Unpaid bike repair

[janehere]

My boyfriend crashed a pcx150 and took it straight to a HONDA repair shop. The sides of the bike were completely fine but the front needed replacement on almost all parts (lights and side panels). He took it to a genuine Honda dealer and was quoted 15k for the damage. At the time, we assumed this was the correct price. However, in the days that followed we found someone who had had a worse crash on the same bike model, also took to a genuine Honda dealer and only paid 6k. Upon finding out this info, my boyfriend decided to refuse to pay the remainder of the bike. (he paid a 6k deposit to begin repairs) - now, I work in Phuket and he only came to visit me. The rental place only had a photocopy of his passport and since then, he has left to go back home to the US.

 

The rental owner knows the bike is crashed and was thankful it was taken to a real Honda repair shop. However they then asked us to pay them the remaining balance directly instead of the repair shop (which rang a few alarm bells to NOT do for whatever reason) - they have only ever dealt with my boyfriend both the rental and repair shop and since then he has left the country - they dont know who I am/nor have ever seen me.

 

My conscious tells me to go and pay the rest of his bill, as he may have plans of returning to Phuket in a few months if I am still here (as it could be possible to come back and bite him?) but I also know that the quote was way overpriced and the 6k deposit was more than enough to pay for labour AND parts. Spoke to many Thai people who agree with me on this

 

Any suggestions what I should do and what's the worst that could happen if the bill is left unpaid?

 

Thanks, all help will be appreciated

[colinneil]

If your boyfriend accepted the price before work started, he is bound by the agreement.

Pay up and learn from it.

[stevenl]

One crash and damage is not the same as the next one, and many people are comparing prices with the local repair shop, using non genuine parts.

So the estimate could easily be right.

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[worgeordie]

Your boyfriend sounds like a really stand up guy,owes a debt,

and leaves you to deal with it,let's hope he's arrested next time

he arrives back in Thailand,things like this do not improve Thai's

image of Farangs.

regards worgeordie

[NamKangMan]

He was quoted 15k to fix the damage and he accepted.  He has already paid 6k, and should pay the other 9k.

 

If he fails to pay, the Honda shop may hold the bike, thus, the rental shop owner now produces a copy of his passport, and the whole thing goes to the police.  From the police, it will go to Immigration, and the next time he arrives in Thailand, he may be arrested at the boarder, where he will be made to pay a lot more than the outstanding 9k.

 

Also, I expect the rental shop owner to claim loss of earnings from not being able to rent out the bike whilst it was damaged.  He will also charge your boyfriend for each day the bike was off the road.

 

It's possible he was overcharged, nothing new for Phuket, when dealing with foreigners.

 

In order to stop the matter escalating, he should send you the money so you can go and pay the Honda shop, and the rental shop, making sure you get receipts from both.

 

As another member says, learn from the experience, and be aware, as a foreigner, you are a target for money here.

 

Welcome to Phuket. 

Edited March 19, 2017 by NamKangMan

[Tapster]

+1

 

I don't know what others think, but a Honda dealer, even in Thailand, probably won't pad the bill for a foreigner.....will they?

 

I had a new clutch at the Toyota garage at the Damrong Wittaya school and they charged a very reasonable price.

 

[eisfeld]

Take the bill and check the item prices with Honda. Either at another dealer or directly with HQ. Should be very easy to find out where the bill was padded if that's indeed the case.

 

And as previously mentioned: not every crash is the same. 15k THB for some PCX fairings and light seems excessive but what if the forks were bent? What if the wheel was bent? Maybe a new dash too? What *exactly* needed to be fixed? Only with that information can you tell if the bill was too high or not.

 

And either way it's a dick move to crash a bike and not make the rental shop whole. And on top you now feel obliged to deal with his mess.

[mickj88]

We have a Yamaha and a Honda super sonic , I have been many times to our local Honda dealer for the odd part and they have always been fair on price . They don't add ferang tax as many tourist places do. They always charge what the parts price  is and show my wife the price before the part is ordered. I can't comment on the Yamaha dealer as I have never taken her bike in but personally have not been over charged by the Honda dealer. If its a genuine dealer ship then surely the price of both parts and Labour are set by Honda TH not by the mechanics or managers.. Personally I would pay up , not nice to trash someone elses bike and then do a runner without paying fully for the repair. Should of got a quote on the repair first before committing anyway.