A mechanic tried to scam a woman not knowing she saw right through him, making him regret his behavior.
An Unlikely Suspect
The Original Poster (OP), a 26-year-old female, does not fit the stereotypical image of a person knowledgeable about cars.
Standing at a height of 5’3 with long blonde hair, a soft girly appearance, and an eternal baby face, she looks more like a 15-16-year-old.
Mechanics Often Assume She Is Ignorant
It is worth noting that she mentions her appearance because mechanics often assume she is ignorant about cars.
She Learned From Her Dad and Brothers
She drives a rather beat-up-looking 2004 Avalon and comes from a mechanics family, with her dad and brother well-versed in the field. Although not her profession, OP has learned a thing or two from them and is comfortable working on cars.
A Casual Trip to the Mechanic
One day, feeling overwhelmed with life and not having a suitable place to do it, OP took her car in to get the oil changed. The place offered a free “head to toe” inspection for any repairs that might need to be made.
Going In for an Oil Change
Despite knowing that her car was fine – she recently changed the air filter and brake pads and with rotors in great condition – she decided to let them do it anyway.
She Knew Everything Was Fine
It should also be noted that before going to the shop, OP checked her air filter, which was pristine.
She Learned From Her Dad
Additionally, she usually calls her dad while working on her car to keep him updated on the repairs/maintenance she’s done, ensuring her car is well taken care of.
The Inspection Results
After getting her oil changed, the mechanic came back with the “inspection results” on a clipboard, holding her air filter with a grave look on his face as if something was wrong.
He Said Her Car Was on the Verge of Breaking Down!
The place was bustling with customers in the waiting room, and he proceeded to tell OP that her car was about to break down completely. She was not safe to drive if she didn’t get several repairs done ASAP because they were all completely shot.
A List of Required Repairs
The repairs included new brake pads, new rotors, new calipers, replacing the serpentine and drive belt, a new air filter, a new compressor for the AC, which he emphasized was a heavy threat in the middle of summer in Florida, and a few more generic things.
The Dirty Air Filter
He showed OP an air filter filled with dead grass, a dead wasp, some dirt, and hair. It was evident that he had scooped some nonsense off the shop floor and put it in her new air filter to try and scare her.
The Grand Total
The total cost for all these repairs? About $1500 worth of work, which he claimed was a deal since it would be more expensive anywhere else.
Stalling to Think of a Plan
Immediately, OP started buying herself some time by asking basic questions she knew he would have to explain, so she could nod at him all wide-eyed while coming up with a way to respond to what he was doing.
“What does the serpentine belt do? Is it important? Etc.”
Calling Dad for “Help”
Realizing the scam, she texted her dad, “I’m calling in a sec. Just play along.”
She then told the mechanic, “OMG, that’s so scary! I can’t believe I was driving around like that. Thank you so much for caring! I don’t have the money, so let me call my dad quickly to see if he can help me out.
I can’t afford this.” OP continued to enhance her dramatic performance by working up a tear while calling her dad.
Her Dad Was Going Along With It
The mechanic stood there with her in front of all the customers, and she put her phone on speaker, giving her dad a whole sob story about needing money again and apologizing while asking for his help.
He asked her what repairs were needed and how much they would cost.
The Sham Revealed
Then she dropped the act and burst out laughing, revealing that the repairs were a sham. Her father joins in, laughing hysterically into the phone.
The customers in the waiting room are also amused, while the mechanic is embarrassed and speechless.
She Flipped the Tables
OP then hands over their air filter, which the mechanic claimed was dirty, and orders them to vacuum it out and show it to them before reinserting it.
OP watched the mechanic’s every move to ensure they don’t tamper with the car.
What Redditors Thought
One Redditor said, “He was about to scam someone out of 1,500. I wonder how many poor souls this man has scammed. That is just vile behavior, people living paycheck to paycheck these days and rely on their cars to get to work or their kids to school.”
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The post Clever Daughter and Her Dad Team Up to Outsmart Dishonest Mechanic, Getting the Last Laugh and Proving Honesty Wins! first appeared on Fistful of Dollars.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / stockfour. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit