Ripped off again in Sosua.!

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

mike l

Silver
Sep 4, 2007
3,157
466
0
Stealing my gasoline for the 4th time is bad enough but when I take my CHINESE scooter to the shop for repairs and they charge me $4500 and try to present me with my the part they replaced which says " Made in Japan " I get suspicious but pay the money.

I call the manufactuer and sure enough all Chinese scooters that are sold in the DR have Chinese Parts only.

For the first time I was so outraged that I went through initial motions of seeking a resolution.

Police etc.....

But then again I have lived here long enough to know there is no relief
 
A

Anastacio

Banned
Feb 22, 2010
2,965
235
0
The heart sinks when the realization that there truly is no relief of this kind of thing, especially when you've lived there so long, you kind of feel you should not get the touristy mug treatment, but no, the fekers can't help themselves. The intelligence to make good and get repeat custom does not register in their foggy heads.
Until next time!!
 
K

Kyle

Silver
Jun 2, 2006
4,266
161
0
how much did the scooter cost ? 4500.00 seems like a big bill for a scooter....
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
Best to learn how to do your own maintenance; at a minimum, you can call their bluff if you know as much or more than they do. Wherever you go on the planet, if you depend on someone to perform a job for you that you have no clue how to do, you put yourself at their mercy. Maybe a bigger mercy in the DR.

What part was broken? RD$4500 could be a deal or a rip, depending on what the problem was.

Knowledge is power. We can choose to be powerless.
 
M

mike l

Silver
Sep 4, 2007
3,157
466
0
I don't know how to respond to posts with this new format so let me do it this way.

Thanks Aastacio as I agree but I also told the " Attendant De Jour " that I would put a STRONG Sell rating on their business model and we should meet tommorrow .

Aciria :

Lemons erase any monies do !

Kyle :

The scooter cost about $32k, 5 years ago and the price is still about the same cost adjusted.

I will buy 2 more so I can have supervison of repairs from now on as is the new protocol !
 
Last edited:
M

mike l

Silver
Sep 4, 2007
3,157
466
0
cobraboy said:
Best to learn how to do your own maintenance; at a minimum, you can call their bluff if you know as much or more than they do. Wherever you go on the planet, if you depend on someone to perform a job for you that you have no clue how to do, you put yourself at their mercy. Maybe a bigger mercy in the DR.

What part was broken? RD$4500 could be a deal or a rip, depending on what the problem was.

Knowledge is power. We can choose to be powerless.
Click to expand...

I agree but I choose to ride a scooter but can afford any ride I want.

I am closing this thread....
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
mike l said:
I agree but I choose to ride a scooter but can afford any ride I want.

I am closing this thread....
Click to expand...
Riding a scooter is more than fine. But they are fairly simple machines to understand and maintain with fairly simple tools. The best way to prevent from getting ripped off is to learn the machine yourself. If you have time to watch someone else do it, you have the time to do it yourself. The difference is knowledge. :classic:
 
M

mike l

Silver
Sep 4, 2007
3,157
466
0
Cobra agreed....I can't tell you how many times I had a starter problem and every time it was the bad battery story but the real problem was when I decided to take a look for myself all I saw was 2 twisted wires without a connector or electrical tape.

I put a piece of duct tape on that scam 3 YEARS AGO

This is important when going over rough terrain like the climb up the hill in search of Marcy.
 
E

ExtremeR

Silver
Mar 22, 2006
3,078
328
0
mike l said:
Stealing my gasoline for the 4th time is bad enough but when I take my CHINESE scooter to the shop for repairs and they charge me $4500 and try to present me with my the part they replaced which says " Made in Japan " I get suspicious but pay the money.

I call the manufactuer and sure enough all Chinese scooters that are sold in the DR have Chinese Parts only.

For the first time I was so outraged that I went through initial motions of seeking a resolution.

Police etc.....

But then again I have lived here long enough to know there is no relief
Click to expand...

Please explain to me why you did NOT negotiate a flat price before any work was done on the bike, I'm pretty sure that was a $300 pesos job and you just handed the scooter to them and said "fix it" and walked away. Learn how to be a Dominican Tiguere man, is about time...
 
A

Anastacio

Banned
Feb 22, 2010
2,965
235
0
I don't know how it went down but generally if you know nothing about motors then you know nothing to determine what is wrong with the vehicle to negotiate with. You would generally hand it over, tell them the general trouble and then when they knew what needed done THE SHOULD HAVE CALLED him before commencing the work, and agreeing a price.
To me it looks like a phone call was a miss here, an important phone call.
 
