Body Repair Scam?!

[frieght3funktion]

Have you ever heard of this?

This happened to me yesterday. I live in Port Richey (West Pasco).

This kid comes by my house and knocks on my door. I call him that because I don't think he could have been any older than 17. Some older lady (quite possibly Grandma or Mom) is sitting in the white Dodge Caravan (the curvy one), smoking, arm hanging out the window.

He tells me that he is off from the body shop today. And he has some tools from his dad. He saw my black civic EK with some body damage(light) and he is offers to repair my car today (it's about 6pm, but still daylight) for $225.

Mind you, my repair check from the insurance company for just light front end damage was about 2k. I have some holes in the bumper, RF fender is creased, headlight clips are broken.

He also said he would fix a rear quarter panel dent (lesson: don't let your mom drive your car), basically, totally repair all the body in my front yard in one day for $225. He even said he'd 'leave it in black' for me.

He even said that if I didn't like it, I wouldn't have to pay.

I tell him I'm interested, but today is not a good day for that. 'Do you have a card?'

His response is that today is his only day off. He counters with $150. I mention that the driver headlight brakets are broken. He says, 'I'll fix it.'

Now I'm real suspicious. I told him it can't be fixed-it's broken plastic, it needs replacing.

'I'll get you a new one, 50-60 bucks.'

I look him squarely in the face and say 'I'm very interested(to see how you could pull off such magic). Today's no good for me. I'd like to get a card so I can have you out.

Then he says 'Ok, peace.' He walks back to the van, gets in, and they drive away.

I figure one of three angles is possible, but I'm not sure which.


1) He's really a bodyman, and wants to do some side work on his day off, and he has really good hustle.

I don't find this one all that plausable, because he promised so much for cheap, and it didn't seem likely that he had the neccessary tools, let alone the experience to undertake a huge repair at 6pm.


2) He's been instructed by the lady to go get some money. Perhaps he wouls attempt the repair, then demand money afterward- maybe threatening me or my family with harm if I didn't pay.

This one is a little extreme, but not impossible. He appeared to me a little rough, but he only weighed 104, soaking wet. Plus, I have guns.


3) Something in the middle. Upon contracting with me, he would have somehow ripped me off.

This seems most likely.

I can't really figure this one out.

Have you had an experience like this?

It's not that he offered to do so much for so little in such a rapid fashion, it's that he was so young, and wouldn't look me in the eye.

What do you think?

[wb_map3]

man if you would of agread to that then made a post saying you were ripped off then all you would have got was people laughing at you...there are people out there that know what there doing and are just out of a job or need extra money and will do it cheaper than a body shop but 150 bux??? the materials cost that....dude was trying to hustle you no doubt...he would of probably said he needed 100 up front so he could go get the clips and w.e other materials then he would of went to his car and diped and you would never see him again...or he would of waited for you to pull out your wallet then he would of snatched it and ran to the car were the driver was already waiting...lol

[killerMikeD]

yea, that was some kinda scam, 90 % of body shops are m-f 8-5, i am a Body Repair tech, and there is always jobs open, even for the no good hacks, for one my tool box is prolly bigger than the van they were driving with about 30k in tools, and i averaged about 60k last year, there is no way in hell i would go around knocking on doors offering to repair your car at your house on my day off. For one i wouldn't have all the tools to repair it correctly, nor a compressor so how would i use air tools, or a paint gun? Where woudl the parts and clips come from no way they are in the van. And there are Not very many young people in the Collision repair industry, i am one of the youngest at 23, that is actually capeable of working on my own. But hey cant beat that for 225 even if he hit it with a hammer , spread some filler on it, and and rattle canned it black

[SCP_Celica]

Good point, best way to look at it like this. If its to good to be true, then its usally to good to be true.

Originally Posted by killerMikeD

yea, that was some kinda scam, 90 % of body shops are m-f 8-5, i am a Body Repair tech, and there is always jobs open, even for the no good hacks, for one my tool box is prolly bigger than the van they were driving with about 30k in tools, and i averaged about 60k last year, there is no way in hell i would go around knocking on doors offering to repair your car at your house on my day off. For one i wouldn't have all the tools to repair it correctly, nor a compressor so how would i use air tools, or a paint gun? Where woudl the parts and clips come from no way they are in the van. And there are Not very many young people in the Collision repair industry, i am one of the youngest at 23, that is actually capeable of working on my own. But hey cant beat that for 225 even if he hit it with a hammer , spread some filler on it, and and rattle canned it black

[kerpal]

Originally Posted by frieght3funktion

Have you ever heard of this?

