I was ripped off when a lady scammed me on a windshield replacement. I waited until she left her car at her work and cut the windshield out, leaving this lady a really nice air conditioner. I work for myself so I could care less. Crazy thing she never called😊👍🍺
That is awesome! A long time ago I was helping a guy on weekends with lawn care, we did sod job and once done of course they didn't pay. We came about a month later to "fertilize" and sprayed that entire place with a strong grass killer. That place was totally brown a week later and they couldn't get a single company to come help them out because we spread the word that they don't pay. But I think your windshield deal is even better 🤣
As a retired garage owner I feel your pain. Until you have to deal with the public face to face you do not realise how twisted some of them are. Garages and mechanics get a bad press but I know from experience how some of the public will try to con you.
I married into a family & my Father in Law was a serious Master Tech Mechanic...they lived in a retirement community...where a good job well done would leave fixed...but old pharts would mess with it & bring it back...he knew it too...ear marks...GREAT HUMAN BEING HE WAS!!!
When I had my Auto Electrical business a customer got a quote on a Saab alternator. She accepted the quote (from memory about $800 au) she picked up the vehicle and paid by cheque. A couple of days later the cheque came back, it had been stopped by the customer. We contacted her and she explained she could have got the job done cheaper elsewhere. We ended up taking her to the local court and she was ordered to pay. The irony of the whole story being she ran a money lending business charging extortionate interest rates for small loans to hard up people.
thats why i closed my business years ago because its no fun anymore and now its even worse everybody is lying and stealing always threating with police or lawyers so no more customer service for me
The description of the guy sounds like someone who tried it on with me a couple of years ago. He bought in an elderly Mercedes,which had been imported from the US about 30 years ago and converted to RHD. It wouldn't run although he said he had had it running. Looking at the Djet injection etc I could see it hadn't run for years and guessed he had just picked it up cheap at an estate sale. I told him "yes, I can fix it but it will require a couple of days labour and God only knows how much in parts " (Bosch haven't supplied injectors for these for years) .So after hooking up the car to my machine it was obvious what was wrong and I fixed it ,which included a new(ish) ECU. The car ran beautifully but being a Californian version it was no road burner. He turned up the next day after I told it was ready to go and the cost of repairs. He started me thinking the moment he said,great,I'll just take it for a drive around the block... at which I replied" I'll come with you " so we went on a very short drive and he said he was very happy... and so on . I told him to park in the shop and I'd get the invoice and take payment. But as soon as I was out of the car,he was off. Because I had his ph number I called him and reminded him that all of the parts were still mine (until paid for) and if he didn't come back and fix the bill I'd get the police to deal with it. he was back 20 minutes later and tried to negotiate the bill....! needless to say He paid in full after I reminded him that this Was Australia and not the UK,where our smallish population makes it easy to track wrong doers down. 🤣
Shame you didn't have CCTV to pull an image of him from. I have a mate who bought out a hire company a couple of years back, they were too cheap to fit trackers to their plant and a lot of it went walkies, never to be seen again and this lead to them falling over and going bust. My mate reopened the it and bought a lot of new gear to hire out, but now when people hire out anything he makes them stand there while he takes a picture of their face on his mobile phone, anyone who doesn't like that is free to go elsewhere. Needless to say theft has fallen right off since he took over.
This is normal for renting storage space. Photo ID and a direct photo from a phone (for higher quality). They claimed that they were often visited by the police looking for stolen goods. I was (and still am) quite happy with that. Any query and they would look at security video. Then the photo and photoID.
We had a customer bring a pair of 3.8l Holden ecotec supercharged v6 heads in due to excessive cooling system pressure issues we found the heads were cracked even before putting them in the hot tank and so we sourced a good pair of heads for the customer and rebuilt them as directed to do so by the customer (new valves / thin wall valve guide inserts / machined the gasket surfaces and valve seats ect all the usual stuff. Now we had a rack outside the office where we put small incoming and outgoing jobs and we had both pairs of the heads sitting on the rack to go back to the customer which was the u/s pair which were assembled but not wrapped and still dirty ect and next to them we had the the rebuilt set that were assembled and clean and wrapped up ready to go and over the course of a couple weeks the customer wasn't contactable the u/s heads disappeared (no one thought anything of it as it was assumed they went in the scrap bin to make room) and the reconditioned heads eventually made their way to a pallet and put in the warehouse as we needed the room for active incoming and outgoing jobs. roughly 2 years later with countless attempt's to contact the customer in between we were having an end of year cleanup and our manager decided to contact the customer yet again and to his surprise this time someone answered and he said who he was and what the call was regarding and straight away he got an earful over the phone "I picked up my heads and I put the motor back together and the heads were shit it was bubbling in the cooling system BLA BLA BLA.. what we concluded was he come in to pick the heads up and no one was around so he decided to just grab and run with them but unfortunately for him he grabbed the dirty unwrapped u/s heads that were cracked which would explain why he never contacted us regarding his issues, I believe we might have sold the reconditioned heads to a workshop around the corner from us later on in the following year 😂
We had a customer several years ago . A coal company . They had been doing business with us a couple of years and always paid with a check . They had a couple of Caterpillar engines we were working on and had us order complete engine kits for them . Deposited the check and it was no good . Tried to contact them , no answer . Went to their location , they were gone . Guy that signed the check didn't exist . There were no red flags on this deal . Cost us about $7,000.00 in parts plus our labor . There are some people out there that are just out to get you . In our shop we will work up a quote on big jobs and require a 50% deposit . If the customer doesn't want to do that they can take it somewhere else . Right now we are running about 3 to 4 months out on engine rebuilds . There is around 40 engines in line to rebuild . Including myself there are only 4 of us at my shop .
As a business owner, it's tough to appear uptight about the money/payment portion of the whole ordeal but it's necessary and I've learned that the only people that will ever call you out on it are the ones that are most likely planning on getting one over on you and you've ruined their plan by doing proper diligence.
I've had it 2 times. First was a customer who I had done about £2k repairs and he took the car keys from the office when he was in discussing the payment for later in the week .he's car was outside so I'm guessing he was hoping to get it later .we imobilized the car so got lucky there. The 2nd was a friend who was moving and needed his car . I repaired it in record time for him as he was a mate and his bill was £1.5k almost all I parts and his labour was a token amount. He collected the car and paid by cheque then promptly stopped the cheque. That was the last favour I did for a mate
I’ve dealt with “customers” for many years both within transport and my workshop. Most people and companies are spot on and you never get a problem but some are nasty spiteful morons. I’m gutted for you these horrid illegitimate people don’t care or realise what damage they are doing to small businesses when they don’t pay for an item or service you provide. Anyway rant over keep up the great work and looking forward to the next video 👍🏻👍🏻
The 28 years as a engine machinist most memorable attempted scam was a man ordered a Cadillac engine and payed with a credit card over the phone. In those days you called it in for approval hand filled out the credit card slip and took it to the bank, no machines like today. Anyway we went to deliver it and was told to leave it in front of the garage and our driver saw the house was empty the so we called the card in again and it came back stolen. We brought it back to the shop. The thief call about the engine and we told him our truck broke down and he would have to come get it, he did, while we kept him busy another person called the cops. Long story short the idiot just got out of prison for credit card and check fraud, his buddy in the truck (who could have just driven away when the mutable police cars drove in)had mutable arrest warrants and went to jail with his buddy.
