Has this happened to you?

[dom101]

I pulled in to get gas, once in New Mexico and once in Utah. As I was filling up two guys come up and tell me that I have a flat spot on my tire and should have it looked at. First guy says that tires must be out of align and I could bring it over to his shop (located on the same property) and he would check it out for me. I politely declined, made up a story that it wasn't my motor home and I would let owner know when I got home. Second time two guys, same story about alignment , when I said ya it should be ok now, as I just got it aligned . Then his buddy looks underneath and says, hey you've got a broken shock. Again I declined. Only has 20,000 miles

[suprz]

First long trip with our rv, it was in New Mexico the guy tried the " something's wrong with your tire " .. I said "really? That sucks" and just ignored him. He just looked perplexed and walked away. Second time I saw a guy kind of hanging around, well the guy came around from the side of the rv, and I jumped back and said, " ****! Don't sneak up on folks! You almost got shot" he just backed away... Lol

[azrving]

As a kid and having a go cart and understanding that it had oil in it, I remember my Dad leaving a gas station by lake tahoe in our 67 Mercury colony park station. As he climbed a grade he noticed smoke so he pulled into the next place. Yep they had sold him a qt of oil he didn't need and overfilled. I remember that he started checking it himself. I also worked a whole career with guy whos father always said "People are no ---- good. We we're remind so many times.

[Groover]

Airdaile wrote:

dom101 wrote:
I felt like telling them, I was born on a Wednesday but not last Wednesday

I have a similar one - I was born at night, but not last night.

BTW this is old news. Here's an article from 2015

Atricle

I had a gas station attendant on the Ohio Tpke "check under the hood" back in the 70s when someone still pumped your gas. He came back with the fanbelt in his hand (neatly sliced) and said it broke when he was testing the tension. I grabbed the "broken" belt and said "no problem" and proceeded to unload the trunk to get at my tools and the spare belt. Right there at the pumps.

The manager came out screaming that I couldn't tie up his pumps to work on my car and I asked him to call the state police. I said that I would show the cops the "broken" fan belt when they got there and have the attendant arrested for destruction of property. Things quieted down after that.

My father ran a station in the early 60's and complained that most of the help that he hired seemed to think that was expected of them, along with a host of other schemes.

[ArchHoagland]

mkcurran wrote:

ArchHoagland wrote:
Had that happen in Needles California while getting gas on the east side of town. The guy at the station said he noticed a problem with my front tire.

I had just read of that scam a couple months before going through there so I knew what was going on.

Well your first Mistake was stopping for Fuel in Needles....
I've driven through Needles many, many times. We never stopped after the first time.

It was the first and last for buying gas.

We do stay in Needles at the Elks lodge. They have 10 full hookup sites. We also stay at the KOA west of town.

[mkcurran]

ArchHoagland wrote:
Had that happen in Needles California while getting gas on the east side of town. The guy at the station said he noticed a problem with my front tire.

I had just read of that scam a couple months before going through there so I knew what was going on.

Well your first Mistake was stopping for Fuel in Needles....
I've driven through Needles many, many times. We never stopped after the first time.

[AikenRacer]

Another reason for a CWP....

[ncrowley]

I had it happen to me in Beaver, UT in my car. It was a fuel stop on the east side of the highway with a tire shop attached. A guy came by and told me one of my rear tires was going flat. He said there was free air on the side of the building. When I got there to check things out, there was a guy waiting to check my pressure for me. He said it was very low. I started getting a weird vibe. There was no alert in the instrument panel. He said he would fill it. Then, he just went a few secs and said - oh, he overfilled it. That was too fast to be overfilled. Then he said he could get me a good deal on a tire and got me a price. I was not feeling right so I went on my way. There was nothing wrong with that tire.

[MarkieBob]

Mine happened at a car wash. Guy saw larger chip in windshield said I should get it fixed soon as it will spread.. I had had it fixed before this. it's been 10 years later--chip hasn't spread--of course

[down_home]

ArchHoagland wrote:
Had that happen in Needles California while getting gas on the east side of town. The guy at the station said he noticed a problem with my front tire.

I had just read of that scam a couple months before going through there so I knew what was going on.

That Needles California Station has been doing this since the eighties, I think. unbelieveable.
In 95 we went to Neice's graduation in Kingman and drove to Needles just to see this station. New 95 Thunderbird. He tired the tire game on us.
hat a mooooron. A shell Station I think.

[down_home]

garry1p wrote:
I have not hard of this one lately.

You stop for gas and spouse and kids go inside while dad pumps gas. Door on the RV is on the other side bad guy goes inside to find anything he can grab and run.

Anytime everyone gets out of the RV the door should be locked.

I think it was in SC when the guy pumping gas left the pump running while he ran around to get something and found a guy inside the guy said "Such a pretty RV I just had to look inside".

This is why I fill from the right side, while the wife goes in with credit card or something to eat or whatever.

[ferndaleflyer]

years ago wife went to FT Bragg NC to visit friend and got a "leaking transmission" scam pulled on her. So to not bother me she agrees to let them take a look----they removed the transmission in our 2 year old Mercedes SL and told her some crazy price to fix it. Time to bother me. I told them to put the trans in the trunk, push it out side, and I sent a roll back from Baltimore and picked it up. We put the trans back in and as far as I know it never did give us or later owner any trans problem. 16 year old daughter going to Columbus, Ohio to horse show. Stops our brand new F-350 pulling the horse trailer and gets the leaking trans scam pulled on her. Told them no thanks and the truck sits here now with over 100k on it and never any trans problems.....wake up America

[kirbymurphy]

Either:
No thanks, it's a rental

or if needed:
Get the F*** out of my face

[Airdaile]

azrving wrote:

doc brown wrote:
No. I don’t think think it would happen to me, I open carry at fuel stops and rest areas.

Heck yeah, it's got to be great traveling when you get out of state

Utah is open carry and this is all happening in Utah. I guess it's not as big a deterrent as some think.

[Tvov]

wa8yxm wrote:
....

Another magazine (Popular Electronics) did the same thing with TV repair shops by the way.

....

TV repair shop! Haven't seen one of those for a long, long time.

Anytime someone walks up to your vehicle and says somethings wrong... and just so happens to have a shop next door to fix it, I would just assume scam.

I had one of those "panhandlers" (growing up, my Dad called them BUMS... I don't think that is politically correct these days!) come up to me at the highway rest stop that happens to be in my town, saying he needed $15 to get his keys back from the local police. I started asking him questions about what happened, and he ended up walking away. I am a volunteer firefighter so I know the local police and everything about this guy was scammy.

Funny thing, about 10 miles and multiple towns down the road I saw him at the next rest stop doing the same thing! He saw me and walked in the opposite direction.

This "fake" begging is so common, I find it hard to agree with people who say "Yea, but what about the people who really need help?"... I guess they are out there on the street corners somewhere, but I haven't seen them. The people I've heard of who really needed help were at shelters or churches actually getting help, NOT begging on the streets!