A New Repair Scam Has Surfaced
The latest repair scam to rear its head is especially egregious because of its choice of victims. While this one could be pulled on any unwary driver, con men have set their sights on the elderly. Older drivers are often more trusting of firm promises and official-seeming garb or paperwork which makes them easy targets for scumbags, but the fact that so often they are living on a fixed income makes it much worse. It goes something like this. The con man spots an elderly driver on the road and flags him down, telling him there is something wrong with his car and it might be dangerous to continue driving. The crook then jacks up the car and loosens the lug nuts, causing the wheel to wobble. He then assures the driver that he can fix the car on the spot for much less than a repair shop, all he needs is a small fee and the money to buy the part. You see where this is going: fake part replacement, miracle car cure, money changes hands, scam succesful.
There's one rule that will help you avoid this and many other scams -- never let somebody fix your car in a parking lot, it's never a good plan. To read more about this scam, check out this article in the The Coloradoan.
Comments
That’s the worse form of preying upon the elderly that I have heard in a long time. Thanks for alerting us to it. I will warn my elderly parents about it. It reminds me of the airport shuttle attendants that drive around in the airport longterm parking lot, and routinely let air out of tires. Then, they magically show up when you return to your car several days later, only too eager to help you put air back in the tire with their compressor…and hope for a fat tip! Either that, or they would be happy to call their brother-in-law who can come right there with his tow truck and repair that leaky tire. Either way, they get you when you are in a bind and “rescue” you. Grrrrrr…..
This is not new. For decades it took the form as unethical body repairmen. Typically, one of these con men would hail a motorist driving a car in need of dents filled or other superficial work. The con artist would promplty fill the dent with “Bondo” get paid, and leave. Needless to say this substandard work did not last long on the vehicle. Leaving the owner out the “repair” money.
It can’t be real. It sounds like it was thought up by a hungry crack head. but then again people do fall for a bargin
Hmmm…letting someone fix your car in a parking lot seems sketchy. That’s pretty messed up to take advantage of the elderly like that.
When your vehicle needs repaired, take it to a repair shop. Don’t trust “professionals” who are on site.
Here is another way scammers get people…. Too many people in our town have been ripped off by those who claim to be mechanics, yet lack any real knowledge of a vehicle. They only possess a knowledge of how to take money for repairs that don’t really need to be made.
-Dwayne
My favorite scam is a failed attempt my automotive instructor regaled us with:
Out of town in a rather uncommon vehicle, he stops for gas that also has a repair shop on site. The repair man from the shop asks if my instructor’d like him to take a look under the hood. My instructor says “Okay” -in part out of curiosity- as he pumps the gas. A few moments later the repairman tells my instructor that he needs a new alternator. Being the instructor of our automotive electronics class, my instructor smartly asks for the voltage output. The scamming repairman had no idea and was told to step away. XD
I had that happen to me after I had dropped off my wife as she flew out of Little Rock Airport. I was in short term parking and four hoods stopped behind me and pointed out my left front flat as I had not seen it yet. They were pi–ed when I brought out my aerosol flat fix and a battery operated compressor and blew up my tire myself. They were very obnoxious and one even pushed me hard in the chest, demanding money because I would have driven off, thereby ruining my tire, according to him. About that time, w/ perfect timing, a security guard came driving down the row and they decided to beat feet. I got the he.. double tooth-picks out of there as quickly as possible
On a recent trip to Yellowstone Park I stopped for refueling at a gas station on the freeway south of Salt Lake city. A garage just happened to be located next to the gas station and an attendant from the garage told me he noticed that my front right shock was depressed and needed immediate attention before the tire rubbed the frame and “blew out”. I checked the shocks on the vehicle and found nothing wrong.I told the attendant that if the shock needed replacing I would do it in Salt Lake City. He stormed off while shouting at me that he would not be respponsible for an accident if my tire failed at high speeds on the freeway. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t know that I had replaced all four shocks on my vehicle in the last month. He was trying to scare an Old timer into buying a set of shocks. I wondered how many times a day he tried scamming othe older drivers into un-needed repairs.
Next time tell your elder to take digital camera with them, just in case they run in to scam like this.
This goes to prove that you should always get an estimate first and then consult some one who knows what they are talking about before you agree to any repair any where. If your car breaks down have it towed to a service center, get an estimate and then check it out to make sure you are not being overcharged.
I used this site called honestautoestimates.com before, it actually works very well and is worth the 6 dollars. I saved ~200 bucks on a water pump for my F150.
I would defiantly recommend them for anyone who needs to have their car fixed!