Motorcycle Rental Shop In Kho Chag

[Lancelot]

Just returned from a week in Kho Chang Island (Nov 14) and had a great time. Not very crowded and reasonable prices for food and lodging.

We rented a Yahama Fino from a shop (Vuu Travel/Tours?) opposite an immitation 7-11, about in the middle of White Sand Beach. We rented the scooter for 6 days for 1,000 baht and enjoyed touring the island. Unfortunately it rained hard on the 13th, the scooter was parked outside our bungalo on hard packed earth, which softened up a bit and the bike fell over...

Took the bike back to the rental shop the next day and long story short, they charged us 1,100 baht for two scratches, one on the front panel (size of my thumb) and one on the front left turn indicator lenz. The owner got on the phone and made a show of calling the Yahama dealer for the price to repace the parts, 925 for the front cover and 175 for the indicator lenz. My gf called a shop in BKK and they priced it at B600. Of course the owner blew that information off and didn't budge on price. I paid up and we caught a songtaew to the ferry.

I fully expected to pay some money to repair the scratches but B1,100 seemd a little excessive. The owner was a nice guy when I rented the bike but a total @ss hole when there was a problem. TIT...

Edited November 15, 2007 by Lancelot

[rixalex]

Had similar experience with a scratch on a car rental. Ended up costing me a few thousand baht. I would have thought that a small sratch or scuff could be considered as general wear and tear. Besides, these rental palces are bound to have mates in local garages that'll do the work for next to nothing.

Sadly though, as is the case in so much service industry, the treatment you get before you hand over your money and the treatment you get after, varies enormously. Nobody seems to have heard about repeat custom. Go figure!

Enough said.

[H2oDunc]

Think yourself luky. Here on Koh Tao the big bike hire shop, run by a German guy, think of German shorts charges 1000 baht for a broken clutch or brake lever. The cost to replace 60 baht. Any scratch or mark is charged at ful replacement cost with around a 500% mark up. Thats how they make their money. They love it when farang hire these bikes when they know they cant ride them. ANY mark on the bike should be agreed before you take the bike but tourists very rarely take much notice. It just pees me off when you get a farang blatantly doing it. Its a hard life being a tourist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tatler]

Simple answer here is to park the bike on a piece of hard ground !! would you leave your car in a swamp or on a sandybeach beach over night?? didn't think so... shut up and pay the money

[Lancelot]

Simple answer here is to park the bike on a piece of hard ground !! would you leave your car in a swamp or on a sandybeach beach over night?? didn't think so... shut up and pay the money

The ground was well drained, far from the beach and hard as a rock before the rain.

F*&( off moron

Edited November 15, 2007 by Lancelot

[Lancelot]

Think yourself luky. Here on Koh Tao the big bike hire shop, run by a German guy, think of German shorts charges 1000 baht for a broken clutch or brake lever. The cost to replace 60 baht. Any scratch or mark is charged at ful replacement cost with around a 500% mark up. Thats how they make their money. They love it when farang hire these bikes when they know they cant ride them. ANY mark on the bike should be agreed before you take the bike but tourists very rarely take much notice. It just pees me off when you get a farang blatantly doing it. Its a hard life being a tourist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, sell it and you've still got it. TIT.

[LaoPo]

Can't believe the fuzz the OP's making about 1,100 Baht (€22 or $ 32). Of course a repair shop in BKK was a lot cheaper. Living/working on an island is always a lot more expensive. In the west the repair would have cost you triple the amount, at least; live and let live.

Don't let your beautiful holidays you had, spoil over a minor amount of money

Consider yourself lucky you didn't have a serious accident. But at least you have a nice story to tell, back home...

LaoPo

[Tatler]

Simple answer here is to park the bike on a piece of hard ground !! would you leave your car in a swamp or on a sandybeach beach over night?? didn't think so... shut up and pay the money

The ground was well drained, far from the beach and hard as a rock before the rain.

F*&( off moron

Don't understand here !! who is the MORON?? me or you??

[Tatler]

It seems like you have a habit of complaining!! true or false?? pay the money and move on...

