**warning Thread**

[chiang mai]

I reckon this thread is well out of order - somebody, anyone has a problem with a Chiang Mai based merchant and all of a sudden that merchant is notified to over 50,000 TV members as one that must be avoided, just because one person says so - how sensible is all of that! Give the process six months and every retailer in CM will be listed. For example, I for one have dealt successfully with Niyom Phanich near Airport Plaza for several years and would not hesitate to use or recommend them to anyone so readers need to take the cautions posted here with a very large subjective pinch of salt.

[Ulysses G.]

I'm afraid that I must agree. We have already had a good number of disagreements over the companies listed here.

[adjan jb]

I reckon this thread is well out of order - somebody, anyone has a problem with a Chiang Mai based merchant and all of a sudden that merchant is notified to over 50,000 TV members as one that must be avoided, just because one person says so - how sensible is all of that! Give the process six months and every retailer in CM will be listed. For example, I for one have dealt successfully with Niyom Phanich near Airport Plaza for several years and would not hesitate to use or recommend them to anyone so readers need to take the cautions posted here with a very large subjective pinch of salt.

WARNING: Avoid this thread??

[Dustoff]

I reckon this thread is well out of order - somebody, anyone has a problem with a Chiang Mai based merchant and all of a sudden that merchant is notified to over 50,000 TV members as one that must be avoided, just because one person says so...

Well, hardly that. I do not yet see 50k views on this thread but I suppose it could happen.

But you are right in that a thread such as this, like a "what do you hate" thread, would be very difficult to fairly manage.

The ideal I suppose would be a thread that eventually lists the many local businesses and somehow shows the pro and con votes for each. (No, GinThing, please don't start another poll). Lengthy discriptions would have to be edited down to "yea or nay" or it would get ridiculously long and the retarded flamers would rule.

I had a bad experience with aircon tech support with the company I listed above but that does not mean that the entire company is totally lacking in reliable service - just as one person's good experience does not mean that another will not be taken advantage of in another transaction.

Then, of course, is the problem of when someone complains bitterly about one of ThaiVisa's sponsors and the Mod-Squad has to decide whether to be democratic or fling the offender into the bin. And, as we have all seen, ThiaVisa ain't no Democracy..

I just can't imagine that this is going to work, as much as I feel that we should be able to warn one-another about questionable business practices which, as everywhere else, abound. Perhaps in a non-commercial forum, but not here.

[JimsKnight]

I hear your cry dustoff but the concept of Name and Shame is a tricky one at times.

I've had it happen with my website where the name and shame was in full swing for dodgy farang and thai alike.

All was well and good until you find out the bad guys are not that bad and the good guys are the Real bad guys.

You have no real way of knowing what is real and what isn't unless you have the time, money and energy to personally investigate the crooks and conmen.

This is something I'd do in my spare time if I was retired and bored with nothing else to do but it leaves you kinda jaded and worn out dealing with con after con and the mess they've caused people etc.

[Rasseru]

I reckon this thread is well out of order . . . . . readers need to take the cautions posted here with a very large subjective pinch of salt.

WARNING: Avoid this thread??

If one is unable to read between the lines and, as chiang mai post says, apply a good pinch of salt to any post that one wolfs down here, then yes, certainly, one should avoid this thread. Not to mention the Chiangmai Forum generally, TV Forum as a whole and, to the extent possible, the entire world.

[chiang mai]

Hmm, I hear others also saying this thread isn't right - maybe the Mod squad needs to revisit the implications and appropriateness of using TV to air personal grievances against local vendors?

[slapout]

It would appear the big difference in this thread and those includeding the PM, exPM, police, resturants, airports, embasseys, consulates, etc etc is this one is for the negative input only. This is being debated as to fair, right or whatever and if it runs true to most threads on TV there will be disagreement. I think it is a quick reference to the reported bad business and I would use it like a caution or yellow light at the intersection.