E

Eddy

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
3,668
219
0
mike l said:
Stealing my gasoline for the 4th time is bad enough but when I take my CHINESE scooter to the shop for repairs and they charge me $4500 and try to present me with my the part they replaced which says " Made in Japan " I get suspicious but pay the money.

I call the manufactuer and sure enough all Chinese scooters that are sold in the DR have Chinese Parts only.

For the first time I was so outraged that I went through initial motions of seeking a resolution.

Police etc.....

But then again I have lived here long enough to know there is no relief
Click to expand...

I really don't know what's happening in Sosua right now. There's a place right next to Parada El Choco, a car dealer has since set up beside , that used to do some good car electric service, but the last time they really took me for a ride. I meant it was the last time. A bunch of thieves. Stay away from them and please tell them that I said so. Got to POP or even to Santiago for your stuff.
 
A

Anastacio

Banned
Feb 22, 2010
2,965
235
0
Not Sosua Eddy, remember garages the world over are well known for this kind of thing if business is down at all. Wages to pay, bills to meet, less customers, more rip offs. I wouldn't have thought garages would feel any drain on tourism though, so maybe they are just cheating bastards!
 
E

ExtremeR

Silver
Mar 22, 2006
3,078
328
0
Anastacio said:
I don't know how it went down but generally if you know nothing about motors then you know nothing to determine what is wrong with the vehicle to negotiate with. You would generally hand it over, tell them the general trouble and then when they knew what needed done THE SHOULD HAVE CALLED him before commencing the work, and agreeing a price.
To me it looks like a phone call was a miss here, an important phone call.
Click to expand...

Again, you are thinking as if you were living in the 1st world. Guys remember, you are in the DR, in the "jungle" donde la ley del mas fuerte o mas tiguere prevalece. If you go to the DR thinking the same principles on the first world applies there you are up for a ride. For a newbie this is understandable, but for a veteran to be expecting such things is risible at best.
 
Peterj

Peterj

Bronze
Oct 7, 2002
1,471
362
83
Dominican Republic
I buy the parts myself for my car or motorcycle(eBay), stand next to them when they work on it, I move my car myself at all times (even at the carwash) and help them in the "repair-process".
Always first ask how much it is!
If it is a big repair which takes more than a day I take days of but I am there all the time; car stays at the shop; hood closed, windows closed, doors locked and keys in my pocket!
If you can not stay with the car; write down the mileage and show them you do, also check the gas.
It is the only way to prevent them from "doing something else".
 
A

Anastacio

Banned
Feb 22, 2010
2,965
235
0
ExtremeR said:
Again, you are thinking as if you were living in the 1st world. Guys remember, you are in the DR, in the "jungle" donde la ley del mas fuerte o mas tiguere prevalece. If you go to the DR thinking the same principles on the first world applies there you are up for a ride. For a newbie this is understandable, but for a veteran to be expecting such things is risible at best.
Click to expand...

No I'm not. I expect them to call me with a price, and make a point of telling them I want to know before they commence work. I am not mistaken of where I am I assure you. If they do work and I think it to be over priced then I wouldn't pay the full price, I'd tell them to fkuc right off and especially if they gave me a part from another car.
Anyway this is not something that ever happens as I do all my own work unless it needs to go in the pits, and even then I'm down there with them.
There are certain things you can expect and are entitled to and a price before repair is one of them and if not you are absolutely entitled to refuse payment, even allow them to take the part back out, chances are offer this and the price will become real all of a sudden.
 
A

Anastacio

Banned
Feb 22, 2010
2,965
235
0
Extreme; infact you are correct, that simple concept is probably to much to ask of these people, they keep getting away with it and that is what I refuse to live with. Logic was not installed on the Dominican hard drive!
 
E

Eddy

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
3,668
219
0
ExtremeR said:
Again, you are thinking as if you were living in the 1st world. Guys remember, you are in the DR, in the "jungle" donde la ley del mas fuerte o mas tiguere prevalece. If you go to the DR thinking the same principles on the first world applies there you are up for a ride. For a newbie this is understandable, but for a veteran to be expecting such things is risible at best.
Click to expand...

In my case, the garage in question had been doing good work for very decent prices for a few years. This time they put an incompetent a$$hole on the job and that's where it all began. I should say ended. Their loss and I've told them so. I normally use a German mecanic but he doesn't do electrics. That's why I went to "dingbat's".
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom