Startup will wash your car wherever it is located • Hacker News Board

Re: Startup will wash your car wherever it is located

#81

Post by demallien » Mon, Jan 16, 2012, 9:40 AM UTC

dotBen wrote: post #69

antoncohen wrote: post #24

Cherry.com washed my car for free 3 months ago, and I didn't even ask them to. They did a great job, really, it was a excellent car wash. I intend to use them in the future. http://www.antoncohen.com/2011/10/what-cherrycom-washed-my-c...

I would be REALLY pissed if someone washed by car without my permission. I'm surprised it had a positive effect on you. I might still try the service - I currently pay ~$30 with tip at the local car wash place where they wash your car by hand.

If you pick a car that is dusty / muddy, you can be pretty sure that the owner is not overly fussy about their car, and hence quite likely to have a positive reaction to a free wash. The probability that someone with an obviously dirty car getting actively upset about an unsolicited wash would seem to be sufficiently low to justify the risk, I would have thought.

Re: Startup will wash your car wherever it is located

#82

Post by biot » Mon, Jan 16, 2012, 10:20 AM UTC

samstave wrote: post #71

They should merge with Uber. Uber could add a whole range of services to their app.

It's always nice to be driven in someone else's clean car.

Re: Startup will wash your car wherever it is located

#83

Post by manmal » Mon, Jan 16, 2012, 10:39 AM UTC

wheels wrote: post #60

I'll qualify this with the fact that I don't own a car, nor did I have mine washed often when I did, but... Isn't having your car washed one of those things where portability matters least ? It really feels like the ultra-local meme taken too far. Car washes are abundant and reasonably fast, and a car, in its usual course of being driven, will pass them often. It just seems like sunglasses for the blind or something…

There could be a previously uncovered niche for washing company-owned cars. Often, employees are sent out to wash the boss's car - which is not exactly cheap, considering what THAT costs.

Re: Startup will wash your car wherever it is located

#84

Post by manmal » Mon, Jan 16, 2012, 10:45 AM UTC

TWSS wrote: post #9

I love the idea ("Uber for carwashing!") but I have some doubts. The price point is too low for me to believe they'll do a decent job. There are already mobile car detailers here in Portland, and a good exterior detail costs around $100. That's because the companies are licensed and bonded. If I'm going to go cheap on a car wash, I'll do a $6 drive-through special at Washman on my way to the grocery store. Not knowin…

What is the value in a 100$ carwash? The next rain will kill it..

Re: Startup will wash your car wherever it is located

#85

Post by catch23 » Mon, Jan 16, 2012, 11:17 AM UTC

badclient wrote: post #75

Funny, but in countries like India, it is fairly common to have a guy come in and wash your car every morning. Put another way: a subscription service for car wash. In countries like India, it is inexpensive enough and there is enough pollution to call for a daily car wash. In the US, I can see my Dad signing up for a weekly car wash at our suburb home.

Not as funny as you might think -- if you own a car in India, you're probably upper class. In India, lots of paid inane chores are common, like carrying one's luggage from the taxi to the airport, even if it's a small backpack.

Re: Startup will wash your car wherever it is located

#86

Post by __alexs » Mon, Jan 16, 2012, 12:05 PM UTC

demallien wrote: post #81

dotBen wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would be REALLY pissed if someone washed by car without my permission. I'm surprised it had a positive effect on you. I might still try the service - I currently pay ~$30 with tip at the local car wash place where they wash your car by hand.

If you pick a car that is dusty / muddy, you can be pretty sure that the owner is not overly fussy about their car, and hence quite likely to have a positive reaction to a free wash. The probability that someone with an obviously dirty car getting actively upset about an unsolicited wash would seem to be sufficiently low to justify the risk, I would have thought.

Unless it's an SUV and that mud is a (possibly fake http://www.wired.com/cars/energy/news/2005/06/67794) status symbol...

Re: Startup will wash your car wherever it is located

#87

Post by highlander » Mon, Jan 16, 2012, 1:25 PM UTC

What's new apart from the web front end? I thought every city has had businesses like this for years. Here in Scotland, we have a number of 'Waterless' car cleaning services who will come to your home of place of work.

Re: Startup will wash your car wherever it is located

#88

Post by ionwake » Mon, Jan 16, 2012, 1:54 PM UTC

nlh wrote: post #56

Interesting (and clever idea), but immediate concerns come to mind: 1) "Wherever it is located" might be the wrong approach. In a place like NYC, I can assure you that if your car is parked on, say, 74th & Lex, you're not going to get away with doing a car wash there. Same goes for almost every commercial parking lot in the city -- they're not going to let a random guy come in and start washing cars (they don't let o…

One thing I dont understand.... how does one with such a startup find cleaners in each of the cities ? Does it have to market itself to cleaners first, as a sort of middle man?

Re: Startup will wash your car wherever it is located

#89

Post by jarek » Mon, Jan 16, 2012, 2:46 PM UTC

highlander wrote: post #87

What's new apart from the web front end? I thought every city has had businesses like this for years. Here in Scotland, we have a number of 'Waterless' car cleaning services who will come to your home of place of work.

Having a web front-end makes it much easier to raise VC money in the Valley.

Related, regarding Uber: "It always surprises me how easy it is to wrap an existing product in a smartphone and persuade young people that it's something new. Manhattan bankers and lawyers have been taking black cars home from those perilous downtown dinners for decades, a necessity since the city has fewer yellow cabs today than in 1937 and important men in suits can't ride the subway after 8:00. I guess the current batch of clueless nouveau riche yuppies was terrified by the prospect of calling for a car and is very excited that they can now text for one." - from http://felixsalmon.tumblr.com/post/15253035246/it-always-sur...

Re: Startup will wash your car wherever it is located

#90

Post by badclient » Mon, Jan 16, 2012, 2:54 PM UTC

catch23 wrote: post #85

badclient wrote: post #75

Funny, but in countries like India, it is fairly common to have a guy come in and wash your car every morning. Put another way: a subscription service for car wash. In countries like India, it is inexpensive enough and there is enough pollution to call for a daily car wash. In the US, I can see my Dad signing up for a weekly car wash at our suburb home.

Not as funny as you might think -- if you own a car in India, you're probably upper class. In India, lots of paid inane chores are common, like carrying one's luggage from the taxi to the airport, even if it's a small backpack.

if you own a car in India, you're probably upper class

source?