The Bay Detail

The most terrible car wash I ever head!
I bought it a a voucher through Amazon local. I tried different car detailing services before and was incredibly happy with their job.
First, if you buy it through Amazon pay attention that they only do interior (for claimed $ 175 value one would expect a full car detailing including under the hood). That’s in footprints.
Anyway, they do only interior.
Secondly, the phone listed is of the guy, «a fiend» who only answers phone for them on certain hours. He gave me another phone to cal to their «office». The person who answered «The office» phone said that he doesn’t do scheduling, and gave a phone number of a guy who does that. The third guy said that it’s another guys not him who schedules, and that guy will be in 10 min. 20 min later no one picks up. Next day I got on hold of the person who schedule my appointment. I even have to ask whether they are a real business, or just opened.
I brought my car, found out it’s only for interior, but decided to get it done anyway. It wouldn’t be much saving, but I wanted my car cleaned.
They told me I can pick up either the same day or next, they will call when it’s ready. I choose to come by next day. Morning passed, noon, I gave them a call myself. They said the car is ready and it’s so sparkling clean that all it needs is an exterior wash. For $ 25. I said thank you, but no, I don’t need that wash for $ 25.
When I came back, they did wash the exterior, but interior was simply untouched!!! Just tons of grease on the dashboard. Seats had the same dirty spots, greasy black edges, glove compartment had the same sticky staff from candies, trunk had dirty streaks all over. I asked them if they have a steam cleaner, they said that’s the best they could do. They said they will do it by hand it asked to come back in one hour. I had to kill an hour around there. Came back, not much improvement, they just rubbed shampoo into suede!
I thought I had enough of their service and took my car, of course they wouldn’t let me out unless I pay for exterior wash that I didn’t order!
When I got home, I realized they didn’t put my rubber floor mats. Called them, them they said they were there. Had to go back. Of course they were as dirty! 5 minutes they said. Basically they just rinsed them, no soap and brushing.
Terrible service and misleading advertisement!

How can I begin? Well, I WILL mention it’s a bit difficult to find the 1^st time, but easy-​squeasy after that.
Mario is nothing but professional,
And he won’t quit until you are happy. (Ie: they close at 6:00, & he stayed until 8:00 for me.) He even walked to Cole Hardware to buy special tools to do a job he’s never been asked to do (clean my cam shaft). That in & of itself shows dedication & a commitment to do the job RIGHT.
The car is nearly 26 years old & has NEVER had the cam shaft shield cleaned (aka: it was dirty as FUCK!!!)
When the air intake was brighter than the cam shaft, I didn’t even have to say anything. He read my face, & went back to work. And yes, it made a difference.
I kid you not, that thing MUST’VE been cleaned at LEAST 7 – 8 times.
THAT’S commitment! He easily could’ve said, «I’m sorry, it’s the best the chemical we use can get it clean.» But no, he scrubbed that shit, as his gorgeous wife waited patiently. BTW, he has a newborn who was waiting at home for daddy. Or maybe daddy was waiting to see his baby? Either way. He stayed & helped!
I’d noticed a couple things missed, which I’m SURE he would’ve stayed, but I insisted I’d come the next day so he could go home. So, if he could squeeze me in the next day (and he did), I’d come back.
I should mention that I have not worked since last September, and do have cash issues, so ALL I wanted cleaned was the cam shaft (I’m anal &
It’s been bothering me for years!). But I decided to treat myself & get it detailed since I’ve owned the car since I was 19, &
I’ve NEVER had it detailed. It was SO totally worth it! I WISH I could afford to do this weekly!!! Seriously.
From the second I met Fred (aka Tally) to meeting Mario, it’s been an experience I will not only never forget, but I will tell every person I know who owns a car in the city to come here!!!
With a 1990 Miata that looks this sweet, who the fuck needs a 2016 model???
Oh, & wipe your own fucking fingerprints off the window instead of waiting!!! LAZY ASS FUCK!!!
***********G O H E R E ! ! ! ! ! ! ***********

The quality of the car wash is mediocre at best. After my car wash, I found bread crumbs in the seat indentations and a granola bar on the floor.
One month after my car wash, the company charged me for an additional car wash I did not receive. (The company had my credit card number on file). Mario, from the car wash, acknowledged this was an error. But, two months and multiple phone calls later, I still have not received a full refund.