[Flatouthruthefog]

Hmm, I hear others also saying this thread isn't right - maybe the Mod squad needs to revisit the implications and appropriateness of using TV to air personal grievances against local vendors?

Aha! If these were indeed 'personal grievances', not backed up with any credible comment I might agree. In FACT, the posts so far are free from invective and prejudice, simply objective reports from personal experiences, posted for the good of all.

This thread was begun by a mod (I think) and I am sure will continue to be monitored by them. Provided it continues to be free from prejudice and personal invective, it can surely only be yet another valid service of this excellent site..........? No?

Or do you by any chance have any connection with any business criticised here???

[Tywais]

We seem to have lost focus on what this topic is about. Just to remind members "****warning Thread****, Businesses to avoid like the plague." And there is a compliment topic where members can post their positive reports. If someone wants to start a "new" topic on the pros and cons of this then feel free but let's leave this for its' intended purpose. Thanks.

[chiang mai]

Hmm, I hear others also saying this thread isn't right - maybe the Mod squad needs to revisit the implications and appropriateness of using TV to air personal grievances against local vendors?

Aha! If these were indeed 'personal grievances', not backed up with any credible comment I might agree. In FACT, the posts so far are free from invective and prejudice, simply objective reports from personal experiences, posted for the good of all.

This thread was begun by a mod (I think) and I am sure will continue to be monitored by them. Provided it continues to be free from prejudice and personal invective, it can surely only be yet another valid service of this excellent site..........? No?

Or do you by any chance have any connection with any business criticised here???

I have no connection with any business in CM. I maintain this thread is a dangerous and inappropriate proposition but the previous comment asks that we leave the thread intact hence, no more discussion!

[p1p]

I note a certain amount of discussion regarding the pros and cons of such a thread in the existing thread pinned HERE..

I personally believe such a thread is a great benefit to our community. At the very least it enables us to approach a business with eyes open to possible pitfalls.

I am now going to tidy up the pinned thread and move posts discussing the thread to here.

[Puwa]

All market economies require mechanisms for transparency. In retail and service industries, the best mechanism is the voice of the consumer. This is especially true in an expat community, which has less information than the broader market. Just like opening the newspaper or strolling into the library, people have to use their own judgment in evaluating what they read. Mature and reasonable folks can make good use of the data, while those who are rash or naive will not--but that's life.

[FarangCravings]

I used to come up against this sort of thing when I used to own a hotel and diving biz I provided hotel and diving services for thousands of divers and visitors whom 99.999% had a great time and left very happy however every now and again we would have an unhappy customer and GUESS WHAT there experiecnce would be posted all over the net and i had an INSTANT PR problem over 16 years i had a few unhappy visitors and I tell you it damages your business as 1 unhappy customer can cause a lot of damage even though the majority of visitors had a great time.

I unhappy customer will make way more noise than the happy ones and its very biased and unfair to a business for this to happen as it clouds all the happy customers that have no reason to post there positive experiences.

In the end I started having customers fill out quality control questionaires upon departure so when got that odd inevitable complaint i would have hundreds of positives to cancel that one out. Now NO BUSINESS is perfect and to publicy post negative and warning threads about business's is just outright wrong but i dont own this site and i see some very suspect decisions by TV but its there site and up to them.

If it was my business i would be livid i have seen multiple posts about various TV business's not repsonding to emails etc will those be posted soon in the warning thread ? I dont think so.

Remove the warning thread its the right thing to do

[ThaiPauly]

I used to come up against this sort of thing when I used to own a hotel and diving biz I provided hotel and diving services for thousands of divers and visitors whom 99.999% had a great time and left very happy however every now and again we would have an unhappy customer and GUESS WHAT there experiecnce would be posted all over the net and i had an INSTANT PR problem over 16 years i had a few unhappy visitors and I tell you it damages your business as 1 unhappy customer can cause a lot of damage even though the majority of visitors had a great time.

