You can use the membership till 4/1/2024. If you are tax exempt, you can submit your tax-exempt paperwork to ***************************** and we are happy to refund you for the taxes that you were charged. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Flagship has charged me a recurring charge for cash washes. I paid and have a receipt from Oct. 29, 2023 for $31.99 which I agreed to. I had no idea this would be a recurring charge on my credit card on the 30th of every month. I signed no contract and I thought the charge was for unlimited car washes within the next month. In fact, I asked the attendant when it expired and he said on the 28th. I have not used the car wash services since Oct. 29 and I believe i am entitled to a refund. I was told by customer service that ********************** does not issue refunds.Any help you can provide is much appreciated. Thank you!

  Business response

  03/15/2024

  Emailed ***** with an update. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  02/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On December 12th I brought my car to the ********** flagship car wash location to wash my car with my monthly subscription that I was paying $21.99 a month for. I told the Gentleman that I would like to cancel my membership since I was buying a new car and I don't like taking my new car through car washes. He told me that he cancelled it but I still have access to the car wash until December 31st. I noticed in February that I was charged on December 31st for $21.99. I called in February to dispute the charge but they said there's nothing they could do over the phone and how they have a no refund policy. They advised me to fill out a contact us page which I did the same day. A couple days went by and I haven't heard anything back so I decided to call again. The lady who picked up advised that they have looked into the matter and that they would reach out to me that night or tomorrow. another 3-4 days went by and again called back since I haven't heard anything and the lady on the phone told me to complete the form once again in hopes they would contact me again. With no surprise they never reached back out to me and had to call back today. They stated on the phone to once again fill out the contact form. Everyone on the phones have been very pleasant but Flagship Carwash needs to change the way they do business. There should never be a no refund policy for cases like this since they are the ones at fault and second they should be able to have a supervisor process a refund on the phone instead of having to file a bunch of forms online and never hear anything back

  Business response

  02/26/2024

  Hello, 

  They do not do cancellations at the locations as they have no way to cancel. There are 4 ways to cancel, you can cancel either by doing it yourself by going online through our portal or you can contact us via email, via chat or call us. I do see that you were informed that you do not meet the refund requirements, as you did not cancel 5 days prior to the charge date. 

  Customer response

  02/27/2024

   
  Complaint: 21349818
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I understand that I cant cancel my membership at the location but I was never informed of that. When I asked the gentleman at the location to cancel it for me, he never mentioned that its not possible and even told me that my membership was cancelled. 
  

  if you look at my wash records, you could see I usually came once a week or multiple times a week. If you check the records youll see I didnt come once after December 12th, on the day I was supposed to be cancelled (which was way before 5 days since my account renewed dec 31st). You can easily see since I never came in once from December 12th til February 1st I obviously had the mindset that my account was cancelled. Doesnt seem fair to punish me because one of the employees made a mistake. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business response

  03/14/2024

  Hello, 

   

  You have cancelled and reactivated your account numerous times so you are aware that it needs to be cancelled 5 days prior to your charge date in order for it not to be charged and that it can't be cancelled at the location. A refund will not be issued and as stated in our email responses to you, you were able to use the carwash for the month.

• Initial Complaint

  02/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went to Flagship Careash in *********** ** on Jan2 and chose one of the options. When it was my turn to pay, a young white caucasian man offered me a lower price for that wash and free washes for a month. That sounded like an exceptional offer and I accepted. He did NOT offer me a monthly subscription service in any way- I would not have agreed to a subscription regardless of the price. I did not use the service again until nearly another month on jan31 when I was charged another $24.99. I went to the store, saw the manager. He was aware of the employee I referenced, said he would alert him to the issue and he gave me an email to ask for a refund. I emailed the company about their error, asking for a refund and I received denials from a flagship email with no name or number. I called their customer service number and they denied a refund also. There is no document anywhere that says I approved a recurring monthly subscription. The company may be doing this practice on a regular basis.

