Dirty Laundry, Megawash, Arise/Sparq

PART I: SPARQ, ARISE, DIRTY LAUNDRY...

I just got colossally ripped off by my apartment complex's washer and dryer.

They have these ancient machines with some kind of second-hand budget technology on them, which requires you to download the shadiest app from the store before using it. The app is called ShinePay, it forces you to deposit money into the "ShineApp" first in order to pay your washing machine, and, despite whatever price the machine itself is physically showing infront of you, the price doesn't have to be that.

The company who put these machines down there, SPARQ Living, is managing the property for another company called Arise Bellingham. It's side hustle that the rich like to do to us people that aren't already wearing Armani suits, they set up these trash laundromats with old machines that don't work very well and then they get extra coins for all the times "Ooops, it malfunctioned" with no way to reimburse you. The entire five plus or so years we've lived here, there have been a few change-in-hands, some news stories about attempted illegal rent hikes, so this kind of activity hasn't even been uncommon here...

Cool stuff, but HOW did I get ripped off? Here was the process for these washing machines with the ShinePay app:

Washing machine shows "$3.00" per load. Fine, that makes sense, expensive as hell but it is the price of the convenience. Two washers, $6.00 was what I expected to pay.

Download ShinePay, only to be greeted by the most roughly slapped together bare frame. At first it's not really even clear how to make an account, because the "Sign In" and "Sign Up" change in tandem with no other changes to the app page when you hit it. I didn't realize I wasn't logging in, it was asking for the email/pass (you get one shot, because it doesn't even confirm the password with a second typing.)

I depost $3.00, tells me not enough. I depost $6.00, it immediate drains the balance from the app's counter, tells me it's going to charge a $0.36 on top of that, and then proceeds to start the machine automatically. I had to do this twice, the total charges ended up NOT being $6.00 but instead $12.00-something for only a 36 minute wash cycle, on two machines, with NO DRY cycle.

I then, have to turn around, put the clothes into the LOUDEST dryer on earth, with nuts and bolts laying around it, only to be charged $4.00 for an 80 minute cycle...

These are common issues with SPARQ and Arise from what I understand. I was approached by them when they first took the property over, due to a Google review that I left for our property. I was asked to change my review and what I said, I declined and opted to keep it truthful and update it as their saga unfolded with me, since at the time they really didn't seem to want to leave us alone with all the random inspections and notices every other week upon our front door. I still intend on revisiting it, the stars are only going down.

So anyway, I went back up stairs, got some sticky notes and made sure there was at least a little warning for other people on those machines. Gave a little wave to the camera or whatever and then left while my clothes enjoyed what could've been ingredients to a meal for my wife and I.

Not only that but right before I put the clothes in the dryer, I put a dollar into the coin machine and it comes back with $0.75 and a Candian coin that doesn't work for any of the dryer's.

Even the coin machine found a way to rip me off.

PART II: MEGAWAAAAASH!!

After the bullshit down there, I now have a much stronger appreciation for the family over there at Megawash, which is honestly where I wanted to go.

It's quiet in there and if it isn't, it's still never really loud. For $8.00 (and no hidden fees) they have a machine (and they have like four of these, if I remember right) that takes debit/physical currency and the attendant who can help when the machine eats your tender. Generally the older lady who works there has a dog with her and the place is just very well kept, there's never any issue with finding open washing machine. It's right next to Safeway in Sunset Square and some stores to walk over and get food or whatever when you're waiting.

The part that messes me up, is that this is a small local business that runs this place with no help from outside forces, they make a drop in the ocean compared to giants like SPARQ and ARISE, and yet the laundromat on this property is in absolute shambles and I have never seen it any different, while Megawash is immaculate, cheap, and quick at any given hour of the day. That's where I'm going from now on, and I guess this is the punishment I get for being lazy about it.

Also, you can't tell me that this property just settled on these $250 burner appliances 6+ years ago (possibly longer, this is just my viewing of them) and then never had money to get them upgraded or replaced when they went wrong? Two of them have sat unplugged for three years with no movement. Earlier, at least four of them on the back wall were missing and two of the dryers were also unplugged.

Stupid joke: There are May-tags down there that came over on the May-Flower...

So at the risk of more people knocking on my front door for throwing facts, I'm leaving with this:

4:15pm, Post-Dry Update: 80 minute, ultra loud dryer, still one pair of pants damp somehow. $16.00 later. I started doing this around 1:00pm - Fun times!