Palms Car Wash

What. A. Waste. Of. Time. Don’t bother coming here for a full car wash/​detail service unless you can afford to throw away your whole day. I dropped my car off at 11am and paid over $ 100 for a shampoo and carpet cleaning package, and had very high hopes. My roommate is a frequent customer and has good reviews on her experiences with The Palm’s basic car wash services. When I returned at 5pm to pick up my car, I was very displeased. My car looked half completed and I waited over an hour for them to complete it. After over 6 hours of the palms having my vehicle, I begin to review their work, and I pointed out several noticeable areas on the doors that had not been addressed, or even wiped down. I was honestly so tired of waiting, I didn’t even bother pointing out the areas on the rugs that didn’t even get vacuumed properly… I was so frustrated. The gentleman helping me did address the areas I pointed out to him, but was clearly rushing and trying to get through with me as quickly as possible .
To make matters worse, I left town for a few days, and came back to my car wreaking of mold. My boyfriend checked the car, and discovered that the whole trunk carpet was still wet, which was causing the foul odor. So not only did I have to address the wet matts with blow dryers, I had to find a way to get the rancid smell out of my car.
Not only did I forgo $ 120 and half of my day, but I’m also feeling very disappointed in the hype this place has. I give my experience a 2 at best.

Great manager I arrived 15 late after they stop taking cars for detail the Manager was super nice and took my car in for detail after being late. I love this pace!

This place is great! It takes a while for a detail, but they do a wonderful job. A tad bit over priced but worth it in the long run. Free vacuum with a car wash if you aren’t getting a detail service. Cool setup and very nice staff.

Took my car in to be detailed this afternoon and was overall wildly impressed with the experience and the wash. Friendly service and a great job! My car’s interior is cleaner than it was the day I bought it! Amazing job by Palms! However, do expect a 2 hour wait or so while they clean your car! It takes time to do such a fantastic job!

Any time I go to get my car cleaned by other humans, I am always skeptical of how carefully and thoroughly the job will be done. I find myself, as I often do in these types of consumer situations, expecting the worst but hoping for the best. Most times, I get a result that is somewhere in between, usually more toward the lower end of this scale. My experience with Palms is no exception to my popular expectation.
For my very first ever trip through Palms Car Wash, I opted for the basic $ 8 «Supreme Wash» (drive-​through type), the $ 44.99 «Super Clean» interior cleaning/​dressing package, plus the $ 44.99 «Express Wax» (buffer) for a total price of just over $ 100 + tax. For $ 100, that sh*t should be clean enough to eat off of, right? H*ll yeah!
Well I’ll tell ya hwhat. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being freakin’ awesome worth every penny of the $ 100 I paid, I would give them an overall 4. That’s not very good.
Here is why:
1) The «Super Clean» was less than «super». The Interior had many spots that were missed and still dusty.
2) I asked them not to touch my leather seats at all. They touched them. With slippery car interior shine juice. Ugh. Whatever they use, it’s terrible and slimy.
3) They over-​sprayed tire dressing onto my paint, plastic trim and windows. I had to wipe these down when I arrived home later.
4) The $ 44.99 «Express Wax» job and buffing on my white FJ Cruiser may have been a bit too «express». After the fact, it was hard to even notice that it was waxed at all. That is except for the leftover spots of wax on the exterior. I arrived home later and after finger-​writing my name in the lingering wax, I did a little waxing of my own. My hand waxing made it look like I was hoping it would look when I left Palms. All in all, an extremely lazy and insufficient wax job. What did I just pay $ 44.99 for? For so I don’t have to tear a rotater cuff, that’s why for. My ortho doc will send you a thank you note soon. «Dear Palms: Thanks for helping make me richer, one shoulder surgery at a time. Love, Dr. O. Pedic.
On the positive side, the customer service was pretty good. The attendants were friendly and alert. No one was hanging out smoking, sleeping or obviously hungover.
As for the facility, it is large and pretty impressive looking. They do, however, need better signage or driveway markings to help newbs like myself figure out where to go once they leave the wash. There are several driveway options and I found myself a bit unsure of where to go. I was waved down by an attendant eventually and waved on around the line of cars that I ended up in (dirty cars coming in from the road near where the wash exit is loacted) and on to the detail area for the waxing. Please station a person to wave the cars exiting the wash to their destinations. Ask us where we need to go. We don’t bite. Much. Unless your wax job sucks.