  Business response

  02/19/2024

  Hello, 

   

   I apologize there must have been a misunderstanding, when you signed up for the special, the signs on the kiosk and the text that you received on your cell phone all stated that it was a recurring charge. I did however refund the charge and put notes on your account. Your account is cancelled so it can't be used again so you are good to go. Have a good week. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In November 2023, I got my car washed at the Flagship Car Wash in ***************. I paid $59.99 for what I thought was unlimited washes for a month and thought I would give it a try. I did not understand I was signing up for a membership. When I was charged the same amount in December, I realized I had a membership and so went through the steps to cancel by going to their website, filling out the form online and submitting on 16 December. That same day, I received email confirmation of my cancellation. However, i noticed another $59.99 charge on my bank statement in January. I contacted them again and forwarded my previous email cancelling and the confirmation email I received. They replied saying they couldnt see what I had forwarded. So, I typed out both my request and their confirmation and emailed to them. I received a second confirmation email of cancellation. I replied inquiring about the refund. They responded with the fact that they do not give refunds unless there are extenuating circumstances and directed me back to their website where I started this process in the first place. I replied via email that this was not a satisfactory response. That I had correctly followed their protocol, received confirmation of receipt and believed it was successful. It was their error to charge me again. I have no confidence that this wont happen again. How can I believe my membership is cancelled. I have received no reply to my last email. Its not really about the money. Its the principle of the matter. They are not operating in good faith. Im disappointed, feel Ive been scammed, and will never use them again.

  Business response

  02/04/2024

  Hello **************, 

   

   

  I truly apologize for all the back and forth, and trouble we have caused you and the money you are out. We keep logs of all the calls and emails we receive and I of course found yours that you sent in on December 16th and I am attaching it here. I will get you refunded for all charges. You will get 3 refunds. I will send 3 receipts for those refunds to your email. If there is anything else you need please feel free to reach out to me directly at ***********************************. 

  Again we apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you. 

• Initial Complaint

  01/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  01/27/2024 ********** Flagship To say my experience with this car wash was horrendous would be an understatement. The level of incompetence and disregard for customer vehicles reached new heights. After my car suffered damage due to their attempt to cram as many cars as possible into the facility, I approached the person directing traffic. I explicitly warned him that getting too close to the car in front of me would result in a collision with the cone on the side. However, he casually dismissed my concern and insisted I move forward.Shockingly, my prediction turned into reality as the cone struck my car, leaving an unsightly dent. Instead of taking immediate responsibility, they handed me a ridiculous form to fill out. I couldn't help but label it a complete farce, given that they claim you're in control of your car, yet they have individuals directing traffic and overloading the place. It's a blatant contradiction.What's even more infuriating is their refusal to cover the damages incurred. Apparently, they wash their hands of any responsibility once your car is in motion. It's a classic case of a scam masked by unprofessional business ethics. I'm left with no choice but to involve legal assistance to rectify this situation. I refuse to let such a dishonest and unscrupulous establishment get away with their negligence. Avoid this place like the plague unless you're in the market for a damaged car and a headache-inducing runaround.

  Business response

  02/02/2024

  Hello Aladin, 

  After reviewing the video of your visit to our One Loudoun location on 1/27/2024 at 1:31 pm, we did see that, you did run over our black cone prior to driving onto our dry belt. When you came around the corner there was plenty of room, but you had your car so close to the wall that the attendant actually got in front of your vehicle and motioned for you to move your vehicle to the left as he saw you were about to run over the cone. You must not have seen him motioning and waving his arms, so he stepped closer and motioned again and you moved your car over and forward, but you still ran over the cone. The cone went under your car and not on the side so there was no damage to the side, the only damage that was done was to our cone. We also saw that on January 29th at 3:31 pm you went to another one of our ******* locations and we were able to get video and pictures of your vehicle and there is no damage to your vehicle.

  We have attendants all throughout our carwashes to keep our customers and their vehicles safe. Our customer's safety is our number ONE priority. 

   

  Customer response

  02/02/2024

   
  Complaint: 21216897
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I am writing to address a concerning incident that transpired during my visit to ************* on January 27th.
  On that day, the car wash facility was notably busy, and staff members were actively coordinating vehicles to accommodate as many cars as possible. However, the situation led to a series of events that resulted in damage to my car.
  As I approached the drying belt at the corner, the staff member responsible for directing traffic repeatedly signaled for me to move forward. Unfortunately, there was a cone positioned dangerously close to the right side of my vehicle, which I noticed just in time. In an effort to prevent a collision, I halted my vehicle multiple times and even attempted to signal to the staff member that I was about to hit the cone. Regrettably, my signals went unnoticed, and I ended up striking the cone, causing a dent, as clearly depicted in the attached pictures.
  In immediate response to the collision, I stopped my car, opened the window, and shouted to the staff member about the cone on the side of my car. He approached the right side of my vehicle and simply responded with, "It's OK, move forward," before removing the cone to the side.
  Upon completing the car wash process and reaching the drying belt, I carefully inspected my car and, as anticipated, found damage at the end of the line. I approached a staff member wearing a black polo shirt to explain the situation. Given the high level of activity at the car wash center, he requested that I take my car and park it in the corner outside, assuring me that he would contact a manager.
  Following his instructions, I parked my car and awaited further assistance. A manager arrived with a notepad, and together we assessed the damage, which is clearly visible in the attached pictures. The manager then requested my contact information, promising that someone would get in touch with me.
  Two days later, I received a call from a representative who informed me that they had reviewed the video footage and concluded that, as the driver of the car, I was solely responsible for the damage. I expressed my disappointment and emphasized the apparent contradiction in having staff members direct traffic and encourage vehicles to be driven closely together in such tight quarters.
  While the damage may not be immediately evident in the video footage, it is essential to have it evaluated by a professional at a Dent Shop to make an accurate assessment. Moreover, I would like to emphasize that my visit to another ******* car wash center should not be an issue, as I hold an unlimited membership that allows me to utilize your services at any location.
  I kindly request that you thoroughly review this incident and reconsider the responsibility for the damage. I am committed to a fair resolution and believe that your intervention can help achieve a satisfactory outcome.
  If possible, please provide access to the video footage for a comprehensive understanding of the events. I am more than willing to have the car evaluated at a Dent Shop for a proper assessment.
  Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I anticipate a prompt response.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  Business response

