roadside scam

While heading north on I 15 we stopped for a break at the Filmore, UT. off ramp. As I was walking back to the RV I noticed a young man looking at the front end of our Winnebago. He had motored over in his golf cart from the Texaco/NAPA facility across the street. Initially he had  pointed out, to my wife, possible low air pressure in the tire. When that proved incorrect, per a pressure gauge, he pointed out an abnormal wear pattern in the tire tread. Then he "noticed" a shock that he said was obviously failing and  causing the abnormal wear and the coil spring that had an abnormal "bend" to it.  He said we could pull right over to the repair center and they could get right to the shock problem. We declined as he seemed to come up with new problem as soon as the last one fell through and all of his observations seemed suspicious.
So was it a scam in the making?

If it walks like a duck...

On our trip to the Grand Canyon last year a gas attendant told me "The back end of your rig is flopping around when you came over htat rise, you'll be needing new shocks.  I got them on hand for 750 dollars I can have them on there in about an hour while you take your family to lunch.  Wouldn't be safe to go much further like that!

My trusted mechaic had done a complete inspection of the rig, and he would have loved to sell me shocks himself I'm sure if I really needed them so i passed on the offer and asked about it when I got home.  My mechanic told me I had probably 2 more years on those shocks and when it's time he could replace them with what was on there for around 350 or for nicer ones it would be closer to 500.  I'm glad I followed my gut, the littel weisel even played the family card on me (I do travel with an at the time 1 year old he could see through the window!)

It just so happens we bought gas at a different station in Williams thing time though...

Jeff

We declined as he seemed to come up with new problem as soon as the last one fell through and all of his observations seemed suspicious.

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IMO that was the best call you made all day. Personally, I would never let a gas station work on my Rv. I have nothing against gas stations or the mechanics that work there but If they are as good as they think they don't have to go trolling for business in a golf cart. If they bring up something that really concerns you spend the night in a nearby Rv park where you can think things through. That gives you time to get other opinions from friends (by phone) or on this forum.
Take care.

1950's BS.
J

The 'hard sell' is still alive and well at your neighborhood new car dealer's service department...

I've had numerous loyal battery customers stop by my shop after having their vehicle in the dealer's service dept (for other routine maintenance) after having been told their battery was about to fail...Some even get printed data 'showing' the battery's demise, mentioning the possibility of being stranded, etc., etc...!

In EVERY case of this type, my load tester shows the battery as still strong!

I had case of this type last week, and the service dept had even left one of the terminals 'loose' (without the owner knowing), telling him he was going to have starting problems if he didn't let them install a new battery!  He declined as he had bought a new battery from us only 6 months ago! 

Buyer beware - never under estimate a vehicle repair shop's attempt to separate you from your hard earned $'s...!

The first call in these cases should be to the respective state Bureau of Automotive Repairs. Here in California, a large national department store chain was caught red handed in the early 90's. In the well-publicized case, the CA BAR rigged cars with various 'faults' and took them to 100 or so of the company's auto repair departments throughout the state. It cost the company huge $$$ in fines and other things that were imposed when they were caught trying to sell the 'customers' (BAR employees) unnecessary parts and labor. One of the most common issues was "you need a new battery".

My other half called me one day when she'd taken her Honda to a dealership for service. They tried to tell her it needed a new sump gasket and several other things, which I knew to be bogus. I had her put the service manager on the phone, and it didn't take long to confirm he was making stuff up. I called the BAR and they told me "we'll put a car in that dealership".
Edit: Fixed typo.

dsdak said:

While heading north on I 15 we stopped for a break at the Filmore, UT. off ramp. As I was walking back to the RV I noticed a young man looking at the front end of our Winnebago. He had motored over in his golf cart from the Texaco/NAPA facility across the street. Initially he had  pointed out, to my wife, possible low air pressure in the tire. When that proved incorrect, per a pressure gauge, he pointed out an abnormal wear pattern in the tire tread. Then he "noticed" a shock that he said was obviously failing and  causing the abnormal wear and the coil spring that had an abnormal "bend" to it.  He said we could pull right over to the repair center and they could get right to the shock problem. We declined as he seemed to come up with new problem as soon as the last one fell through and all of his observations seemed suspicious.
So was it a scam in the making?

Click to expand...