Running your own business is clearly stressful when stuff like this happens. Need to get a security camera installed! Great channel, very talented people and great storytelling.
Always amazes me how a person can steal from the person who did all the work for them. It's happened to many of us once, twice or a few times and we often pride ourselves on being trustworthy assuming others are too. That is unfortunately now the case...
@@dw4940 or a young motor head who wants a great engine for his POS car, and didn't feel working for it was worth it.... My contractor neighbor wanted my house and property but didn't want to pay for it. Every time I left my house, his workers were in, on, around my house n garage. They stole all my no trespassing signs, and destroyed my driveway, aluminum siding, and copper inside the house. Guess he figured if he made it un-sellable, he could steal it from me. *the city allowed this, and the police refused to come or do fingerprints. So, slimeballs are everywhere. Sorry that happened to you. Peace from New Hampshire, USA.
Back in the day when I had my own race shop this sort of thing was tried on us plenty of times, the answer is simple, never let the customer load his car onto his trailer or his parts into the back of his van until a confirmed payment is received, the more fuss the customer makes when this policy is enforced the more certain you can be that the guy is trying to pull a fast one. Sometimes a customer would send some big intimidating guys to collect, we had our own big guys on speed dial and we put an end to that nonsense! 'Sausage' HT Racing Ltd
Agreed, as soon as you hear the words don’t you trust me stand your ground and just listen to things like, I will never deal with you again (good!) I can’t believe this ( I can!) and then the threats of violence that never happen.
Thanks, sorry for your loss, I was a shareholder, and MD in a business, I used to get very upset by customers who defaulted and became a bad debt, in your case it looks more like burglary or just plain stealing. Yes the work in machining that block looks extensive, I used a local company for all my machining, I would take them a knackered shaft of a machine, they could make a new one almost overnight, and it would be better than the original. I always paid promptly and was rewarded with their ingenuity and service. Mine was a 24/7 production site, and they would literally work overnight to machine parts for me, they also did engines.
I've been following your videos for just a bit now, and you seem to be doing honest, good work. Keep the faith that there are folks out here that truly appreciate that (and I hope you do run into that guy again!!)
Full circle ⭕️ & when it’s his turn to equal the score it will almost definitely be much worse -you’re right about receiving pymt upfront because as a Mobile Diesel mechanic here in Texas for 30yrs I’m a one man business & 4 or 5 times I’ve given people credit in which I was paid nothing for repairs 🤷♂️thanks for the video and your time.
I saw your post and couldnt help but think of an old guy i knew who worked for a well known engine builder here in the usa this was probably 30 years ago he has since passed away i learned a lot from him but his company was called stolen engines, he would put a decal on every motor he built and it would say congratulations you are running a stolen engine !
"In God We Trust. All Others Pay Cash." I used to work for a transportation company and the owner had a saying when customers would stiff us and default on their bills. "The wheel is round" Eventually a customer would come back around after they burned the other carriers. When they did it, was our turn to collect on the old debt, and we did. I do hope the wheel comes back around for you sometime.
I had a similar experience in the past, customer wanted to roadtest the car before paying, this wasn’t going to happen, so I went with him… resulted in me walking 2 miles back to the workshop
As a machinist my self I feel your pain not only financially but for you to take a job on your not familiar with and still smash it just for you to get robbed after all that hard work is devastating.
Did the “dud” cheque not lead you to the chaps identity? Here is Australia, when cheques were common, the knowingly passing of a cheque with inadequate funds to cover it , was deemed as fraud and was vehemently pursued.
I think if you narrowed down the guys accent looked hard enough on social media and volvo performance owners websites you might have found the guy. Its a modification he'd no doubt be bragging about. Cctv on your business premises is must for various reason.
That’s easy enough then. Why don’t you find the guy for him as it’s so simply in your mind? How do you narrow down someone’s accent? And how does this accent help you find a photo of him on social media? If it’s that easy come and find me I have a English accent and I’m average looking with long hair.
That unique sleeve might give him away....in motorsports community we help each other out more so than not and you know how gearheads like to boast about their engines and that one right person may overhear some track talk or bench racing and get word back to you. I hope so anyhow. Heres to better days ahead ...Godspeed never lift ,keep between the ditches topside up always
Sorry to hear that. I feel you man. I tell you what happened to me. I have a DeTomaso Deauville. It had only 2,500 miles on the meter. I left the engine (351 Cleveland) to a shop to modify it and supercharged it. And when I came to pick it up it was gone. Someone picked it up acting as he was representing me. The guy in the shop sent the invoice to me and engine was gone. So, I had to pay for it and no engine. Anyway, I was lucky enough to track that person down and I called the police and got my engine back. That was a nightmare as the car had matching numbers and a collectors item. It is a small world. Some day you might run in to this guy. All the Best to you.
We used to take payment for parts that exceeded £500 and always for any orders if the car wasn't being left with us. We wouldn't hand over key's without payment and certainly when they said I'll just nip to the bank. We took card payment but if they needed to go to the bank, we took them. Or offered to. It's a trade that you can't take any chances. I'd often say that they go get my food shop and tell the supermarket that I'll nip in next week to settle up. They understood. No payment, no car
On the flip side, I booked my sister's car in to a garage clearly asking to carry out an MOT ONLY. When done, She went to pick the car up, only for the garage wanting to charge her £500 for a MOT and service (which wasn't needed). She refused to pay and they refused to give her the keys till the money was handed over. Myself and and a friend went to help "negotiate" with garage to release the car, only to be greeted by a seen from a gangster movie. Big dudes started appearing from everywhere! So, unfortunately we didn't fancy our chances, so paid the money, got the car back and left. So, dodgy people out there on both sides of the counter. Sad but true, but a life lesson learned!
Unfortunately you have to do it that way. My cousin had a garage and used to get full price for parts but would take payments on the work. Too many people ended up owing money. Some he collected, some he wrote off. He stopped doing it except for a few customers that had paid in the past, but even then he had trouble. If you let the customer pay on time and they have no money then you have no money. It's not your responsibility that they have no money but it is your responsibility that you have no money...
Got done the same way on Anglesey about 4 years ago. Took my car for an MOT only, came back with a none existent new clutch , rear brakes and rear brake pipes..... ( another garage told me a few days later , nothing was done to my whatsoever)! Cost me £550.00 , what a nice round figure! They've gone by now to Bangor I think. Gippos.
