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Divisadero Touchless Carwash
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
141 reviews for Divisadero Touchless Carwash
My bf's car has been so dirty and I can't remember the last time he had a car wash so we went here to get it some good cleaning. We dropped off his car and chose the premium for $28 (including wax job) we were told it will generally take 20-30 minutes so we walked across the street and went to On The Corner for some breakfast and a cup of coffee. It think it was only 10-15 minutes and he noticed his car was ready for pick up. It was so spankin clean that it looks so brand new! hahah and the smell of spilled miso paste sea bass from months ago is finally gone!!! *THANK GOD!*
Its so spanking clean that we both don't even recognize his SUV! lol He even walked right pass it hahah
GREAT JOB!!
They also offer a free pump service everyday between 8am-4pm. Also, if you purchase a car wash its 30 cents off so $4 was taken out from our gas bill =)
I've gotten decent car washed here before. $20 is not too much for an inside and outside job, but it does take a while (15-20 minutes all in).
Why the one star review? I drove up in my rental right after Burning Man. It was not very dirty at all (inside or outside). I ask the man for the $20 wash. He tells me "Sorry, boss says $48 for all Burning Man cars".
A. I never said mine was a Burning Man car, he made an assumption.
B. There was no advertised "Burning Man" fee ANYWHERE.
C. All the other pricing options are based on the services provided, and NOT the level of "dirtiness" of the car.
This is completely unethical. If I wasn't so busy, I'd file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I am pretty sure you cannot invent new prices on the fly. Furthermore, this worker never asked me if it was a Burning Man car, he just assumed.
So I drove off and returned the car dirty to the rental company. Next time I am going to one of the many other touchless car washed in the city.
Scam!
So, the car had just come back from Burning Man. True. I expected we might have to pay like $10 extra for the fine coating of dust over the car. I was like whatever.
The guy comes up to the window and says, "$48."
Whaaat? We high-tailed it out of there and went to Geary and Cook. The guy there charged $11.95, and he let us through again when it didn't all come off the first time. Hahaha. We vaccumed it ourselves and saved a ton of money.
Three stars off for being shady and taking advantage of burners. Two stars because although they are expensive, they are very thorough and i was pretty happy with them until they tried to cheat us.
They did a great job with my car. (Granted I didn't just return from the Burn, but my car was still dirty.) Get this: People commented that my 300TD looked like a museum classic when they were done with it. $20.95 is worth it for the compliments alone. They even got my wheel wells cleaner than ever. Don't opt for the extras, like wax, etc.-- Do your waxing at home (great workout too, btw.) Then come here and you'll be happy for months.
they had to put my car through twice and re-vacuum it because they didn't do it right the first time. not sure if I will be back.
Bottom line,
Poor service,
Poor results
Poor management
Don't waste your money or time with Divisadero Touchless Carwash!
I've been here a several times and tried to give them a chance. Its a car wash. How hard can it be. Last time I went I got suckered into there $49 wax job special. They did such a poor job that I had to complain to the manager and then he sent 1 dude over to work on my car and it took him another 20 minutes to do it by him self and my car still looked like shit. Bottom line is they do VERY poor work and they don't care. I would try another car wash if you are looking for a good one this is not the place!
I'm surprised this place doesn't get a higher rating! It may not be an intimate car wash, but they've always been pretty thorough.
The best part? That damn gift shop! You have to go into this store to pay for your (overpriced) wash, which is a brilliant strategy. I don't think I've ever been able to resist and just buy the car wash.
I promptly peruse the surprisingly cute gas station nic-nac store. By the time I've bought some useless crap I can't live without, the employees are outside holding my keys and wondering where the hell I ran off to. I'm such a sucker!
DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR HERE !!!
Unless you don't care if it is damaged. There is a guy walking around with a camera but I doubt if it is actually recording and if it is recording no one is looking at what is being recorded. The people working there seem to resent their job and are going out of their way to break knobs, levers and so forth in side as they work. I thought perhaps it was just bad luck but after the third experience I think it is on purpose !