[Lancelot]

Can't believe the fuzz the OP's making about 1,100 Baht (€22 or $ 32). Of course a repair shop in BKK was a lot cheaper. Living/working on an island is always a lot more expensive. In the west the repair would have cost you triple the amount, at least; live and let live.

Don't let your beautiful holidays you had, spoil over a minor amount of money

Consider yourself lucky you didn't have a serious accident. But at least you have a nice story to tell, back home...

LaoPo

I disagree.

I think it is possible to live happily in Thailand but sometimes disagree with questionable Thai business practices

[Moonfruit]

Theres no questionable business practice here.

Sure, the part costs 400baht or whatever. Then factor in the time the bike is off the road. Maybe 200THB for the missed days rental? Plus the time and fuel for the guy to take it to the shop and sit around waiting for the repair (maybe another couple hundred baht in total as we know it would be an all day job here in Thailand!). Thats your thousand baht already.

Plus, its only 1,100THB! Its nothing!

[MarcoH]

Theres no questionable business practice here.

Sure, the part costs 400baht or whatever. Then factor in the time the bike is off the road. Maybe 200THB for the missed days rental? Plus the time and fuel for the guy to take it to the shop and sit around waiting for the repair (maybe another couple hundred baht in total as we know it would be an all day job here in Thailand!). Thats your thousand baht already.

Plus, its only 1,100THB! Its nothing!

IF 1100thb is too high and your GF would got spares cheaper,, why dint you took the bike and changed those for your self?? or took the bike the shop where you would get it cheaper,,,but i think if you would be changed parts, your labour cost would be even more,,,would it be??

Rental's are here for business and i never heard any kind of business will do just FLAT rate business where they don’t make profit...

I think you will remember this for your next vacation,,,

[JustAnotherFarang]

I think you are being a little harsh on the guy. 2 small scratches does not 1100bht make and well we all know it for those that live in Thailand. I doubt the guy even replaced the parts and just pocketed the money.........doesnt that make it a scam and isnt Thailand renowned for this. He has my sympathy and I agree with him regarding "tatlers" posting which was uncalled for. If you aint got nothing nice or useful to say, then dont say nothing would be my advice to that poster who is obviously new to this board and could at least make a little effort to be a little less flippant and more pleasant..............

I did get a really good bit of advice from someone on this forum regarding scratches.......... get a tin of Brasso and a soft cloth and work it in with a little fingertip pressure. Worked an absolute treat on my Vigo when the body repair shop was asking 3500 bht for a respray............cost of the brasso was 125 bht for a really big tin. Now thats the sort of posting thats needed around here I think.

JAF

Edited November 15, 2007 by JustAnotherFarang

[LaoPo]

Can't believe the fuzz the OP's making about 1,100 Baht (€22 or $ 32). Of course a repair shop in BKK was a lot cheaper. Living/working on an island is always a lot more expensive. In the west the repair would have cost you triple the amount, at least; live and let live.

Don't let your beautiful holidays you had, spoil over a minor amount of money

Consider yourself lucky you didn't have a serious accident. But at least you have a nice story to tell, back home...

LaoPo

I disagree.

I think it is possible to live happily in Thailand but sometimes disagree with questionable Thai business practices

Life is full of questionable problems and practices.

Live every day to the fullest and be happy you live.

LaoPo

[rixalex]

I think you are being a little harsh on the guy. 2 small scratches does not 1100bht make and well we all know it for those that live in Thailand. I doubt the guy even replaced the parts and just pocketed the money.........doesnt that make it a scam and isnt Thailand renowned for this. He has my sympathy and I agree with him regarding "tatlers" posting which was uncalled for. If you aint got nothing nice or useful to say, then dont say nothing would be my advice to that poster who is obviously new to this board and could at least make a little effort to be a little less flippant and more pleasant..............

I did get a really good bit of advice from someone on this forum regarding scratches.......... get a tin of Brasso and a soft cloth and work it in with a little fingertip pressure. Worked an absolute treat on my Vigo when the body repair shop was asking 3500 bht for a respray............cost of the brasso was 125 bht for a really big tin. Now thats the sort of posting thats needed around here I think.

