Why do people rip us off?

[soundofmusic]

Why do people rip us off?
Today my car broke down, I called a friend to pick me up and he called another friend, a mechanic who always fixes his car, to work on mine.
Trusting my friend and his choice of friends, I gave the man my keys. When I didn't hear from him some 6 hours later, I called; he said, "Oh, you have a lot of problems with this car". I asked like what? He said, "What is wrong with this car...well, what is wrong with this car is just about everything" I asked if he could fix it to drive it to my house; because it couldn't stay in front of the grocery store. He said, Oh, I already drove it to my house. He then told me that he wanted to keep the car for 2 days to change a number of things that I knew to not be a problem with the car.

I told my friend and he got the fellow to return the car; but seemed embarrassed; the thing is, if the fellow had been straight with me, I would have gladly let him fix the real problems with my car and paid him well...

So why did he cheat me?
Do you get your feelings hurt when people cheat you; because I do!

[Maximilianus]

This particular type of people operate on the belief that cheating their clients will give them more profit. They don't realize that, eventually, most of their possible clients will find out how crooked they are. They don't realize they lose more than they gain, because in the end, most of what they gain is the fame of being dishonest. One day everybody will point at them saying "see that fellow there? Don't you ever let him lay his hands on your car".

Who seemed embarrassed, the friend or the fellow? If it was the friend, it's not necessarily his fault. He was trying to help you through another friend, but we can't know how dishonest our friends are in their trade... until we find out :frown2:

I would send you with a good mechanic I know... pity he's in my hometown and not in yours :p However, I wish you the best of lucks with the car fix :thumbsup:

[dafydd manton]

I think the main reason is greed! And do we get upset and feel hurt? Too right! Anybody being dishonest in any way hurts, but they either don't realise, or don't care.
Sad, isn't it!

[Scheherazade]

Why do people rip us off? Simply because they can.

You don't have a rescue cover, Sound?

[ClaesGefvenberg]

Simply because they can.Exactly... That, and the fact that they so often get away with it.

/Claes

[LitNetIsGreat]

Sorry to hear about that hope you get it sorted.

Yes there are some people around who will do anything for a quick cash, though surely as was said these people will be found out in the end. Even the most ruthless of businessmen know that the way you treat people will eventually come back in a positive or negative light and that short-term profits done in the wrong way will be harmful in the future.

On top of that I suppose it comes down to human nature. Personally, I would never rip anybody off if I was in that situation simply because, for me, it would feel wrong to do so and I think the majority of people will feel like that. However there are a lot of selfish people out there unfortunately, who are best avoided if possible.

[Maximilianus]

You don't have a rescue cover, Sound?
Curiosity: would it be the same as a breakdown cover (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Breakdown_cover)?

[soundofmusic]

This particular type of people operate on the belief that cheating their clients will give them more profit. They don't realize that, eventually, most of their possible clients will find out how crooked they are. They don't realize they lose more than they gain, because in the end, most of what they gain is the fame of being dishonest. One day everybody will point at them saying "see that fellow there? Don't you ever let him lay his hands on your car".

Who seemed embarrassed, the friend or the fellow? If it was the friend, it's not necessarily his fault. He was trying to help you through another friend, but we can't know how dishonest our friends are in their trade... until we find out :frown2:

I would send you with a good mechanic I know... pity he's in my hometown and not in yours :p However, I wish you the best of lucks with the car fix :thumbsup:

Thank you, Max. I should have known something was up when this fellow looked at me like a stuffed goose at Christmas dinner.
After the man brought me back my car, he asked me to drop him at his house...and then, "Oh no, I meant somewhere else...I sometimes forget where I live" I dropped him by a warehouse with a group of big fellows that looked like a motor cycle gang and one fellow that said, "Do you got the money"....


I think the main reason is greed! And do we get upset and feel hurt? Too right! Anybody being dishonest in any way hurts, but they either don't realise, or don't care.
Sad, isn't it!

It is an odd thing; after this happened the friend who had helped me that day and I got into a conversation; he claims that people can only be honest if they are afraid of some punishment on earth or in the afterlife. I said, "I think we do the right thing because most of us, hopefully, are basically good and care for our fellow man"


Simply because they can.

You don't have a rescue cover, Sound?

I really should Scher, I don't know why I have been putting this off; the car is 10 years old. I used to trade the cars in earlier and keep maintenance coverage with towing from the dealer; but I kept putting off triple A or ARP after the maintenance coverage stopped.


Exactly... That, and the fact that they so often get away with it.

/Claes

It amazes me how many people do not notice when they are being scamed. This neighbors car breaks down on a regular basis, one time right after the mechanic left; but my neighbor continues to think it is just fate. Of course, my neighbor also believes the reality shows where the 600 pound people roll a vast ball up a mountain in the sun...I keep trying to tell him that even at my weight; 30 minutes of walking on my tredmill in the a/c half kills me (he claims it wouldn't if someone offered me 100,000 dollars)


Sorry to hear about that hope you get it sorted.

Yes there are some people around who will do anything for a quick cash, though surely as was said these people will be found out in the end. Even the most ruthless of businessmen know that the way you treat people will eventually come back in a positive or negative light and that short-term profits done in the wrong way will be harmful in the future.

On top of that I suppose it comes down to human nature. Personally, I would never rip anybody off if I was in that situation simply because, for me, it would feel wrong to do so and I think the majority of people will feel like that. However there are a lot of selfish people out there unfortunately, who are best avoided if possible.

Thank you, Neely, Yes, I brought my car the following day to a mechanic shop I have used for 30 years. The mans son looked for the best deal on parts, checked everything to make sure the fellow didn't do anything wrong, and now the car runs like new...thank goodness for honest people.


Curiosity: would it be the same as a breakdown cover (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Breakdown_cover)?

Yes, the policies in the states cost about 50 to 100 dollars a year. For this, the person gets 1 to 3 free occurences where a tow truck will come out, put in gas, change a tire, or tow the car. In some cases, there is a very minimal charge.

Thank you everyone for your concern:ladysman: