DEAL" INVOLVING A LOCAL
CAR WASH CHAIN.
It's embarrassing to sit here
and tell
you that I lied to thousands and
thousands of customers.
(MM)
RICHARD HOULE IS A
FORMER EMPLOYEE OF
EAST SIDE ENTERPRISES
WHO CAME TO TARGET 12
WITH A TIP ABOUT THE
COMPANY'S CHAIN OF CAR
WASHES.
THIS IS WHAT WASHING
YOUR CAR'S 'UNDER
CARRIAGE' LOOKS LIKE. . .
THE JETS OF WATER YOU
SEE-- SHOOTING UP-- ARE
AIMED AT THE DIRT, GRIME
AND EVEN WINTER ROAD
SALT THAT COLLECTS
UNDER YOUR VEHICLE.
CAR CARE EXPERTS SAY
WASHING THIS AREA
HELPS PROTECT YOUR
CAR FROM CORROSION
AND OTHER ISSUES.
(SR)
BUT OUR UNDERCOVER
CAMERAS CAPTURED
SEVERAL EAST SIDE
ENTERPRISES CAR
WASHES THAT CHARGE
YOU EXTRA FOR WASHING
UNDER YOUR VEHICLE...
BUT DO NOT DELIVER.
TARGET 12 INVESTIGATOR
WALT BUTEAU HAS THE
DETAILS NOW ON A
SERVICE THOUSANDS OF
DRIVERS MAY HAVE PAID
FOR... WITHOUT ACTUALLY
GETTING IT.
FROM INSIDE YOUR CAR, A
PREMIUM CAR WASH AT ONE OF
EAST SIDE ENTERPRISES
LOCATIONS DRENCHES YOUR
VEHICLE WITH SOAP AND
WATER.
BUT IT'S ALSO SUPPOSED TO
CLEAN WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE.
IT'S AN EXTRA 2 DOLLARS FOR
THE UNDER-CARRIAGE OPTION
AT THE EAST SIDE
ENTERPRISES LOCATIONS WE
EXAMINED.
WHEN TARGET 12 WENT INSIDE
SEVERAL OF THE STORES, WE
WERE TOLD EACH TIME, THE
EXTRA COST WOULD CLEAN
UNDER OUR VEHICLE.
TARGET 12: IT WILL CLEAN
UNDER THE CARRIAGE FOR THE
EXTRA TWO BUCKS?
EMPLOYEE: RIGHT. WELL
WORTH THE TWO BUCKS.
TARGET 12 CREATED A
BRACKET TO MOUNT A CAMERA
TO THIS UNDER CARRIAGE. .
.THEN WE AIMED THE LENS
INSIDE EAST SIDE
ENTERPRISES' CAR WASHES ON
PAWTUCKET AVENUE IN EAST
PROVIDENCE. . .PONTIAC
AVENUE IN CRANSTON. .
.HARTFORD AVENUE IN
JOHNSTON. . .MINERAL SPRING
IN NORTH PROVIDENCE. . .AND
NORTH MAIN IN PROVIDENCE.
WE SHOWED OUR UNDER
COVER VIDEO TO TIPSER
RICHARD HOULE.
HE WORKED FOR EAST SIDE
ENTERPRISES FOR ABOUT 4
YEARS.
AND HE SAYS THIS RUST
COLORED, METAL STRIP AT ONE
OF THE COMPANY'S CAR
WASHES, IS AN
UNDERCARRIAGE WASHER.
THAT SHOULD'VE ALREADY
BEEN ON. THAT IS YOUR UNDER
CARRIAGE. (REPORTER
QUESTION IN ITALICS) SO, THAT
UNDERCARRIAGE IS NOT
WORKING THERE? NOT AT ALL.
NOPE. AND IF YOU PAUSE OVER
IT, YOU'LL SEE HOW RUSTED IT
IS.
THIS IS WHAT THE UNDER-
CARRAGE OPTION BUYS YOU AT
ANOTHER CAR WASH.
HIGH PRESSURE STREAMS
COVER THE LENS. . .AND THE
UNDERCARRIAGE IS DRIPPING
WET AFTER THE WATER STOPS.
COMPARE THIS. . .WITH THE
VIDEO FROM THE 5 EAST SIDE
ENTERPRISES LOCATIONS
TARGET 12 CHECKED.
HOULE TELLS TARGET 12 HE
NOTICED SEVERAL UNDER
CARRIAGE SYSTEMS DID NOT
WORK. . .AND SAYS HE PUT IN A
REQUEST TO HAVE THEM
REPAIRED.
WHEN YOU PUT IN THIS
REQUEST FOR THE UNDER
CARRIAGES, NOBODY SAID
ANYTHING. SO AFTER A WHILE
YOU START ASKING QUESTIONS.
TARGET 12 WENT TO THE EAST
SIDE ENTERPRISES OFFICES IN
CRANSTON. .
WILL YOU TALK WITH US ON
CAMERA ABOUT THIS?
BUT A COMPANY
SPOKESPERSON WOULD ONLY
TALKE WITH US ON THE PHONE.
YOU'RE SAYING TO YOUR
KNOWLEDGE, THE
UNDERCARRIAGE WASHERS
WORK.
BUT THEY DIDN'T WHEN
TARGET 12 CHECKED.
IN ANOTHER TEST, WE PUT OUR
VEHICLE ON A LIFT AND MARKED
THE CHASIS WITH CHALK. . .
WE HEADED TO THE
COMPANY'S EAST PROVIDENCE
LOCATION. . .
THE CAMERA WATCHES AS
NOTHING APPEARS TO SHOOT
OUT OF THE UNDER CARRIAGE
NOZZLES. . .
THEN, WE PUT THE VEHICLE
BACK ON THE LIFT.
THE CHALK IS STILL HERE.
SHOULD THE SYSTEM GET
CHALK OFF FROM A CAR?
IT SHOULD GET MUD AFTER A
DAY OR TWO. IT'S VERY HIGH
PRESSURE WATER.
SO, CHALK SHOULD COME OFF?
100 PERCENT. YES.
MOST OF THE CHALK DID
COME OFF, WHEN WE RAN OUR
VEHICLE THROUGH ANOTHER
CAR WASH. . .WHERE OUR
UNCERCOVER CAMERA
SHOWED STREAMS OF WATER
SHOOTING UP FROM THE
UNDERCARRIAGE WASHER.
.
HOULE TELLS US HE ROSE TO
THE LEVEL OF 'TRAINER' WITH
EAST SIDE ENTERPRISES BUT
ACKNOWLEDGES HE WAS
FIRED IN 2011.
THE COMPANY WOULD NOT
COMMENT ABOUT WHY HE WAS
LET GO BUT HOULE BELIEVES 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.
HOULE ALSO CONTACTED THE
RHODE ISLAND ATTORNEY
GENERAL'S OFFICE AS DID
TARGET 12.
SO FAR, NEITHER ONE OF US
HAS HEARD BACK ABOUT WHAT
MIGHT HAPPEN NEXT.
WITH THE TARGET 12
INVESTIGATORS...WALT BUTEAU
EWN
(MM)