This is for an interior detail. They turned my tired old lady (2004 Honda Civic) into a sparkling beauty. There was still dog hair on my center console, but I don’t think they saw it as it was only visible when the gear was in drive. It came up easily with a q-​tip at home.
Very happy with the results. My car was there for 3 ½ hours and they were able to give me a quick exterior wash also.

I was very happy with how they detailed my bike! There were a lot of chrome work and that took care of some rust. Took them only two hours and price was not bad. Thanks Mario!

8 hours and a lousy job. Thats not even the actual bottom line. Supposed to pick it up at 3 in the afternoon, but they would call to confirm by 2. At three I called them and was told it would take until 5, so show up then and sit for another 1 ½ hour in their incredibly clean and friendly waiting room… Lousy job. Whatever polish they use does not give a shine at all. I use Turtle Wax and the car shines, when I picked it up it was clean but far from shiny. I know they waxed it because there were areas where the wax was not rubbed off. In the door jambs, where the racks intersect the rook… the dirt around the racks was not even washed off. They must have overbooked and it was getting too close to going home for them to care enough to do a decent job. That’s it! It was not a decent job. It was a second rate job and their inability to schedule the work caused my day to suffer.

If I can give negative stars, I will give a negative 5 star!!! First appointment, on Thursday 9 am ¹⁄₂₉ they were too busy. Too busy for a scheduled appointment interior car cleaning??! My choice was wait until 4 pm or reschedule said the manager/​owner. He promise me to clean the exterior if I am willing to reschedule. He writes on my groupon coupon Sunday 9am. I ask him, your are close on Sunday! He said yes, but since he is so backup he is outing to open on Sunday. He swear by it! Sunday 9 am! I got there today at 9 am. The entire place is empty and chained up. Big old sign close on Sunday on the counter! Called their number twice, no one answer except an answer machine. Answer machine’s message: we are open Monday to Friday and Saturday by appointment only! No Sunday’s !! hello!

Mario man, thank you for taking off my crappy, cracking, old vinyl stripes ha! Having to peel it off in very small pieces I already know was a pain but you were cool and professional and I can’t wait until you put the new Brushed Titanium stripes on my ride. Thank you!

I had sold my car and part of the deal was for me to get a good detail. My friend recommended me to this place and damn was he right. I was approached by Mario and he broke down all the different services they provided. I honestly thought that my car couldn’t be brought back to life. I had started to grow mold because my sunroof (2006 Lexus gs 300) wouldn’t close and it started to rain and seep through. My lights were all fogged up and my vents smelled. Not to mention all the small lil imperfections and the dis color the body has experienced through the years. It only took a few hours (even though he looked super busy) to finish up the job. After seeing how beautiful the inside and outside was I was actually debating on keeping the car. They even cleaned the inside of the hood for display purposes. I can’t say enough good things about this place. Definitely worth the drive to dt SF. Thanks again!

My finance has been a long time customer of Bay Detail to take care of his M3, which is why I took my Mini here. I brought in my car to have splattered paint from a construction site removed from the car. They did a great job getting the paint of the body but majorly damaged the plastic molding trim that goes around the base of the car. The trim was sanded or buffed so badly that my new car’s trim has been completely discolored and damaged.
I didn’t notice the damage at first because it was concealed with a black colored conditioner that took many weeks to wear off. As we are in a drought, I did not take it to the car wash and therefore only noticed the damage with the recent heavy rain. Once I did see the damage, I brought it back to the shop and simply asked them to just repair the damage. I explained that I understood why they needed to buff the car to get the paint off but was not happy with the results and upset they didn’t tell me about the discoloration when I left the shop. I was not only told that they didn’t damage the car but were insulting enough to tell me that perhaps a car wash could have done this or that it was damaged by someone else. As a new car owner, I am very aware of who I let detail my car.
I’ve since filed a claim with the Better Business Bureau as this is beyond poor customer service. An estimate of the damage from the Mini Dealership was $$$! The moral is even if you are a regular customer, they are all about making money and will not help you if it is at their even if they damaged your car. Don’t risk taking your car here!!!