I'm sorry to say it but THAT'S LIFE....99.999% of people who have run their own business have had similar problems I am sure. It happened to me when I had my business...there is always one grumpy bugger who would never be happy whatever you do, and that one person would always go out of their way to tell as many people as thay could how bad your servce was

Remember that the person who started the +++Warning thread+++ was phsically assulted, I can see where you and Chiang Mai are coming from, but what's to stop others who have had good experiences with the particular company in question from taking the post and quoting it saying that they had a GOOD service there?

[p1p]

The warning thread is being used by decent people posting reports of bad experiences they have had with (probably) unscrupulous traders in Chiang Mai. It is unfortunate but the Asian character is known for it's opportunism and it's wont to go for the quick buck, especially if Farang custom is involved. We are fortunate that not all are so inclined, and many of the best are mentioned in the recommendations threads in the sub forum.

By all means post details of bad experiences in the warning thread. If the business is good, others will most certainly post of their exemplary experiences too. Some businesses are already rightfully both praised and damned in the two threads.

Make up your own mind about experiences recounted and consider yourself informed if you choose to use one of the businesses about which you have been appraised.

Alternatively, take your patronage elsewhere if you choose to head the warnings. After all - they are only warnings and you always have the total freedom to open your wallet where you decide.

Off Topic here but I am becoming somewhat vexed by the "Peace in our Time" Chaimberlains on this board who like to jump in every time somebody complains about a business doing a bad job or ripping them off. Their constant refrain of "but it might damage business" becomes a bit wearing.

I am on the side of the consumer, as I believe we should all be. If a business is ripping you off, cheating you, poisoning you, not completing their work, dangerous, dishonest, incompetent or in any way one you will not use again, I believe you have an absolute right, if not an obligation to let others know of your experience. If the business is damaged or forced to improve their ways, so much the better.

[chiangmaibruce]

Everyone here is right - to a degree.

1. There are customers who are unreasonable, abusive, arrogant and constant complainers. This was driven home to me in a previous job with a large resort island. This company had a great system for gathering, review and acting on guest complaints and suggestions - even if only a verbal comment to a mid-level staffer. It was all compiled and circulated to all managers within 24 hours. I can tell you we had some people stay on the island who complained from the minute they walked in the door until they got on the boat a week later. Sometimes just cranky but sometimes scammers who were after discounts, freebies, etc.

2. There are businesses that are lazy, incompetent, dishonest, have no idea about customer service - even abusive.

3. With the reach of the Internet and with the ability to be anonymous, you will have some people who use mechanisms like this thread to deliberately strike out at people or businesses - sometimes competitors, people they are having personal problems with, etc. Obviously this is very unfair for the business. In this instance the chances of Thai business owners reading Thaivisa and having an opportunity to respond is just about zero.

4. An important function of TV is to learn from one anothers adventures and misadventures, and it is reasonable to warn others if you really have been badly dealt with so they don't have the same bad experience.

The solution? If you close the thread the same material will just pop up as individual threads - more clutter. All I can suggest is have some basic but firm rules for the thread & a disclaimer at the top of the thread to say its about one person's experience with perhaps one member of staff. It may not be representative of how other staff act or how the business normally operates etc.

Also:

1. Posts not to be made within 24 hours of the incident occurring - cool down and reflect first!

2. The poster must be prepared to sign a statutory declaration to support their assertions if called to account. If you don't want to stand up with hand on heart, then don't post

3. Poster must provide sufficient detail to enable readers to form a 'reasonably informed' view of the nature of the complaint

4. ?

[Ulysses G.]

I agree with much of the above post, but we all know that we are never going to have to swear to anything with any legal standing which means there is no real protection against some people out and out lying.

[Cyberstar]

NO!!! --- There shouldn't be a thread like that! My respect for the moderator, whose lack of judgment capabilities, made him pin it, is tremendously diminished.