@@M896 Engine numbers are not checked on mot, only chassis numbers and registrations, often engine numbers are inaccessible places, also if an engine has been swapped, the engine number would not match the one on the registration document
As a machinist of over 30 years it amazes me that all of these automakers are building engines with the top of the cylinder basically floating in mid air. Casting the block with a solid deck would only add a few pounds and would certainly cause less blown head gaskets among problems. I hope this customer forgets to torque his rod bolts!
im sorry this scumbag did this to you i know in my heart your a good honest person. p.s i would love to even have 5% of your skill in my head . stay safe
i tried to buy a car battery the other day ... called the parts store ... guy said he had to ORDER it ... i had to pay a DEPOSIT ... i said ... "how MUCH is the deposit" ... he said ... "the full cost of the battery"
Yes because if they do t have the battery in stock it would be a special order. And may not be a generic size of battery they could sell to someone else..
Because if you changed you mind, or decided to source it somewhere else in the interim they would be stuck with a battery after having paid the cost of handling and the battery.
Also a good lesson to 1 - off punters, as to why trades can see really mistrusting when it comes to payment. So much for material when you buy them, and any stage payments.
Thank you very much for the great video's. I'm sorry about the guy stealing your engine. I've had all kinds of stories like that. I really enjoy your how to and what to look for vids. We have all the American engine build videos we can stand. You guys work on stuff we have never seen and love it. Thanks Charlie, Austin TX.
It's taken me many years but I've now developed a bit of a cold reception. I don't listen so much to the words at first but the character of the person to determine if #1 they're full of shit or #2 there might be a chance of a sale if they aren't full of shit. Red flags, look for the red flags - it is amazing the level of smooth talking, tell me everything I want to hear "if I were a fuk'n moron" kind of people out there, some of them are good. ... Those are easy to spot. Eventually, you know everybody, they know you or, they were sent in by someone you know. I was re-doing a little Spitfire once and was ordering parts from this guy who was into imports. 6-8 months go by he tells me he can't get the stuff. Then I had to get my money back -but he was about broke and out of business. I had pain in full, at order for all these parts He owed me about 2 grand. I let him make payments, I was nice. Turn into a dik maybe you get nothing. He paid me. God how I wish I had that car today. This is before the internet developed to the sophistication of searching for Spitfire parts in the UK or paying for it. No Paypal back then yet. Focus on the good stuff, good people, that is 98% of them. Call it the payment for putting up with the remaining 2% of morons. And don't be afraid to fire a customer. Focus on those who help keep your lights on.
Not sure in the UK but in the USA it's illegal to pass a check you know will bounce. Sure, he could say he "thought the money was there" and it becomes an argument.
@@cobra02411 It's probably illegal, but once he argues the account was overdrawn the Police will say it's a civil matter. You have to commit persistent and large scale fraud before the Police are interested.
What's most bizarre about this story is that the guy apparently knew all about the cars. Usually if someone has a passion for something and perhaps a gainful means of employment in that way they're not going to be thieving from someone else in the car world.
I had somebody steal a television years ago, they gave me a dodgy cheque and went out the front, waiting for someone to pick them up for a good 15 minutes. Later I realised the signature was an X and of course it bounced. A debt collector friend found out where they lived and went around to hassle them, but they had nothing. Never accepted a cheque after that, actually never received a cheque again. What a con.
this is why I walked away from the trade. I done work to realise after the work was done they had no money and the shit box I worked on was only worth half what I put into it...
I worked in a lube shop for many years and I'll never forget this day, this was in 2009 we were having a slow day and a customer came in in a newer Corvette and needed a oil change. On those I usually drain the oil much longer since the pan is flat. As the oil was draining still the top guy decided to cash the guy out, sometimes we did that just to get them out, the guy walked over to his car closed the hood real fast hoped in and took off. I'm on the catwalk under the car and I popped my head up and just said "What a dumbass, I have his drain plug in my hand." we just laughed and laughed. We called other oil change shops and let them know and watch out for that dude, BTW, we had all his information name, address, lic. number. My boss just let it go and hoped that he would blow his engine up for being a dumbass.
@@petermolnar8667 If I understood right they asked the customer to pay while he was waiting for the oil change but he thought that they were done and he could try to leave without paying...
I bet karma will get that guy in the end it always do. Love all the videos I really appreciate all the craftsmanship you do because we car guy need knowledge people like yourself. 🙏
I used to work with a place that did a lot of custom work like that, they would take half the payment to start the work, and then we take the rest of the payment upon completion before you carried the work out of their shop. They too got ripped off in that same manner. It's amazing how many crappy people are in the world.
we fabricated some very expensive curtain pole 10 no in total. had the day off and the very attractive lady talked my guys into leaving them outside for her to collect. yea gone overnight no address no money gutted ..
Classic honey trap. Same ruse is used when selling a dodgy car. Get an attractive women as the "seller" most people are distracted by the lady to not scrutinize the car too much...
I clear rubbish as private cash jobs. I loaded my truck with shite and he failed to pay so I tipped it back outside his front door blocking his entrance and he was pissed. WARNING..DO NOT DO ANY JOB UNLESS THEY PAY UPFRONT...U CANNOT GET A RUBBISH SKIP UNLESS U PAY FOR IT FIRST.
Show me the money. Then you get the honey. Too many people investing blind faith into total strangers on a daily basis. Whether it be in situations like the one in this vid, or accelerating through a green light intersection without lookin at opposing traffic simply because you 'trust' they'll halt at their red, wake up people. We see and hear of the consequences daily yet we fail to change our ways because we just don't believe it'll happen to us (until it does). Time to wake up!
This country has gone mad. Your not allowed to use the name "Midget" anymore because it's apparently offensive to people with Dwarfism. M&S have renamed Midget Gems Mini Gems, 🙄. So does this mean we can't call an MG Midget a Midget anymore and we will have to rename them MG Mini,s.
My dads business is strictly cash. If they can't get the cash, then the check won't be any good either. Bodyshop business. He got stomped with a bad check years ago for about 1200 or 1500 USD cant remember.
It’s to bad that guy stiffed you!! Well hopefully karma will get him back and hurt him 10 times worse and the engine will have failed and or he will do that again to the wrong person and get his teeth knocked out.
Im a mobile detailer. Ive learnt from experience.. Some of the biggest scumbags around look decent, live in large houses and wear suits. The others drive taxi's. I dont take on detailing work from taxi offices or drivers any more. My local garage and I have built a trust over the years... He knows that when I collect my van, I wont have the cash on me... He probably wont have even written the bill yet either, all I know is the estimate value. He sends me a txt a day or so later when he has the bill and I drive in to pay the guy, usually the following day... Saves me walking to the garage with cash on me. Sometimes I have to txt (Do you want paying for that job you did for me?) to remind him that I havent had a bill or paid yet.
This man is the height of both arrogance and contempt- to give you a $500 cheque instead of the full amount reflects his grandiosity and sense of entitlement. It also shows his utter contempt. He just used you guys as a doormat. Never feel guilty about sticking to the rules: money down in full: goods are now yours.
I wish I'd of found you last year. I paid a garage £4000 to rebuild my Nissan Navara engine and got ripped off .I've had the injectors trubo water pump all replaced after they rebuild last year .
