Dominican Ball Joint Scam

judypdr

Active member
Jul 23, 2011
558
1
38
73
Costambar
I actually had this happen to me when I was on the way from Puerto Plata to Sosua only I actually knew the guy. He was from the Costambar area. He replaced two ball joints for 8,000 pesos. Is there any change he was legit? If so, it was about the right price for the work.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,087
5,914
113
There is a less than 1% chance it was legit. Did he actually replace the ball joints?

I have been reading reports on Facebook on the continuing scams, mainly on the road from Puerto Plata to Santiago. Someone tried to scam me, a motoconcho in POP, a couple of months back. He followed us all the way to our destination, a private home, up in the hills of Puerto Plata and tried to tell me I had a break fluid leak. He had thrown what smelled like diesel fuel on the front tire.
 

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
13,450
3,590
113
I had a watchman at Caribe Express parking lot in Fruisa (not the one near the Texaco but the one down the street) try it. He poured some liquid near and under my car. I laughed at the guy and left. He does not work there anymore.
 

jd426

Gold
Dec 12, 2009
9,511
2,781
113
Use your common sense people... couple years ago a jeep passed us on that same exact stretch of road.. , just as he passed a part just happened to " Fall off" off my car ( according to him) .. pretty sure he threw some hard fruit, or piece of wood . as I did feel it HIT the car.
They are pretty good at this, to get whatever they are throwing to go under your car so you feel it but you never see it, your only hear it at first .
So naturally they pull over to tell us they saw a part literally fall off, of course its all the way back there.. why go back to see what part fell off, that would be silly right... first red flag.. Your would know if a drive train , or steering part ,or wheel part just FELL off.
so, No thanks... did NOT even get out of your car . Do the same, keep driving , they will get the message.

I thought it was an attempted Robbery.. Was very relieved to find out later it was only the beginning of a this Repair Scam they got going..
If you work on your own car, there is no way you are falling for this garbage .
But someone who does not know anything about cars , just may.
 

monfongo

Bronze
Feb 10, 2005
1,204
145
63
I posted this yrs. ago but I will post it again. Two friends of mine were driving into Puerto Plata when they heard something hit their car. So they pulled over, a Dominican pulled over as well. He walked over to them and said this fell of your car, my friends wife said can I see it. He handed it to her and said I have a friend that can fix it, she said no thanks we have our own mechanic and he can put this back on for us but thanks for picking it up for us. They drove away laughing with a brand new tye-rod end, he drove away ****ed off. I saw it with my own eyes.