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Business Profile

Car Wash

Tidal Wave Auto Spa

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Car Wash.

This business has 1 alert

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Tidal Wave Auto Spa's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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Tidal Wave Auto Spa has 66 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 203 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 110 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

    Sort by

    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/30/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      UnansweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Time before last couldn’t was floor mats today and last several times the tire shine was pathetic I have to come home and spray them myself no excuses most of the time there is only one person with the cleaning brush and they have to rush through with it I’m thinking about trying another company
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/30/2024

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      UnansweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On 9/12/24, I purchased a $12 car wash. I was then enrolled in a $25 a month unlimited car wash membership without my consent. After getting the car wash, I received a text from them saying “Welcome to the unlimited Clean Club at Tidal Wave Auto Spa! Please take a moment to finish your membership profile” with a link. Reasonably assuming they wanted me to sign up for the membership, I ignored the text and did not give them any more information. I was never informed that they automatically signed me up. On 12/19/24, I realized they had been taking money out of my account. I called customer service, and they said they could only refund me for the last month. They also said that even if no one told me I was getting enrolled, the text alone was sufficient and I should have clicked the link. This is unethical and they stole money from me right from under my nose and refuse to give me a refund. In the three months they charged me for a membership, I never got a car wash there. I was completely unaware of said membership until 12/19/24. I am requesting a FULL refund for the money they stole. They refunded $24 for the last month but they still owe me $48.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/29/2024

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      UnansweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      In March, 2024, I went to the drive thru car wash (Tidal Wave) to get the exterior of my car washed. I specifically told the attendant that I only wanted a one time wash because I had been to another car wash and they began charging me for monthly washes without my knowledge, The attendant said that was fine and indicated that he had only charged me for the one wash. I received a text message about starting a membership but I ignored it because I was supposedly only charged the one time fee. After checking my credit card statement this month, I found a charge for TW, I called the company and was told that they kept charging because the membership text was never responded to. While the person I spoke to cancelled all future payments, I asked for reimbursements for the other payments and she refused saying that I was "obligated" because I never responded to the text messages. This business practice is shady at the least and criminal at the most. I am sure I am not the only one this has happened to. They are intentionally vague about their practice although I SPECIFICALLY asked them to only charge me once!! I only used them because I had driven in an area that was very muddy, The place I get my oil changes does a complimentary basic car wash as well as interior vacuum so why would I need a membership elsewhere??? I just want to be reimbursed and have this practice exposed because this seems to be an intentional busyness practice they use regularly!
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/29/2024

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      UnansweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I never use this car wash store
      But I got charged about $23
      I don't understand how they charged from my card.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/27/2024

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      UnansweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      The first time I went to Tidal Wave of **** on **** *****, they asked me if I wanted to join their membership club. I said no. A few weeks later, I was being billed monthly for services I didn't receive or want. After I went back to tell them to stop the billing, I had my car washed with Tire Shine. A few minutes later, at the vacumes, I noticed grease all over my hubcaps. Another woman was scrubbing her hubcaps. She said her car was full of grease as well. So, I walked over and asked to speak to the manager. I explained the problem to him and he would not give me my money back. I spent 40 minutes and used 6 of their rags and spray to get the grease off my car. My shoulders were sore when I left. I explained all of this to the manager and he said he could not do anything about it because my car was clean-just all 4 hubcap were oily. My car was cleaner before the wash. I drive a ******** and take very good care of my car. This place is more interested in taking people's money than doing a good job cleaning cars. Very disappointing. They are close to my home and wanted to use this car wash. I just can't go back now. They are dishonest people.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/20/2024

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      UnansweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Was over billed for car washes that didn't happen.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/16/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      UnansweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      My wife and I signed up at Tidal Wave at their grand opening for a monthly membership. Tidal wave employees were very aggessive in persuading us to sign up. I was told the first month is free and the membership could be cancelled at anytime. I was specifically told I could cancel with no strings attached as long as it was done before the monthly renewal date. I have now tried to cancel both accounts, but have been advised by Tidal Wave that in order to not be rebilled, I would have had to cancelled (7) days before the renewal. This was never conveyed to me and is an extremely deceptive business practice.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/16/2024

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      UnansweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I visited Tidal Wave car wash on ******* to get my car washed. Upon pulling up the the wash, rather than choosing what I wanted on the screen as I usually do, a man working at the wash was standing there and asked which wash I wanted. I told him the best wash they had. He said, “For $30, you can get a month of those washes. You can come back as many times as you’d like for 30 days” That sounded like a great deal so I agreed. On *******, I noticed my account was charged by Tidal Wave for $49.97. Upon investigation, I realized I was unknowingly signed up for a membership without my acknowledgement or agreement. I immediately canceled the membership online but was unable to request a refund. I reached out by phone to Tidal Wave to tell them what happened and ask for a refund. I was refused a refund because they said they sent me a text message with a membership agreement. I explained that I never saw this message when it was sent and it was never mentioned at the car wash that it would be a $49.97 recurring charge. They declined to give me a refund. I then realized that I had seen another charge on my account from Tidal Wave a few days prior for $23.97 that was on my son’s card. I asked him about the charge and he said he hadn’t been to the car wash in several months. After looking through the account, I realized that he too had been signed up for a membership without being informed that was happening. He said nothing was mentioned about this when he had his car washed. This is obviously a shady business practice that is occurring regularly at this location. He cancelled the membership after we realized what had happened but we had been paying for this for 4 months without even realizing it. I filed a dispute with my credit card company for the $49.97 charge on my account.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/13/2024

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      UnansweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Went to get a car wash in ***** ****. Signed a credit card slip for approximately $17. They charged my bank $37.42. I filed for this to stop in *** when I saw it on my bank account and was recovered funds for only one month. I notice they are charging me every month for some kind of membership I never agreed to.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/11/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      UnansweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I went to car wash and paid $31.65 for their opening special of unlimited car washes for the month of ********** I got 2 car washes. Just found out today, they have been charging me $52.72 for the last three months! I have not had any further car washes and got charged $158.16 for NOTHING! When I called them they said they would refund $52.72 and to bad for me!! I told them I wanted to speak to a supervisor which they wouldn’t let me do! I told her I would be reporting them to BBB

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