[tipsy]

NO!!! --- There shouldn't be a thread like that! My respect for the moderator, whose lack of judgment capabilities, made him pin it, is tremendously diminished.

I agree

[KevinHunt]

I used to come up against this sort of thing when I used to own a hotel and diving biz I provided hotel and diving services for thousands of divers and visitors whom 99.999% had a great time and left very happy however every now and again we would have an unhappy customer and GUESS WHAT there experiecnce would be posted all over the net and i had an INSTANT PR problem over 16 years i had a few unhappy visitors and I tell you it damages your business as 1 unhappy customer can cause a lot of damage even though the majority of visitors had a great time.

I'm sorry to say it but THAT'S LIFE....99.999% of people who have run their own business have had similar problems I am sure. It happened to me when I had my business...there is always one grumpy bugger who would never be happy whatever you do, and that one person would always go out of their way to tell as many people as thay could how bad your servce was

Remember that the person who started the +++Warning thread+++ was phsically assulted, I can see where you and Chiang Mai are coming from, but what's to stop others who have had good experiences with the particular company in question from taking the post and quoting it saying that they had a GOOD service there?

I agree. The Red Lion / O'Malley's thread never bothered me. Free advertising. And, believe it or not, some of the complaints were valid and addressed. I now have a comments slip on every table and mostly they are positive, which is good, but I'm more interested in the complaints, to see how we're doing. It's not unusual that one table praises a dish and the next table criticises it - five minutes later. Who's right? - both of them. The first guy gets a 'thank you' and the next gut get's a 'Sorry - would you like to change it for something else'.

When people complain about somewhere it isn't too difficult to figure out whether it is genuine or nor or whether the guy is just a whinger or got an axe to grind. Some of the complaints about other businesses I've seen posted on TV I've taken on board, and some I've ignored. I use common sense , and I assume that most people do the same.

Edited June 8, 2008 by KevinHUNT

[annabel]

I used to come up against this sort of thing when I used to own a hotel and diving biz I provided hotel and diving services for thousands of divers and visitors whom 99.999% had a great time and left very happy however every now and again we would have an unhappy customer and GUESS WHAT there experiecnce would be posted all over the net and i had an INSTANT PR problem over 16 years i had a few unhappy visitors and I tell you it damages your business as 1 unhappy customer can cause a lot of damage even though the majority of visitors had a great time.

I'm sorry to say it but THAT'S LIFE....99.999% of people who have run their own business have had similar problems I am sure. It happened to me when I had my business...there is always one grumpy bugger who would never be happy whatever you do, and that one person would always go out of their way to tell as many people as thay could how bad your servce was

Remember that the person who started the +++Warning thread+++ was phsically assulted, I can see where you and Chiang Mai are coming from, but what's to stop others who have had good experiences with the particular company in question from taking the post and quoting it saying that they had a GOOD service there?

I agree. The Red Lion / O'Malley's thread never bothered me. Free advertising. And, believe it or not, some of the complaints were valid and addressed. I now have a comments slip on every table and mostly they are positive, which is good, but I'm more interested in the complaints, to see how we're doing. It's not unusual that one table praises a dish and the next table criticises it - five minutes later. Who's right? - both of them. The first guy gets a 'thank you' and the next gut get's a 'Sorry - would you like to change it for something else'.

When people complain about somewhere it isn't too difficult to figure out whether it is genuine or nor or whether the guy is just a whinger or got an axe to grind. Some of the complaints about other businesses I've seen posted on TV I've taken on board, and some I've ignored. I use common sense , and I assume that most people do the same.

I agree to keep the thread going and use your own judgement .....we all have different experiences, some good , some bad and some very bad that leave a really bad taste and there is nothing wrong with letting other people know so they can at least be aware.....