I've been washing all my cars here for over 9 years, so there's a few of the managers that recognize me now. Car wash is OK, inconsistent, sometimes they do a great job and other times, they keep missing things. They use to do a much better cleaning and drying job 9 years ago than they do now.
One word of warning, take your ashtray change with you as it will get stolen. I lost a $5 bill once, a couple of $1 and a few quarters out of each car before I figured out that it was happening at this car wash. Told one of the managers about it and they gave me a courtesy clay bar detail service on my big SUV. One thing I don't do anymore, no tips as they've stolen their tip money from me already. LoL
Finally, a good, touchless carwash in the city. I went there early on a Saturday morning to avoid any potential crowdage. My car was in and out in 15 minutes and I filled up my tank using the 35 cent per gallon discount. I appreciated the fill-up service too...I generally hate filling up my tank because my hands end up smelling like gasoline after.
Two reasons why this place is not getting 5 stars: 1. $21 for the cheapest wash??? I'm used to a basic $13-15 wash...they need to realize that we're in a recession. 2. They do not give you an air freshener with the wash...let's not be cheap here.
I've been to this place twice now and am very happy with the service. Today I got a basic wash which was about $23 after taxes. This is a little pricey for a car wash but they did it very quickly (~15 min) during lunch hour (noon).
The last time I was here I got the full service wash and wax which was about $80 after taxes. They did a very nice full detail wash and wax. I will be going to them for all my car wash needs in SF from now on!
This is by far the best car was I have found to date. Never have I gone somewhere that they will run my car through twice if it has any sign of not being spotless the first time around. I have always had friendly and overly helpful staff encounters (if there can be such a thing). About a year ago I wasn't entirely happy with the result after paying close to $30. I felt I paid enough money to warrant a phone call. I was immediately transferred to a manager who apologized and asked for my mailing address... the VERY NEXT day I had two vouchers for free car washes in the mail! Who bothers anymore? Customer service has become near extinct. But not at Touchless, they go WAY beyond to ensure everyone is a satisfied customer who will return again and again. I do AND I drive all the way from Oakland because the one in Berkeley sucks ass!
When my car went into the car wash, there was money in the coinbox. When I got the car back, the money was gone.
I know, stupid me for leaving money in the car. But I've been going to this carwash for 20 years, and I've never had anything stolen before.
I won't be going back. But if you go, be sure to take anything and everything valuable out of your car before turning over your keys to the car wash employees.
I've been coming here off and on for years and at $21, they do a great service. I just went in with my post-Burning Man playa dirty car and like Rachel H before me, was quoted a special burner price of $48! Fuck that! Another $5 or 10 for the extra effort is reasonable but MORE THAN DOUBLING the price is total bs. Also, no signs or anything announcing this price seems just a tad shady.
One of my guilty pleasures (or at least expenditures of money) is the semi-regular car wash. I know I should do it myself, and I all I really care about is the car windows being clean enough that I can see out. But, once a month or so, I treat the car to a proper bath.
The service is quick, and the car comes back to me clean and unmolested. The cleaning inside and out is thorough. There's no "Ooops"es of water, streaks, or missed areas.
The with-wash rate at the adjoining Shell station has been a deal for the past couple of months, too. Plus, that station actually pumps the gas for you, and they're quick and pleasant about it.
The missing fifth star reflects my wondering if the improvements in wash service and in the gas deal are permanent or if they'll slip back to mediocre washing and over-priced gas. And, I'm not a fan of the up-selling attempts when I tell the guy the type of wash I want.
This place is terrible. More than once they have tried to pull a bait & switch on me, when it comes to pricing my van for a wash. One of the managers who sets prices was giving me a lot of lip, like it was some kind of favor they were doing me by overcharging me for a wash. My van has a shorter wheelbase than an SUV, no windows except the front, and only the front seat as a passenger area that needs cleaning. Yet they take one look at it and think "let's overcharge this guy" even though the workload is a lot less.
This place blows. They are NOT thorough with their cleaning, the back seat was still full of visible sand, and it is one of the most expensive places I have been. I will not be returning. Don't make the same mistake as me. AVOID THIS CAR WASH.
This is a good place to get your car cleaned. There is literally a throng of people working there, so you never have to wait too long. It is slightly awkward to get into the parking lot at times, but nothing totally crazy.
Once you pull in, a throng of nattily dressed people in sharp black and red uniforms descends upon your car. I usually get their "best" regular wash (forget what it is called), and it is $28. That isn't so bad for a full service car wash that gets you in and out in about 20 minutes on average.
However, if you are expecting that your car will get detailed in this 20 minutes, your hopes are too high. Usually, the outside of your car will look pretty good but the inside just gets a cursory wipedown and a halfhearted vacuuming. There were still little white doggie hairs in my car after I got it back, and I can't actually remember the last time a little white doggie was in my car to be honest...maybe September? And this is my second time there since then (yes, I go months without washing my car!).
If you get a car wash there, you get a discount on getting a fill up at the Shell station, and, someone even pumps the gas for you (which made me feel slightly guilty so I tipped them, essentially eradicating the discount on the fill-up).
Overall, it is fine but it certainly isn't the most thorough place. The price is good though, so that is fine. Tell them to go easy on the air freshener though, I was totally gagging and had to drive with the windows down cuz the air freshener was generously sprayed into my car!
A clean car = happy car and when its the "Lady K's" car it better be clean!
We go here about twice a month and haven't ever been disappointed for what $23.00 gets ya. The wheels are hand cleaned, the floors vacuumed, the car smells new and its as pretty as the first day we got it... well except for the scratch I just put on it. Oops.
Our car had fallout over it (little rust flecks from crap in the air), it was dirty inside and out.
We were quoted anything up to $300 by detailers and body shops to polish the car up and remove the fallout.
This car wash did it all for $79.95! Quite a good job too, removed all the fallout, grime and even scuff marks from the exterior. Interior very clean and stains removed, tires were varnished, dash polished and all over clean. I did speak to a white guy whom I think was a supervisor or something to go over what the car needed and felt very assured that the job would get done and it was. On the $79.95 full service they use a thing called a 'clay bar' which somehow gets all the surface muck off of the car.... this is the same thing the more expensive places said my car needed.
Very happy. For a basic car wash I like to do it myself at the self service places, but for a detail go here! Total was about $82 including small tip (they have a little box by the pay area where if you are happy you can throw a buck or two in).
Oh and to all the morons complaining about stolen items - you can't be serious?? what do you expect. If you leave ipods, cell phones, money in your car at any place where there are 20 or 30 people working on your car you are asking for trouble. Do what I did and don't leave this stuff in the car. My guess is this could happen at any car wash if you left these items accessible.
Thoughts to Ponder, by PBC....
If I paid almost FIFTY dollars for a hand wash, why did you just run my car through the carwash part?
Who are these loud bros behind me, and why don't they go away?
Damn, it's crowded.
I think the bros are trying to look down my shirt. I hate them.
They better do a better job cleaning, and not do it half-assed like last time.
I can't believe I just paid $50 for a car wash.
Oooh, it's done! &**(%&#*(# WHY IS IT STILL DIRTY? What's with the crumbs? And it's sticky here, can you clean it? What about this? You missed over here.... didn't you do my trunk at all? Oh forget it!
Never, never will I return to this rip-off place.
I texted my friend "I need moral support about going to the Divisadero car wash." She responded, "oooh, yyyeah. Intimidating but worth it."
True that.
The car that I brought to the folks at the divis car wash had just gotten home to SF after a cross country journey, and was coated in every kind of road crud imaginable, inside and out. I was anxious as I swerved the wrong way into the parking lot and saw the chaos. A friendly man waved me in the right direction, and soon I was out and watched as 5 men descended upon said car with rags and bottles flying.
Overall, they did a nice job- exterior looked great, and they missed some spots on the interior, leaving crumb trails, but quite frankly, they were starting with a complete wreckage.
Also good to note that not all employees seem dishonest as the ones noted below- when I got back in the car, they had made a neat pile of things they had found (high heels, earrings, pocket change) in the footwell of the passenger seat.
A solid place for a wash. Go, for sure.
Been here several times, had all kinds of stuff left in the car -- nothing ever taken, or even touched. Everyone there was nice, service was quick -- though, for some, a bit pricey, with the "regular car wash" --- including inside and outside the car, and, cleaning the trunk if you want -- $21.
