Every day, shoppers are tasked with making several choices with unclear consequences. Is it worth buying original skincare products instead of their dupes? Are organic foods really better than their non-organic counterparts? And what really is the difference between the different octanes of gasoline?
One of those decisions involves what kind of car wash someone gets. When going into an automatic car wash, a driver is usually prompted with several options of what kind of wash they will get. However, as recently noted by TikTok user Brandon Caskey (@caskeyblacksheep), the results don’t seem to be too different. Are we getting scammed at the car wash?
Are the different tiers at a car wash a scam?
In a video with over 2.2 million views, Caskey shows himself sitting in a car as it’s going through an automatic car wash.
“Can someone that works at a car wash explain to me, are the tiers bulls***?” he starts. “Because every once in a while…I’m feeling funky and I get a higher tier, but is it all the same thing? Because how the [expletive] do they know if I ordered the extra wax coating?”
According to Caskey, even when he orders a more “premium” option, “it seems to me like same thing’s happening.”
“I need a whistleblower,” he concludes.
What to know about the different levels at a car wash
Naturally, what each car wash offers will vary from location to location. That said, in general, opting for a higher tier of car wash will genuinely result in more services being performed on your car.
As explained by Eric Sever for WKYC, while the cheapest car wash option will usually be a typical wash and dry, the next level up includes undercarriage cleaning and a basic wax, which experts recommend to keep your car in top shape.
Services offered beyond that may have mixed effectiveness at prolonging the lifespan of your car’s finish. That said, no matter whether they’re effective, they are (most of the time) genuinely being offered by these car washes. This means that there’s no need for the whistleblower being requested by Caskey.
@caskeyblacksheep ♬ original sound – CASKEY
Some car wash workers admit the secret
In the comments section, users with experience in the industry explained why and how the car wash system works the way it does.
“Worked at a car wash for 10 years can say at mine there is absolutely a difference. We use photo eyes to communicate with our equipment. It tells the system where the start and end of a vehicle is,” a user said.
“I promise you, you’re getting what you paid for. typically a car wash has a camera that snaps a pic of your car so they know to assign the wash to the correct car. brushes will always be the same tho,” added another.
However, there may be a few exceptions.
“I worked at a car wash for 2 years and we pushed the same button regardless of tier you bought,” admitted a commenter. “So at my car wash yes it was bulls***.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Caskey via website contact form and Instagram direct message.
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