Tender Car Automotive Center

I wish I could rate this in negative stars. They false advertise claiming that they will cover your deductible (it’s on their website and also confirmed by the front desk) that insurance doesn’t cover. However, you’ll find this is deceitful. They will not cover this price and per my case, not even tell me that until they have already removed the bumper so I can’t even pick up my car. I filed a complaint with the BBB about their false advertisement only to discover that there are 2 other claims against them about false advertisement and 6 about their overall product.
Their staff is not helpful either, after setting up an appointment to have my car dropped off the night before, I called the next morning to make sure everything was okay only to have them tell me my car wasn’t there and they didn’t know anything about it. It was, but they failed to communicate to one another, all the while letting me panic that my car had been stolen. On top of that, they fail to call back about information such as when you’re car will be fixed and overall what is going on. I have had my information «re-​entered» in the system because they «can’t find» me. Beyond worst experience of my life with any company at all, ever. Please save yourself the headache and money and DO NOT go to them. They are absolutely awful.

I recently brought in my car for an interior detailing, and left disappointed.
While the customer service was great in booking my appointment, the end product was lacking. There were crumbs on both front seats, grease and crumbs on the center console, and a pack of cigarettes left in the back seat by the technician working on the car.
The main reason for bringing in my car was to address two stains. They were unable to get one of the stains out (understandable), but didn’t mention anything to me until I came back in to speak to them about it after discovering that the stain was still there.
Overall, I was really disappointed by the experience. I had another appointment scheduled to have our other car detailed, and will be cancelling to go elsewhere.

Tender Car Care is more of a mechanic shop and detailing location but they usually have several cars for sale on their lot as well.
I spent months looking for an SUV in my price range and Tender Car Care had a 2004 Ford Explorer that was in really great condition, with low enough miles (70K) for that year.
I met with Jon the owner who was really friendly and we took it for a spin and I was really happy with how it felt and drove. I had a few minor concerns that Jon said he would fix if I purchased the car.
We negotiated a little bit and I finally decided to get the SUV. Jon said that he would fix the small things that I addressed on the test drive and I could pick it up in a couple of days. He also gave me a month warranty if I noticed anything else, which I didn’t. I was really pleased with my SUV, especially during the winter.

Unfortunately, I drove the Ford Explorer off of the HWY on a trip to Door County towards the end of last summer and it was totaled :(Thankfully I had full insurance coverage.
Prior to my car accident I had wanted to have the car checked out (tuned up) before heading to Door County, but unfortunately they didn’t have enough time to fit me in.
So, I have been using a loaner car for the past several months and it had a few problems so I contacted Tender Car Care to get a few things fixed. Jon did the work on that car and when I told him the story about my accident he offered a discounted rate because he felt bad that he wasn’t able to fit me in before my accident. I thought that was very honorable.
It seems like he takes pride in his business and wants his customers to be happy.
I’ve already let him know that I’m in the market to buy something similar…

Went to Tender Car yesterday to have my emissions tested and to get my car registered, I went there expecting to have to wait a long time for the test then have to go to the DMV and wait even longer to get registration done… Nope! Not here! I was in within 5 minutes of arriving and the whole process took me about 15 – 20 minutes. They gave me a new sticker right there after I passed! Hooray! They do emissions testing Mon-​Fri 9am– 6pm and on the weekends (I don’t know those times) with no appointments needed.
Staff was friendly and I enjoyed my quick experience, I also have another car issue that I am planning to come back and have checked, I am hoping to have an equally pleasant experience to report on then!
Thanks for making my day a little easier Tender Car.

GO FIND A BETTER CAR SERVICE PROVIDER.
I’m extremely saddened to have to write this review because Tender Car was my go-​to place in Milwaukee for years! However, the last 2 times I’ve gone in for their Premium and Silver packages I’ve been extremely disappointed.
I have chrome rims on my vehicle and have some paint chipping on the back bumper from a recent collision, I didn’t think this would play into how my vehicle was cleaned on the inside but it seems to be if your vehicle isn’t in mint condition, they won’t put in as much honest effort detailing your vehicle.
The first time I was disapponted, the inside of my black vinyl trim had a white residue from being «cleaned» with dirty towels, my leather seats were not vacuumed, the windows had clear streaks across them all and my tires were clearly not addressed. I complained, they redid my tires and gave me a «complimentary basic wash».
Upon my return a few weeks later, knowing the basic wash is no more than what you get from a gas station car wash, I upgraded to a Premium package with tire dressing. They said the guy who normally does the detailing might have went home since it was already 330pm… and here I thought they closed at 5pm? Apparently, they found him or someone, and after waiting only 30 minutes (too quick for a thorough Premium clean in my opinion) I received my car in less than acceptable condition, again! This service is nearly $ 40 and with the usual $ 15 tip I give, I’m spending $ 55 for a wash that is NOT WORTH IT AT THIS LOCATION. The plastic carpet liners in my vehicle were not cleaned, it was obvious the windows hadn’t been touched, they skipped my tires AGAIN and even the «tender hand wash» must have been too tender because you could wipe the dirt off the outside with your finger!
Never again will I frequent this location and I hope others find a new place to go to or that Tender Car actually reads this review and changes for the better.