This happened to me yesterday. I live in Port Richey (West Pasco).

This kid comes by my house and knocks on my door. I call him that because I don't think he could have been any older than 17. Some older lady (quite possibly Grandma or Mom) is sitting in the white Dodge Caravan (the curvy one), smoking, arm hanging out the window.

He tells me that he is off from the auto body part shop today. And he has some tools from his dad. He saw my black civic EK with some body damage(light) and he is offers to repair my car today (it's about 6pm, but still daylight) for $225.

Mind you, my repair check from the insurance company for just light front end damage was about 2k. I have some holes in the bumper, RF fender is creased, headlight clips are broken.

He also said he would fix a rear quarter panel dent (lesson: don't let your mom drive your car), basically, totally repair all the body in my front yard in one day for $225. He even said he'd 'leave it in black' for me.

He even said that if I didn't like it, I wouldn't have to pay.

I tell him I'm interested, but today is not a good day for that. 'Do you have a card?'

His response is that today is his only day off. He counters with $150. I mention that the driver headlight brakets are broken. He says, 'I'll fix it.'

Now I'm real suspicious. I told him it can't be fixed-it's broken plastic, it needs replacing.

'I'll get you a new one, 50-60 bucks.'

I look him squarely in the face and say 'I'm very interested(to see how you could pull off such magic). Today's no good for me. I'd like to get a card so I can have you out.

Then he says 'Ok, peace.' He walks back to the van, gets in, and they drive away.

I figure one of three angles is possible, but I'm not sure which.


1) He's really a bodyman, and wants to do some side work on his day off, and he has really good hustle.

I don't find this one all that plausable, because he promised so much for cheap, and it didn't seem likely that he had the neccessary tools, let alone the experience to undertake a huge repair at 6pm.


2) He's been instructed by the lady to go get some money. Perhaps he wouls attempt the repair, then demand money afterward- maybe threatening me or my family with harm if I didn't pay.

This one is a little extreme, but not impossible. He appeared to me a little rough, but he only weighed 104, soaking wet. Plus, I have guns.


3) Something in the middle. Upon contracting with me, he would have somehow ripped me off.

This seems most likely.

I can't really figure this one out.

Have you had an experience like this?

It's not that he offered to do so much for so little in such a rapid fashion, it's that he was so young, and wouldn't look me in the eye.

What do you think?

That scam is a really happening.. We all must be careful when choosing those repair shops

[JohnnyPC1]

That's the thing, this isn't a shop - this is a dude, usually a couple dudes, driving around in a car looking for dents. I had a fox mustang with a crunched in quarter in my driveway for about 6 months. It was one of those things that the car was just parked in my driveway and every month or so, these guys would come knocking on my door. Always real nice, always telling me this is no problem to fix - Never the same ones so but they all had some cuban/greek/? flava.

Now I know you can't just bang out a rear quarter panel and expect it to look OK - it's pretty much cut it off and replace it the way I was thinking. But I was curious because the guy was so confident that it'll turn out "great". I'll usually give people the benefit of the doubt so maybe there really was some trick to actually get it "ready for bondo and paint" as he put it. He wanted $60 - I was feeling spendy so I said yes...

I didn't watch him because it was just a blazin hot July day and watching this fat fucker knocking sweat all over just wasn't cool for me - I figured he would be out there for at least a couple hours so I went inside. No longer than 15 minutes later he comes knocking on the door telling he's done - I was like WTF huh? really? How is that even possible?

Go out there and all it was, was a quarter that was beat out with a hammer - not smooth at all like you would think, just ball peen dents and flaked paint. Looking in his 5 gallon tool box, all he had for tools was a Stanley hammer, a small sledge, a couple worn screwdrivers and an old GM spare tire lug wrench crow bar type thing from like an 80's monte carlo. He nervously sanded the area with 80 grit while he waited to know what I thought.

