Golden Rings and Car Wash Pits

[Bubbles Galore]

I have a customer who dropped a very expensive gold ring with diamonds into the pit in one of our bays. This pit is 8 ft. deep and is about half way full right now with sludge...suggestions anyone? I want to help this guy out, but I truly don't have the time to sift through this pit by hand and due to liability issues, cannot allow him to look for it on his own. Help!

 

[mac]

If you find an easy way to locate this, please let us know what that is.

 

[pitzerwm]

If the mud is solid that is where the ring would stop sinking. Maybe a metal detector, provided by him, would locate it rather quickly. You could make him sign a detailed release, and block off the bay.

 

[Whale of a Wash]

Unless they rent a metal detector that can find gold, chances are slim of finding the ring. We have looked for many, and never found them. our pits are 3' and sifted through alot of dirt. Hopefully it was covered under his homeowners insurance.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

On several occasions I've had people tell me they dropped something and it rolled under the car into the pit, asked me to look for it. I made a 2x4 & hardware cloth "sifter", and offer to let them dig & sift. In all cases they declined.
Kinda makes a guy wonder if he's being used for an insurance claim or something.

I'm not saying your customer is dishonest because I genuinely dont know the facts - I have found minor items in the vacs before when customers called for help, and sure, stuff happens. But I really dont understand how a "very expensive gold ring with diamonds" finds its way off the hand, under the car, into the pit.

I guess I'm saying, what are the liability issues you're concerned with, why dont you want to offer to let them dig for gold in your pits?

 

[MEP001]

Paul has the right idea - if the customer is telling the truth, he'll agree to look himself.

I'd suggest a pool skimmer net for the job - I can't imagine trying to dig the mud out and sift through it would work.

 

[borumrm]

I have seen this from time to time and have had pretty amazing luck just pumping the excess water out of the pit to where you can see the top of the sludge....oftem times the item will lie right on top as most of the time things like that are not heavy enough to sink down unless the sludge is disturbed....if you have a small sump pump with a hose you can pump the water into the pit of an adjacent bay and see if it works for you. Even if it doesn't you will likely score some goodwill with the customer.

 

[Fatboy769]

I have seen this from time to time and have had pretty amazing luck just pumping the excess water out of the pit to where you can see the top of the sludge....oftem times the item will lie right on top as most of the time things like that are not heavy enough to sink down unless the sludge is disturbed....if you have a small sump pump with a hose you can pump the water into the pit of an adjacent bay and see if it works for you. Even if it doesn't you will likely score some goodwill with the customer.

Ditto. Have had the same thing happen a couple of times with a ring, pumped the water off the pit and it was laying on top of the mud.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Thanks guys, I will give it a go this weekend and see how we make out.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

I tell them they would have to pay to have the pit cleaned out from the pit cleaning company that I use. That there is a flat fee to clean the pits for $600.
So if they want to pay them $600 before they start they will pump out the pit and hand sift thru the sludge.
So far 3 people paid and all 3 times they found the rings. 4 or 5 have declined.
In the meantime for $600 I get all my pits cleaned free.

 

[borumrm]

Thanks guys, I will give it a go this weekend and see how we make out.

Suspense has been killing me.....did you find the darn ring?

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Suspense has been killing me.....did you find the darn ring?

I haven't had an opportunity to check yet...I was out of town...if the weather turns here this weekend, I will try and check it out one day. Thanks for the reminder, I need to call them...