First time here; found via the web. I should have read more reviews and asked around. Paid for the Red Dress service only to get home and remove wax from various places all over the car. Noticed a lot of dirt on the hood still existed (which I easily wiped off), the tires were treated but the wheels were not cleaned. Headliner wasn’t touched. A lot of debris found around door jams and edges of windows.
It would appear they forgot the «detail» in DETAILing.
Perhaps this was a bad day for them — but you only get one chance to get a good review with these prices.
Also, don’t pay until they’ve let you inspect the work. My fault I suppose, but I would expect six hours to mean they were actually detailing all that time.

Spring is here (kinda)! Which meant it was time to give the car a deep clean again. I did not have an appointment but they were able to squeeze me in. They did a thorough job –vacuuming all my crumbs, washing floor mats, wiping down the doors, glove compartment, etc. Very satisfied with how clean my car was after they were done.

This place did a great job cleaning my car after i threw up all over the front passenger seat! (Stomach flu, locked window, long story). They took a long time (5 hours) and my car was still wet when I got it, but totally understandable given the condition of my car. They did not charge me more than the standard even though my car was in poor condition. The actual service was the best part — my interiors came out looking brand new, you couldn’t see any stains from the throw up, and it smelled great. Will return for steam cleaning. I thought the price was very reasonable compared to other places I compared.

I was VERY hesitant about Tender Car after reading other Unilocal reviews. I called the shop and eventually made an appointment to have rust work and window tint work done on my car. Over the phone, I was assured that the bad reviews were due to a prior business relationship that Tender Car no longer has dealings with (detailing). Still hesitant at this point, I took my car in. When I parked my car I was pleasantly met by one of the Tender Car workers. He was very nice and inviting. I explained who I was and we walked to my car to assess the work that needed to be done and I was quoted a price for the work (great quote may I add). Still a bit nervous, I agreed to have them do the work. I was told how much it would cost and I was told how long it would take. The price was great and the turnaround time was dead on (actually a bit early). When the work was finished, I came to retrieve my car and it looked GREAT. I absolutely could not tell where the rust was previously. The rust work was flawless, from the work itself to the exact-​match paint job. To top it off, my car was returned to me clean. Unfortunately I could not afford to have the window work done, but Tender Car assured me that when I was ready to have it done, they would be more than happy to accommodate me at a competitive price. I asked them about the warranty on the work done and was told that the work is guaranteed for as long as I own the vehicle — great warranty.
I didn’t know that Tender Car does all types of major/​minor repair work. I also noticed they do oil changes. I don’t know if I would use them for my oil changes, because I usually have a coupon for one of the major oil change companies. But if I need other work done, I would definitely consider them.

I stopped here recently to get an estimate for a scratch I had caused on a friends car. I choose 3 places in that vicinity and was going to allow my friend to choose where she wanted to go. I stopped at 2 places before Tender Car Automotive. I had only pictures of the scratch to the car. The first two places gave me estimates of $ 175 and $ 250. At Tender Car, I spoke to the owner, a young Rico Suave type. He encouraged me to go through my insurance which was something I didn’t want to do. I didn’t let him know that I had two previous estimates. He told me that the back panel was particularly tough to repair and that the scratch would require taking off that whole panel. He then went on to say it could cost upwards of $ 2000, but if I would go through my insurance, they would cover the deductible. Clearly he wanted to screw over my insurance company with an inflated bill, and hence screw me eventually by increased premiums. It was all very shady and I felt like they were trying to pull a fast one on a single woman coming in alone. $ 2000 was an insane estimate for the damage that was done. I read now other reviews of people with bad experiences. I would steer clear of this place.