JAF

Great post JAF and some useful advice .

As another poster suggested, is most likely that whenever these rental places hit you with extra charges for minimal cosmetic damage, they just pocket the money. All the more reason that if you do have to pay, you pay what is right. Over a thousand baht might not be much money, but the fact is that sum is not proportionate to the repair - it's a rip-off, and rip-offs deserve to be contested on matter of principle.

[pattyboy]

I think you are being a little harsh on the guy. 2 small scratches does not 1100bht make and well we all know it for those that live in Thailand. I doubt the guy even replaced the parts and just pocketed the money.........doesnt that make it a scam and isnt Thailand renowned for this. He has my sympathy and I agree with him regarding "tatlers" posting which was uncalled for. If you aint got nothing nice or useful to say, then dont say nothing would be my advice to that poster who is obviously new to this board and could at least make a little effort to be a little less flippant and more pleasant..............

I did get a really good bit of advice from someone on this forum regarding scratches.......... get a tin of Brasso and a soft cloth and work it in with a little fingertip pressure. Worked an absolute treat on my Vigo when the body repair shop was asking 3500 bht for a respray............cost of the brasso was 125 bht for a really big tin. Now thats the sort of posting thats needed around here I think.

JAF

Good for you. I agree with your remarks all the way through.

And I would be ready to bet a million baht that the scratches have not and NEVER WILL be fixed.

Yours is one of the very few constructive pieces of advice I've seen in this thread -- the Brasso idea is great. The other decent advice was to document all the damage to the bike on the rental agreement before taking off (or better yet, take a few pictures from angles that show the scratches and damage the bike has before you leave).

[Moonfruit]

I think you are being a little harsh on the guy. 2 small scratches does not 1100bht make and well we all know it for those that live in Thailand. I doubt the guy even replaced the parts and just pocketed the money.........doesnt that make it a scam and isnt Thailand renowned for this. He has my sympathy and I agree with him regarding "tatlers" posting which was uncalled for. If you aint got nothing nice or useful to say, then dont say nothing would be my advice to that poster who is obviously new to this board and could at least make a little effort to be a little less flippant and more pleasant..............

I did get a really good bit of advice from someone on this forum regarding scratches.......... get a tin of Brasso and a soft cloth and work it in with a little fingertip pressure. Worked an absolute treat on my Vigo when the body repair shop was asking 3500 bht for a respray............cost of the brasso was 125 bht for a really big tin. Now thats the sort of posting thats needed around here I think.

JAF

Good for you. I agree with your remarks all the way through.

And I would be ready to bet a million baht that the scratches have not and NEVER WILL be fixed.

Yours is one of the very few constructive pieces of advice I've seen in this thread -- the Brasso idea is great. The other decent advice was to document all the damage to the bike on the rental agreement before taking off (or better yet, take a few pictures from angles that show the scratches and damage the bike has before you leave).

Im pained.

Ive just shown you how 1,000THB is reasonable enough to expect to pay, yet nobody has addressed it.

I really hope i never have any business to do with those naysayers here!

Its 1,100THB! And its justified! You damaged his bike, so you must pay! Full stop! Whether he repairs it or not doesnt matter!

[pattyboy]

I think you are being a little harsh on the guy. 2 small scratches does not 1100bht make and well we all know it for those that live in Thailand. I doubt the guy even replaced the parts and just pocketed the money.........doesnt that make it a scam and isnt Thailand renowned for this. He has my sympathy and I agree with him regarding "tatlers" posting which was uncalled for. If you aint got nothing nice or useful to say, then dont say nothing would be my advice to that poster who is obviously new to this board and could at least make a little effort to be a little less flippant and more pleasant..............

I did get a really good bit of advice from someone on this forum regarding scratches.......... get a tin of Brasso and a soft cloth and work it in with a little fingertip pressure. Worked an absolute treat on my Vigo when the body repair shop was asking 3500 bht for a respray............cost of the brasso was 125 bht for a really big tin. Now thats the sort of posting thats needed around here I think.

JAF

Good for you. I agree with your remarks all the way through.

And I would be ready to bet a million baht that the scratches have not and NEVER WILL be fixed.