Siam TV is a perfect example...I have bought numerous products there and staff were friendly and efficient....They work on a commission basis ....so of sourse they go 100% out to sell ... However I never had to have anything serviced by them..... I nevertheless did have a bad experience in buying a Flat screen TV which was being promoted at a very special low price.....Staff are on a commission basis as I mentionned and through the insistance of the sales person I gave a deposit of 5,000 since I couldn't take dely of it immediately being that my house was not ready to move into and the one room I was renting was too small and already full of other stuff to be able to store it ....agreed that they would keep it for one month ....I went back to get it 3 weeks later and SURPRISE ...Was not there...Had been sold ....Obviously a conflict between staff over selling the limited stock...fair enough ....but a deal is a deal and should be honored....Call the manager and ask him what happened??////.... response....= Rude, arrogant, tells me to buy the same one at 15,000 Baht higher price and asks me WHY I didn't pay full and take it immediately in the first place ??? Arghhhh...!!! Urghhhh !!! Wanted to kill him ...Returned my money ....but no TV ... Principle is ....HE was rude .....and didn't even try to compensate for the blunder...My feeling ...Never go there again cause after a heated argument and telling him I will go to the Consumer court , his reply was ...= do what you want ////

Anyway ...that was my experience and am sure other people have had nothing but good ones there and some others like me the unfortunate bad one ....But yes keep the thread going ....it helps us to be more AWARE .....

[swain]

Seems like Chiang Mai and Thailand in general needs something like the Better Business Bureau.... This website seems like it could spin something like this off. hmmmm...

[femi fan]

The warning thread is being used by decent people posting reports of bad experiences they have had with (probably) unscrupulous traders in Chiang Mai. It is unfortunate but the Asian character is known for it's opportunism and it's wont to go for the quick buck, especially if Farang custom is involved. We are fortunate that not all are so inclined, and many of the best are mentioned in the recommendations threads in the sub forum.

By all means post details of bad experiences in the warning thread. If the business is good, others will most certainly post of their exemplary experiences too. Some businesses are already rightfully both praised and damned in the two threads.

Make up your own mind about experiences recounted and consider yourself informed if you choose to use one of the businesses about which you have been appraised.

Alternatively, take your patronage elsewhere if you choose to head the warnings. After all - they are only warnings and you always have the total freedom to open your wallet where you decide.

Off Topic here but I am becoming somewhat vexed by the "Peace in our Time" Chaimberlains on this board who like to jump in every time somebody complains about a business doing a bad job or ripping them off. Their constant refrain of "but it might damage business" becomes a bit wearing.

I am on the side of the consumer, as I believe we should all be. If a business is ripping you off, cheating you, poisoning you, not completing their work, dangerous, dishonest, incompetent or in any way one you will not use again, I believe you have an absolute right, if not an obligation to let others know of your experience. If the business is damaged or forced to improve their ways, so much the better.

What hasn't been mentioned though is that some people through their attitude attract bad service wherever they go. For example, it seems almost unbelievable that a customer should get assaulted in a thai shop without the owner perceiving extreme provocation.

I think it too simple to say you are on the side of the consumer, and that we should all be. I've seen some consumers, farang ones, behaving atrociously towards shop staff. The consumer is most certainly not always right.

Too many negative experiences reported by people often say more about them than the people they are complaining about.

As for your comments about the 'asian character', are you talking equally about people in afghanistan, oman, china, thailand, nepal, malaysia, russia, japan...?

There are any number of extreme cowboys in the UK, charging shocking prices for their labour. Quick bucks indeed abound everywhere.

[K2K]

Everyone here is right - to a degree.

4. An important function of TV is to learn from one anothers adventures and misadventures, and it is reasonable to warn others if you really have been badly dealt with so they don't have the same bad experience.

Have to agree with that - while there are some whingers - I'd still like to know where not to get ripped off - especially if more than one BM has had bad experiences.

This is an expat forum run by expats for expats - surely its in our best interests to help and support our fellow BM's.