I have had garages and tyre fitting bays, and never lost a payment. Unusual you say? Well, no. I ALWAYS made sure any payment was made prior to collection of the goods. In a case like yours the goods would not be taken from the stores till the paperwork is done, and a cheque is not good enough for payment. If they do pay by chequeue i dont release goods till the cheque has cleared. I said in a reply to another of your videos you need to revise your practices, and this is another example. I learnt many years ago that most people are not honest, when they deal with you, when you are in business.
it's coming to my attention that you have an aweful lot of trouble with customers... any single of these events is bad luck or just fucked up customer. But don't you think it happens a bit too often? That there might be something else wrong that's causing all the worst people of the UK to be your customers?
Especially if it's sitting there on it's bedplate. Sure you might be able to seal it with gasket maker but by not having the surfaces marred up in the first place sure makes it more certain it won't leak.
I always used to wonder at the sense of auto jumble dealers putting all there triumph bsa and Norton heads on the ground ! It’s an ali head scuffing around on tarmac ffs
Over the years i have learnt always take a deposit, always! when collecting show them the goods and do the paperwork including balance payment. Never let them take the goods out of your business doors before payment. We live in a different world where crime and greed are more common place nowadays.
You only have to read some of the comments on youtube and MSN to realise that a lot of the public are quite negative people. Judgemental individuals and without empathy or scruples. It is unfortunate but as we get older we become less and less trusting as a result.
hard lesson learned son , always assume everyones out to rip you off make sure customers can not walk around your shop or yard . have an area where finnished product is locked away until payment is made except no checks efpost only take a deposit write a reciept all goods are owned by your company until all monies owing are paid for. misuse and abuse will void warranty wear a body camrea whist working good luck.
As a former shop owner I too I have had similar experience. I hope you notified the local engine builders and machine shops with a description of this guy. If he did this to you he has done it to others.
Ho mate... I don't know what to say you poor bugger... Some people are so awful and dishonest & I really hope that the police catch that guy. Good luck with your future endeavors!.. R 🇦🇺
If you had the engine block number the police should have asked you for it and entered the information on the Police National Computer so the first time that engine was ever checked by someone it would have come up as stolen. The engine block remains your property until the customer as paid so this guy stole a valuable engine block from you. I know its a case of shutting the stable door after the horse as bolted but although you are out of pocket a considerable sum of money but at least you have the satisfaction of knowing that someone is going to have the fingers burnet further down the line. After all said and done we learn by our own mistakes and never make the same mistake a second time,
it's neat seeing all the engines you work on ,, i live in the USA and have been a mechanic and part time engine builder for almost 30 years ,,only in recent years have smaller engines become common just since about the year 2000 ,4 cylinder and even a few 5 cylinder engines ,,I deal almost exclusively with high power high torque V8 engines ,,my current engine that i recently rebuilt is a monster 8.1 liter LS big block chevrolet engine ,naturally aspirated it produces almost 800 horsepower ,it's used in a large tow truck as a street engine
Around 2.5 years ago I had 2ks worth of diagnostics stolen from me by a guy that was upset over a £45 thermostat on a car he purchased from someone I did some work for (car trader). He was insisting I knew his wareabouts but I didn't. I had this guys full details and the police weren't interested. There are some real scum out there.
Years ago around 1971 or 2 while in college I was working in the bopdyshop of a VW dealership in Collorado Springs. About that time Audi (according to my recollection) came out with a 5 cylinder motor. I was amazed thinking these clever German engineers have uncovered some discreet prinicple of engineering that made that configuration ideal!!! Finally I got to talk to a techrep from VW who came through the dealership. I gave him the above chatter about clever German engineers blah blah. He said no, really there wasn't that much engineering involved. A four cylinder didn't make enough power and the 6 cylinder was too long so they made the 5!!!!!!!!!!!
Happens far too often with a certain type of customer with no fixed address … and if you try to persue them you either get bad internet reviews from everyone in their community or worse still they come back to visit your premises overnight.
I was ripped off when a lady scammed me on a windshield replacement. I waited until she left her car at her work and cut the windshield out, leaving this lady a really nice air conditioner. I work for myself so I could care less. Crazy thing she never called😊👍🍺
police some one stole my windshield xD
That is awesome!
A long time ago I was helping a guy on weekends with lawn care, we did sod job and once done of course they didn't pay. We came about a month later to "fertilize" and sprayed that entire place with a strong grass killer. That place was totally brown a week later and they couldn't get a single company to come help them out because we spread the word that they don't pay.
But I think your windshield deal is even better 🤣
Far as I'm concerned that's just repossession for non payment good thing I'm not a judge
I TOO AM A CRACK UP...47 YEARS IN THE GLASS BIZ...HA...HER HAIR MUSTA LOOKED GREAT, STRAIGHT BACK...🙂🙃😉
*couldn't* care less
As a retired garage owner I feel your pain. Until you have to deal with the public face to face you do not realise how twisted some of them are. Garages and mechanics get a bad press but I know from experience how some of the public will try to con you.
I actually had a guy offer his wife up to settle a bill. told him he already owed me enough, no more work until he pays up.
Care to share the typical stuff etc? Im a former owner as well but only had 1 theft that i know of in 15 yrs of business.
I married into a family & my Father in Law was a serious Master Tech Mechanic...they lived in a retirement community...where a good job well done would leave fixed...but old pharts would mess with it & bring it back...he knew it too...ear marks...GREAT HUMAN BEING HE WAS!!!
Amen on that brother 👍
In my 50+ year long experience of dealing with the motor trade, there are more dodgy dealers than customers, and I personally know a few of them.
When I had my Auto Electrical business a customer got a quote on a Saab alternator. She accepted the quote (from memory about $800 au) she picked up the vehicle and paid by cheque. A couple of days later the cheque came back, it had been stopped by the customer. We contacted her and she explained she could have got the job done cheaper elsewhere. We ended up taking her to the local court and she was ordered to pay. The irony of the whole story being she ran a money lending business charging extortionate interest rates for small loans to hard up people.
Jesus , of course she's type of person to do that shit, running a lending company
She’s a legal loan shark 🦈
She met her match with my former business partner, she wasn't so smug after having to pay up ! A win for the good guys.
Who cares if the customer could get it cheaper, they accepted your quote thereby agreeing to your amount.
People that don't have to deal with customers have no idea how difficult they are to deal with 👍
I used to work in retail.....It would have been a nice little job if it hadn't been for the customers.
I'm not happy with that comment I demand a refund
@@gingernutpreacher do you have a receipt
@@ukmud6218no it fell down the back of sofa but you should have obviously trust the word of a complete stranger
thats why i closed my business years ago because its no fun anymore and now its even worse everybody is lying and stealing always threating with police or lawyers so no more customer service for me
The description of the guy sounds like someone who tried it on with me a couple of years ago. He bought in an elderly Mercedes,which had been imported from the US about 30 years ago and converted to RHD. It wouldn't run although he said he had had it running. Looking at the Djet injection etc I could see it hadn't run for years and guessed he had just picked it up cheap at an estate sale. I told him "yes, I can fix it but it will require a couple of days labour and God only knows how much in parts " (Bosch haven't supplied injectors for these for years) .So after hooking up the car to my machine it was obvious what was wrong and I fixed it ,which included a new(ish) ECU. The car ran beautifully but being a Californian version it was no road burner. He turned up the next day after I told it was ready to go and the cost of repairs. He started me thinking the moment he said,great,I'll just take it for a drive around the block... at which I replied" I'll come with you " so we went on a very short drive and he said he was very happy... and so on . I told him to park in the shop and I'd get the invoice and take payment. But as soon as I was out of the car,he was off. Because I had his ph number I called him and reminded him that all of the parts were still mine (until paid for) and if he didn't come back and fix the bill I'd get the police to deal with it. he was back 20 minutes later and tried to negotiate the bill....! needless to say He paid in full after I reminded him that this Was Australia and not the UK,where our smallish population makes it easy to track wrong doers down. 🤣
People try to disappear in Australia, but unless they actually die, someone finds them.
