Target 12 uncovers car wash Dirty Deal

(WPRI) -- Five Rhode Island locations that are part of a local car wash chain have charged for washing vehicle undercarriages but Target 12 undercover video showed their nozzles that are aimed under vehicles did not work.

East Side Enterprises, LLC, based in Cranston, operates 13 car washes in Rhode Island and nine in Massachusetts according to its website.

Following a tip from a former East Side Enterprises employee, Target 12 mounted a waterproof camera under a vehicle and paid for a series of car washes that according to the clerks in the respective stores, were supposed to include the undercarriage washing option.

• Car Wash Investigation Follow-Up
• Photos: Behind the Scenes of "Dirty Deal"

“Oh yeah. It's more than worth it,” an unidentified clerk at one of the company’s locations answered after we asked if our vehicle’s undercarriage would be washed.

We showed the Target 12 undercover video to tipster Richard Houle, who says he worked for East Side Enterprises for about four years.

“That should've already been on,” Houle said, pointing to a rust-colored metal bar that was directly under our moving vehicle. “And if you pause over it, you’ll see how rusted it is. It’s clearly not working.”

We used the same hidden camera at a different car wash chain and captured sharp streams of water covering the view of the lens. Afterwards, the undercarriage was dripping wet.

Houle said he rose to the level of ‘trainer’ with East Side Enterprises. He said he taught managers at several of the company’s store locations to sell the ‘undercarriage’ option.

“It was a money maker,” Houle said.

Angelo Ruo, Vice President of Operations for East Side Enterprises told Target 12 that to his knowledge the undercarriage systems at the company’s car washes work.

Target 12 checked locations on Pawtucket Avenue in East Providence, Pontiac Avenue in Cranston, Hartford Avenue in Johnston, Mineral Spring Aveneu in North Providence and North Main Street Providence. Houle watched the video and said the undercarriage nozzles did not appear to spray water in any of those locations.

Ruo declined an offer to watch the video recorded by Target 12.

Houle said that while he worked for the company, he made requests to repair the undercarriage systems.

“When you put in this request for the undercarriages, nobody said anything,” Houle said. “So, after a while you start asking questions.”

Target 12 conducted a test of one of the car washes we went to by putting our vehicle on a mechanic’s lift and marking the chassis with chalk.  We drove to the company's East Providence location and the camera watched as nothing appeared to shoot out of the undercarriage nozzles.

After we put the vehicle back on the lift, the chalk was still there.

“100 percent yes,” Houle said after we asked him whether the system should have washed off chalk. “It should get mud after a day or two. It's very high pressure water.”

Most of the chalk did come off after we ran our vehicle through another chain’s car wash where our undercover camera showed streams of water shooting up from the undercarriage nozzles.

Houle acknowledges he was fired in 2011. The company would not comment about why he was let go but Houle claims it was because he asked too many questions about how the company was run, including why the undercarriage systems did not work.

“I'm not bitter at this point anymore. Now, it's just about why,” he said, referring to the undercarriage washers that did not appear to work. “It's embarrassing to sit here and tell you that I lied to thousands and thousands of customers.”

Houle also contacted the Rhode Island Attorney General's office as did Target 12. A spokesperson for the Attorney General said she would look into the complaint that was filed by Houle.

Send news tips to Target 12 Investigator Walt Buteau at wbuteau@wpri.com and follow Walt on Twitter: @wbuteau