I purchased external wash plus two extra detailing services. I dropped of the car and was told it would be ready in an hour and a half. 3 hours later it was still dirty and not ready. I came back to pickup the car that night. The next morning I found out that the carpets are missing and they broke some plastic parts inside the car. After manager did not show up with my carpets that night as promised, I came back to pickup the carpets. The manager came the following night to take pictures and that’s the last I heard from them.
The car was ultimately clean, so if you are looking to clean your car with some good drama and broken parts — that’s the right place for you. For me — not so much.

The WORST service I’ve experienced at a car wash. The track of their wash broke off my front tire mud flap & it was dragging by a small piece as I started driving it. When I went back to report the damage the manager started arguing with me, denying it happened in their wash & refusing to amend any of the damage. After about 15 min of his defensive arguing he reluctantly agreed to refund what I paid for the car wash. I will never return to this place & would not recommend it to anyone!

Management gave me a free wash after telling him my story. It was a very nice gesture. $ 2.25 do it yourself wash is too much per cycle. That’s at least $ 5 to do it yourself.

My experience here was superb. From the minute I walked in, the staff was friendly and accommodating. I needed my car cleaned hardcore. Just years of spilled drinks, crumbs, dirt from the park, etc. going on in my vehicle.
They quoted me a very reasonable price (cheaper than what I was prepared for) and when they were done, my car looked like it came off the showroom floor. It took about 3 hours so I would say be prepared for that. I hung out in the waiting room for a while and used my laptop (as they had wifi) but eventually I just took a walk. There are a few things nearby for you to kill time.
I would definitely comeback for everything. Basic car wash, vacuums and detailing. They have my business moving forward!

Absolutely horrible experience. The line for a wash was around the building so I went to vacuum first figuring if the line went down I would wash after of just use the self serve. After a few minutes I was kicked out, even after attempting to explain the situation. There were empty vacuuming stalls around me as well so there wasn’t a wait for anyone. I’ve spent countless amounts here over the years washing cars and this was not handled well at all. Never again, not after all the money spent. This wasn’t even a weekend.

I wanted to get my seats shampooed, and even though it was close to closing time and getting dark, they still accommodated me. Not only that, but they vacuumed my whole car, washed my mats, and cleaned out the cup holders/​around my dash. That wasn’t even part of the package, and even though they were closing, they still went above and beyond. Hopefully I can keep my interior looking this nice for a while, but next time I need a good thorough cleaning, I’ll be coming back here.

Palms did an excellent job! I spoke with them beforehand about exactly which things need to be done, they set very clear expectations, and the work that was done far exceeded those expectations. Darrell Walker did a phenomenal job, and had a great, upbeat attitude.
I think one of the problems with the negative reviews was that the customer had unrealistic expectations (wanting decade-​old stains removed, etc). I can’t say for sure. However, I will say that Darrell successfully removed some 5+ year-​old stains from challenging materials (seatbelts & roof liner).
I suggest you try out Palms for yourself. Before they begin the work, establish detailed expectations, and then review the work before you drive away. Based on my interactions with Palms management today, I am confident that they would do everything possible to remedy any dissatisfaction.

I have brought my new car here twice, through the automatic wash. $ 13 for the ultimate ($ 10 on Wednesdays — lucky surprise) and you will come out with your car and tires sparkly and clean. I don’t really understand why there are people there with towels because your car is still moving and they don’t seem to do much. Inevitably, spots will be missed and I’m already getting those little swirly marks on my paint job. Still, when you live in an apartment and want to keep your car clean, it doesn’t get more quick and easy than this. I agree that they should definitely start some sort of frequent wash or monthly discount club. I would come more often!

Phenomenal customer service! After I came after 5PM twice for a detail, the manager, Amy, offered to personally stay late to take care of my car.
Amy went above and beyond to make sure I was taken care of. They have free wi-​if and coffee as well as a comfortable waiting room.
The service itself was ok– they missed quite a few spots.

This is the only place I let touch my car (Chrysler Crossfire Roadster Limited). They do hand washes and details like no other place! This is coming from a person who had a sonic limeade explode into my ac vent. CHAOS. Crisis averted with Palms Car Wash. They also got the grease and tree sap off my car after the dealership parked it outside for 3 months without my knowledge. I’ve never left thinking something was missed or left off. It’s also affordable. Tip: plan for a 2 hr wait if you get a detail and handwash, they take the time to actually clean your car, so some wait is to be expected.
I reccommend Palms to all of my friends, fancy car or not, because you never know when your drink is going to explode on you in the car!