(I do take critisms of resturants with a pinch of salt as 2 people in the same resturant may have different feelings -its just too personal to be objective).

[Crow Boy]

In my experience most people in sales and service are efficient and friendly. They do their job and try to help the customer. Sometimes they are off song and things don't go right. It is part of human nature, we have good days and bad days. Anyone who has spent time in any customer fronting business will tell you that most customers are good but occasionally they get one that can't be pleased.

As a foreigner in a foreign country we use other foreigner's experiences to help make our decision on where to buy products and services. We tend to believe our fellow foreigner as an authority. I used to be fascinated by the Red Lion v O'Malley thread of old. To read it both pubs were either total crap and to be avoided at all costs or the best pub in the world. Personally I used to go to both and enjoyed them. I have read reports of bad service and poor sales techniques at Siam and Nihon Panich but my PERSONAL experience at both has been good. I would recommend both and happily purchase from either.

In my experience most problems arise from miscommunication. No one who lives here will fail to recognise that sometimes it is nigh on impossible to make ourself understood which makes for frustration. What we hear and what was intended are not the same. Sales staff are expected to sell and in the case cited above re the television I suspect that the sale was dependent on complete purchase within the sales period. This is to prevent customers putting a deposit on a discounted item and paying for it several months later. Meanwhile the shop must hold and store an item sold but not paid for. I doubt that the sales person did this on purpose. What was wrong was when the department manager did not solve the problem by explaining the situation and coming up with a mutually acceptable solution.

I believe the threads such as "where is a good place for a drink?" "What is the best hamburger?" "places to avoid" are valid topics but like all things in life must be taken in context and not read as gospel.

CB

[chiang mai]

The warning thread is being used by decent people posting reports of bad experiences they have had with (probably) unscrupulous traders in Chiang Mai. It is unfortunate but the Asian character is known for it's opportunism and it's wont to go for the quick buck, especially if Farang custom is involved. We are fortunate that not all are so inclined, and many of the best are mentioned in the recommendations threads in the sub forum.

By all means post details of bad experiences in the warning thread. If the business is good, others will most certainly post of their exemplary experiences too. Some businesses are already rightfully both praised and damned in the two threads.

Make up your own mind about experiences recounted and consider yourself informed if you choose to use one of the businesses about which you have been appraised.

Alternatively, take your patronage elsewhere if you choose to head the warnings. After all - they are only warnings and you always have the total freedom to open your wallet where you decide.

Off Topic here but I am becoming somewhat vexed by the "Peace in our Time" Chaimberlains on this board who like to jump in every time somebody complains about a business doing a bad job or ripping them off. Their constant refrain of "but it might damage business" becomes a bit wearing.

I am on the side of the consumer, as I believe we should all be. If a business is ripping you off, cheating you, poisoning you, not completing their work, dangerous, dishonest, incompetent or in any way one you will not use again, I believe you have an absolute right, if not an obligation to let others know of your experience. If the business is damaged or forced to improve their ways, so much the better.

Everyone supports the consumer and wants them to get a fair deal, even many retailers. Come up with a system of reporting that has at least some checks and balances in it and I for one will happily support it - put up a system where any "decent person", whatever that might be, can post a negative report of a business and it will be abused at the cost of local business and ultimately the farang consumer. regards, Neville

[nikster]

Remove the warning thread its the right thing to do

I agree with your premise - 1 unhappy customer makes way more noise than the thousands of happy ones you never hear about - but not with your solution.

The sensible approach is to ignore the warning thread. It's up to you whether you read the warning thread, whether you heed the warnings etc. I can see that if your business is affected, you will be annoyed with this - but that's not a reason to stifle free speech. As an affected business, you can also respond in the warning thread - that is the appropriate response in a free speech society.

