I just bought a used car in good shape from a private party and since I'd been looking at excellently detailed used cars on the lots, I decided a good detail would make my bargain look great. I read the reviews and saw the Jekyll/Hyde quality of Derek's but since it was near and the vast preponderance of reviews were positive, I took it in. I got a quote for their #9 wash/polish/wax that was a little less than on their website and was asked to bring it in the next morning. I dropped it off at 8AM. When I stopped by the shop at 5, the detailer had evidently been in the middle of buffing when he was called to take care of a customer. He said it would be ready in half an hour but I told him not to hurry, I was more interested in a good job than one that only took 8 1/2 hours. When I went back to pick the car up about 5:45, I had to ask the detailer to finish wiping off streaks of dried wax. He said his eyes weren't so good so I showed him were the streaks were. Looking over the work carefully when I got home I noticed one little chip out of the hood down to metal, another chip at the top of the hatchback window, and a couple of gray streaks on the bumper and mirror where the paint had evidently been worn away by their buffing. The dirt on the paint on the inside of the doors hadn't been touched, nor had that on the strips under the doors. There were specks of dried wax on most of the window trims and a small areas that hadn't been touched. The promised interior vacuum had been cursory at best. It took me another hour to put things to right, not counting the new touch-ups that will have to be done. So, it's a good thing I got the paint the detailer asked me to buy so he could touch up a couple of scrapes he never got to. For nearly $200, this is not at all the type of detailing anyone should expect.
Pros: Close to home
Cons: Most everything else
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