This place used to be good. They increased their wash by $ 5 and now refuse to wipe down my interior doors with a moist towel. But dry is okay. What happened to doing a complete job, to basic service, and pride in one’s work. It’s sad.
I’ve found this issue at other car washes too. I’ll be doing my own. I’m better anyways.

Brought in my filthy SUV and they made it all nice again. Wash, wax, detail, carpet cleaning. Very friendly and conscientious staff. Very nice waiting room. Will be bringing in my other car next.

Absolute worst. Do not waste your time or money on this. Paid $ 50 for a «super clean» detail… complete and utter rip off. When I got the car back the interior was hardly touched. There was a little pet hair in the fatback seat that they wanted an extra $ 25 for. Literally only needed a small brush and 2 mins … Or a vaccuum. Fine… I was willing to begrudgingly let that go. I the opened the side doors only to find dust and debris I the back seats… in the floor liners… and even a piece of garbage between the from and back seat. The explaination… it was clean but the dust from the car next to me must have blown into my car… WHAT! I JUST opened the door… unbelievable. I could have done a better job in half the time. Don’t waste your money for unprofessional unresponsive crappy work.
Now I’m even more pissed because your response is littered with lies. The garbage was a plastic wrapper and not a leaf. Don’t make this out to be the customer being the issue here. As for being told about pet hair upfront… never happened. This «excessive» amount of pet hair took me about 45 secs with my hand to take off. The cleaning was just not very thorough. I knew it wouldn’t be perfect based on the price… but honestly it looked as if some areas were not even touched.
The mark of a classy operation… turning around and blaming the customer for a low quality job.

This place is pretty great for getting a variety of services without the pressure of a regular full service wash place. If you just want to run your car through the automated wash, and use free vacs. Or if you want to relax in the lobby with a full service. I like that they have both options to choose from. The lobby is clean, and has very modern furniture, with complimentary coffee. The pricing says my full service wash was supposed to be $ 35, but the manager reduced it for me to $ 25! :) pretty happy about that! The staff is friendly and everyone looks to be working very hard. I typically see a lot of employee goofing off at car washes, but not this one. And there is even an oil spot adjacent to the parking lot… So you can really fully service your car in the same block.
Also, the manager allowed me to get one may shampooed for $ 3 which is awesome, cause my daughter spilled a drink on it! Love the service.
Added bonus– the tips are collected in a box, so you don’t have to feel obligated to over give. That’s a nice touch!

I used the self service to wash my car and I have a few pointers.
1. Bring your own sponge, microfiber cloth, and dry towel/​skin.
2. Don’t use the credit card feature. It sucks. Bring cash and coins.
3. Try going at sunset. Most people go when it’s blazing bright and sunny. Not only is it busy then, but your car will have some ugly spots when you get out of the car wash.
4. Respect the equipment and don’t place the foam brush face down on the floor. You’re indirectly keying someone’s car like this.
Pros:
— free vacuums
— accepts credit cards
— has water
— variety of features in the self service rotation
Cons:
— this place needs a separate, shaded drying area so people don’t have to wait behind cars on busy days for people to dry their entire cars with a small towel.
— the button to refill your balance by $ 1 for additional time doesn’t work 70% of the time. It trolls you and you have to repay another full charge to reactivity your service.
— there’s a good chance the foam brush will have debris and rocks that will completely destroy the clear coat or even paint on your car. I would recommend you bring a separate sponge.
— you can’t bring your buckets here. It’s a very common rule at most car washes but still sucks.

Third time is not a charm. Sorry Palms Car wash but after 3 visits I have to give you a final rating of 1 star and will not be returning. Why?
First visit: bad wash, left soap on car, attendants were rough on car with brushes, noticed the vacuums suck (cause they don’t suck well and are shaped weird).
Second visit: took my girlfriend’s car through wash (she agreed that the attendants are rough with brushes), had to go through twice cause the car still was not clean and was still not clean after the second time through (still dirt on spots around car), noticed that their free towels they provide are crappy (not the correct material, hardly dry, and leave treads on car).
Third visit: I used the self wash. First off they charge out the ass for self wash. Second, it doesn’t work for crap. Their wash sprayed tire cleaner after switching to presoak (and that is not good for your paint, they even say so on their sign). Then I switched to their «high pressure soap»… it sprayed soap for maybe 5 seconds and then was just water. To save on the ranting, I’ll just tell you that afterwards my car seemed dirtier than when I arrived. This wash is shit. In addition, they had the free vacuums blocked off by 5.
And in response to Daniel C., the manager who responded to one of my other reviews on them: I never directly accused your wash of scratching, but it is widely known that touch washes, even «soft-​cloth», scratches paint and causes swirls on cars for debris getting in the cloth from other cars.
Thanks for the offer of a free wash if my car is not clean afterwards, but no thank you. The mere fact that you have to offer shows that your car wash is incapable of doing the job correctly the first time, and by experience even the second time around, even with 2 – 3 attendants abusing my car with brushes before entering the car. Furthermore, there is no reason I should hear banging on the rear-​end from your attendants brushing.

