Have I been scammed?

[MediaWatcher]

steve73, on 13 Sept 2014 - 11:29, said:

ebean001, on 13 Sept 2014 - 10:41, said:

Odometers can be rolled back. In USA, the miles reading is recorded frequently - e.g at the repair shop, when the title is transferred, etc. Plus rolling back is a crime that will cost you way too much money. That is the USA. I have no idea what info you can find out in Thailand and no idea of the law. Also in USA it is assumed a person drives their car about 15,000 miles per year. That is about 24,000 klms. If the car is nearly 8 years old then it should have around 200,000 klms. It has only 80,000. hummmm. that comes out to be about 6000/year. hummmm. Lastly, no modern car with only 80,000 klms should have any serious problems. With 200,000 klms maybe some problems should surface.

I agree this looks a little on the low side for an 8 yo car... A full service history from a main dealer(s) always records mileage so paperwork from day one can be used to confirm what the odo shows - if there's no SH then ALWAYS suspect the reading..

I've heard that it costs around 1500-5000bt to clock (whether it's mechancal or digital), and if you look at enough secondhand cars in the "tents" you'll soon notice that they frequently seem to have 80-90,000 on the clock.. Cheap to replace other items that would normally show visible signs of wear, such as seats or carpets.

Go for a higher mileage car with a FSH over a low mileage one without SH documentation anyday.... IMO.

I don't think the average Thai could afford to do 500 km's a week, so comparing US mileage and Thais is irrelevant.

[gandalf12]

Really depends on how the vehicle has been maintained by the previous owner. If they have driven over pot holes then the bearings may well need changing.

I know others disagree with this but I always have my vehicle serviced from the manufacturer. This is primarily because I trade them in every 3 years and they can not dispute it has been maintained to standard when they have performed the maintenance

[eastcanje]

Welcome to Thailand...you were given the normal Thai business practice...scamming is a normal way of doing business...in my experience...can not be too careful...they are expert and deception and conniving...

I would say this is not exclusive to Thailand. I was a consumer protection inspector in the U.S. and worked for two different jurisdictions (not simultaneously). I found that many businesses would do whatever they felt they could get away with.

Even though the businesses knew that we might catch and prosecute them, they tried to give themselves an extra edge...for example, the meat department manager of a large supermarket (and part of a large chain) who would have all the packages labelled with incorrect weights and prices on weekends, when my agency didn't work. Unfortunately for him, my boss got wind of it and sent me into the store on a Sunday. The man was in tears as he watched me document all the short weight packages.

In fact, a former Thai police officer who became a consumer protection inspector in New York City was shocked at some of the things he saw there!

[circusman]

My experience is opposite.I ask for a car or bike to get sorted, i.e you find something wrong fix it and it comes back with only essentials fixed from independent garages

Main dealers Toyota and Honda have always been good from my experience, and will always phone to let me know costs involved and give a choice on parts.They also wash and clean a car as part of the service.

Labour costs are low as a rule in Thailand, new slave cylinders on Mazda fighter cost only 800 bht plus parts for example.

What irks me the most in Thailand is the insistance on leaf spring rear suspension, it's also worth remembering cars do take a hammering here due to road conditions and climate.Especially the suspension and steering components .

What kind of roads are you driving on? All through C.M. the roads are beautiful.

[NoshowJones]

Toyota would have been cheaper.Freangs have this strange idea that MAIN Dealers cost much more.

That's because main dealers in the UK and probably most Western countries do charge much more, apart from when I bought a brand new Toyota Vigo, I have always used small garages, and have nothing but praise for them all.

But a bit of advice, if you have LPG, and need anything done, always go to an authorised LPG dealer, forget most small garages who may have an LPG sign on their premises. About eighteen months ago, I needed a small repair done and went to the main LPG garage in Phitsanulok, it took fifteen mins, and no charge, my LPG has been perfect ever since, great service.

[NoshowJones]

Nobody cares to have repeat customers in this country, you don't know yet ?

I believe that's true in most cases, Thais don't have the mentality to look beyond that day. But in my experience, this has never been the case with garages.

[NoshowJones]

My experience is opposite.I ask for a car or bike to get sorted, i.e you find something wrong fix it and it comes back with only essentials fixed from independent garages

Main dealers Toyota and Honda have always been good from my experience, and will always phone to let me know costs involved and give a choice on parts.They also wash and clean a car as part of the service.

Labour costs are low as a rule in Thailand, new slave cylinders on Mazda fighter cost only 800 bht plus parts for example.

What irks me the most in Thailand is the insistance on leaf spring rear suspension, it's also worth remembering cars do take a hammering here due to road conditions and climate.Especially the suspension and steering components .