Yours is one of the very few constructive pieces of advice I've seen in this thread -- the Brasso idea is great. The other decent advice was to document all the damage to the bike on the rental agreement before taking off (or better yet, take a few pictures from angles that show the scratches and damage the bike has before you leave).

Im pained.

Ive just shown you how 1,000THB is reasonable enough to expect to pay, yet nobody has addressed it.

I really hope i never have any business to do with those naysayers here!

Its 1,100THB! And its justified! You damaged his bike, so you must pay! Full stop! Whether he repairs it or not doesnt matter!

Hold on! You've justified the 1,100 baht because you're alleging that the owner will take it to get fixed, so to say that "Whether he repairs it or not" DOES matter. Those of us who have lived here long enough, know that odds are great that the owner will only pocket the money -- no lost rental -- no lost time while somebody waits at the shop -- no added expense for petrol to take the bike to the shop. Beside, many people who have posted feel that 1,100 baht isn't reasonable. Don't you think that fair business practice is a two-way street? I'll pay you an agreed price to rent your bike and treat it with reasonable care, and you treat me fairly in the event that a minor mishap occurs. Put yourself in the OP's shoes. How would you feel if the same thing happened to you, only this time the owner's asking for 5,000 baht? Should rental shops be allowed to set arbitrary prices that don't realistically match the amount of damage?

Perhaps nobody has addressed your stance because nobody agrees with it.

Edited November 16, 2007 by pattyboy

[idahospud]

If he repairs the bike or not does not matter. The bike now has a depreciated value.Yes he will be able to rent that bike for the same amount. But I would point out if this was a time when he was to upgrade his current models he would get less as a trade in. Your original post has worked If I travel to that area I will use another rental agency to support forem members. One can make his own choicesbased on what he hears. As a business can make smart or bad business decisions.

[Lancelot]

Hold on! You've justified the 1,100 baht because you're alleging that the owner will take it to get fixed, so to say that "Whether he repairs it or not" DOES matter. Those of us who have lived here long enough, know that odds are great that the owner will only pocket the money -- no lost rental -- no lost time while somebody waits at the shop -- no added expense for petrol to take the bike to the shop. Beside, many people who have posted feel that 1,100 baht isn't reasonable. Don't you think that fair business practice is a two-way street? I'll pay you an agreed price to rent your bike and treat it with reasonable care, and you treat me fairly in the event that a minor mishap occurs. Put yourself in the OP's shoes. How would you feel if the same thing happened to you, only this time the owner's asking for 5,000 baht? Should rental shops be allowed to set arbitrary prices that don't realistically match the amount of damage?

Perhaps nobody has addressed your stance because nobody agrees with it.

Thanks PB and JAF, you are both some of the few posters that "get it." I've lived in Thailand for almost five years and the scams get a bit tiresome The two week millionaires are always comparing prices in Thailand with western prices and its inaccurate. No wonder some Thais overcharge farangs.

That particular shop owner will not repair the bike and will most likely try to gouge future renter(s), collecting multiple times for the same scratch. The tiger never changes his stripes The same guys that critisize me would bitch and moan if they scratched a rented a bike back home and were charged for a new replacement part.

I've gotten some good information on this board, e.g. retirement visas, restaurants, travel and I sometimes post my experiences as well. For my critics who also may be in the market to rent a Yahmaha Fino, hurry on down to the aformentioned concern and grab a bike. They're waiting for you

Lance

Edited November 17, 2007 by Lancelot

[Murf]

At the end of the day, a scam is a scam, no matter how much money it is...

[rixalex]

At the end of the day, a scam is a scam, no matter how much money it is...

That's the bottom line. Those that are defending the rental place just because in their eyes it's a nominal sum are completely missing the point.

[torrenova]

The OP is the one with the problem. When you hire a bike you know that you're going to get royaly screwed on any damage. So the bike got damaged and whilst he could have taken it to get fixed, he chose to return it to the hire shop. They have a given right to the bike back in the same condition as it left and if it is not, then why should they have to do all the running around getting it repaired, on their time, for zero profit ?