Nah, wasn't the same guy
Shame you didn't have CCTV to pull an image of him from.
I have a mate who bought out a hire company a couple of years back, they were too cheap to fit trackers to their plant and a lot of it went walkies, never to be seen again and this lead to them falling over and going bust. My mate reopened the it and bought a lot of new gear to hire out, but now when people hire out anything he makes them stand there while he takes a picture of their face on his mobile phone, anyone who doesn't like that is free to go elsewhere. Needless to say theft has fallen right off since he took over.
We do the same plus we take fingerprints and DNA sample car reg .Finally as they collect I personally whisper a few special words in their ear.
In Australia you show your driving license, they take a copy.
100s of mini diggers, dumpers, cement mixers whatever you want i can get pal.
This is normal for renting storage space. Photo ID and a direct photo from a phone (for higher quality). They claimed that they were often visited by the police looking for stolen goods. I was (and still am) quite happy with that. Any query and they would look at security video. Then the photo and photoID.
Latex mask. Bye bye mini digger.
We had a customer bring a pair of 3.8l Holden ecotec supercharged v6 heads in due to excessive cooling system pressure issues we found the heads were cracked even before putting them in the hot tank and so we sourced a good pair of heads for the customer and rebuilt them as directed to do so by the customer (new valves / thin wall valve guide inserts / machined the gasket surfaces and valve seats ect all the usual stuff.
Now we had a rack outside the office where we put small incoming and outgoing jobs and we had both pairs of the heads sitting on the rack to go back to the customer which was the u/s pair which were assembled but not wrapped and still dirty ect and next to them we had the the rebuilt set that were assembled and clean and wrapped up ready to go and over the course of a couple weeks the customer wasn't contactable the u/s heads disappeared (no one thought anything of it as it was assumed they went in the scrap bin to make room) and the reconditioned heads eventually made their way to a pallet and put in the warehouse as we needed the room for active incoming and outgoing jobs.
roughly 2 years later with countless attempt's to contact the customer in between we were having an end of year cleanup and our manager decided to contact the customer yet again and to his surprise this time someone answered and he said who he was and what the call was regarding and straight away he got an earful over the phone "I picked up my heads and I put the motor back together and the heads were shit it was bubbling in the cooling system BLA BLA BLA.. what we concluded was he come in to pick the heads up and no one was around so he decided to just grab and run with them but unfortunately for him he grabbed the dirty unwrapped u/s heads that were cracked which would explain why he never contacted us regarding his issues, I believe we might have sold the reconditioned heads to a workshop around the corner from us later on in the following year 😂
Haha that's a good one!
Karma stepped in rather quickly here. 😄
Break a deal....face the wheel!!
I am sure if anything goes wrong he will be back for a warranty claim
Haha 😂
You do know it was 3 years ago?
@@BlutoandCo Yes your right, they only offer a 12 month warranty. My mistake
@@BlutoandCo it’s a joke. Look at some of the other videos they’ve posted if you’ve not already and you’ll get it 👍🏻😂
More likely they would get a court summons for defective workmanship (ie the engine died cause the customer/thief didn't change the oil)
We had a customer several years ago . A coal company . They had been doing business with us a couple of years and always paid with a check . They had a couple of Caterpillar engines we were working on and had us order complete engine kits for them . Deposited the check and it was no good . Tried to contact them , no answer . Went to their location , they were gone . Guy that signed the check didn't exist . There were no red flags on this deal . Cost us about $7,000.00 in parts plus our labor . There are some people out there that are just out to get you .
In our shop we will work up a quote on big jobs and require a 50% deposit . If the customer doesn't want to do that they can take it somewhere else . Right now we are running about 3 to 4 months out on engine rebuilds . There is around 40 engines in line to rebuild . Including myself there are only 4 of us at my shop .
As a business owner, it's tough to appear uptight about the money/payment portion of the whole ordeal but it's necessary and I've learned that the only people that will ever call you out on it are the ones that are most likely planning on getting one over on you and you've ruined their plan by doing proper diligence.
I've had it 2 times. First was a customer who I had done about £2k repairs and he took the car keys from the office when he was in discussing the payment for later in the week .he's car was outside so I'm guessing he was hoping to get it later .we imobilized the car so got lucky there. The 2nd was a friend who was moving and needed his car . I repaired it in record time for him as he was a mate and his bill was £1.5k almost all I parts and his labour was a token amount. He collected the car and paid by cheque then promptly stopped the cheque. That was the last favour I did for a mate
I’ve dealt with “customers” for many years both within transport and my workshop. Most people and companies are spot on and you never get a problem but some are nasty spiteful morons. I’m gutted for you these horrid illegitimate people don’t care or realise what damage they are doing to small businesses when they don’t pay for an item or service you provide. Anyway rant over keep up the great work and looking forward to the next video 👍🏻👍🏻
if he was going to write a bouncer you would have thought he would of paid the " full amount "
The 28 years as a engine machinist most memorable attempted scam was a man ordered a Cadillac engine and payed with a credit card over the phone. In those days you called it in for approval hand filled out the credit card slip and took it to the bank, no machines like today. Anyway we went to deliver it and was told to leave it in front of the garage and our driver saw the house was empty the so we called the card in again and it came back stolen. We brought it back to the shop. The thief call about the engine and we told him our truck broke down and he would have to come get it, he did, while we kept him busy another person called the cops. Long story short the idiot just got out of prison for credit card and check fraud, his buddy in the truck (who could have just driven away when the mutable police cars drove in)had mutable arrest warrants and went to jail with his buddy.
Running your own business is clearly stressful when stuff like this happens. Need to get a security camera installed! Great channel, very talented people and great storytelling.
Should just name and shame mate, thieves are scum
Always amazes me how a person can steal from the person who did all the work for them. It's happened to many of us once, twice or a few times and we often pride ourselves on being trustworthy assuming others are too. That is unfortunately now the case...
Drug junkies probably, their fix is most important
@@dw4940 or a young motor head who wants a great engine for his POS car, and didn't feel working for it was worth it.... My contractor neighbor wanted my house and property but didn't want to pay for it. Every time I left my house, his workers were in, on, around my house n garage. They stole all my no trespassing signs, and destroyed my driveway, aluminum siding, and copper inside the house. Guess he figured if he made it un-sellable, he could steal it from me. *the city allowed this, and the police refused to come or do fingerprints. So, slimeballs are everywhere. Sorry that happened to you. Peace from New Hampshire, USA.
born for hapiness and a long life..not!