One of the reviews below talked about their trunk handle breaking off, which sucks, of course. But they clean the door jams and trunk jams, and even vacuum the trunk iof you want to. They WILL open the trunk. They do everything they do, too, right out in the open -- everyone is standing there watching 2, 4, 6 cars get dried and sprayed and vacuumed. When the cars are "in the car wash" -- no person is with them. I saw no problem whatsoever with safety, and no opportunity to take anything. I even left a crumpled $5 biull in the cupholder, and my cell phone there as well. The cupholder was empty -- cleaned -- but the five, the phone, and a car cell phone charger that they found under the seat, was on the front passenger seat.
And, because I read Yelp before going there, I was curious about the "they steal" and "they're scammers" reviews. I asked 5 of the 20 people who passed through during the 15 minutes I was there -- everyone gave 3 or 4 stars on my off-the-cuff 4 star scale. No one had any problems.
Sorry guys, I'd trade speed for quality any day.
Seriously, leaving crumbs in plain view in between the seats for an $80 detail? Twice?
My housekeeper would have done a better job - and cleaned my house on top of it - for $80.
Bummer, because they are *so* conveniently located.
This gas better wash my dishes, clean my apartment and be dynamite in bed for 2.77/gallon when the other station on the SAME BLOCK is selling gas for a full dollar less per gallon. (Note: If you give in to their extortion scheme and purchase a car wash, they only charge you 2.49/gallon!).
While gas prices change, the discrepancy between this Shell and its nearby competitor remains constant.
Bitching aside, there are a couple upsides here, worth one star each:
1. They keep a small army of people employed in the car wash area. If this place weren't here, that's a lot of people out of work. I hope those who CAN afford to get gas/car washes here continue to do so for their benefit, and tip them while you're at it!
2. It's a lot easier to get in and out of this gas station compared to the aforementioned Arco.
During the day, they offer to pump your gas for you at no extra charge, but that always makes me feel awkward. I may drive a crappy car, and it may be dirty as hell because I won't pay someone to wash it and am to lazy to wash it myself, but damned if I can't pump my own gas!
**I can't find a separate entry for just the gas station, so I guess it's lumped in with the car wash. This review is for the gas station only. Couldn't afford the carwash after buying their gas--even with the discount!**
Today was actually a good day here. It's hit or miss most of the time. Sometimes you'll find crumbs in the crevices of your seats after you've left, or even bits of bird shit in hidden areas of the exterior of the vehicle. All in all, they're A-OK.
The wait went by quickly today. Luckily, the Page (my favorite bar in the neighborhood) is down the street and it was happy hour, so grabbed a German Lager and shot a game of pool there to kill time.
One thing I wish DTC offered is an Exterior-Only option. Can't be spending $25 on a car wash every week, and the inside of my car doesn't get as dirty as the outside as fast.
This is still one of the best places in the city to get your car washed. On a sunny day, looking at the pandemonium that the Divisadero Shell station becomes, you'd think it utter chaos. But it's actually an exercise in organized chaos. If you have a car that is a "special needs" car, directions will be translated up the line. Unlike a certain peninsula based "touchless" which assisted in destroying my transmission.
It's best not to get too uptight about their methods. My baby came out of the conga line wash, only to have 5 people with rags swarm it "touchless style", complete with one dude opening the hatch back, standing up in it all Ben-Hur style to chariot race it to interior cleanliness. Never mind the fact that in the process he destroyed my tennis racket (ma bad for leaving it there). But DAMN was my car clean.
To those who have an anal fixation about everything in life. You know who I'm talking about. Nothing is good enough or can measure up to your expectations. Well note to self: this isn't a dealership, fresh off the press detailing. I'm specifically talkin' about the multi-tasking, Lance Bass look-a-like, with the cherry red convertible who just had to rip the rag from the attendant with a lame ass "por favor" and proceeded to lead a clinic on the missed bumper spots that were practically invisible to the naked eye and ending on "gracias dude." No sir. This place ain't for you.
Great place to get your car cleaned up in a pinch. Avoid peak hours.
