Terms & conditions

Who this agreement is with

This website and this detailing service are run by Record Mobile Detailing, a mobile detailing business owned and operated by Carter Record and based in Carson City, Michigan.

Throughout this page, “I”, “me” and “my” mean Record Mobile Detailing, including anyone working on its behalf. “You” means the person booking the work, and “your vehicle” means whatever you’ve asked me to detail — car, truck, boat, camper, RV, ATV, side-by-side or motorcycle.

These terms apply when you book an appointment, request a quote, or use this website. Booking a job means you’ve read them and agree to them. If you don’t agree with something here, say so before the work starts — not after.

You need to be 18 or older to book. By booking, you’re confirming that you own the vehicle or that the owner has authorised you to have this work done on it.

Booking an appointment

Appointments can be booked online through Square, by phone, or by text. Online booking, scheduling, reminders and card payments are all handled by Square — when you book online you’re using Square’s system, and Square’s own terms apply to that part of it.

A booking is confirmed when you get a confirmation from Square or directly from me. Until then, a time slot isn’t held.

When you book, tell me honestly what condition the vehicle is in. It’s not a test — I’d far rather block out the right amount of time than turn up with two hours for a five-hour job. An accurate description is what keeps the price on the page close to the price you pay.

Prices, quotes and estimates

The prices shown on this website are starting prices for a vehicle in standard condition. They are not quotes, and they’re not an offer to do any particular job at that price.

Any price I give you over the phone, by text, by email or through the website is an estimate based on what you’ve described to me. Estimates are given in good faith from the information I have. I can’t give a firm price on a vehicle I haven’t seen.

The final price is confirmed in person, before any work starts. I look over the vehicle when I arrive, tell you what it needs and what it costs, and you decide from there.

Quotes are free and there’s no obligation attached to one. A quote holds for 30 days unless I’ve told you otherwise. Prices on this website can change without notice; the price that counts is the one you agreed to for your booking.

Prices are in US dollars. Any tax that applies will be shown on your invoice.

Vehicle condition and price adjustment

This is the clause worth reading properly, because it’s the one that decides what you pay.

Detailing is priced by how long the vehicle takes and what it takes to do it. Two identical trucks can be a three-hour job and a nine-hour job. A vehicle in significantly worse condition than described costs more, and here is exactly how that works.

There is no fixed percentage and no standard surcharge. I don’t work off a chart, because no two vehicles are alike — the extra is quoted for the vehicle actually in front of me. What that means for you is simple: heavy or extreme condition costs more than the listed price, and you get the exact figure before any work begins, not after.

The grades I work to

How a price change actually happens

The order matters, and it never changes:

• I look over the vehicle when I arrive, before I touch anything.
• If it’s beyond standard condition, I tell you what grade it falls into, why, and exactly what the revised price is.
• You approve that price, or you don’t. A yes by text, in person, or through Square is all it takes.
• If you’d rather not go ahead at the revised price, that’s completely fine. No work happens and there’s no charge for the visit, other than the trip fee in the paragraph below if one applies.
• Only once you’ve agreed do I start.

You will never be handed a bill you didn’t agree to. I don’t adjust a price after the work is done, and I don’t start a job and then tell you it costs more.

If you decline the revised price and I’ve already travelled out to you, a trip fee of $ TBD covers the journey. It doesn’t apply if the vehicle is in the condition you described.

If something only turns up mid-job

Occasionally a problem is genuinely invisible until the work is underway — what’s under a seat, what’s beneath a floor mat, what the carpet is hiding, what’s in a bilge. If that happens, I stop, show you, and we go through the same steps above for the extra work before I carry on. If you’d rather I left it, I leave it and you pay for the work already agreed.

Adding to the job on the day

Want something extra once I’m there? Ask — I’ll tell you if it fits in the time and what it costs. Extra work is charged at the agreed price on top of the original job.

Time

Any timing I give you is an estimate. A vehicle in worse condition takes longer, and I’d rather run over than cut a job short. If a job overruns badly enough to affect the rest of my day, I’ll talk to you about finishing it another time.

Work I don’t take on

Some jobs I turn down, and it’s better for everyone that the list is public rather than a surprise on the day.

I don’t do window tint. It gets asked about often. You’ll want a tint shop.

I don’t do biohazard or contamination cleaning. That means blood or other bodily fluids, vomit, urine, faeces, used needles or drug paraphernalia, animal remains, rodent or insect infestation, active mould growth, chemical or fuel spills, and anything similar. That work needs specialist equipment, training and disposal that a detailing service doesn’t have.