Exactly
Back in the day when I had my own race shop this sort of thing was tried on us plenty of times, the answer is simple, never let the customer load his car onto his trailer or his parts into the back of his van until a confirmed payment is received, the more fuss the customer makes when this policy is enforced the more certain you can be that the guy is trying to pull a fast one. Sometimes a customer would send some big intimidating guys to collect, we had our own big guys on speed dial and we put an end to that nonsense! 'Sausage' HT Racing Ltd
Agreed, as soon as you hear the words don’t you trust me stand your ground and just listen to things like, I will never deal with you again (good!) I can’t believe this ( I can!) and then the threats of violence that never happen.
Thanks, sorry for your loss, I was a shareholder, and MD in a business, I used to get very upset by customers who defaulted and became a bad debt, in your case it looks more like burglary or just plain stealing.
Yes the work in machining that block looks extensive, I used a local company for all my machining, I would take them a knackered shaft of a machine, they could make a new one almost overnight, and it would be better than the original.
I always paid promptly and was rewarded with their ingenuity and service. Mine was a 24/7 production site, and they would literally work overnight to machine parts for me, they also did engines.
I've been following your videos for just a bit now, and you seem to be doing honest, good work. Keep the faith that there are folks out here that truly appreciate that (and I hope you do run into that guy again!!)
Full circle ⭕️ & when it’s his turn to equal the score it will almost definitely be much worse -you’re right about receiving pymt upfront because as a Mobile Diesel mechanic here in Texas for 30yrs I’m a one man business & 4 or 5 times I’ve given people credit in which I was paid nothing for repairs 🤷♂️thanks for the video and your time.
I saw your post and couldnt help but think of an old guy i knew who worked for a well known engine builder here in the usa this was probably 30 years ago he has since passed away i learned a lot from him but his company was called stolen engines, he would put a decal on every motor he built and it would say congratulations you are running a stolen engine !
"In God We Trust. All Others Pay Cash." I used to work for a transportation company and the owner had a saying when customers would stiff us and default on their bills. "The wheel is round" Eventually a customer would come back around after they burned the other carriers. When they did it, was our turn to collect on the old debt, and we did. I do hope the wheel comes back around for you sometime.
Please tell me it's not sitting straight on the concrete!!!
I was thinking the exact same thing!
I only expect to see this on those backyard engine rebuild videos from Pakistan.
It belongs to a non paying customer
I had a similar experience in the past, customer wanted to roadtest the car before paying, this wasn’t going to happen, so I went with him… resulted in me walking 2 miles back to the workshop
Why what happened ?
As a machinist my self I feel your pain not only financially but for you to take a job on your not familiar with and still smash it just for you to get robbed after all that hard work is devastating.
Did the “dud” cheque not lead you to the chaps identity? Here is Australia, when cheques were common, the knowingly passing of a cheque with inadequate funds to cover it , was deemed as fraud and was vehemently pursued.
It's not like he said something mean on Twitter. Then they'd be on it like a mo'fo.
@@TonyRule DO i get a free trip all expanses paid trip to Australia if i do so
I wonder this " cheques". In Finland we stopped using them 1980-1990.
I think if you narrowed down the guys accent looked hard enough on social media and volvo performance owners websites you might have found the guy. Its a modification he'd no doubt be bragging about. Cctv on your business premises is must for various reason.
That’s easy enough then. Why don’t you find the guy for him as it’s so simply in your mind? How do you narrow down someone’s accent? And how does this accent help you find a photo of him on social media? If it’s that easy come and find me I have a English accent and I’m average looking with long hair.
That unique sleeve might give him away....in motorsports community we help each other out more so than not and you know how gearheads like to boast about their engines and that one right person may overhear some track talk or bench racing and get word back to you. I hope so anyhow. Heres to better days ahead ...Godspeed never lift ,keep between the ditches topside up always
Can't even imagine having to deal with the type of wacko humans we have nowadays 😂
Sorry to hear that. I feel you man.
I tell you what happened to me. I have a DeTomaso Deauville. It had only 2,500 miles on the meter. I left the engine (351 Cleveland) to a shop to modify it and supercharged it. And when I came to pick it up it was gone. Someone picked it up acting as he was representing me. The guy in the shop sent the invoice to me and engine was gone.
So, I had to pay for it and no engine. Anyway, I was lucky enough to track that person down and I called the police and got my engine back.
That was a nightmare as the car had matching numbers and a collectors item.
It is a small world. Some day you might run in to this guy.
All the Best to you.
When a guy comes from the other end of the country for machine work. And, he's experienced. He's made himself unwelcome in his own area.
We used to take payment for parts that exceeded £500 and always for any orders if the car wasn't being left with us.
We wouldn't hand over key's without payment and certainly when they said I'll just nip to the bank.
We took card payment but if they needed to go to the bank, we took them.
Or offered to.
It's a trade that you can't take any chances.
I'd often say that they go get my food shop and tell the supermarket that I'll nip in next week to settle up.
They understood.
No payment, no car
On the flip side, I booked my sister's car in to a garage clearly asking to carry out an MOT ONLY. When done, She went to pick the car up, only for the garage wanting to charge her £500 for a MOT and service (which wasn't needed). She refused to pay and they refused to give her the keys till the money was handed over. Myself and and a friend went to help "negotiate" with garage to release the car, only to be greeted by a seen from a gangster movie. Big dudes started appearing from everywhere! So, unfortunately we didn't fancy our chances, so paid the money, got the car back and left. So, dodgy people out there on both sides of the counter. Sad but true, but a life lesson learned!
@@dirkjordy9point714 go back with a zippo
But you are correct. I know of many
Unfortunately you have to do it that way. My cousin had a garage and used to get full price for parts but would take payments on the work. Too many people ended up owing money. Some he collected, some he wrote off. He stopped doing it except for a few customers that had paid in the past, but even then he had trouble.
If you let the customer pay on time and they have no money then you have no money. It's not your responsibility that they have no money but it is your responsibility that you have no money...
Got done the same way on Anglesey about 4 years ago. Took my car for an MOT only, came back with a none existent new clutch , rear brakes and rear brake pipes..... ( another garage told me a few days later , nothing was done to my whatsoever)! Cost me £550.00 , what a nice round figure! They've gone by now to Bangor I think. Gippos.
Can engine numbers be traced back to a car? And hence back to registered keeper?
Are engine numbers checked on the MOT? I suspect not
Race car engine??
@@M896 Engine numbers are not checked on mot, only chassis numbers and registrations, often engine numbers are inaccessible places, also if an engine has been swapped, the engine number would not match the one on the registration document
As a machinist of over 30 years it amazes me that all of these automakers are building engines with the top of the cylinder basically floating in mid air. Casting the block with a solid deck would only add a few pounds and would certainly cause less blown head gaskets among problems. I hope this customer forgets to torque his rod bolts!
im sorry this scumbag did this to you i know in my heart your a good honest person. p.s i would love to even have 5% of your skill in my head . stay safe
i tried to buy a car battery the other day ...
called the parts store ...
guy said he had to ORDER it ...
i had to pay a DEPOSIT ...
i said ...
