What exactly is "COVID-19 Disinfect"?

[aquariuscsm]

Reason I ask, my car got hit by some dumbass sometime over the past weekend, either at the hotel we were staying at or the club we went to. The rear bumper got scuffed up from the passenger side over to the rear middle. Tried to get video surveillance footage, but nothing incriminating was found.

I got a bodyshop estimate today. Damages came to $1006.04. My deductible is $250. My insurance lists it as a "hit and run" where I'm at zero fault, so therefore I will suffer no penalties. They will also compensate me for "diminished value" if and when I ever sell my car. The body shop listed in the estimate, "COVID-19 Disinfect". What exactly is it and what do they do? If it involves any harsh solvents, cleaners, or chemicals that can possibly damage my leather interior or plastics, I do NOT want that done.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[ecotourist]

Extra profit?

 

[JustinH]

Mostly a wallet flush.

Some of the dealers here are spraying the car with disinfectant foggers here before service. I don't see it being necessary but it is an extra profit for them.

 

[AutoMechanic]

It is like the shops around here are doing and cleaning the sets and using steering wheel covers and seat covers to take it in. Then cleaning it as they leave. Basically extra profit for them.

 

[4WD]

I drove a rental car today … brand new Malibu with 3 miles. But it still had the same “been disinfected “ card on the mirror as the older rentals …Oh, and a little Clorox wipe single in console

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

Probably using ozone machines

 

[miden851]

sales pitch of course

i'd do it better and for 50% off

 

[Hall]

What exactly is it and what do they do?

Wouldn't the body shop give the most accurate answer ?

 

[01rangerxl]

If they use anything it's probably pretty mild. They don't want to damage any screens or stain anything.

It may just cover the additional cost of steering wheel covers, seat covers, sanitizer, etc. This is a pretty standard thing on estimates now. I see a fair number of insurance estimates because body shops will just send a copy of it to order parts and that's basically always on there. What's the insurance company going to say? No? Probably not right now.

Our upsell chemical company came out with some sort of disinfectant product that is a powder in a bottle, applied with some kind of application thing. Apparently the process is more convoluted than the techs want to deal with. I added it to the tech's recommendations as a joke on a random used car inspection, and the service writer actually got it approved, but then the shop foreman brought the bottle back and said they couldn't figure out how to use the applicator device. Oh well, I tried.

BTW, if you bring in a clean car, as I'm sure yours is, they aren't going to waste a bunch of time and product dousing it in cleaner. If they are using a chemical or something, most of it's going in the car with fast food bags for floor mats and some kind of infestation.

 

[Jackson_Slugger]

They slather each other with hand sanitizer in the back room?

Probably did an unnecessary or excessive cleaning of the interior so they could charge the insurance...

Hopefully they didn't huff bleach...

 

[DuckRyder]

No way to tell without asking the shop...

Basically it is a charge that they figured out they could get paid for, it could be anything from fogging it to wiping it with clorox wipes...

 

[Hall]

Basically it is a charge that they figured out they could get paid for

While some would say it's something they should be doing as a courtesy (as well as for protection of their own employees).

 

[aquariuscsm]

Wouldn't the body shop give the most accurate answer ?

That'd be about like asking Jiffy Lube what is the best oil.

 

[Jackson_Slugger]

While some would say it's something they should be doing as a courtesy (as well as for protection of their own employees).

I do not totally disagree, but shouldn't they be keeping **** clean Covid or no Covid anyways?

I mean these guys are not Charlton Heston from Omega Man or anything....

 

[Wolf359]

That'd be about like asking Jiffy Lube what is the best oil.

Well not really, you're just asking them what they're doing for their cleaning, not how the cleanings prevent it. One they should be able to answer and the other I wouldn't even bother asking.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I just want to make sure it's not some dude (or dude-ette) wiping my interior down with something that's going to damage it.

 

[SZR48207]

To please the germophobes

 

[aquariuscsm]

To please the germophobes

^^That's what I'm thinking.

 

[Jackson_Slugger]

I just want to make sure it's not some dude (or dude-ette) wiping my interior down with something that's going to damage it.

I doubt they used anything that hasn't been around and that you yourself have used...

 

[aquariuscsm]

I doubt they used anything that hasn't been around and that you yourself have used...

I guess the best comparison is when you see the porters at the dealerships washing cars with that course mop looking thingy that's been repeatedly dipped in the filthy bucket of water, after numerous cars have been washed with it. I know members here with really nice high end expensive cars would have a cow if they saw their cars being washed in that fashion.