- Thread starter Drperson
- Start date
Don't fall for this scam
Heres another one for you. Driving from POP to Maimon when I heard this loud noise from the back of the car. A guy was hanging out the window and waving his arms for me to stop. I reacted and pulled over, but soon realized that even though there was a loud noise my car never acted like it had a problem. I pulled away as the guy was walking up to my car. Later learned this is a scam, they hit your car with something so you pull over and they will fix it.
Totally agree.
Sitting in my rocking chair on the balcony, sipping gin and tonic while reading dr1, its obvious its a scam.
On the road with 12 000 other things in mind, its another story.
About a year ago at a main intersection in POP, i was in left turn lane. Light turns green. Guy in front of me has to jump on brakes for a effin motoconcho crossing the lanes at warp speed......*
I reacted slowly and hit the guy in front of me. Not that hard, but not that soft either
Against all advice, against everything i know about the dr....... my 1st world guilt pops in.
Of course I will stop !! It was my fault. I have insurance. Etc, etc......
Thankfully the jeepeta flew off at warp speed....lol.
didn?t want to , but here goes.*
belittle. i guess because i made mention of the apparent lack of automotive knowledge of the OP, i am belittling him or her.
i do not know dick about computers. i can just about turn them on and off, and surf the web. i am not exactly Robert or AZB.
i do not think you can belittle me by saying i do not know much about computers. it is the truth, and i will concur with you.
jeezus.
Post #14 is priceless
Trying to catch up, How is it that in post #10one can state something about post #14?
Inquiring minds want to know!
Der Fish
bermudarum quoted maurico's post that referred to an older thread about similar scam. he is talking about post 14 in the thread linked by maurico...
Didn't you know Derfish that once you survive the Bermuda triangle like I have, predicting the future is a piece of cake.:laugh:
If you don't believe that, then your answer can be found in post #28 in this thread.
One scam that I know continues to be tried on gringos is the pool of oil under your car parked in POP. The scam was very successful in LA Sirena's parking lot for awhile until management put a stop to it with their security people. The scam goes like this, after you park and leave, a guy on his moto who has followed you will dump oil on the ground beneath the engine. When you return he will say; after you left your car had smoke coming out, and then will show you all the oil spilled. He then tells you he has a friend that will tow your car by rope to a near by mechanic as you should not start your engine. I heard from a local that one scammer was able to collect 40,000 pesos in one day, split between tow car, mechanic, and him.:surprised
yes, but people who fall for that crap have only themselves to blame. if you drive your car to a destination, and you park it, and turn the engine off, it is not reasonable to expect pools of oil under the car when you return.
Why not?
What's unreasonable is not to take the time to check after it and know what and how to check -- the stupidity lies therein.
Not everyone understands mechanical workings. They understand enough to know that a puddle under their car is bad. But wouldn't know the diff between antifreeze, oil and tranny fluid. That doesn't make them stupid. Washer fluid tanks crack, hoses burst, lots of reasons to find fluid under a car.
I came back to my car once and found smoldering ashes. I immediately knew something was wrong.
I came back to my car once and found smoldering ashes. I immediately knew something was wrong.
Why not, is because after turning your engine off there is no more oil pressure, and unless you struck something (which you would have heard) then you have not ripped open your oil pan to leave a pool of oil...
But engine oil isn't the only fluid in a car that can cause a puddle.
And not everyone knows the difference in fluids.
Duly noted, generally speaking:
Black/Brown/Golden - Engine Oil
Clear(ish) - Brake Fluid
Automatic Transmission fluid - Red(ish)
Standard Transmission fluid/Differential fluid - like motor oil color, but thicker (more viscous)
Engine Coolant - Green(ish)
I'm having a carro public driver trying to scam me at the moment. *Last week he turned into me whilst attempting to enter the taxi rank in Sosua, unfortunately I was coming in the opposite direction on my side of the road. *There was another taxi pulling out of the taxi rank in front of me (obviously without looking or indicating) I was able to avoid the emerging taxi, but there was not enough time to react to the other one cutting in front of me and we collided.
Toyota Prado vs old Camry. *The Camry was destroyed. *All the carro drivers saw it happen and none of them admitted it was their colleague's fault. *They all ganged up together and tried to intimidate me, they can be quite aggressive in a group.
I held my ground and presented the ace up my sleeve. *I have a $30 dash cam mounted on my windscreen. *I showed the recording to the driver who then promptly denied that it happened and the footage was lying (Only in DR). *Luckily the authorities showed up and I was allowed to be on my way after showing the clip.
The taxista wanted me to buy him a new car! *Not once did he say anything about consulting insurance companies, so I can only assume he's not insured.
It's not over yet. *He thinks he'll try his chances in court by employing a no-win-no-fee lawyer who's going to scam the system and get one over a gringo. *Watch his space. *I've also consulted a lawyer and it looks like the next step is to get the video clip legalized by a Notary Public which means it's then admissible in court as evidence. *I made the mandatory report at the AMET HQ in Sosua and showed them to footage, and have been reassured that the fault definitely lies with the taxi driver.
So word of advice to all you peeps, get yourselves a dash cam. *I would have been in an impossible situation without it, with no witnesses willing to attest to my side of the story, opposed to a gang of taxi drivers all willing to perjure themselves in court.
Toyota Prado vs old Camry. *The Camry was destroyed. *All the carro drivers saw it happen and none of them admitted it was their colleague's fault. *They all ganged up together and tried to intimidate me, they can be quite aggressive in a group.
I held my ground and presented the ace up my sleeve. *I have a $30 dash cam mounted on my windscreen. *I showed the recording to the driver who then promptly denied that it happened and the footage was lying (Only in DR). *Luckily the authorities showed up and I was allowed to be on my way after showing the clip.
The taxista wanted me to buy him a new car! *Not once did he say anything about consulting insurance companies, so I can only assume he's not insured.
It's not over yet. *He thinks he'll try his chances in court by employing a no-win-no-fee lawyer who's going to scam the system and get one over a gringo. *Watch his space. *I've also consulted a lawyer and it looks like the next step is to get the video clip legalized by a Notary Public which means it's then admissible in court as evidence. *I made the mandatory report at the AMET HQ in Sosua and showed them to footage, and have been reassured that the fault definitely lies with the taxi driver.
So word of advice to all you peeps, get yourselves a dash cam. *I would have been in an impossible situation without it, with no witnesses willing to attest to my side of the story, opposed to a gang of taxi drivers all willing to perjure themselves in court.
thank you, Guillermo. i did not respond to this particular poster, because he was not asking a question to get an answer, but as a springboard to start a fight. you have explained it completely accurately. without a running engine, there is no oil pressure. without oil pressure, no oil puddle.
this posting should serve as a public service to all foreigners in this country. without such assistance, things will always go against the foreigner-