"how MUCH is the deposit" ...
he said ...
"the full cost of the battery"
Yes because if they do t have the battery in stock it would be a special order.
And may not be a generic size of battery they could sell to someone else..
Because if you changed you mind, or decided to source it somewhere else in the interim they would be stuck with a battery after having paid the cost of handling and the battery.
Also a good lesson to 1 - off punters, as to why trades can see really mistrusting when it comes to payment. So much for material when you buy them, and any stage payments.
Thank you very much for the great video's. I'm sorry about the guy stealing your engine. I've had all kinds of stories like that. I really enjoy your how to and what to look for vids. We have all the American engine build videos we can stand. You guys work on stuff we have never seen and love it. Thanks Charlie, Austin TX.
It's taken me many years but I've now developed a bit of a cold reception. I don't listen so much to the words at first but the character of the person to determine if #1 they're full of shit or #2 there might be a chance of a sale if they aren't full of shit.
Red flags, look for the red flags - it is amazing the level of smooth talking, tell me everything I want to hear "if I were a fuk'n moron" kind of people out there, some of them are good. ... Those are easy to spot. Eventually, you know everybody, they know you or, they were sent in by someone you know.
I was re-doing a little Spitfire once and was ordering parts from this guy who was into imports. 6-8 months go by he tells me he can't get the stuff. Then I had to get my money back -but he was about broke and out of business. I had pain in full, at order for all these parts
He owed me about 2 grand. I let him make payments, I was nice. Turn into a dik maybe you get nothing. He paid me. God how I wish I had that car today. This is before the internet developed to the sophistication of searching for Spitfire parts in the UK or paying for it. No Paypal back then yet.
Focus on the good stuff, good people, that is 98% of them. Call it the payment for putting up with the remaining 2% of morons. And don't be afraid to fire a customer. Focus on those who help keep your lights on.
Moral of the story don’t trust anyone!
Sad but very true, especially today.
Strange story. I think he may have given a cheque because if the police would have caught up with him he could say that he give payment.
Not sure in the UK but in the USA it's illegal to pass a check you know will bounce. Sure, he could say he "thought the money was there" and it becomes an argument.
@@cobra02411 I dont know if it's illegal here in the uk or not. I just cant think of another reason why he would have even bothered handing a cheque.
Indeed. I'm beginning to suspect nefarious activity.
Why have work done.
But not wanting to be traced..
High speed getaway car?
@@cobra02411 It's probably illegal, but once he argues the account was overdrawn the Police will say it's a civil matter.
You have to commit persistent and large scale fraud before the Police are interested.
In spite of the bad luck, it looks as though you're doing pretty well. Good Luck!
What's most bizarre about this story is that the guy apparently knew all about the cars. Usually if someone has a passion for something and perhaps a gainful means of employment in that way they're not going to be thieving from someone else in the car world.
I had somebody steal a television years ago, they gave me a dodgy cheque and went out the front, waiting for someone to pick them up for a good 15 minutes. Later I realised the signature was an X and of course it bounced. A debt collector friend found out where they lived and went around to hassle them, but they had nothing. Never accepted a cheque after that, actually never received a cheque again. What a con.
Were you able to trace who the car was registered to? I'm in California so not sure how you chaps do things there🌝
this is why I walked away from the trade. I done work to realise after the work was done they had no money and the shit box I worked on was only worth half what I put into it...
One would think if he's writing out bouncing cheques he would write one out for the full amount. To avoid immediate suspicion
I worked in a lube shop for many years and I'll never forget this day, this was in 2009 we were having a slow day and a customer came in in a newer Corvette and needed a oil change. On those I usually drain the oil much longer since the pan is flat. As the oil was draining still the top guy decided to cash the guy out, sometimes we did that just to get them out, the guy walked over to his car closed the hood real fast hoped in and took off. I'm on the catwalk under the car and I popped my head up and just said "What a dumbass, I have his drain plug in my hand." we just laughed and laughed. We called other oil change shops and let them know and watch out for that dude, BTW, we had all his information name, address, lic. number. My boss just let it go and hoped that he would blow his engine up for being a dumbass.
So did he leave without paying (and without oil) or did I get it wrong? 😅
@@petermolnar8667 If I understood right they asked the customer to pay while he was waiting for the oil change but he thought that they were done and he could try to leave without paying...
I bet karma will get that guy in the end it always do.
Love all the videos
I really appreciate all the craftsmanship you do because we car guy need knowledge people like yourself. 🙏
I was always taught that crime doesn't pay, but I have watched banks etc prove that I was very sadly mistaken
@@gaslight5 ya and dont steal, the government hates competition!
Karma will definitely come calling. No escape and if anyone doesn't believe this, better research the subject a little.
I used to work with a place that did a lot of custom work like that, they would take half the payment to start the work, and then we take the rest of the payment upon completion before you carried the work out of their shop. They too got ripped off in that same manner. It's amazing how many crappy people are in the world.
we fabricated some very expensive curtain pole 10 no in total. had the day off and the very attractive lady talked my guys into leaving them outside for her to collect. yea gone overnight no address no money gutted ..
Classic honey trap.
Same ruse is used when selling a dodgy car.
Get an attractive women as the "seller"
most people are distracted by the lady to not scrutinize the car too much...
I’d personally be wanting payment upfront to cover any shortfall between selling the finished item and what the invoice would be.
God knows why you described him as a gentleman. He's obviously anything but...
I've been lucky, I've only had 3 squirrely customers since I opened my shop up in 2003.
They must have boasted about it to others so hopefully someone out here in you tube land knows him and will give you the info you need to get him,
I'd be taking 50% when the owner drops off the engine and the balance before the owner gets it back.
I clear rubbish as private cash jobs. I loaded my truck with shite and he failed to pay so I tipped it back outside his front door blocking his entrance and he was pissed. WARNING..DO NOT DO ANY JOB UNLESS THEY PAY UPFRONT...U CANNOT GET A RUBBISH SKIP UNLESS U PAY FOR IT FIRST.
The cheque made it a civil matter not theft
Show me the money. Then you get the honey.
Too many people investing blind faith into total strangers on a daily basis.
Whether it be in situations like the one in this vid, or accelerating through a green light intersection without lookin at opposing traffic simply because you 'trust' they'll halt at their red, wake up people. We see and hear of the consequences daily yet we fail to change our ways because we just don't believe it'll happen to us (until it does).
Time to wake up!
This country has gone mad. Your not allowed to use the name "Midget" anymore because it's apparently offensive to people with Dwarfism.
M&S have renamed Midget Gems Mini Gems, 🙄. So does this mean we can't call an MG Midget a Midget anymore and we will have to rename them MG Mini,s.
My dads business is strictly cash. If they can't get the cash, then the check won't be any good either. Bodyshop business. He got stomped with a bad check years ago for about 1200 or 1500 USD cant remember.
It’s to bad that guy stiffed you!!