[Lancelot]

The OP is the one with the problem. When you hire a bike you know that you're going to get royaly screwed on any damage. So the bike got damaged and whilst he could have taken it to get fixed, he chose to return it to the hire shop. They have a given right to the bike back in the same condition as it left and if it is not, then why should they have to do all the running around getting it repaired, on their time, for zero profit ?

Zero profit eh? If they were going to repair the bike, they would have charged me B1,100 for parts and another B1,100 for overhead (gas, forfeted rental income, etc...)

Some guys have a lot to learn...

[JustAnotherFarang]

I think that helping each other on this forum is how it works best.

I really value the opinions of this forum and it has helped me out so many times that I choose this as my first point of call when I have any problems. But I have grown tired of some posters who come up with the most flippant of remarks which often border on derogatory comments. I would only say to those particular posters to think a little first as to whether their posting is in anyway beneficial. If it isn't then why bother posting as your remarks will often be most unwelcome

I hope nobody finds this insulting, its certainly not meant that way

JAF

PS Regarding the brasso, it was another poster on this forum who gave me that advice and I am truly grateful to them. Apologies for forgetting your name but I appreciated your advice and it really worked a treat,

thank you once again

JAF

[Moonfruit]

I think you are being a little harsh on the guy. 2 small scratches does not 1100bht make and well we all know it for those that live in Thailand. I doubt the guy even replaced the parts and just pocketed the money.........doesnt that make it a scam and isnt Thailand renowned for this. He has my sympathy and I agree with him regarding "tatlers" posting which was uncalled for. If you aint got nothing nice or useful to say, then dont say nothing would be my advice to that poster who is obviously new to this board and could at least make a little effort to be a little less flippant and more pleasant..............

I did get a really good bit of advice from someone on this forum regarding scratches.......... get a tin of Brasso and a soft cloth and work it in with a little fingertip pressure. Worked an absolute treat on my Vigo when the body repair shop was asking 3500 bht for a respray............cost of the brasso was 125 bht for a really big tin. Now thats the sort of posting thats needed around here I think.

JAF

Good for you. I agree with your remarks all the way through.

And I would be ready to bet a million baht that the scratches have not and NEVER WILL be fixed.

Yours is one of the very few constructive pieces of advice I've seen in this thread -- the Brasso idea is great. The other decent advice was to document all the damage to the bike on the rental agreement before taking off (or better yet, take a few pictures from angles that show the scratches and damage the bike has before you leave).

Im pained.

Ive just shown you how 1,000THB is reasonable enough to expect to pay, yet nobody has addressed it.

I really hope i never have any business to do with those naysayers here!

Its 1,100THB! And its justified! You damaged his bike, so you must pay! Full stop! Whether he repairs it or not doesnt matter!

Hold on! You've justified the 1,100 baht because you're alleging that the owner will take it to get fixed, so to say that "Whether he repairs it or not" DOES matter. Those of us who have lived here long enough, know that odds are great that the owner will only pocket the money -- no lost rental -- no lost time while somebody waits at the shop -- no added expense for petrol to take the bike to the shop. Beside, many people who have posted feel that 1,100 baht isn't reasonable. Don't you think that fair business practice is a two-way street? I'll pay you an agreed price to rent your bike and treat it with reasonable care, and you treat me fairly in the event that a minor mishap occurs. Put yourself in the OP's shoes. How would you feel if the same thing happened to you, only this time the owner's asking for 5,000 baht? Should rental shops be allowed to set arbitrary prices that don't realistically match the amount of damage?

Perhaps nobody has addressed your stance because nobody agrees with it.

Im still pained!

Quoting how long we have been here doesnt really matter, neither does the amount owed.

If it makes a difference, i've been here almost a decade, so i like to think i know how things work. Sure, im not Thai, but i never will be. I dont want to be!

The bike was damaged. The renter has to pay. Whether the owner repairs the damage or pockets the money and accepts the depreciation in value of his asset is irrelevant. He must choose one of the two options.

and back to the fact that it 1,100THB. Its 25USD! Its 15GPB! Its a few beers. It doesnt even cover the cost of a tank of gas back to Bangkok for the family car!