Well, I don't know if I was more shocked that he would expect me to pay him anything, or that he considered this a job well done - he mentioned that he thought it came out pretty good. WTF? I gave him $40 because I too didn't want to piss him off and see him come back all drunk, after dark, exercising his 2nd amendment rights...

So this is a strange racket, drive around looking for cars with dents, and tell the unsuspecting people that he'll do it cheap, right there on the spot...he's a body man after all, who would ever think they're about to get scammed by a travelling body man? And I though I was the only one?!!??! (Good) to hear that others fall for this too...it's just wierd...

[sprjit22]

OMFG LOL I dont like to have my Dad work on my car and he has been doing body work before he was legally allowed to work so I definatly wouldent let some stranger at my front door work on it. Id think they were trying to steal my car.

[hollybear]

Originally Posted by JohnnyPC1

That's the thing, this isn't a shop - this is a dude, usually a couple dudes, driving around in a car looking for dents. I had a fox mustang with a crunched in quarter in my driveway for about 6 months. It was one of those things that the car was just parked in my driveway and every month or so, these guys would come knocking on my door. Always real nice, always telling me this is no problem to fix - Never the same ones so but they all had some cuban/greek/? flava.

Now I know you can't just bang out a rear quarter panel and expect it to look OK - it's pretty much cut it off and replace it the way I was thinking. But I was curious because the guy was so confident that it'll turn out "great". I'll usually give people the benefit of the doubt so maybe there really was some trick to actually get it "ready for bondo and paint" as he put it. He wanted $60 - I was feeling spendy so I said yes...

I didn't watch him because it was just a blazin hot July day and watching this fat fucker knocking sweat all over just wasn't cool for me - I figured he would be out there for at least a couple hours so I went inside. No longer than 15 minutes later he comes knocking on the door telling he's done - I was like WTF huh? really? How is that even possible?

Go out there and all it was, was a quarter that was beat out with a hammer - not smooth at all like you would think, just ball peen dents and flaked paint. Looking in his 5 gallon tool box, all he had for tools was a Stanley hammer, a small sledge, a couple worn screwdrivers and an old GM spare tire lug wrench crow bar type thing from like an 80's monte carlo. He nervously sanded the area with 80 grit while he waited to know what I thought.

Well, I don't know if I was more shocked that he would expect me to pay him anything, or that he considered this a job well done - he mentioned that he thought it came out pretty good. WTF? I gave him $40 because I too didn't want to piss him off and see him come back all drunk, after dark, exercising his 2nd amendment rights...

So this is a strange racket, drive around looking for cars with dents, and tell the unsuspecting people that he'll do it cheap, right there on the spot...he's a body man after all, who would ever think they're about to get scammed by a travelling body man? And I though I was the only one?!!??! (Good) to hear that others fall for this too...it's just wierd...

uhhuh.. cept i dont think anyone else actually fell for it..

[SlowerThanYou]

I fell for it, but I was happy when he was done. I was at advance auto picking up some oil and an oil filter for my piece-o-shit 1g eclipse that i had at the time. Some one on a previous day backed into the rear front fender and the rear 1/4 pannel was messed up wright next too the tail light. A guy came up too me offering too fix my car for $60 I said what the hell.. Go ahead and we'll see how it comes out.. he pulls out a body puller(slide hammer thing) and a drill and drills small holes into where the dents where.. then used the body puller too pull out the dents then used sand paper not sure what grit and went over it too clean the surface. After that he put a little bondo/filler on there. and sanded it down and sprayed some cheap primer and he said done.. It looked alot better then what it did.. Im sure it body work wont last too long lol.. got rid of the car so no worries lol.. but at the time i was very happy for what I paid for it.. just gotta remember you get what you pay for.

[noVTECgt35r]

I would of laughed at his face and told him to get a job.

[killerMikeD]

thats it im loading up my tool box into my truck, expect to see me at your houses!

[importguy1208]

Originally Posted by killerMikeD

thats it im loading up my tool box into my truck, expect to see me at your houses!

I was under the impression your conscious wouldn't let you do cheap work like that?

[killerMikeD]

lol maybe i should have put j/k on that post. like i stated before in this thread there is no way in hell i would do that lol, just being my sarcastic self.

[importguy1208]

Yeah yeah I was just giving you a hard time.

[killerMikeD]