I also won’t work on a vehicle that isn’t safe to work on or around, one with unsecured firearms in it, or one where I’m being asked to do something I don’t think is right for the vehicle.

If any of this only becomes apparent after I’ve arrived, I’ll stop and explain why. The trip fee of $ TBD applies in that case, since the visit was made on the strength of a description that didn’t match.

Detailing is a cosmetic service. I don’t carry out mechanical work, bodywork, dent removal, rust repair, paint or bodyshop repairs, windscreen or glass repair, upholstery repair or re-trimming, or paint protection film.

Where the work happens

I come to you, and I bring my own water and power — that part is on me. What I need from you is somewhere to work.

• A safe, reasonably level parking space with room to open the doors fully and walk right round the vehicle.
• The vehicle accessible at the time booked, with keys available if I need to move it or run the electrics.
• Enough light to work by if it’s an early or late slot.

Permission is your side of it. By booking, you’re confirming you’re allowed to have this work done where you’ve asked for it. If the location is governed by a landlord, an HOA, an apartment complex, an employer, a marina or a storage facility, checking their rules is down to you, and any fine or penalty from breaking them is too.

Detailing produces water runoff. You’re confirming that runoff is permitted where the work is happening. Some municipalities and some private sites restrict it.

If I arrive and there’s nowhere safe or legal to do the work, I’ll try to sort something with you on the spot. If we can’t, it’s treated as a late cancellation under clause 14.

I travel around 45 minutes from Carson City without charging for it. Further out, a travel charge may apply, and I’ll tell you what it is before you book — never after.

Your belongings

Please clear the vehicle out before I arrive. Take out anything valuable or important: cash, wallets, phones, laptops, tablets, jewellery, documents, medication, firearms, tools, garage door openers, anything sentimental.

I’m not responsible for loss of or damage to personal belongings left in the vehicle. An interior detail means moving, lifting and cleaning under everything in there, and the only reliable way to protect something is for it not to be in the car.

I don’t throw anything away without asking. If it’s not obviously rubbish, it gets bagged and left with the vehicle. If you’d like the obvious rubbish cleared, just say so and I’ll take care of it.

Tell me about anything fitted that needs care: a dash cam, a tracker, aftermarket electronics, a modified interior, a child seat you want left in place, anything already loose or broken.

If I find something that looks lost rather than stored — cash, a ring, a wallet — I’ll flag it to you directly rather than just leaving it on a seat.

What detailing can and can’t do

Detailing is cleaning, correction and protection. It works on the surface, and it can’t undo age, wear or damage that’s already there.

Cleaning a vehicle reveals what dirt was hiding. This surprises people, and it’s worth being straight about it: swirl marks, scratches, chips, dents, faded trim, previous repairs and cheap touch-ups are often far more visible on a clean vehicle than a dirty one. Old wax, glaze or filler products can be masking defects, and removing them uncovers what was underneath. That’s the detail showing you the vehicle’s real condition, not the detail causing damage.

Some things fail during cleaning because they were already failing. I take real care, I work conservatively, and I stop and talk to you the moment I see something at risk. But I’m not responsible for damage arising from a pre-existing condition, including:

• Clear coat that is failing, peeling, thin, or has already been polished repeatedly.
• Panels that have been resprayed, touched up, or filled — repaint and filler behave differently to factory paint and I’m rarely told about them in advance.
• Rust and corrosion, including rust that’s under paint until it isn’t.
• Plastic and rubber trim that’s cracked, brittle, faded or already perishing.
• Vinyl wrap, decals, pinstriping, badges and emblems that are lifting, aged, or held on by old adhesive.
• Paint protection film with lifting or contaminated edges.
• Window seals, door seals, sunroof drains and weather stripping that are perished — a leak that shows up after a wash is a seal that was already gone.
• Cracked or chipped glass, which can spread with a temperature change.
• Headliners that are sagging or coming unglued.
• Upholstery, leather, carpet backing and stitching that are worn, dried out, split or previously repaired.
• Electrical faults, or components that stop working after cleaning near them.
• Aftermarket parts, modifications and non-standard finishes.
• On boats: soft, porous, chalked or previously repaired gelcoat, and deteriorated marine vinyl.

Some things don’t come out. Deep stains, dye transfer, burns, ink, permanent odours, water etching, scratches that go through the clear coat, oxidation that’s reached the substrate, and sun damage may improve noticeably but not disappear. I’ll tell you what I think is realistic before I start rather than take your money on a promise I can’t keep.

