Michael Hinsley was left horrified after discovering a garage worker had urinated on the front of his Mercedes while it was being washed at the Mercedes dealership
A car washer was allegedly caught in a dubious act
A motorist was shocked scrolling through his car dashcam footage after picking his Mercedes up from the garage. Mortifying footage showed a worker urinating on his Mercedes A35 while it was being washed. Michael Hinsley, from Broseley, Shropshire, had his £30,000 motor taken in for a routine service at his local Mercedes dealership in Shrewsbury on December 4.
He initially thought they had done an excellent job until he reviewed the dashcam footage. “I was absolutely horrified to see what the guy had done, to urinate on my car – I simply couldn’t believe it,” he expressed.
“I came across this clip of a guy putting my car through a car wash. I was horrified as they were using a car wash rather than a mechanical-type wash but what happened next was way more shocking.”
‘Yeah, that’ll clean the bonnet…’
The video showed the employee vanish from sight, only to reappear and relieve himself on Michael’s Mercedes. “All of a sudden, I could see what he was doing, and I was absolutely horrified, Michael said. “I just couldn’t believe someone could do this.”
Michael promptly contacted the dealership to report the incident. After discussing the matter with the service department, he sent them the footage.
He was assured that the issue would be looked into, and a representative called him back the following day.
A less offensive shot from the dashcam
Michael, who shells out £41 a month for a plan that includes an annual service for his motor, was left fuming after the valet service, which isn’t run by Mercedes but is a contractor they use for their UK operations, gave him grief. “They told me they had identified the employee responsible and that he was no longer working there – they said all they could do was apologise,” Michael vented.
But sorry didn’t cut it for him. “On January 3rd, I called back and told them I wasn’t happy with just an apology,” he declared.
“I’m disgusted with how they’re treating me and the whole situation,” he added, pointing out that the valeting spot is on their turf and behind gates – so they ought to own up to the mess. The car, a swanky A-Class model he bagged as a second-hand Merc for £30k last year, was his pride and joy.
The person responsible was a contractor, the dealership says
“It’s a big investment, and I trusted them with it,” he said, feeling betrayed. The dealership tried to smooth things over with a £250 ‘sorry’ cheque, but Michael’s having none of it.
“This isn’t just about the damage done – it’s about the principle. They need to take accountability,” he insisted.
A spokesperson for Mercedes Benz responded: “Mercedes-Benz of Shrewsbury have taken this matter extremely seriously and are deeply sorry for the distress caused to the customer.”
Michael was disgusted by his discovery
They also made it clear that the person in question was a contractor, not a direct employee of the dealership.
“As soon as the incident was brought to our attention, the contractor was immediately dismissed, and we implemented measures to ensure such behaviour will not occur again.”
“Our priority is to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and respect, and we are reviewing our policies with all contractors and staff to reinforce this commitment.”
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