What kind of roads are you driving on? All through C.M. the roads are beautiful.

He was probably driving in Phichit province, I know one main road where the first six Ks from the main 117 highway, has not been resurfaced in the eight years I have been here. Somebodys pockets must be getting filled.

[minikev]

Falang's have communication problems here and often think that something will be done in a particular way only to find out later they misunderstood. The only real question is do you think you were overcharged for the work completed?

The garage saved you future grief by changing in pairs as just doing one side would create excessive wear load on the other side.

Perhaps you would have been better discussing the work and the budget with the garage yourself (maybe through an interpreter)

[MediaWatcher]

minikev, on 13 Sept 2014 - 12:31, said:

Falang's have communication problems here and often think that something will be done in a particular way only to find out later they misunderstood. The only real question is do you think you were overcharged for the work completed?

The garage saved you future grief by changing in pairs as just doing one side would create excessive wear load on the other side.

Perhaps you would have been better discussing the work and the budget with the garage yourself (maybe through an interpreter)

It's not only "farangs" that have problems communicating, due to limits in the Thai language Thais also have problems communicating with other Thais, the difference is, Thais accept this as "normal" and farangs, with a much more mature, ever developing language, are use to, usually, being, understood. It's hard for a nation to advance when they cannot communicate efficiently between themselves, the language simply does not allow it.

[Anon999]

No this is not usual. Every time I weny to a garage, they check the car and then mention to you what should be fixed and the cost for it. And then you can decide what should be fixed.

My experience has been that the big garages like Toyota Lanna try to oversell what needs to be done. And they charge a lot of money for what they do. You better of go to a small garage and get everything done there. Non-orginal parts are equally as good as original ones in my opinion.

If you buy high quality Japanese replacement parts, true.

[Anon999]

Brake linings at 50% after 80,000 kms should tell you that they did not need changing, assuming you're referring to the back wheels? Disk pads had probably been replaced but no need to change them either. There is a groove down the centre of the pads that shows the minimum level. Wheel bearings, unless faulty originals, would not need changing either at such a low mileage. However, changing the leaking rear dampers, obviously, and sensible to fit high quality aftermarket replacement inserts in the front struts as they will have certainly become soft. Much cheaper than changing the complete Genuine Toyota struts.

[Anon999]

My experience is opposite.I ask for a car or bike to get sorted, i.e you find something wrong fix it and it comes back with only essentials fixed from independent garages

Main dealers Toyota and Honda have always been good from my experience, and will always phone to let me know costs involved and give a choice on parts.They also wash and clean a car as part of the service.

Labour costs are low as a rule in Thailand, new slave cylinders on Mazda fighter cost only 800 bht plus parts for example.

What irks me the most in Thailand is the insistance on leaf spring rear suspension, it's also worth remembering cars do take a hammering here due to road conditions and climate.Especially the suspension and steering components .

If leaf springs on the back of your car 'irks' you there is a simply solution. Buy a different model!

Have not had a problem with Mitsu dealers, they have always ask if extra work was required. However, their diagnostics is not always up to scratch with tricky faults and they will argue black is white, however, that's probably true in most situations here.

[thhMan]

Im not sure if its usual, but the same thing happened to me.

I was furious when I went to pick up my car as the price had trippled, so I asked to see all the replaced parts, which tallied about as much as the original quote with labor.

That was in Pattaya and I had some suspension work done.

Then in Chiang Mai, I needed to replace the Aircon Fan and was quoted 4k for a second hand one as they where very hard to get.....

I drove the car to another mechanic that had lots of vehicles in there getting repairs and asked them the same thing.

His quote was 1400 THB plus labor for a new fan including labor.
I asked if they could rip out the horrid window tint and put a new one on that would allow me to see traffic at night.

They also did some electrical work to fix my elec windows, fix my wiper washes, wheel alignment and other few odds and ends which came to just under 4k...

The job was done perfectly and since then, he is now the mechanic I go to...

But I sold the old clunker shortly after and bought a Nissan Almera... Ugliest car in the world, but once inside, its roomy, has a great boot space and economical... Fantastic car at the price!

Edited September 13, 2014 by thhMan

[gawaterman]

Welcome to Thailand...you were given the normal Thai business practice...scamming is a normal way of doing business...in my experience...can not be too careful...they are expert and deception and conniving...

I would say this is not exclusive to Thailand.

I was going to say the same thing. Here in Australia over servicing is done by most repair shops in my experience.

[rotary]

When you bought Toyota you were scammed before the work was done

[MediaWatcher]

gawaterman, on 13 Sept 2014 - 15:27, said:

eastcanje, on 13 Sept 2014 - 11:52, said:

ggt, on 13 Sept 2014 - 10:43, said:

Welcome to Thailand...you were given the normal Thai business practice...scamming is a normal way of doing business...in my experience...can not be too careful...they are expert and deception and conniving...