I realize that free speech in Thailand is problematic to begin with even though it's in the constitution. Both tradition and certain laws that basically in conflict with free speech. And then there's ThaiVisa which self-censors lots of stuff that I wouldn't really censor. Yet, I haven't given up on free speech, so there

[chiang mai]

Remove the warning thread its the right thing to do

I agree with your premise - 1 unhappy customer makes way more noise than the thousands of happy ones you never hear about - but not with your solution.

The sensible approach is to ignore the warning thread. It's up to you whether you read the warning thread, whether you heed the warnings etc. I can see that if your business is affected, you will be annoyed with this - but that's not a reason to stifle free speech. As an affected business, you can also respond in the warning thread - that is the appropriate response in a free speech society.

I realize that free speech in Thailand is problematic to begin with even though it's in the constitution. Both tradition and certain laws that basically in conflict with free speech. And then there's ThaiVisa which self-censors lots of stuff that I wouldn't really censor. Yet, I haven't given up on free speech, so there

Removal of the thread has absolutely nothing to do with freedom of speech violations. Leaving the thread in place does however have much to do with abuse of position and all the associated poor judgment issues.

[Ajarn]

I am now going to edit the thread to remove not strictly relevant posts and will pin at the top of the forum.

Please take note of out recommendation threads in the sub forum. HERE. All recommendations made here have been moved into THIS THREAD in that sub forum.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

***WARNING***COCKPIT Tyre service - Hang Dong Road

I have wanted to post a thread like this for some years - an experience today brought home the necessity and has made me take the plunge.

Please add other businesses or tradesmen below.

Bypass COCKPIT Tyre service center on the Hang Dong road. (For youse from the other side of the pond, a tyre is the Brit for a tire, which to us implies knackered!) Cockpit is iust South of Tesco Lotus and on the opposite side of the road, it is opposite the Honda dealership, by the Shell station.

I have had the severe misfortune to enter their premises twice in the last ten years. On both occasions they have tried to cheat me and on today's occasion I was physically assaulted by the owner and three staff members.

First time my wife went in having had a flat on a drive from Khon Kaen. She simply asked them to repair the tyre. They tried to persuade her she needed to change all five tyres on the car. The car was brand new with new tyres and had driven under 1,000 kms from new. I had to go to the shop to sort out the problem and we took our business elsewhere.

Today I had a blowout on a loaded trailer and had to go there somewhat urgently. I asked them to check tyre size while the trailer was on the road in front of the shop. They said they had the right size and went ahead and changed the tyre. After they finished, one side of the trailer was 2 inches higher than the other. They had installed completely the wrong size of tyre and admitted then that they did not have the correct size.

This led to a difference of opinion. They refused to accept any responsibility and demanded I either pay in full or they would remove the tyre and I would have to leave on a bare rim. An unacceptable choice. I suggested they either get the correct size or allow me to leave and have the tyre replaced elsewhere, returning the wrong one to them. They refused both options and it ended up with the owner and three of his staff assaulting me.

Anyway, cutting a long story short, I eventually left the premises with their wrong tyre on my trailer and without paying.

300 metres down the road, another tyre on my car exploded with considerable force. They had pumped far too much air into it. If I had been driving at speed it could have caused a severe accident.

Tomorrow morning I am off to make a full report to the police.

Since that incident, one of the policemen to whom I spoke told me that both he and his wife had been cheated by this company - and a close friend who came for dinner last night told how, after a quote had been made and accepted and the work done replacing all tyres on their car, Cockpit increased the price on the final invoice by over 2,500 Baht. - When he refused to pay the gouged invoice, they removed the new tyres, replacing with the old ones and tried to charge him 300 Baht per wheel for the work they had done.

Avoid COCKPIT. There are other, far better tyre service places close by.

P1P, I think you are lucky that you were not arrested for theft after stealing his tire. You could of simply been left as you were in the beginning, but that wasn't okay. You both wanted to profit, and this time you won.

And I think the 'assault' is B.S. Maybe you can explain it truthfully, but I don't think you will..