$ 13 «car wash» is more like: «you paid too much to spread the dirt around (while leaving soap on the car!)»
I’m so bummed I paid for this «wash».

A few months ago I would have given this place 5 stars, and if you are just looking to use the drive through car wash, and their free vacuums then you’ll probably have no issues. With that said on to my ordeal…
I decided to sell my car and wanted to get it fully detailed before I took pictures. I showed up at the Palms at about 10:30 in the morning and asked what services they offered. The quote for all the services was about $ 180 including a $ 40 detail I had previously purchased. I thought it was a little high but knew I wanted to get the car looking brand new and went ahead.
About halfway through the detail I was told that some of the hard water spots on the front of my vehicle (from my lawn sprinklers) wasn’t coming off and that it would cost more to remove them. Given that I had tried to remove them myself I went ahead and said ok. The guy did a great job and removed all of them after over an hour of scrubbing and buffing.
Up to now I’m pleased and after about 2 hours they call me out to look the car over. I it looked great but the guys seemed to be acting odd and hovering around, not closing the doors, and were even a little reluctant to help me find my key, which was somewhere in the car. I didn’t think much of it then as I was in a rush to get somewhere.
After I got out of the Dr appointment I realized something was missing. Earlier before I left my home I had put $ 500 in a hidden container I carry around in my seat back. I KNOW I shouldn’t have left it in the car while they were cleaning it but forgot to remove it. Well as I reach for it I notice that its no longer there. I freaked out and went straight home to make sure I didn’t leave it there before accusing anyone.
I called and called and called and finally someone picked up. I explained the situation to the GM and he also remarked that it was dumb of me to leave it in there. I agreed but still that was no reason for anyone to steal from me during a $ 200 detail, which had now become the most expensive detail in history. He said he would contact the manger at the location and call me back.
About 30 minutes later they called me back and started the hunt. He said he would first check the trash cans where my car was detailed to see if it was «thrown away by accident.» After searching there he didn’t find anything. Next he decided to check the dumpster, and bingo there it was, of course now empty. I told him that it looked like his employees had liberated my money and thrown away the evidence. He agreed and said he would confront them and call me back later.
Hours roll by and no one called me back. Later that evening while at dinner I received a call from the police asking for my statement. I asked him what had happened as I hadn’t heard back. He said they interviewed those involved and while everyone claimed to see «something» no one would rat out their friends. He asked if I wanted to press charges and I said that really all I wanted was my money back. He said he understood, gave me a case number and told me he would follow up.
Later that night I received a text from someone saying that they would contact me at 9am with «resolution.» I didn’t know what that meant but hoped it meant they would either have my money or a check for that amount waiting for me today. 9am came and went and at about 10:30 I sent a reply to the text letting them know I hadn’t heard from anyone. Someone replied back saying that they had a meeting and would call after.
Finally at about 2:30pm I got a call from someone at the car wash saying they had arrested the guy and were going to press charges (which was not what the cops told me). At the end he said he’d be sending me a check for the money and got my contact information. I’m really conflicted as there really were never any sorry’s or hey how about a free wash or detail on us. They totally ignored what a good customer I’d been over the last few years.
It took me 6 days to get the check from them after a bunch of texting and calling, I had to sign some papers and still no sorry or anything just a here sign this, and take your check.
I still go there… the car wash is still the best near me as are their free vacuums. While I’ll accept fault for being a dummy, they really didn’t make the rest of the experience smooth, and made me feel like it was a big inconvenience for them. They did an awesome detail, but this ordeal sucked, plus all of the hassle and stress I dealt with after.
Response to owner: I took full responsibility for leaving the money in my car, just as you should for your staff stealing from me. However your assertion that it was taken care of immediately is false. I contacted you about this on the 18^th and received nothing but excuses and delays until the 24^th when you cut me a check. Put yourself in my shoes and as a customer how would you feel? Also the review somehow was stuck in drafts so I published it when I saw it.