Brooklyn, NY – The office of Brooklyn councilman David Greenfield investigated allegations of car washes in Brooklyn jacking up prices before the Passover holiday.
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freelancer Shimon Gifter investigates on film car washes in Brooklyn, on April 13 2011.
Watch below.
Greenfield is a publicity seeker. He should launch an investigation into the high Pesach prices that are charged by retail merchants, instead of only focusing on the car wash owners.
What are you supposed to do? Drive off.
Although I obviously don’t enjoy being on the other side of paying more, I think that when it is a “busy season” for any type of business – they are entitled to higher their prices if that is what they want to do… it’s a free market. You and I can choose not to patronize them… but it is their businesss to decide that. (MORE SO because a car wash is a luxury… it’s not like it is a basic need like food and drink….)
WHAT ABOUT THE GAUGING FOR ALL THE OTHER PESACH STUFF , MATZOS , ETC…..
Supply and demand, why is this wrong. Vacume yourself if you don;t like it.
the vaccuum cleaner is $1.25 for 5 minutes. I used it three times. My car is completely clean for $3.75. I dont need the windows wiped and the mats shampooed. just vaccuum it yourself
Greenfield go Check in the kosher supermarkets how much they are gauging the people it’s a shame on the rabanim that they don’t do anything about this it’s hard enough as it is to make pesach, and tehy don’t care because they get it for free anyway !
I’m hearin this complain every year about Hollywood car wash, can soemone tell me why they are still going back there? Why don’t we all boycott this car wash once and for all. There are so many others that we can go too.
Well after watching this I don’t see the big deal.
This is a non issue. From this video you don’t see any bias, just higher prices for a more thorough car wash and lower for just a vacuum. Then as one car wash guy said, “if you come here all the time we give you a break” that means that if you’re a regular you get a better price, that’s a common thing, and many of these cars that they charge more is just because these people go for a car wash only once a year and they have a years supply of super-snack wrappers and cookie crumbs, so it’s harder work.
Also as one poster pointed out, it’s a supply/demand issue, higher demand = higher prices.
All I see here is one attention limelight seeking politician, I think it’s about time we are mevaer the “cometz” from city hall.
I work in the Bronx and had my car done for just $22, full inside vac in every cranny and nook with a hand detailed car wash and schmaltz on the wheels.
at first they didn’t do such a thorough job as i would’ve liked for pesach, but they were eager to learn and redid the whole thing while i guided them. all for just $22 and a $2 tip=$24
thanks David, its a good start. and to the other posters who are saying that we have a choice, you are so wrong, when these customers came in they expected to pay 10$ just like the non-jewish guy, maybe a few dollars more for extra cleaning, absolute thievery. theres one catch in this whole thing: THESE CAR WASHES ARE OWNED BY JEWS (ISRAELIS)!!
it’s a free market greenfield. no one is forecing you to go to the car wash. get your hands dirty wash your car yourself and stop bickering.
theres places on flatbush avenue and flatlands ave that dont know what pesach is so you should get the right price
Greenfield, how about making an investigation on the following Jewish Industries: Matzoh , Arba Minim and Pesach food prices. Every Pesach, the groceries engage in price gouging on the highest level. How about reigning in all those greedy distributors/ manufacturers ? Instead of calling Pesach ” Zeman Cheirusenu” it should be called ” Zeman Ripoffsenu”
Have the kids do it at home with a hand vac. Most of them enjoy it. All it costs is an ice cream cone.
If these people think that they can price gouge at Pesach and get away with it, they are wrong! People will remember and not come back during the year!!
the car wash is not the guilty one. They have all the right to ask and fake as much as they want. My question is “Why is our heimishe oilem sooooo naive and i don’t wanna use the word dumb but they really seem like they are with the words vell that’s vat they charge me so vat should I do?. What you should is pick yourself up and get outte there.
Thank you very much mr greenfeld for keeping us in mind and trying to help the community
Its about tiMe you should start bringing funds to the boro park orthodox community for education and housing like we used to get from simcha felder
We thank you very much. For trying to be an asken and help out the community not over paying at car wash but as far as I know there is noting you can do about it
The tap program was now delivered in the state after many years of work am sure if you will try you will also getting programs
I am sure it won’t be easy to get anything from blumberg after you blasted him by the snow stor$ but I am sure if you will try you can get
my wake-up was buying arba minim for $100+ and recently buying an Italian Lemon (that’s what an Yanava Esrog is called in the grocery trade) $3
It’s supply and demand.
same thing in December–that’s why there are big sales of decorations on Dec 26. great discounts and can be used in the Succa, too.
Its shocking! LOL! it aint if you got some sense of business management
Here’s a suggestion: how about keeping your car clean all year long and then you won’t have a car full of smashed sandwiches and crushed pretzels and spilled soda. How about NOT EATING AND DRINKING in the car? Think about that when you’re driving to the bungalows in the summer with the kids in the back seat, stop at a rest area before you hand out the noshkies.
Mr. Greenfield, how about doing something important and fight the MTA to get back the X-29 Express Bus, like Marty Goldin did for his people.
They get away with it, because they know only the Yidden will be naive enough to pay these exhorbinant prices. No other group would.
The issue isn’t the price, it is giving the same service to a goy for half the price and prohibiting Jews from choosing an inexpensive basic service based solely on their religion.
the bait and switch on proices is wrong, assur, and illegal. the prices going up is no differant han the airlines during holiday season. its call supply side economics. very simple, more demand, same amount of product, prices go up. if you want cheaper go to a non jewish neighborhood, and itll prob be faster as the lines will be shorter anyhow.
now aside from all this, are these people toyt meshuga, anyhitng above 10 bucks, and youre insane. i wnet to a gas station, took an hour, and vacummed and clened my care all by myself. cost: ran vacuum 3 times at 1.50 each, so a whopping 4.50. i used maybe tenth of a bottle of armor all cleaner, so maybe another 35 cents, and a washable rag, no cost. total: generously round it up to 5 bucks. and i KNOW my car is clean. and for all you people who say you have a big cars and kids, so do i and i drive a huge 8 cylinder SUV. it took an hour, but no differnat than going and waiting at a car wash, prob faster.
I bought one of those red and black “shop vac” 2 years ago for $40 and since then I do my minivan myself. Its not that hard. It takes around and hour and the van is perfectly clean!