Classic car dream shattered in Thailand

[KenY]

On 4 January 2017, I visited a Garage in Bangkok and I was very impressed with their stock of classic Landrovers in fully restored and salvage condition. I received a sense of trust from this family run business who spoke in reasonable good English, told me that they have been a Landrover specialist for the last 50 years.

 

On 24 March 2017, I paid 213,000 Thai Baht to the Garage as the deposit of a Landrover Series 1 which needed a complete restoration and they promised to complete it within 9 to 12 months. I was very excited with this restoration project and I started to purchase some of the smaller parts from England. By the end of 2017, I visited the Garage and they were just started welding the chassis and all the other body panels are in bits…… In 2018, I continue to visit Garage every 2 months to keep on track of their progress, but their progress was painfully slow and always cancel/delay my appointment of visit at the last minute…..they promised me that my Landrover Series 1 will be painted in 2 months time, then another 2 months and so on……..

 

By early 2019, I requested for a meeting with the Garage family pointing out that the restoration project was not progressing well and trying to analyse what was causing the delay, at the end of the meeting, they promised my Landrover Series 1 will be painted in 2 months time.

I contacted the Garage on June 2019, they did not reply my calls and ignored all my messages.

I was feeling hopeless and completely shuttered the dream of oweing a Classic Landrover in Thailand.

 

On 3 Jan 2020, with the help of a Thai friend, I reported my case of this. Garage at a local Police station, the Police man was very helpful at the time of dealing with my case and they told me that I was not the only person who reported this Garage. On 11 Jan 2020, I received a refund of 213,000 Thai Baht from the Garage.

 

The Garage has wasted 3 years of my time and did not offer an apology.

 

[canthai55]

Pay a deposit, and make payments as work progresses.

Done this way in N. America <snip>

 

[Coremouse]

There're many great garages, but also some garages totally wasting time. Most us language barrier guys endup the latter. 

 

In 2017 my old Celi got frontended, driven to insurance-contracted garage, they let her sit 3 months doing absolutely nothing, left me no car to commute. Even worse they let my car - dissassembled, sitting near their car wash, very much f-rust-tration inducing. When confronted, the garage owner silly man even threathened me with very rude words. 

 

Finally I fed up, contacted insurance and police, moved my car home paying nothing to that garage. Then I sourced frontcut in no time, DIY repaired within a month, along with many upgrades. Fortunately insurance payed me all expense. 

 

Honestly owning old car could be very difficult, my project car is like 1 month drive 2 months on jackstand. Last year august I ordered some turbo gaskets from Toyota, they said wait 6 months deliever next year february. And in february they said wait another 6 months.... speechless. I think if go for full strip full restoration, a busy garage could take 1 year to finish the job and is reasonable. But 3 year - hell no way. 

[timendres]

You got your money back? And you are complaining?

[transam]

7 hours ago, timendres said:

You got your money back? And you are complaining?

No interest............

[VocalNeal]

May we ask the price for the final vehicle?

[transam]

3 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

May we ask the price for the final vehicle?

Nooooooooooooooooooo......????

[Don Mega]

[The Word]

Why has your dream been shattered, can't you use another restorer?   You're not saying that, based on one experience of that one company (that you allowed to keep the car despite many red flags and opportunities to stop the project), the company you selected is the only one in Thailand or representative of the entire industry, surely?

[CarlBkk]

How about a bit of support for a fellow foreigners who was getting screwed please guys?
 

The 213,000 baht was obviously the deposit to get the project rolling, then they went on a scamming go-slow. Ok, written contact would have been good but not many garages work this way. They were happy to receive 200k and do nothing and get no more.

 

some people trust others to their word and have more patience and hope that they’ll come through good on it. He’s lucky the police acted on it and he got his money back, and of course he wasted his 3 years through no fault of his own.

 

now what the OP needs to do is publish the name of the garage for us all to avoid. Then your 2 minutes of reading won’t be wasted.

[MangoPineappleBanana]

7 minutes ago, CarlBkk said:

now what the OP needs to do is publish the name of the garage for us all to avoid. Then your 2 minutes of reading won’t be wasted.

This is what I figured would of been in at least one of those 4 paragraphs...but nope

[stupidfarang]

was it your land rover or you were buying one from them and having them restore it? I think you are very very very lucky that you got your money back. 

[Eindhoven]

8 minutes ago, MangoPineappleBanana said:

This is what I figured would of been in at least one of those 4 paragraphs...but nope

 

I'm sure you can get it via PM. Defamation laws and all that.

[CGW]

15 minutes ago, CarlBkk said:

How about a bit of support for a fellow foreigners who was getting screwed please guys?

Tough audience today! if this reaction is an example of what happens to people when they are left alone for a while there should be interesting days! ☮️

[CharlieH]

14 minutes ago, MangoPineappleBanana said:

This is what I figured would of been in at least one of those 4 paragraphs...but nope

 

The OP was edited to remove details as per this forum rule..

 

6) You will not post comments that could be reasonably construed as defamation or libel. Any such posts will be removed and the poster may face an immediate ban.

Defamation is the issuance of a statement about another person or business which causes that person to suffer harm. It does not have to be false to be defamatory. Libel is when the defamatory statement is published either in a drawing, painting, cinematography, film, picture or letters made visible by any means, or any other recording instruments, recording picture or letters, or by broadcasting or spreading picture, or by propagation by any other means. Defamation is both a civil and criminal charge in Thailand.
 

 

If you want details I suggest you PM the OP as they cannot be published here.

[MangoPineappleBanana]

5 minutes ago, Eindhoven said:

 

I'm sure you can get it via PM. Defamation laws and all that.