If I spot something I think is a genuine risk, I’ll show you and let you decide whether I work on that area. Asking me to carry on after that conversation means you accept the risk on it.

Paint correction and ceramic coating

These two deserve their own clause, because they’re the services where the stakes are highest.

Paint correction removes clear coat. That’s not a side effect, it’s the mechanism — levelling the surface to remove a defect takes away a small measured amount of material. On healthy factory paint there’s plenty to work with. On paint that’s thin, previously corrected, resprayed or already failing, there may not be, and correction carries a real risk of burn-through or clear coat failure. If I have concerns about a panel, I’ll tell you before I go near it. Going ahead after that means accepting the risk.

How much of a defect comes out depends on how deep it is. If you can catch a fingernail in a scratch, it’s through the clear coat and it isn’t coming out with polish. I’ll be honest about what I expect to achieve.

Ceramic coating. A coating is a sacrificial protective layer. It makes a vehicle easier to keep clean and helps it stay looking good for longer. It is not scratch-proof, chip-proof, dent-proof or damage-proof, and it’s not a replacement for washing the vehicle properly.

Any durability figure quoted by a coating manufacturer is the manufacturer’s claim, not mine. How long a coating actually lasts depends on how the vehicle is washed, where it’s kept, how far it’s driven, road salt, and how well the aftercare is followed. I don’t offer a warranty on coating longevity or performance — see clause 10.

Coatings need particular conditions to apply and cure. I may need to reschedule for weather, or ask you to keep the vehicle dry and unwashed for a set period afterwards. I’ll give you the aftercare instructions on the day, and following them is your side of it.

No guarantee or warranty

Plainly: I don’t offer a guarantee or a warranty on detailing work. Not on the finish, not on how long a result lasts, not on a coating, not on stain or odour removal.

That isn’t a lack of confidence in the work — it’s that the result depends on things outside my control: the vehicle’s age, its history, its materials, and what happens to it after I drive away. A detail is a snapshot in time. What it looks like in six months is down to how it’s looked after.

To the fullest extent Michigan law allows, services are provided as they are, and I disclaim all implied warranties, including any implied warranty of merchantability or of fitness for a particular purpose.

What you do get is honesty about what I expect to achieve before I take your money, and a conversation rather than a runaround if something isn’t right — see clause 11.

If you’re not happy with the work

Tell me. Genuinely — before you tell anyone else, tell me. Most things worth complaining about are things I’d rather come back and sort out.

Have a proper look over the vehicle before I leave if you can. It’s much easier to put something right while I’m still standing there with my equipment out.

If something comes to light afterwards, get in touch within 72 hours of the job finishing, and before the vehicle is washed or detailed by anyone else. Photos help a lot. That window isn’t there to catch you out — it’s that after a few days of driving, weather and washing, there’s no honest way for either of us to tell what happened when.

I photograph vehicles before and after as a matter of routine. That record is there for both of us.

If work I did falls short, I’ll either put it right or refund what you paid for that part of the job, whichever makes more sense. That’s the remedy available under these terms.

Limit of responsibility

Except where the law says otherwise, the most I can be responsible for on any job is the amount you paid me for it.

I’m not responsible for indirect or knock-on losses — loss of use of the vehicle, hire or rental costs, lost income, missed appointments, towing, storage, or a claimed reduction in the vehicle’s value.

I’m not responsible for damage arising from a pre-existing condition (clause 08), for belongings left in the vehicle (clause 07), or for what happens to the vehicle after I’ve finished.

Nothing in these terms limits any responsibility that can’t lawfully be limited under Michigan law, and nothing here is an attempt to sidestep responsibility for personal injury or for something done carelessly or deliberately. If I get something wrong, I’ll own it.

Insurance

I carry liability insurance through Fremont Insurance. It’s in force, and I’m happy to confirm the details if you ask before booking.

Carrying cover doesn’t change anything else in this clause, and it isn’t a substitute for the rest of these terms — in particular it doesn’t make me responsible for damage arising from a pre-existing condition (clause 08) or for belongings left in the vehicle (clause 07). It means that if something goes genuinely wrong because of my work, there’s a policy behind it rather than just a promise.

Payment

Payment is due when the job is finished, unless we’ve agreed something different in advance.

Card payments are processed by Square. Your card details go directly to Square. They never pass through this website, and I don’t see or store them. Square’s own terms and privacy notice cover that side of the transaction.

A deposit may be required for larger jobs, ceramic coatings, and appointments booked well ahead. If one applies I’ll tell you when you book, and it comes off the final price.

