Classic car dream shattered in Thailand

[DJ54]

It seems repairs take a long time.. We have a Swift front,rear both sides, transaxle... a dealer did the work non Suzuki... I got frustrated ended up 6 months. I stopped in now and then and they

new panels and new transaxle.. did a fantastic job. We have two cars so wasn’t really inconvenience....

[Sydebolle]

I went through the same ordeal with VW transporters and buses from the 60s. The more illustre one was a VW T1 (the split front window type) which I had bought in 2008 in Rayong and could be driven to Pattaya. There it went to one of the two "VW experts"; after payments, plenty of follow-up visits, promises to no end I transferred the disassembled bus to Bangkok, where another "VW guru" took over the bus, down payment and that was it. Instead of doing cars he chased younger women, luckily during one of my follow-up visits (never pre-announced) I saw the workshop being taken apart. Got a trailer and lifted the still disassembled bus back to Pattaya to "VW Expert 2". He also sat on the car, again down payments and then nothing anymore. Moved the bus back to my premises and managed to sell it last December to a VW-holic at a bargain price. 
It would be thriving business to restore old cars here but as long as all those "experts" are f"*ç%"ng around with business and your money - go figure.

I covered my expenses without interest but glad I got out of it alive! 

[DJ54]

My concern on restoring a Classic would be is the paper work all

legit and easily registered...

[Speedhump]

On 4/11/2020 at 7:25 PM, canthai55 said:

Pay a deposit, and make payments as work progresses.

Done this way in N. America by sensible people.

 

Done this way everywhere in the world by sensible people. 

[richard_smith237]

I wonder if these guys source their restorers from the building trade in Thailand or to the building trade.

 

Your story is rather similar to one I’ve had with getting an extension completed to any reasonable standard. 

A 45 day job has turned into a 6month job, half complete, we ended up firing the builder.

 

These types of folk are nice and pleasant enough, they just have no work ethic, no pride in their work, no sense of responsibility to the customer, they promise anything and everything knowing they will not deliver.

[bluejets]

Can't give these things away down here in Aus.

[Odysseus123]

11 hours ago, sawadee1947 said:

And where is your problem????

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

So what? ????

I just love the smell of schadenfreude in the morning.....

[The Word]

14 hours ago, Speedhump said:

On 4/11/2020 at 7:25 PM, canthai55 said:

Pay a deposit, and make payments as work progresses.

Done this way in N. America by sensible people.

 

Done this way everywhere in the world by sensible people. 

Obviously, it was done that way by the OP also, here in Thailand.  He paid a deposit and didn't pay any more.

[The Word]

On 4/11/2020 at 7:25 PM, canthai55 said:

Pay a deposit, and make payments as work progresses.

Done this way in N. America by sensible people.

 

Didn't the OP sensibly do that?

[sawadee1947]

5 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

I just love the smell of schadenfreude in the morning.....

No, not that. But in many cases in Thailand you'll lose money. 

[The Word]

On 4/12/2020 at 11:43 AM, CarlBkk said:

 

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.

 

now what the OP needs to do is publish the name of the garage for us all to avoid.

Scam?  They started work, and it continued, albeit very slowly, and the OP continued to check up on it regularly every two months, then they refunded his deposit.  I don't see a scam there, just a lazy (or busy) attitude.

 

I wonder how "us all avoiding this [specialist] garage" would do anything at all to the business?   Where you thinking of having a LR restored here, I'm sure that the number of TV members likely to be doing that could be counted on less than just one finger.

[Odysseus123]

12 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

No, not that. But in many cases in Thailand you'll lose money. 

That is quite true..but in this case the OP lost lots of time too.

[Odysseus123]

8 minutes ago, The Word said:

Scam?  They started work, and it continued, albeit very slowly, and the OP continued to check up on it regularly every two months, then they refunded his deposit.  I don't see a scam there, just a lazy (or busy) attitude.

 

I wonder how "us all avoiding this [specialist] garage" would do anything at all to the business?   Where you thinking of having a LR restored here, I'm sure that the number of TV members likely to be doing that could be counted on less than just one finger.

The doolally in all of its glory.

[sawadee1947]

10 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

That is quite true..but in this case the OP lost lots of time too.

Well, but if you don't have dreams you are dead already somehow 

[Odysseus123]

3 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

Well, but if you don't have dreams you are dead already somehow 

Well..in this case the OP put a deposit on his dreams...and came up with a nightmare.

 

But,as you say,buyer beware.

 

[canthai55]

59 minutes ago, The Word said:

Didn't the OP sensibly do that?

No he did not

[jvs]

OP,i just checked on facebook,classic landrover Thailand and they have lots of members who do outings and stuff.

Join them and wait if anything you like comes up for sale?Might meet some like minded people.

I have been a member of toyota  4x4 tiger club for a few years,very interesting

[pineapple01]

Stage Paments, the safest way.

[Speedhump]

1 hour ago, The Word said:

Obviously, it was done that way by the OP also, here in Thailand.  He paid a deposit and didn't pay any more.

A quarter of a million baht is rather large for just a 'deposit' . Payment for ongoing work should be in smaller increments. 

[Chazar]

Just be    thankful you got back some money

[The Word]

On 4/13/2020 at 1:34 PM, canthai55 said:

On 4/13/2020 at 12:34 PM, The Word said:

Didn't the OP sensibly do that?

No he did not

Yes, it seems that he did.  If you disagree, what does this quote from the OP mean, then, do you think that B213k was the price for the entire restoration?...

"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".

[CharlieH]

The OP came here with his tale of caution to enlighten and possibly warn others not to fall into the same scenario.

He certainly didn't come here to be berated and mocked.

 

This topic is now CLOSED.