I would say this is not exclusive to Thailand.

I was going to say the same thing. Here in Australia over servicing is done by most repair shops in my experience.

Rubbish, you and most aussies know, if "over servicing" is done you are protected by law. Please at least try to be truthful.

[mike324]

80,000 km should just be fluids, filters, pads at most. If you are changing shocks and bearings, your car is not in as good of a condition as you think. Toyota always let you know the work that needs to be done and cost beforehand. Seems like your agent may be sticking it to you.

[lostinisaan]

The work was not done at the agent's service shop. I wanted genuine Toyota components, and the agent stated Toyota were being "difficult" about supplying Toyota parts to him.

At the "agents' service shop. Holy buffalo. Have you been scammed? Yes, of course and it seems you like to continue doing so. It's basic knowledge that they just turn the clock back.

Even 20 year old cars usually have only 100 K on the clock. A lot of them had serious accidents and were "redone" with serious chassis problems, brakes, steering, etc...

Why can't you just drive to a Toyota dealer and tell them what you want them to do? Those places usually have a waiting area with coffee and Wifi.

​ And Toyota really uses genuine parts, while other "agent garages" just buy the much cheaper and crappy versions of all parts made in freaking China.

If you didn't take your car to a Toyota dealer before you even bought it, to get it checked ( you can easily find out how many km the engine was already running) , you were part of the whole scam.

Som Nam Na.-

[Strangebrew]

Ok Auto repair 101 First you check your car wheel-bearing can be checked easy jack up car front end place on blocks now spin the wheel hear anything funny? Now with both hands grab tire check if you feel movement as in wobble No? remove inspection cap on hub see any grease? Wheel bearing require greasing if wheel bearing going bad you will hear a humming sound while driving. Now shocks Press down on one side at a time on fenders Is it hard to do? if yes shocks good Look at shocks see any leaks? if no then good Hoses check for wear squeeze hose feel soft might be best to replace fan belts check for wear If looked worn replace Use antifreeze? Check by putting finger in it feel sticky? smell burnt? if it smells burnt replace sticky is ok If you replace change thermostat same time transmission fluid Easy as pie pull out dip stick Feel fluid feel gritty or smell burnt? if either replace and have filter changed same time. Oil If black and gritty change and oil filter too Power steering check smell in smell burnt replace Also on all belt check play in them should be quarter inch. Tires if you have a US coin a penny best stick in tire grooves if Lincolns top of head is below tread ok. if not new tires. Have all fitting lubed if you have them Check tire wear if tire wearing out in center of tire check tire pressure if wearing out on sides get an alignment done when getting new tires make sure they balance them. And most important Never let a woman drive your car period . Also change fuel filter and air filter Check brake fluid top off brakes fell spongy ? Have them bleed Good luck

[Ace of Pop]

Yes, dont foreget the Anti Freeze, rolling about in the muck, sniffing the engine, Squeeze your pipe, ignore Ladies if it feels sticky , or Simply nip into the Dealers unless your a Redneck.

[lostinisaan]

Ok Auto repair 101 First you check your car wheel-bearing can be checked easy jack up car front end place on blocks now spin the wheel hear anything funny? Now with both hands grab tire check if you feel movement as in wobble No? remove inspection cap on hub see any grease? Wheel bearing require greasing if wheel bearing going bad you will hear a humming sound while driving. Now shocks Press down on one side at a time on fenders Is it hard to do? if yes shocks good Look at shocks see any leaks? if no then good Hoses check for wear squeeze hose feel soft might be best to replace fan belts check for wear If looked worn replace Use antifreeze? Check by putting finger in it feel sticky? smell burnt? if it smells burnt replace sticky is ok If you replace change thermostat same time transmission fluid Easy as pie pull out dip stick Feel fluid feel gritty or smell burnt? if either replace and have filter changed same time. Oil If black and gritty change and oil filter too Power steering check smell in smell burnt replace Also on all belt check play in them should be quarter inch. Tires if you have a US coin a penny best stick in tire grooves if Lincolns top of head is below tread ok. if not new tires. Have all fitting lubed if you have them Check tire wear if tire wearing out in center of tire check tire pressure if wearing out on sides get an alignment done when getting new tires make sure they balance them. And most important Never let a woman drive your car period . Also change fuel filter and air filter Check brake fluid top off brakes fell spongy ? Have them bleed Good luck

I totally agree with your statement, not to let a woman drive your car.. Mine made her driver's license when I was in Europe through medical reasons.