  02/02/2024

  You were signaled to move to the left away from the wall, and you would not move your vehicle to the left. No other vehicle prior to your visit that day came close to hitting the cone and no one hit the cone after your visit. The cone stays in the same spot every single day. No one else has run into it or over it. We are not responsible for the damage. All the photos and videos we have from your visit to both our locations show there is no damage to your vehicle. 

  It's not a contradiction, we have attendants that guide people onto the dry belts because there are some people that are in their cars with their families talking or that are on their phones, so those attendants are there to remind drivers that they need to pay attention till they get their car on the dry belt, then they can exit their vehicle and go sit in the lounge area and relax till their vehicle is done.  

  Customer response

  02/02/2024

   
  Complaint: 21216897
  
  I am rejecting this response because: okay share the video to show BBB your statement. Once again your statement is not correct and as I stated I have no problem taking my care to deny shop to be evaluated are you willing to share the video to prove your statement 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  01/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 12/28/2023 Flagship charged me a $65 membership fee for unlimited car washes, yet the location that I patronize has been closed. I had been a member of the ************************************************* location for years under the previous owner, *******************. I would get my car washed often at **********. Since Flagship took over, I have visited the ***** location at least twice during business hours in the month of December, and today, 1/24/2024, and it was closed; no notice, no nothing. Flagship needs to issue a refund for the 12/28/2023 charge and immediately cancel my membership. Flagship has been charging me $65 per month for unlimited car washes since October 2023.

  Business response

  02/19/2024

  Hello Kwanzaa, 

   

  I apologize for the inconvenience; I have tried looking up your information to find your account or to see if you have emailed us regarding your concerns and I cannot find your account or any emails or calls that you may have done, I searched using the phone number and email provided and the name. Please feel free to email us at ***********************************. 

  Customers were made aware via signs at the locations, via text, and emails that the location was going to close for a month or so for renovation and that they could use any of our 38 locations. 

   

   

   

  Customer response

  02/21/2024

   
  Complaint: 21195321
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Flagship is clearly lying.  I have ALL of the email correspondences between me and Flagship, and my phone records will prove verbal communications between myself and Flagship.  Some of the documentation is attached, to include proof that Flagship charged me $65 on 12/28/2023.

  Flagship needs to issue me a refund in the amount of $65.00 that they charged me on 12/28/2023 as services were not rendered.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********************

  Business response

  02/26/2024

  ***************, 

  Has been sent a full refund. 

  Customer response

  03/02/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me, pending receipt of the check for the full refund.  As of today, 3/2/2024, I am awaiting the refund.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********************

• Initial Complaint

  01/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 12/7, I visited the Flagship Carwash on **************** in ********. I got an interior and exterior was and paid by debit card. The attendant took my car and processed the payment on their keypad. The following month, I received another charge on my card for *****. I tried contacting the car wash on several occasions until I finally was able to get through. The location's phone does not accept voicemail messages and the corporate number has extremely long hold times. The last time had me on hold for over an hour which is terrible for any business. The mentioned that I was confused on why I was charged and the customer service person mentioned that I was signed up for a membership program. I mentioned that I never consented nor asked for a membership. I never signed anything nor got any messages to make me aware. She said no refunds. I even contacted the organization's contact form and they still say no refunds. I only got one car wash and was out of town for a month from Christmas to 1/9/2024, so I never would have signed up. I even asked to see proof of my agreement for the membership car wash, but hang up or disconnect when I ask. This business is a scam since I was fraudulently signed up for something that I never consent.