My car is always still dirty after getting a car wash from here. The only reason why I come back is b/c they are closer than Tower Car Wash. They always miss something---like forgetting to even clean the tires or rims? Why do you ask if I want tire dressing and then not even touch it. They've sent my car back to wash twice b/c I pointed out so many missed spots. I've given them so many chances already, next time, I will drive the extra few miles and go to Tower Car Wash.
I only give this an 'A-OK' and not a 'Meh. I've experienced better' because I really haven't experienced better in the Bay Area. I feel like this used to be a great place to get a car wash, but the last time I went it sucked. I mean the car was washed, no doubt. However, for $40 I want a lot more than a wash!
Complaints:
There were sticky sort of smears on my front wind shield that were not there beforehand.
The corners of all of my windows were still foggy looking, like they totally rushed and forgot to get the remote spots.
Vacuum job was poor. I still found some leaves on the floor.
Obviously my car was not clean before I brought it in (that's why I went to get it washed), but it was by no mean a pig sty. These guys will give you pretty speedy service, but that may be because they miss several spots.
I used to refer all of my friends to this car wash, but I won't do that again. I don't even see myself going back. I'll save myself 30 bucks and go to the drive through car wash by my house.
I have had to get on them twice now. Didn't vacuum the rear carpeting of my car. Left dirt etc all over the rear seat of the second car I brought in.
Javier said "well, you should have looked at your car before you drove away". WRONG THING TO SAY!!!!!!!!!! The reason why I bring my car to the car wash is to not worry about cleaning it. He needs a lesson in customer service.
John, the manager runs a good business, always kind, however the quality is slipping guys.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/10/2007
Being a Customer of John's at his location in Santa Rosa as well....I was delighted to find him here… Read more »
Convenient indeed, but why can't they ever get rid of my crumbs?
I'm over this place. Just paid $30 for "the works", and the exterior and windows looks fine but I always leave with the crumbs I drove in with.
Haven't washed your car 3 months? Is you're car full of dust inside AND out? Do you find bugs in your car because it's THAT dirty?
Come here! For about $24 your car gets squeaky clean in a matter of 15min. Depending on the day and the weather!
I've lived in San Francisco for five years now, and all of that time I've had a car. Not the same car, but one car at a time. During that time, I've gotten my car washed exactly six times. Three of those times were at Divisadero Touchless Carwash. Not because it's better than any other carwash. Because it's around the corner from where I live, which is not to be confused with around the corner from where my car is parked. My car is sometimes parked far enough away that I take the bus to it. Seriously.
So this place is pretty efficient. They have literally an army of people wearing black sweatshirts/T-shirts and red baseball caps who will touch your car despite the name of the place. I've found that this army is skilled and pleasant. But I often think about what all these poor people do when it rains. I realize that carwashes can't stay open in the rain, but because this place employs so many people--remember, an army--that also means that the weather makes their work truly seasonal.
I thought the prices were too high, but so is everything automotive in San Francisco. There's some kind of deal you can get if you pre-purchase carwashes. I don't have my car washed often enough to make that worth it.
Oh, and don't bother getting gas here, even the "discount" gas. It's always cheaper at the Spirit down the street.
Although it was foggy and drizzly today, I went to get my car washed anyway. It hasn't been cleaned in a couple of months and I was desperate! Fortunately I heeded the warnings of previous reviews and went around 11am, and expected to be upsold on the wash . . . which they talk so fast at you I didn't realize what was happening. (Next time, I'm putting my foot down - NO! I just want a wash and vaccum!)
Anyways, I ended up with the $50 super package which includes a hand wax and some extra detailing, and thought i was getting a deal on gas too since they discount 35 cents with the purchase of your wash. (Today it was $2.22/gallon)
Overall, I ended up paying $80 for a car detail and tank fill-up. Considering they did an excellent job (even cleaning out my trunk full of Christmas Tree pine needles!), and since it was slow they were able to take their time and do a thorough job. I feel better!