I originally went there for bodywork after a minor collision. It was done quickly and professionally. In fact, I got my car back a day earlier than expected. I’ve also had car repairs there and they have always had the lower quote and they don’t randomly find things wrong with my car. They also had detailed my car and the ratchet smell (too long a story to tell) that filled my car prior to the detailing is no longer present. I have no complaints. They perform a wide range of services so I have no need to go anywhere else.

The owner of this place says he is contrite about their previous problems, no longer uses Groupon because it overwhelms their business, and has changed the commission structure to avoid over committing and disappointing customers.
After two separate bad experiences, my husband wouldn’t let them touch his car, but I let them do a makeup job on my tiny Smart car. We aren’t very messy with our cars, so it was not as big a challenge as some folks present, but they did a good job.
The carpets come back wet, so you must leave the windows open for at least a day to let things dry out.
Next, I’m taking in hubbies Jeep Cherokee and will report back.

After seeing a lot of poor reviews on here I was more than a little nervous taking my car to Tender Car. However I had already purchased the living social deal for the white glove treatment.
I am really glad I did. The appointment was quick and easy to make, the service at the desk was polite and friendly and my car was done right when they said it would be.
Best of all it looks great! The stains on the interior are gone, every inch of it is shining like new.
I was really thrilled with my experience and I would definitely visit them again.
I think a lot of businesses have a little trouble when they first start working with Groupon or Living Social because the volume of business increases so fast. Tender Car seems to have ironed out all of the kinks.

Our car was damaged by a dumpster while my wife was at work. We were required to get two estimates in order to get the insurance to repair the car. One day on her way to work she drove buy Tender Car and on a whim got one of our estimates. It was significantly lower than any other estimates we had. It was so low I was concerned. We just got the car back last week it looks great.
During the repair process they kept us updated on the time frame as to when the car was to be finished. It turned out to be more work than they expected so it did take longer but they never questioned the estimate. They called me less than four hours after I dropped it off to let me know that the damage was worse then he quoted but not to worry because he was going to honor the quote. He called me at the end of business that day to tell me when he could have it finished.
My wife was the one that went in on Saturday because I was out of town on business. She raved about how friendly everyone was and how much pride all the people she talked to about the job they did on our car.
I would defiantly recommend Tender Car

Honestly, I’m surprised to see the response from other customers. Lets start off with this confession: I am brutal on vehicles. I’m always on the go, hauling my bike around and going on rides so my car was kinda nasty. Full of residue from Clif Shots wrappers, sticky from Gatorade and covered in crumbs. Dropped my car off at 9am, was told to return at 3:30pm. When I arrived they were just finishing up my car and told me it wasn’t quite dry yet. Being the genius I am, I tell them I’ll take the car as is. Biiiig mistake on my part. My car smelled funky for a week. LET THEM DRY YOUR VEHICLE NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES! Looks great though! They even were able to get rid of the pine sap from my bumper that had been there for 2 years. This was my second time using Tender Car, and the experience has been positive both times.

I really hope that people check out reviews before they have their car detailed at Tender Car. This is a complete SCAM! Groupon needs to know what they are doing. When you call them to schedule your appt. they tell you they can’t get you in before your Coupon expires… BUT, if you upgrade to the White Glove service they can schedule you. That is ridiculous! My daughters car was supposed to be ready at 6:00PM and they called and said they were short staffed and would we be able to come at 7:30pm. I agreed because I didn’t want them hurrying to finish and skip things or do a terrible job. Then I get a call at 6:30pm and they said they ask if I can pick it up Saturday at noon. I ended up picking it up on Saturday and when I got there my car was covered in bird droppings. The car had obviously been sitting outside for quite some time. I wish I would’ve taken a picture. They re-​washed the car and apologized and we were told that they have a «Seagull Problem», specifically with «white» cars. A 5 yr. old could’ve done a better wax job. There was wax left on areas and on the chrome, carpet was SOAKING WET! It didn’t dry for 3 days. Rear seats had crumbs on them. I would NEVER go back and I will be contacting Groupon about them. They are obviously surviving only because of Groupon. Every single person that was checking in had coupons. I even heard the girl answering the phone give the whole spiel to people calling. «I’m sorry we can’t get you in before your Groupon expires but if you upgrade… These people need to be stopped!