Great service from Paul and his crew! I had a problem with a skunk spraying my white car and practically ruining my mood. Called many detail shops and were given answers I think no one would want to hear but The Bay Detail said they would do a test for me and to my surprise, they removed a lot of it! It was a bit of a wait but can’t complain for having the car in the next day I called. The crew told me to bring it back soon so they can continue to help me remove it. I Highly recommend this place to anyone in the area.

Wonderful wash and clay wax. My car looks beautiful! Great customer service, and nice guys! Will be back!

best car wash in town! They are a bit $$ but you get what you pay for, top quality is what I excepted and super top quality is what I got! dont be a cheap butt, come in and get your car washed!

This place is wonderful. I parked my car at the lot this place is held in so it was super convenient, but I would have come here regardless.
I’ve been getting hand car washes and waxes with Bay Detail for over a year now. Everytime I get one, my car looks so stunning on the inside and outside. Even now friends sit in my car and tell me it smells brand new. I don’t use any fresheners or anything in the car — just Bay Detail cleaning :)
Also, I’ve had some situations where I got a mild scratch or something on my car, and usually they advise me and help me figure out the best ways to get it cleaned up /​fixed up. Often, they do so at no charge…
It’s basically a bunch of cool folks who care about cars, are very professional, and make your car look as hot as it possibly can.
Keep up the good work people!

I wanted to get my car looking as good as possible before returning it at the end of its lease.
Balkarn at The Bay Detail suggested the Complete Detail at $ 250, and said they could get the nicks out of the bumpers if I got the touch-​up paint from Toyota. I got the paint and brought the car in.
Half way through the day they call me and say that the scratches are bigger and deeper than can be fixed, that there is a process to make the paint more uniform, etc, etc. and that they could take the scratches out with 3 hours extra labor at $ 75/​h.
I declined the extra work and picked up my car at the agreed 3pm. The scratches are still there and visible. There were a few tar spots on the outside that they removed once I pointed them out. There were stains on the seat material inside that I had specifically asked they try to remove at the beginning of the day and which they were able to remove — in front of me after I pointed them out at pick-​up time. The carpet in the trunk was saturated with water — obviously they forgot to extract the water after cleaning and I only found out at home when I took out my bag which I had put in the trunk — a very wet bag.
Overall the service I got was sloppy and probably worth $ 100. There was a HUGE gap between what they told me to expect before and what I got in the end.

The place is the best! And should be called «the best detail».
Found out about this place through a friend who told me the SF Giants have the cars detailed here. Being the fan I am, I had to give it a shot.
The Giants is what drew me in initially but it’s the customer service that has me coming back.
Very impressed with the professionalism and workmanship of this place and I’ve recommended it too many friends and coworkers in the area already.
Mario the owner takes care of me every time I’m there.
Try it out. You won’t regret it.

I wasn’t pleased with the quality of their work. Windows still had smudges on them, and there was even some wax marks on the hood of my car. I paid $ 80 for nice wash and wax, and I guess I expected better quality.

I got a great Groupon for an interior cleaning. Really needed a deep clean after my ex-boyfriend’s dog puked all over the freakin’ car.
I was expecting it to be a bit freshened up. But when I saw the car, I literally said, «That’s the color of my upholstery?!». I thought it was tan and it turns out it’s actually a nice cream hue! Wow.
And the guys were really nice and upbeat. Fun and easy to work with. I would definitely go back for another cleaning.

It’s rare to get the kind of personal service and attention to detail that Mario provides. I’ve been a client of his for about three years (ever since they were located on Embarcadero near the ball park) with he and his staff going above the call of duty to ensure the job is done to exceptionally high standards. On a recent visit, he actually went the extra mile to buff out some light scratches and clayed some impurities out of the paint without me asking him to do so — I was merely there for a quick detail. On another occasion, I had to leave my car then be somewhere quickly so Mario dropped what he was doing (it wasn’t another customer’s car) to give me a ride.
There are certainly other places you could go in the city to get your car detailed but two things: 1) Mario and his team are fanatical about providing a thorough job and 2) I don’t know of another company that has the owner on the front line managing relationships the way Mario does.
You’d be doing yourself a disservice by taking your car anywhere else — regardless of cost.
And oh — Groupon reviewers suck because they expect premium jobs done for discounted rates. Disregard the disgruntled value shoppers (and the nutjob PsychoVixen chick who thinks she’s arguing her case to Judge Judy! What a loon).
Pay the going rate and get a damn good job done in return. @*$! Groupon!