Well hopefully karma will get him back and hurt him 10 times worse and the engine will have failed and or he will do that again to the wrong person and get his teeth knocked out.
Im a mobile detailer. Ive learnt from experience..
Some of the biggest scumbags around look decent, live in large houses and wear suits.
The others drive taxi's.
I dont take on detailing work from taxi offices or drivers any more.
My local garage and I have built a trust over the years... He knows that when I collect my van, I wont have the cash on me... He probably wont have even written the bill yet either, all I know is the estimate value.
He sends me a txt a day or so later when he has the bill and I drive in to pay the guy, usually the following day... Saves me walking to the garage with cash on me.
Sometimes I have to txt (Do you want paying for that job you did for me?) to remind him that I havent had a bill or paid yet.
This man is the height of both arrogance and contempt- to give you a $500 cheque instead of the full amount reflects his grandiosity and sense of entitlement. It also shows his utter contempt. He just used you guys as a doormat. Never feel guilty about sticking to the rules: money down in full: goods are now yours.
I wish I'd of found you last year. I paid a garage £4000 to rebuild my Nissan Navara engine and got ripped off .I've had the injectors trubo water pump all replaced after they rebuild last year .
I have had garages and tyre fitting bays, and never lost a payment. Unusual you say? Well, no. I ALWAYS made sure any payment was made prior to collection of the goods. In a case like yours the goods would not be taken from the stores till the paperwork is done, and a cheque is not good enough for payment. If they do pay by chequeue i dont release goods till the cheque has cleared.
I said in a reply to another of your videos you need to revise your practices, and this is another example. I learnt many years ago that most people are not honest, when they deal with you, when you are in business.
it's coming to my attention that you have an aweful lot of trouble with customers... any single of these events is bad luck or just fucked up customer. But don't you think it happens a bit too often? That there might be something else wrong that's causing all the worst people of the UK to be your customers?
Sorry, but if I saw my engine block sat straight on hard concrete I'd be livid.
Especially if it's sitting there on it's bedplate. Sure you might be able to seal it with gasket maker but by not having the surfaces marred up in the first place sure makes it more certain it won't leak.
I always used to wonder at the sense of auto jumble dealers putting all there triumph bsa and Norton heads on the ground ! It’s an ali head scuffing around on tarmac ffs
Don't take a job without taking a cash deposit to at least cover your parts costs. Simple, no?
Over the years i have learnt always take a deposit, always! when collecting show them the goods and do the paperwork including balance payment. Never let them take the goods out of your business doors before payment. We live in a different world where crime and greed are more common place nowadays.
Every mechanic gets a nip or two in their life time. But the vermin will get karma in the end.
A garage fitted me a replacement ,engine to my 1988 bmw 525 , They fitted a 518 engine ,i found out 2 months later .
You only have to read some of the comments on youtube and MSN to realise that a lot of the public are quite negative people. Judgemental individuals and without empathy or scruples. It is unfortunate but as we get older we become less and less trusting as a result.
hard lesson learned son , always assume everyones out to rip you off make sure customers can not walk around your shop or yard .
have an area where finnished product is locked away until payment is made except no checks efpost only take a deposit write a reciept all goods are owned by your company until all monies owing are paid for. misuse and abuse will void warranty wear a body camrea whist working good luck.
As a former shop owner I too I have had similar experience. I hope you notified the local engine builders and machine shops with a description of this guy. If he did this to you he has done it to others.
Someone will know who he is, and what car it was for. He may have done similar things to other machine shops.
I have been in business for 49 years. One thing i learnt very very quickly was 'trust nobody and you be dissapointed'.
You sound like a very kind and professional shop owner that does fantastic looking work . wrench on and it'll all work out .👍
My late-Dad always said "Money up front or NO work will be done!".
Dumb question most likely but did you check the names of the directors when you looked up this company?
You should employ me to deal with your customers I'm a big ugly scaffolder a few words from me usually results in fear .
as a ex rally driver mk2 escort 1.3 to 2.1 pinto same car, you look good at the things you do . 👍👍👍
as for the loss hope you have cctv now.
10 percent deposit before starting job or more ,, 3 months hold only , then after that the job is sold for money owning,,
Don't worry karma is a mirror and she always collects
Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier
Some places wont money up front and can't do the job and say that thay done it when thay ant and won't give your money back!!!
Ho mate... I don't know what to say you poor bugger... Some people are so awful and dishonest & I really hope that the police catch that guy.
Good luck with your future endeavors!.. R 🇦🇺
Omg, get to it already. Wtf, too much insignificant detail. I'm out.
If you had the engine block number the police should have asked you for it and entered the information on the Police National Computer so the first time that engine was ever checked by someone it would have come up as stolen. The engine block remains your property until the customer as paid so this guy stole a valuable engine block from you. I know its a case of shutting the stable door after the horse as bolted but although you are out of pocket a considerable sum of money but at least you have the satisfaction of knowing that someone is going to have the fingers burnet further down the line. After all said and done we learn by our own mistakes and never make the same mistake a second time,
CCTV is the answer.
it's neat seeing all the engines you work on ,, i live in the USA and have been a mechanic and part time engine builder for almost 30 years ,,only in recent years have smaller engines become common just since about the year 2000 ,4 cylinder and even a few 5 cylinder engines ,,I deal almost exclusively with high power high torque V8 engines ,,my current engine that i recently rebuilt is a monster 8.1 liter LS big block chevrolet engine ,naturally aspirated it produces almost 800 horsepower ,it's used in a large tow truck as a street engine
Horrible people! Unfortunately these worms do exist. I will be going through your other video's one by one! Top job!! Thumbs up!!
I do hope you routed out that waste of space person and reported them to the appropriate authorities. Take care and keep them coming man!
Going by your description I think it was James May!
He didn't steal his property you gave it to him and hope you learning something bwaha
Most people dig their own holes and have only themselves to blame...unfortunately.
Dealing with foreigners in any walk of life is always risky in my experience
Around 2.5 years ago I had 2ks worth of diagnostics stolen from me by a guy that was upset over a £45 thermostat on a car he purchased from someone I did some work for (car trader). He was insisting I knew his wareabouts but I didn't. I had this guys full details and the police weren't interested. There are some real scum out there.
Years ago around 1971 or 2 while in college I was working in the bopdyshop of a VW dealership in Collorado Springs. About that time Audi (according to my recollection) came out with a 5 cylinder motor. I was amazed thinking these clever German engineers have uncovered some discreet prinicple of engineering that made that configuration ideal!!! Finally I got to talk to a techrep from VW who came through the dealership. I gave him the above chatter about clever German engineers blah blah. He said no, really there wasn't that much engineering involved. A four cylinder didn't make enough power and the 6 cylinder was too long so they made the 5!!!!!!!!!!!
Five pots used in the famous Audi Quattros ten years later. Won the Pikes Peak there couple of times, once with a French lady, Michelle Mouton.
Happens far too often with a certain type of customer with no fixed address … and if you try to persue them you either get bad internet reviews from everyone in their community or worse still they come back to visit your premises overnight.
My mom had her Berlinetta engine stolen from her Camero by a lying thief .