"Under Section 326 of the Thai Criminal Code, defamation is defined as whoever imputes anything about another person to a third person in a manner likely to impair the person’s reputation or place the person in contempt or hatred by others. When defamation is committed by publication or other media made visible by any means, the offender is liable for imprisonment for up to two years and a fine of up to 200,000 baht. If the person who is accused of defamation is able to prove that the statement is true, the person shall not be punished."

 

Sounds like a police report with a successful retrieval of funds would be fine for assuming your official statements are true for all intents and purposes. But why complain and demand an apology and then not even include a business name with your lengthy review. Im sure he could of got more comfort and sympathy on yelp

 

[dabhand]

29 minutes ago, CarlBkk said:

snip

 

now what the OP needs to do is publish the name of the garage for us all to avoid. Then your 2 minutes of reading won’t be wasted.

The OP did in fact name the garage in his original post but has obviously been taken out for 'name and shame'  reasons.

[billd766]

There used to be a garage/restoration place that had a few Land Rovers just south of Nakhon Sawan on the route 32 southbound. I have no idea if they are still going as it must be 3 or 4 years since I was that way.

[allanos]

As annoying and frustrating as it must be for the OP to have his hopes repeatedly built up and dashed over a 3 year period, why compound the misery by "naming and shaming" the subject body shop with the possibility of being embroiled in a costly law suit, or worse, a criminal case?

[a10ams]

I had a car restored in Bangkok about five years ago. I used the 'Pay As You Go' method, paying up as various targets of the build were met. Had no problems whatsoever, but this bloke came highly recommended. 

 

I think the OP is fortunate to get both his car and his money back.

[1FinickyOne]

22 hours ago, KenY said:

The Garage has wasted 3 years of my time and did not offer an apology

You got your money back... that's wonderful. You should consider yourself very very lucky...

 

but you want an apology? 

[JRG23]

This is Thailand matey.

Edited April 12, 2020 by JRG23

[KenY]

3 hours ago, stupidfarang said:

was it your land rover or you were buying one from them and having them restore it? I think you are very very very lucky that you got your money back. 

They supplied the landrover and restoration. Yes, I am. Thank you.

[Don Mega]

1 hour ago, a10ams said:

 

 

I think the OP is fortunate to get both his car and his money back.

the OP never had a car to start with, he got his coin back.

[crazykopite]

A few years back I had a similar problem over a willy jeep in Kanchanaburi I lived 700kms away I paid a deposit of 50% and two months later sent another 20% on the date they told me it would be ready I turned up not sure what I would be met by unfortunately it was no where near to what was agreed I booked myself into a nearby hotel and the next morning I turned up at the garage at 8 in the morning and stayed until 6 at night and this went on for 14 days  yes I got stuck in and took over the restoration these guys were using drill bits that had long gone to being useful so I spent a fair bit of money making sure we had the tools to complete the job every day I would go back to my room bitten to hell by mozzies as the so called garage was a breeding ground when the job was complete I brought in an interpreter who told the owner that I would be deducting 60,000 baht of the agreed price if he wasn’t happy we would call in the tourist police in the end he agreed to the reduction I ended up with what I had asked for he ended up with 60,000 less we shook hands and went on our way . I had barely driven 20 Kim’s when a police car put its siron on and I thought the worse but all the cops wanted was a picture or two of my WJ . I kept it for two years and sold it on the big boy had enough of his Toy and got something more comfortable ????

Edited April 12, 2020 by crazykopite

[bubba45]

You won the lottery getting your money back. And that copper is a keeper. I thought he was just going to laugh and blow it off in favor of the Thai. 
Congratulations!

[KenY]

3 hours ago, CharlieH said:

 

The OP was edited to remove details as per this forum rule..

 

6) You will not post comments that could be reasonably construed as defamation or libel. Any such posts will be removed and the poster may face an immediate ban.

Defamation is the issuance of a statement about another person or business which causes that person to suffer harm. It does not have to be false to be defamatory. Libel is when the defamatory statement is published either in a drawing, painting, cinematography, film, picture or letters made visible by any means, or any other recording instruments, recording picture or letters, or by broadcasting or spreading picture, or by propagation by any other means. Defamation is both a civil and criminal charge in Thailand.
 

 

If you want details I suggest you PM the OP as they cannot be published here.

Thank you for your message and recommendation Charlie. I thought my post would help others from being scammed in Thailand. I have copy of the Police report and related documents to support my incident. Honestly, I had to go through an emotional breakdown to get my money back!

[VocalNeal]

8 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

May we ask the price for the final vehicle?

Well we still don't know so I just blunder in anyway.

 

I learned many years ago when i first started working here in a business. 

I/we went to buy some business cards. Ok we'll take x number of boxes. price was from memory 1000 baht could have been a bit more.. Could they have a deposit? Sure I reached into my pocket and the first thing that came out was 500 baht note. "Here you are' says I. My worldly Thai friend said "No". "Do you have 100".  So i gave them 100 which they were happy with to seal the deal. 

 

Then he explained to me that (moral of the story) had i given them the 500, that would have been more than the profit on the deal and to the Thai mind they would already have the profit on the deal and so from that point on they would be working for nothing.  

Edited April 12, 2020 by VocalNeal

[jb61]

Welcome to the club. True Story:

In Phuket, I had a open air jeep with toyota engine. It was olive drab green. 

I took it to garage and wanted it painted and selected "sky blue".

back and forth, back and forth, threats, promises, yada yada yada.

Long story short, 1 year and 3 days later, they finally finished and I went to 

pick it up, it was the brightest banana yellow I had ever seen. IMy wife and I looked at each

and laughed our <deleted> off. I just took the keys and drove off.

Edited April 12, 2020 by jb61

[sawadee1947]

And where is your problem????

You got your money back, and got some helpful experience for free.

So what? ????