Minus one star because on the way home I saw gas for $1.89/gallon!!!! I should have just pumped it myself :(
My car had gotten to the point where I didn't want to touch the door handles with my bare hands - and since I'm out sick today (I really am sick!) I didn't want to run the risk of running into co-workers at my usual car wash place (near my office), I took le RAV 4 out to Divisadero Touchless for a little TLC.
Holy crap, they were done fast! But with speed like that, you're bound to miss a few things...I'm a stickler for details, and I notice when you don't wash under the trunk handle. Ew. But aside from that, I was able to get gas for $3.64 a gallon with my car wash purchase.
PS: Good thing they're fast - otherwise the shopper in me would have scooped up a few cute things at the car wash STORE, of all places.
Usually, the service is a 3 and I've been here many times. But considering how busy they get, they do a pretty nice job, though their prices did go up a couple bucks.
For newcomers, it can be pretty confusing because of all the lines and you can't really see the service options right away. So for a little crash course, there are 3 options: Full (bout $21) Ultra (bout $24), and the Works (bout $29).
And they have the best car accessories in their store. So cool.
I always go here for the fast and efficient service.
We've had our car washed here on several occasions. For the most part, the prices are reasonable, the service is swift, and the people are friendly. Inevitably, however, the job just isn't thorough. On most occasions I find that once I'm waved over to my car to indicate that the job is finished, I immediately notice that the floors and/or seats are still dirty. A few times, I have also noticed sap or dirt on the outside in such a conspicuous place that it could not possibly have been unintentionally overlooked. My impression is that they do a "good enough" job and wait for you to let them know that you don't think that the car is as clean as it should be after a wash. That said, if you do mention the residual dirt or marks, they are always very responsive and will re-vacuum (often more thoroughly than the first time) or spot-clean the outside as necessary. Nevertheless, I'd rather have the job done right the first time instead of knowing that when, in their opinion, my car is "finished," i will have to speak to a manager to have it truly finished.
I expect that this issue is more a function of the management than of the workers themselves. I imagine that they instruct the workers to get cars through as quickly as possible so attention to detail suffers.
They did an acceptable job, but it's incredibly expensive. I think I paid about $30 for a $9 wash. Go to a gas station wash and deal with the flaws. This isn't worth the $25 extra bucks.
I would usually never review a car wash, but this was an exception of course.
They did a good enough job washing my car but somehow managed to turn on my parking lights which are impossible to see in daylight so I didn't notice. Fast forward a day and I have a dead battery. That's a $100 car wash.
You have GOT to be fucking kidding me. Seriously. SERIOUSLY. Us San Franciscans pride ourselves on thinking we've discovered the good life, the quality and richness and meaning and purpose that other less-enlightened peons will search their entire fucking lives for and never taste. Seester is getting married this week, and so she made me car sit for her since she doesn't want to deal with her own car. And what do I find when I return to her car after I parked it the night before (and put her solitary key on my keychain because I AM NOT losing her carkey AGAIN)???
Someone fucking SHAT on her car's rear bumper.
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!
It's like.... not even on the GROUND. Like, it takes EFFORT to do that. And some menial amount of talent too.
I felt like dry heaving. I may like Arby's and Egg McMuffins and shithole divebars, but I AM NOT A FAN OF HUMAN FECES.
And I drive the car immediately to Touchless Carwash. Cause I sure as hell ain't touching THAT.
I know the guy who is driving the car through the cleaning process doesn't see It when I hand over the keys. I get the "Ultra" wash, it's 22 bucks or so. He drives the car up to be hosed. The guy with the hose (I'll call him Shorty) sees It. And drops the hose. Shorty gives a co-worker (I'll name him Blue) a look that says "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!?!" and Blue inspects. Blue knows what's up and gives Shorty the "OH HELLLLLLL NO" look. Shorty hoses the car, and Blue holds his arms out scrubbing The Spot. The car goes into the carwash machine, and Shorty still has the hose on. Shorty is rinsing and cleaning the PARKING LOT FLOOR. Like, the PAVEMENT. I don't blame him.
I got the car back in probably around 15 minutes spotless, clean, and with nary a mention of It.
This was quite possibly the best 22 dollars I've ever spent in my entire life. And Blue and Shorty - the ten spot in the tip jar was for you.
