Car wash agrees to pay over $2,000 for Phoenix woman’s damaged car

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) – Going through a car wash is something almost everyone has to do from time to time. But a recent visit to this Clean Freak car wash in downtown Phoenix was about to go horribly wrong for Martha Otero.

“I did everything he told me to do, Otero said about the car wash attendant. “I put it in neutral. Let off the break. And let it go.” Otero said that as she entered the wash tunnel everything was normal with a lot of water and soap suds everywhere. “I couldn’t see anything. All of the sudden there was a big bang. And I’m like ‘Oh my gosh! What just happened?’ And then there was another bang.”

Those bangs left Martha’s Mercedes car with a damaged rear bumper that she now keeps duct tape over to hide the damage. “Okay, it’s obviously cracked and with a gaping hole here,” 3 On Your Side’s Gary Harper said as he inspected the damage. Her front bumper isn’t any better–it’s also damaged. So, what happened inside that wash tunnel? Apparently, there was an accident at the end of the tunnel that created a jam, causing several cars to rear-end each other. Martha says that’s when the car wash manager claimed he was not responsible. “Immediately he was saying, ‘This is not our fault. This is not our fault.’ And I was like, ‘Well, yes, it is, because no one was watching.’”

According to this police report, the investigating officer at the scene agreed, saying, “It appears that the car wash was responsible for the collisions as no one was observing the exit to ensure it was clear of obstructions.” For nearly two months, Martha says she’s been asking Clean Freak to pay for her damaged bumpers, but no one from Clean Freak will return her calls. So, she emailed 3 On Your Side one day and went to church. “I turned off my phone at 8:15 and went to Mass and I saw that at 8:15 you had called me and I was like this is God.”

Martha explained that she got a hold of Clean Freak’s senior management and provided them with documentation, including two repair estimates totaling around $2,300 to replace her two bumpers. Clean Freak was very apologetic and after looking into the issue, they told Martha they would be sending her a check. 3 On Your Side appreciates Clean Freak’s speedy resolution. Martha is expected to get that check sometime next week and when she does, I’ll let you know in a follow-up report.

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