When I came back, she never shifted in the fifth gear. The answer is pretty easy. She had some lessons with an old car with a four gear box.

Watch out for them, especially in Sisaket.

[Gerard052]

I bought a Toyota Vios in 2009 and one day I went to the Toyota dealer in Nakhon Phanom to replace a tire. The mechanic told my wife that I should replace all four tires and I said na,na, na. Now 40,000km later, I still have the same three tires. Just like my home country, some garages are crooks and they try to take you for a ride.

[NativeSon360]

$1000.00US for general replacement parts, to get a used, 8-year old car (up-to-speed) is cheap in the US. In Thailand, thats phenomenal. Count your blessings.

As far as the norm of Thai business practices are concerned, that's a totally different topic of discussion. Just remember that "you're not in Kansas anymore, or wherever you may call home.

Accept the facts - you absolutely will get "ripped-off" in Thailand, especially by Thai men (generally hiding in the background, of your Thai gf's life). It's a sport with them, to earn bragging rights about how much they've ripped-off a farang today.

Whatever you do, NEVER confront them about suspected rip-offs, or poor quality of service. It could cost you considerably more than you bargained for. Thai men are never wrong, responsible, or accountable about anything, especially when it comes to dealing with a foreigner. They really do resent our presence, despite their smiling faces. Any foreigner who tells you otherwise, is living in the dream world of Thailand.

So, if you believe you've been ripped-off, just , walk away, never return to that place for service. And never complain about them, @ another Thai place, in that area. They all know each other.

The tragedy is that both the system, and other Thai people will reading stand-by the side of the Thai crook, against you, even when they know the crook was 100% in the wrong. That's the personality of the culture, while bowing to every little Buddha shine they pass-by, 50 times a day.

Count your blessings, w/ that 32,000+ baht, for a bill, especially if the Vios is running smoothly now. Good Luck with your experiences, in the Land of 1000 Smiles And no, I do not dislike Thai people. I just them well, and maintain a "respectable" distance from them, while enjoying the life that I've made for myself, in their (ha,ha,ha) country.

Edited September 13, 2014 by NativeSon360

[Pattaya Lous]

Yes bazza, you have been "done" I'm sorry to say

[phanangpete]

I have a Toyota Hilux nearly four years old , fully serviced etc.

Last year driving into Suratthani the fuel warning light came on , but i had a half full tank

I drove straight to the Toyota service garage and a young ,so called mechanic, indicated he new what the problem was , so just leave it and pIck it up at five o'clock.

I went about my business and went back to pick it up the bin was 9.000 bht, i was shocked and let them know this, but had to pay it.

I have a feeling i was truly ripped off !

[bazza40]

Dear Thailand49,

I used an agent because my Thai language skills are obviously not as good as yours. And my engineering skills with modern vehicles equally don't come up to your lofty standards. However, my skills with the English language are such I can detect a put-down from someone who patently likes to sit in judgment over lesser mortals. Fortunately, most of the comments I have received have been positive, so I can afford to ignore your negativity.

As a postscript, the parts I wanted returned to me for inspection may have come from my vehicle or someone else's - who's to know? Be that as it may, those parts and the mechanics at Toyota Lanna imparted grease smears to brand-new seat covers installed a week previously. Just a new perspective on customer service, I assume the grease was free.

[myluckythai]

i never leave my car there, but stay when being repaired. they always try to scam you and never care about repeat customers. They only think one day at a time...

Edited September 14, 2014 by myluckythai

[technologybytes]

If you are going to run a car in Thailand that's older than the warranty then you need to know somewhere that you trust to do your servicing and repairs.

When I first came to Chiang Mai i got stung a couple of times by garages that dis shoddy overpriced work, but then over the years I learned the mechanics that I can trust to do a proper job for a fair price.

It's the same deal in most other countries, the biggest scams I have seen personally are in the UK, many garages there are MUCH more dishonest than anything you will find in Thailand.

[NativeSon360]

Yes bazza, you have been "done" I'm sorry to say

Wrong, I've just been a witness (on several occasions) to those who have been really "done", including several or your countrymen, chap!

I did not come to Thailand pursuing any Asian-style "honey". Been there, done that 50-years ago, and I've got the T-shirt memorabilia (back home) to prove it.

Like the Russians, I let wisdom prevail, by bringing my own (self-sufficient) honey with me, to Thailand! No "high-maintenance" gf + free-loading family member issues to contend with either.

Capiche? Cheers, mate.

Edited September 15, 2014 by NativeSon360

[Songlaw]

Whats a "wheel bearing binding"........?

"Binding" in this case, is a verb. The wheel bearing was "binding," meaning "sticking".