Reminds me of the 60 minutes report from a number of years ago... they caught them on camera squirting fluid from a plastic bottle hidden in a rag on the shocks...

dsdak............I've had that happen several times when traveling in Utah and Nevada and Arizona, the first time, was in 74, a couple of years after I bought my first Monte Carlo, ....
The guy that "filled her up with ethyl" seemed to think that the rear end was leaking oil and I soon would be stranded in the desert........i sounded real interested and asked to put it on the rack....I'm sure he thought he had a live one ;D...........I replaced the rear U joint before we left Colorado and I wanted to check it out............

The last time it happened was in Kingman Arizona shell station and tire shop.......i got gas, and was inside talking to the cashier and the tire shop person was telling my wife, [[ he thought she was by herself] about how bad her tires were  and that she would never make it back to Colorado with them .......I walked out the door and my wife pointed at me and mentioned that maybe he needed to talk to me ........... .............he just turned and walked away........when my wife told me what went on, i followed him back to his bench and told him that this station would be reported...........

I did report it when i got home............but I'm sure it was a waste of time........

this has never happened to me east of Colorado...........???.........it must be the desert   

dsdak said:

He had motored over in his golf cart from the Texaco/NAPA facility across the street.

Click to expand...

if this is a station branded with the NAPA logo,  ie.  NAPA Auto care,  then the best bet is to contact NAPA corporate office at 1-800-let-napa and explain the situation.  the station owners sign an agreement prior to NAPA placing their logo on their building.  in this agreement is a large section on ethics and integrity.  NAPA has pulled their logo for unethical practices.

as mentioned, contact the state regulatory board as well.  I might be mistaken but the practice of scare tactics to sell services is no longer legal.

Several years ago one of the TV news magazines, Perhaps 60 minutes, Perhaps one of the others, did a test.. Also Popular Mechanics has done much the same thing, as have other automotive oriented magazines (And electronics mags as well).  I will describe the TV test.

They took a Station wagon.. With Michigan plates..  The reporter took his wife and kids along, and in the chase van was an engineer from the auto maker.

In one scene they pulled into a big brand name gas station... The cameras caught the kid ice picking the tire so it went flat.. And tossing a bottle of oil on the shock so it appeared to be leaking..

Oh,  Just so you know,  They previewed the segment for a field rep from the oil company who's sign used to be outside that station.. He asked to borrow a telephone.. Two calls, the first was to the sign company to have them go take the sign down.  The second his home office to have them send out the pump out truck to recover all the gasoline from the tank.

In another test (Pop-Mechanics) they ahd two men in the car,  Reporter behind the wheel, Engineer in the shotgun seat.  In this test they "Broke" the car and took it to shops for repair.. Some of the repair estimates and bills were kind of amazing considering it was one bad spark plug.

Of course attorney generals across the country also got copies of the story, details, names, addresses, testimony, and such.. Several shops went out of business.

My suggestion: Send a letter to the Attorney General of the state where that crook was scamming.

Was it 60 Minutes or another "news" show that got caught faking their own expose? Remember the fuel tank "explosions" that were rigged to catch fire? You just about can't trust anyone.

stone phillips and dateline tv

And they showed the occasional mechanic who just plugged the spark plug wire back in and said "No charge."   

there are a lot more of them than the crooked ones, they just aren't newsworthy

It's called "creating pain", it makes a potential buyer feel that if they don't make the purchase they'll end up with a much worse situation, then what's at hand.  It's a very common sale practice with many companies.  An honest sales rep will see a need the customer has, and a solution his company offers and use the tactic to close the deal.  The tough part sometimes, is finding the honest sales rep.

Amen !!

A few years ago I had some service done at the Pontiac dealer, which had nothing to do with the brakes. Well a few weeks later the brakes started slipping and grabbing going down the driveway, so I inspected the rear drum brakes and discovered a blob of wheel grease on top of each brake drum. It had oozed inside the drum from the heat and into the brake shoes. I could not prove that they did this at the dealer, but I know that no one else had the opportunity.

I had a similar problem when I would take my car in for an oil change.  I can't tell you how many times I was informed that my air filter needed changing.  At first I almost fell for it but when it happens just days after my brother replaced it for me I knew it was a scam.  The funny part is that one time the guy showed me a pretty dirty filter but it wasn't even the same shape of mine.  Now when I hear those words "Air Filter needs replacing" I leave and take my business elsewhere. 

Several years ago started 'markin' my replaceable service items 1 to see if they were showing me MY parts & 2 to see if part was really changed ~~ sometimes try to trick Grrrls    JM2?