After my experience at The Bay Detail I feel moved to write my first Unilocal review.
First, a little background… I recently purchased a
deal for $ 70 for an Interior Detail valued at $ 175. I drive a 2004 Silver Nissan Pathfinder LE Platinum Edition that is parked indoors at night and weekends and outdoors on a suburban street beneath trees during the workday. I eat breakfast and an afternoon snack in my car daily while commuting. I’m careful but not perfect. I wash it at a local hand-​wash joint (somewhat) regularly and they wipe down the interior, but don’t reach between the seats where crumbs accumulate over time. I have never paid for a detail. I used to detail my own cars, but I decided to splurge since I saw the Groupon. I completely emptied the car’s interior including glove box, armrest consoles, etc. in anticipation of a thorough cleaning.
I set my appointment with Mario who was professional, helpful and friendly. He’s a good salesman, too. He up-​sold me on a Wash & Wax package for $ 60 — discounted from the normal SUV price of $ 100. I agreed since after reading the service description it appeared to be essentially an Exterior detail except for the polish & clay bar treatment. I overlooked the fact that half the Wash & Wax service package duplicated the Interior Detail package I already had purchased. Caveat emptor.
I left them the car for the day so there was no rush. They had it at 8:00am when they opened and Mario left me a voice-​mail at 1:00pm saying it was done. I had dropped off the car at 6:30am, pulling it into the garage where the Bay Detail operates. Mario said I could leave the keys with the garage attendant. I didn’t see an attendant so I dropped them at the cashier. He didn’t seem aware of this practice but took the keys anyway. It was nice to be able to drop the car early to avoid 8:00am traffic. When I picked up the car Mario said they covered the garage fee for me which I appreciated. However, when we previously discussed my bringing the car in before they opened they didn’t mention there would be a parking fee for doing so.
What The Bay Detail did well:
1. Wheels looked great
2. Interior was thoroughly vacuumed (all crumbs gone — even way down between the seats)
3. Lifted a small coffee stain on the floor carpet
4. They were nice guys
When I picked up the car I noticed and pointed out a couple things which Mario fixed immediately with no objection:
1. Dust in the speaker grills
2. Spilled coffee in the rear seat cup holder
I noticed other things while I was there. I could have pointed each out in turn and Mario probably would have taken care of each item as he did the above two. However, I didn’t feel like walking the service provider through what I paid them to do right in the first place. I also didn’t want to spend the additional 30+ minutes it probably would have taken them to make it right given all the issues.
Here are the other items that were not done to my satisfaction:
1. Rubber interior floor mats appeared vacuumed at best. Not washed and certainly not «cleaned and revived» per both their W&W and Interior Detail service menus (I paid for both — granted at a discount price, but still feel like I paid 2x for a single service that was not delivered)
2. Interior vinyl surface product was applied unevenly — heavy in some areas and light in others, appearing streaked
3. Door grip handle wells still had dust/​dirt in them
4. Crud on a small portion of exterior of rear window
5. Leaves and crud in the rain gutter around the hood (I’ll give them credit on this one as my expectations may be high here)
6. Exterior trim should have been detailed per the W&W service menu, but the running boards, mud-​flaps and rear step were still dirty and had no product on them
7. Armrest console had not been wiped out
Overall I was not satisfied with the service and would not recommend them (not even at the discounted prices). Aside from the vacuuming, it looked like a rush job with many obvious items clearly overlooked. I expect detailed work in an Interior Detail job, which is why it merits only 1 star. Worse yet, even with the discount, I feel like I paid twice for services I did not receive since half the Wash/​Wax service was interior service which left much to be desired.