I DO know my way around an engine. I can change a tire & do a basic oil change. I know the difference between brake fluid and clutch fluid. I know what the various car parts look like and should cost. I painstakingly restored a marvelous old 1967 red Rover in Melbourne around the turn of the century. 馃ぃ Makes it sound like forever ago.
FFWD to today when I learned I have just been scammed. Urgh. LONG story, but 2 weeks ago the car we BORROWED during Covid (no charge but on me to fix, repair etc) was chugging badly and broke down 5pm on a Friday on the highway into town, as heavy grey rainclouds gathered. After trying to start it for 20 mins, it suddenly was COMPLETELY dead. I thought it needed a jump after a drained (new) battery, but that didn't work. In the end a seemingly nice young man I didn't know, from a nearby gas station, kindly offered to tow it for a low cost to his friend's garage, since towing it to my regular guy would have been EXPENSIVE and he'd be. closed y the time we got there.
This is about where the scary music should start.
By late Saturday the unknown garage confirmed I had shorted out the starter motor by trying to start the car excessively, and needed a new one. Plausible and logical. They said parts would take some days, given Covid transport issues from Bangkok. What choice do we really have at this point, on a tight budget and now back at home on the other side of town?
We screenshot the messaged agreement, and they sent a phot of the new part.
Finally it was ready on Wednesday. I took a Grab (think Uber) to collect it and they showed me an old starter motor and a seemingly shiny one newly inserted. I paid and I left. And then took the car back to my regular garage, Tom Car Garage in Saraphi close to where we live, to have the original problem diagnosed and repaired. I know Tom, who has been a trusted member of my Business Network International chapter, and he completely understood why I had simply got the starter motor fixed where the breakdown happened.
He talked me through our big engine repair for 10 days.
Finally yesterday, a week later, I messaged him to confirm the car would be ready for collection today. And he sent me this very disturbing message:
To put it mildly, I was FURIOUS and have been contemplating dying my hair BLACK all of yesterday! Grrrrrr... Today I am back into cool, professional & don't-fuck-with-me blonde mode.
Tom was lovely when I picked up the car today. He explained that the first garage had simply opened the old crappy starter motor, gave it a tiny temporary fix inside and applied some shiny metallic paint, and then put the old one back. Meanwhile charging me for a brand now one. It would have taken them all of 2 hours to do, he said. And they left us stranded without a car for 5 days to help strengthen their new part theory.
"No good! Will break again very soon!! But is Ok. I change already and not charge extra for new one."
He then showed me all the removed parts and walked me through the engine repairs before he closed the bonnet. He gave me an itemized repair bill in English. 馃槏 Tom obligingly added the cost of the new starter motor to my official account to help me recoup the original payment. Cos he KNOWS how much inconvenience and extra cost for transport I have had to kick out during the 12 days of no vehicle, and he KNOWS how hard the Covid shutdowns have been on our Thai business.
So now what?
This evening I will dot point out the whole scenario. Dates, screen shots of text chats etc. My daughter will translate the complaint into Thai language for me.
And tomorrow I will go and lodge a complaint with the Thai police, give them the spray painted original broken starter motor and ask THEM to pop over and recover a full refund for the first fake fix. Tom has obligingly given me the old starter motor and offered to speak with the police if needs be. "But no need, I think. Police can SEE how bad this man do to you!"
There are days being a lady is TOUGH. Being a blonde lady in Asia, 2 feet taller than everyone else? Urgh. But I speak Thai fluently and will be making sure my blonde hair is pretty and shiny tomorrow for the nice Mr Thai Policeman. Cause being a Blonde Damsel in Distress is a card I'm still willing to play in order to get my damn money back!!
Feeling strong!
Sidebar & disclaimer: Thai defamation law specifically does NOT allow me to name or identify any person or company publicly in such a way as to harm their business. Yup, technically a bad restaurant review is still illegal here. So, for the record, the opening shot of our borrowed car being towed is a simple random roadside image from our personal happy-snap collection and in NO WAY implies or confirms the identity of the scammer.
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