Deposits are refunded in full if I cancel or can’t make the appointment. Where you cancel, clause 14 applies.

If you have a problem with a charge, come to me first. I’ll always talk it through. Raising a card dispute over work that was completed and agreed, without contacting me, is the one thing that turns a fixable conversation into a formal one — and I may recover the amount and any costs that come with it.

Cancellations and no-shows

Plans change and I’m not difficult about it. Give me at least 24 hours’ notice to cancel or move an appointment and there’s no charge at all.

Inside 24 hours, a late cancellation fee of $ TBD applies. A slot booked is a slot I’ve turned other work away for.

A no-show fee of $ TBD applies if I arrive and can’t do the job. That covers:

• Nobody there and no way to reach you.
• The vehicle not available, not accessible, or somewhere else.
• No safe or permitted place to work (clause 06).

Declining a revised price after an honest condition assessment is not a no-show. That’s covered by the trip fee in clause 04, and only if the vehicle wasn’t in the condition you described.

If I have to cancel or reschedule — weather, illness, a breakdown, a job overrunning — I’ll tell you as early as I can, there’s no charge to you, and any deposit is refunded or moved to the new date, your choice.

Weather

Mobile detailing happens outdoors in Michigan, so weather occasionally wins.

Rain, high wind, freezing temperatures and extreme heat all affect the work. Products and coatings have temperature ranges they have to be applied within, and working outside them produces a result neither of us wants. Wind blows grit onto wet paint. Correction and coating work in particular need conditions to be right.

I’ll reschedule for weather at no charge to you, as early as I can see it coming. If you have covered space — a garage, a barn, a pole building — say so when you book, because it often means the weather stops mattering.

Photographs of your vehicle

I photograph vehicles before and after. It’s a working record of the condition I found and the condition I left, and it protects both of us if there’s ever a question about a job.

I also use before-and-after photos to show the work — on this website, on Google, and on Facebook and Instagram. Unless you tell me otherwise, booking a job means you’re happy for photos of the vehicle to be used that way.

Don’t want your vehicle shown? Just say so — when you book or when I arrive, either is fine. No explanation needed, and it makes no difference to the job or the price. If you’d rather it was only the plate that was hidden, I’ll blur it.

I never photograph the inside of your home, and I never show addresses or anything that identifies where a vehicle was worked on. If a photo has already gone out and you want it taken down, message me and it comes down.

Calls and text messages

Giving me your phone number means I can call or text you about your enquiry, your quote and your booking — confirmations, reminders, running late, that sort of thing. Square also sends automated booking confirmations and reminders.

I’ll only send you promotional messages if you’ve asked for them. If you ever get one you don’t want, reply STOP and it stops.

Your carrier’s standard message and data rates apply. How your information is handled is set out in the privacy policy.

Using this website

This site is here to tell you what I do and let you book it. The information on it is general — services, prices and availability can change without notice, and nothing here is a binding offer or a firm quote (clause 03).

I try to keep everything accurate and current, but I don’t promise the site is free of errors or always available.

The text, design, layout and photographs on this site belong to Record Mobile Detailing and aren’t to be copied or reused without permission.

The reviews shown are genuine customer reviews reproduced as they were written on Google, including any typos. They’re other people’s opinions of their own jobs, not a prediction of yours.

This site links out to Square, Google, Facebook and Instagram. Those are other companies’ services, with their own terms and privacy practices, and what happens on them isn’t something I control.

Michigan law and disputes

Talk to me first. Nearly everything gets sorted with a phone call. If something’s gone wrong, contact me within 30 days and give me a fair chance to put it right before taking it further. Most of what ends up in a formal dispute started as a message nobody sent.

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Michigan, without regard to conflict-of-law rules.

If a dispute can’t be resolved between us, it belongs in the state courts of Montcalm County, Michigan, and we both agree to that venue. Small claims court is open to either of us and is usually the sensible route for a disagreement this size.

If any part of these terms turns out to be unenforceable, the rest still stands. If I don’t enforce something on one occasion, that doesn’t mean I’ve given it up. These terms, plus what we agreed for your specific booking, are the whole agreement between us.

Changes to these terms

These terms may be updated from time to time. The version that applies to your job is the one published on the date you booked it, and changes made afterwards don’t apply backwards to a booking already made.

The effective date at the top of this page is always current.

Getting in touch

Questions about any of this — before you book, ideally — are welcome.

Record Mobile Detailing
Carson City, Michigan
(989) 824-2279
Recordmobiledetailing@gmail.com

I answer my own phone.