**UPDATE BUSINESS HAS CLOSED***
**TOTAL SCAMMERS!!!***
STOP…don’t even think about buying that Groupon!!!
So I typically get my car detailed in Madison, but it is a pain going back and forth… so I thought I would give Tender Car Care a try via the Groupon offered. I really wanted to see what this company could do so I upgraded to the White Glove Detail Package (retail $ 325)
…Where to start??? The package includes valet to and from work, so I arrive at 8:15am on Friday and gotta be to work by nine… it’s a 5 min drive on the Interstate. There is a backup of customers… all with Groupons waiting to be served. One guy working, Shariff. Who informed me that it would take until Saturday to do the car… no mention of that before I got there. Long story short 45 min later I get a ride to work, sort of, from one of the workers who doesn’t know the city or where he’s going, sped excessively the whole way and dropped me off in traffic 2 blocks from my work so that he could get onto the interstate easier… not only did we block traffic, but I thought valet service was suppose to be a connivence to me… not the company. I shoulda backed out right there… but I didn’t…big mistake.
I told Shariff on Friday take your time, do it right… I can adjust my plans and pick the car up Saturday afternoon.
Come Saturday… No valet service to pick me up… so I got a ride on Saturday from a friend. Thanks Tender Car Care for that exceptional valet service…
That wasn’t even the worst of it. I get the car and there is a laundry list of things not done… keep in mind on their website it states, «Complete Showroom Quality»…this was FAAAAAARRRRRRR from it.
Things NOT done:
1. I had specifically asked the front windshield stickers be removed, it was even noted in the paper work… not done
2. There were white dried particles all over my black vehicle… and dried wax splatter all over the driver’s side. It took receptionist Joe over 30 minutes to clean it off after I brought it to his attention
3. The rag Joe was using was dirty and not lint free so he left smudges and scratches all over the newly waxed body… NOT GOOD.
4. Rims were not cleaned
5. Calipers were not cleaned
6. Trunk was not cleaned
7. Chipped the paint on the back of my vehicle… NOT GOOD
8. My Weather Tech mats were not in the car… almost drove off without them, wtf?
9. Inner doors were not cleaned… a true sign of a POOR detail shop
10. I am pretty sure the leather was not reconditioned
11. Somebody drove my car 8mi somewhere… Thanks guys!
The point of all of this is that if you are paying for «Complete Showroom Quality» and $ 325…it should look like it and this DID NOT!!!
The other problem is now it calls into question ALL of the work they did… did they really do a 7-​stage buffing process? Did they really do the clay treatment on the vehicle? Did they actually apply the stain repellant on the carpets or just steam clean them… who knows and thats the thing, you will never know.
I can say based off my experience, if they cut corners in one spot they probably cut corners in other spots and that is unfortunate.
So to anyone out there that truly loves their vehicle and wants the best care taken with it AVIOD THIS PLACE!!!
They are overcrowded, overbooked and overworked!!! Clearly they are now too busy to take the care needed with each vehicle they receive thanks to Groupon and Living Social… total backfire!!! FAIL!!!
Thanks again Milwaukee for letting me down… so sad.

If ever there was a case of don’t judge a book by its cover, Tender Car would it. I was immediately sketched out when I pulled into the lot… their business sign was far from impressive and there were cars parked in total disarray (I hope that makes sense). I nervously walked in and saw three employees lounging around on the couch looking like they had a rough night. Add to the horror that the place looked like more of a chop shop than a place to get your car detailed at and you’re starting to get the picture.
Shortly after leaving, I put into perspective that these folks weren’t serving food and relaxed a little about things.
When I returned to pick up my car, I noticed that my vehicle was receiving the attention it deserved and had never looked as clean as it currently does. These guys don’t f#ck around! I mean every nook and cranny had been cared to. Not a streak on the windows or mirrors. Totally impressed!
If you’re not currently using Groupon, you should be. I got their top of the line White Glove package (which normally runs around $ 300) for about $ 150 after taxes and tip. Well worth every penny spent.

I went here to have my car washed/​cleaned because I bought the groupon. The groupon was a $ 30 value.
I got the «premium» wash which included wax and all sorts of stuff on the outside plus vacuuming and wipe down on the inside. I’ll admit the inside was the part I was really after, I have a habit of spilling cereal.
They did a nice job. There was one smudge up along the odometer panel, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a Windex wipe.
I waited inside while they worked on my car, it took about 25 minutes. The inside was a little shoddy, but I didn’t mind.
When it came time to pay the guy tried to tell me that my $ 30 groupon was only valid for the «regular» wash which was $ 20 rather than $ 35 for the premium wash I had purchased. The groupon had no fine print whatsoever so I persisted and he eventually accepted the coupon. Still I would have rather have had the employees more informed about offers.
Nonetheless my car was clean which is what I wanted.