  Business response

  01/18/2024

  Hello, 

   

  ****************, signed up for a membership and used it numerous times during December and January. We have video of him using it on 1/5/2024 at 3:12 pm. I have included screenshots of the video. We cancelled his membership as he asked when he called in and let him know he could use the carwash till 2/7/2024.

  **************** also emailed letting us know he was filing a dispute with his bank. When a member files a dispute with their bank we do not fight those and the bank reverses the charge so we do not refund as the bank reverses the charge.

  **************** did receive a text message on 12/7/2023 at 10:51 am. *************** also sent threatening emails and used racial slurs in those emails which were given to the our local police department. 

  Customer response

  01/19/2024

   
  Complaint: 21162895
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I did visit the location in December but never afterwards. The rest is fraudulent. I never signed up and can not even get a hold of anyone. This place is a scam. Please review the other complaints on BBB and decide for yourself!

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  01/19/2024

  We are not communicating with **************** anymore due to filing a police report on 1/18/2024 since he has been harassing our employees via phone, email and chat using racial slurs and sexually explicit language. I have provided proof that **************** was told he could use the carwash till 2/7/2024, that he received a text message the day he signed up and that he used the membership over the course of two months.  I showed proof in my previous response that he was at the carwash in his vehicle on 1/5/2024. 

• Initial Complaint

  01/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In June 2023 I signed up for a membership with Flagship Car Wash for what I was told would be at the special rate of $46 per month (it was actually $46.19), and my account was debited for that amount. When I reviewed my bank statement for July 2023 I noticed I had been charged the membership fee of $59.99, not the special rate of $46.19 I had signed up for. I called Flagship and they agreed the amount charged was incorrect and refunded me the $13.80. When I reviewed my bank statement for August 2023 I noticed I had yet again been overcharged the rate of $59.99. I called Flagship again and they agreed the amount charged was incorrect and said they would again refund me the $13.80, but never did. In this conversation with Flagship they mentioned that this special rate of $46.19 was only good for three months, then the amount would increase to the regular amount of $59.99 a month. I WAS NOT told this when I agreed to join, or I would not have joined in the first place. I told the lady I spoke with that I was not interested in staying a member for $59.99 a month and asked her to cancel my membership. She told me she had cancelled my membership, and that since I had already paid for the current month I had until 18 September to use the membership. It is now January **** and I have yet to see the refund of $13.80 for the month of August. Then, two months later, in October 2023, I see another charge to my account from ********************** for $59.99. This is two months after I have cancelled my membership. They now owe me for the $13.80 overcharge and the $59.99 erroneous membership fee, for a total of $73.79. I have filled out numerous online requests for the refund, as well as called them numerous times on the phone. They have not responded to any of my requests, and when I call, I get a run around. I was told twice that the refunds were in process, but I never received them. I have been told a couple of times they were escalating the issue up the line and I would receive a response from someone, but that has never happened either. I have been dealing with this for over 4 months with multiple, multiple attempts to resolve this, with no success, so I'm contacting the BBB in a last ditch attempt to get back the money they owe me. I have the bank statements of back up everything I have stated above, but I'm not attaching it at this time.

  Business response

  01/22/2024

  Hello **********************, 

   

  We apologize for the inconvenienced this has caused you. You were refunded the full charge of $59.99 we charged you on 8/19/223 on 10/23/2023. I have attached proof of the charges and of the refund. 

• Initial Complaint

  12/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I used their car wash located at **************************************************, ** ***** in September 2023. On 12/31/23 I noticed what appears to be a monthly Credit Card charge of $39.99 from Flagship Car Wash business, Sept - Dec. I did not authorize these transactions. I went to the business and spoke with the worker that happened to be the same individual that was there when I purchased the car wash. I asked how/why did I get signed up for a monthly membership. He stated that I needed to scan a code to cancel the membership. I scanned the code and it asked ***********, which didn't work because I never signed up for it. I am trying to get reimbursed for the unauthorized charges and the subscription canceled.

  Business response

  01/02/2024

  Hello ******, 

   

  I see that we cancelled your account on 12/31/2023 like you asked. I do see that there is a phone number on the account, and I will include that attachment showing that there is a phone number on the account. I also show you received a text message the day that you signed up for the membership. Since the membership was never used, I did refund the 3 months. I did forward your email to the district manager for the location so that he could speak with the cashier that helped you so that we can work with him to better inform customers regarding what they are purchasing. 

  Customer response

  01/02/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I received the requested reimbursement.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

*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. ↩