[JUDAS]

Whether the owner of the bike repairs it now is irrelevant, as he'll lose value on resale if he doesn't eventually fix it. The OP is not happy with the price he paid for the damage he caused, but, perhaps a part of that is due to how the situation was dealt with by the owner? My wife is also involved in motorbike rental and I can honestly say we have only ever had one person complain strongly about the repair charge after he dropped the bike, 300 Baht!!!

It's been mentioned that rental companies just pocket the money after minor accidents etc. In our situation that's not the case. We replace or if possible and cost effective, repair the parts. Nor would we charge a customer for parts then repair with non OE equipment. Though to be honest this is probably the exception to the rule.

Every business involved in bike rentals requires customers to sign a contract stating they are responsible for damage caused and usually listing prices ( our contract does ) Simply put, if you don't agree with the terms of the contract, don't rent.

My wife and I take the view that a satisfied customer creates more customers. Wouldn't be the first time we've had someone crash a bike, pay the bill then rent again from us a couple of days later....

[JustAnotherFarang]

I agree that if you damage someone elses property you should pay to have it repaired. But if the person who owns the property asks for what you would consider to be an exhorbitant amount (for what amounts to little more than a few scratches) then you have every right to feel aggrieved. I would agree to the charge levied by the poster above who charged 300 bht but I would not be happy to pay 1100 bht.

If the OP had refused to pay this charge the owner of the motorcycle would refuse to hand over his passport or whatever else he had offered as surety..........itsa no win situation for the tourist and so this then becames a case of extortionate business practises and something that should not be tolerated by any farang for fear that this would become common business practise for all farangs caught up in such unfortunate circumstances. In Thailand this is quickly becoming the norm and if we do not resist then I think these practises will only increase which is not a good advertisement for Thailands tourist economy.

The OP did query the amount and from what we can gather, he was then treated quite shoddily by the owner which suggests that in his case there was no option of mediation or compromise. This is unfair.

The poster who says he is pained is not pained whatsoever.......... it wasnt him who had to pay and if he was ever in such a situation in Thailand and accepted the price without rebuke then I can only say more fool him irregardless of how much money he has or how long he has been in Thailand.

JAF

Edited November 18, 2007 by JustAnotherFarang

[Lancelot]

Whether the owner of the bike repairs it now is irrelevant, as he'll lose value on resale if he doesn't eventually fix it. The OP is not happy with the price he paid for the damage he caused, but, perhaps a part of that is due to how the situation was dealt with by the owner? My wife is also involved in motorbike rental and I can honestly say we have only ever had one person complain strongly about the repair charge after he dropped the bike, 300 Baht!!!

It's been mentioned that rental companies just pocket the money after minor accidents etc. In our situation that's not the case. We replace or if possible and cost effective, repair the parts. Nor would we charge a customer for parts then repair with non OE equipment. Though to be honest this is probably the exception to the rule.

Every business involved in bike rentals requires customers to sign a contract stating they are responsible for damage caused and usually listing prices ( our contract does ) Simply put, if you don't agree with the terms of the contract, don't rent.

My wife and I take the view that a satisfied customer creates more customers. Wouldn't be the first time we've had someone crash a bike, pay the bill then rent again from us a couple of days later....

Damage prices weren't listed on the contract. The shop owner behaved poorly, was agressive and not open to discussion. Had he been civil and met me half way (B550) I would have been delighted to pay. FWIW, you sound like a fair minded person and I agree that B300 is VERY reasonable. The guy in Koh Chang could care less about a satisfied customer. To him, farangs are an inexhaustable resource, so why try to be fair or reasonable?

[JustAnotherFarang]

As you can see Lancelot, public opinion is very much in your favour here and I think your original posting has been answered informatively by several quality postings.

Those that have been here for awhile know how the systems works from time to time when dealing with unscrupulous dealers in Thailand, especially those in the more popular holiday resorts. But please dont let it biase your opinions of what is, after all is said and done, a wonderful country to visit and an even better place to reside for farangs.

Time to put it to rest I think as there is nothing else to be gleaned from your unfortunate experiece, we live and learn and then move on

Chock dee khrap

JAF