By Jim Utter
Director of Journalism
The New York State Attorney General’s Office announced this week it has stopped the Super 4 Seasons car wash company from offering a “discriminatory scam” that targeted Jewish customers preparing for Passover.
In the days leading up to Passover, many Jewish families clean their homes, cars, and other spaces to remove “chametz,” or leavened products.
An Office of the Attorney General (OAG) investigation, opened in April 2024, found that in the weeks leading up to the holiday, Super 4 Seasons, located in Spring Valley, New York, advertised a “Passover Special” cleaning promotion targeting Jewish customers, charging them $169 for a service that was otherwise available for $47.
“Targeting Jewish New Yorkers with deceptive pricing around Passover is a clear act of religious discrimination and will not be tolerated,” Attorney General Letitia Jame said in a statement.
“Every New Yorker, regardless of their faith, deserves to be treated fairly and equally. My office will not hesitate to hold businesses accountable when they exploit families’ religious observance.”
On Monday, the OAG announced Super 4 Seasons is barred from promoting or advertising car wash services that allude to special pricing for religious holidays.
Super 4 Seasons is also prohibited from charging Jewish customers more than other customers for the same car wash services and is not allowed to change its pricing or limit available services in the two months leading up to and during Passover.
James said if Super 4 Seasons fails to adhere to these terms, it will be required to pay a penalty of up to $75,000.
During the investigation, the OAG found Super 4 Seasons had promoted similar Passover-specific services dating to at least 2018 and in the weeks leading up to Passover, Jewish customers had been routinely denied access to standard pricing and were falsely told that only the high-priced “Passover Packages” were available.
At one point, an OAG investigator dressed in traditional Orthodox Jewish clothing inquired about standard pricing at Super 4 Seasons. He was told the company was “not doing anything except shampoos and Passover cleanings right now.” The employee even told the investigator, “We are doing this just for you guys.”
However, when another investigator who was not wearing Orthodox Jewish clothing asked for standard services, he was offered them at the lower price. When the investigator asked about the Passover promotion, an employee said that it was “for Jews,” who needed to pay more “because their cars are so dirty.”
The OAG recovered sales records for the same time period, confirming regular services had in fact been provided throughout the holiday.
