Mechanic Changed Tyre During Roadworthy Check and Threatened to Hit Parents

Lnxllson on 09/02/2017 - 17:06
Last edited 12/02/2017 - 01:26 by 1 other user

—INITIAL POST—CAN BE SKIPPED COMPLETELY AND GO TO THE UPDATE FURTHER DOWN—
Hi, my parents recently went out to a mechanic shop for a roadworthy check.

We sent our Toyota Aurion AT-X out for a roadworthy check in preparation to selling it to a customer and went to collect it. Upon inspecting the car, they (parents) found that the tires had been changed to a much older tire and did not look like the one we had before the royalty check. I just went out to check it myself and saw that all 4 tires had been replaced with an old tyre (possibly from a friend of theirs). If any advice could be given on this it would be great. We went home aborting the roadworthy check since they did us a bad deed.

They decided to go get their colleagues out and have an argument with parents, luckily they were both there so they would not have the guts to start attacking my parents. They went to the back and got long sticks (possibly to beat my parents) but they did not go further.

The tires: (if you look closely the tread is terribly worn out and our car has only clocked 30,000KMs.
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/100896/46382/img_3078.…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/100896/46383/img_3077.…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/100896/46384/img_3076.…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/100896/46385/img_3075.…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/100896/46386/img_3074.…

—-UPDATE 12/02/2017—-
Hi guys, This is ItzMilzy's brother - I wanted to post here to clear up as much doubt or main questions as possible. The above is a recount by my young teenage brother upon hearing this from my parents. Below is my input after speaking to them and having a look at the car earlier today. I feel some comments I made using iCollected has been ambiguous (haven't looked at the car myself and only going by what my brother told me) and some comments may have been taken the wrong way, so hopefully the following clears them. Note that the above and the below recounts will vary as I'm leaving the above unedited so that comments in this thread make sense.

TOPIC: parents allege mechanics changed their car tyres-

My parents have upgraded their car. Their 2013' Aurion is to be sold to their friends. It has had a 60km service (30km use) on 17th January 2017. Never had a problem, tyres have not been changed since purchase.

SEE SERVICE REPORT: http://i.imgur.com/sJxaDXe.jpg
Date of service, km of use and relevant checks highlighted.

Some background; my parents are gentle cheery Asians. Dad looks after his things, he hand washes his car weekly, sometimes twice, he finishes with wax and he sprays the tyres so they're shiny; he knows what they look like. Mum drives 5km below the speed limit (kudos to TAC wipe-off-5 ad campaign), dad doesn't like freeways, "they're too fast" for him. They don't drift or do burn outs.

They took it to a mechanic for a roadworthy inspection a few days ago and were informed, 4hrs after leaving the car there, that their tyres needed to be changed - they are happy with that, though did wonder why the Toyota dealership didn't pick that up. Upon arrival dad noticed the tyres are extremely dirty- he washed it just the day before- and on closer look was adamant they are not his. He was not aggressive, so he claims. "He was almost in tears actually, feeling a bit helpless", recounts mum. Dad only asked them to please just change his tyres back and they'll be on their way. Understandably the mechanics were extremely angry and it escalated from a plea from dad, to the presumed owner asking one of his worker to go fetch him a metal bar to "do" them in. Dad and mum backed out of the area onto the front of the shop so that other businesses can witness if something was to happen. The owner threw him his keys and told them to piss off.

When they got home they told my brother about what happened and my brother went to the car to have a look. He googled some things about tyres and found that the manufacturing dates for recent tyres can be found as a four digit number; the first two, the week and the last, the year. One tyre was 1615; week 16, 2015.
see picture: https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/100896/46387/img_3079.…
1st apology for confusion found later in thread; when looking at the numbers 1413, 1113 etc some where upside down and my brother didn't flip it when he reported to me hence some of my comments mentioned 2011 and 2014 years. The other three tyres are 2013 but much more worn than dad recalls. regardless, even a single 2015 tyre can not be present in a 2013 car.

I called up Toyota dealership to clarify some things:
1. Tyres can have different manufacturing years as stock (goes to a warehouse and fitted on later).
2. However, it can't possibly be a 2015 tyre on a 2013 purchase.
History
1. Our tyres have never been replaced and they currently have 2013, 2013, 2013, 2015 year stamps on them.
2. It has been changed somewhere along the line.
3. The car has only EVER been serviced at a Toyota dealership and a roadworthy check with these mechanics.

2nd apology; I mentioned us buying 350k worth of cars only to stress how little $1k car tyre change means to my parents, I apologise if this insulted anyone (comment received a fair number of negs). There was a good comment re; calling lawyers to deal with it, why come to OZbargain if we were so well-off. My parents as well as myself never had the intention of posting this on ozbargain. My teenage brother was sitting at the police station waiting to file a report and decided to post on ozbargain because he was bored and angry. I was just trying to clarify all his inconsistencies to the community. Yes, I have consulted my lawyer. Yes we have filed a police report. I also learned a lesson that comments regarding high value purchases or income should be avoided on ozbargain.

In summary, we don't have proof. We just have probable cause; dad's memory, the time-travelling tyre from 2015 on a 2013 car and the inconsistent reports of the dealership-service a few weeks ago and the tyres found upon the roadworthy inspection.

The biggest thing about all this is the shock my parents had. They trust the local community they've lived in for over 2 decades more than anything. They trust the legal system and its ability to curb harmful practices. I guess they just feel let down and defenceless when they needed it.

Thank you all for your comments regarding this. There is not much further we can do. We hope this serves as a notice to whoever reads this to be vigilant. Maybe taking photos of the car's general condition when dropping off your cars at the mechanics can help deter any malicious intents.

P.S. for those interested in the police's comments: they can't do anything regarding the alleged tyre swaps. They can't do anything re; physical threats. If you are physically hurt, They will then be able to visit and speak with the accused; however, no charges are generally laid due to lack of evidence without a witness.
Which I guess are all fair comments.

Poll Options

  • 281
    Report to the Police
  • 13
    Go to the Consumer Affairs Victoria
  • 19
    Do nothing
Automotive

Comments

  • 87percent on 12/02/2017 - 08:42

    if the road worthy passes, I'm 85% sure most people wouldn't even look at the tires

  • ronnknee on 12/02/2017 - 10:28
    +2

    Thank you OP's brother for the update. The situation is much clearer. I feel bad for you and your parents. I don't know what can be done if the police don't care.

  • [Deactivated] on 12/02/2017 - 12:34

    what nationality was the mechanic out of curiosity?

  • supnigs super skids on 12/02/2017 - 12:38
    +5

    Yeah convinced now its a dodgy garage. Thanks for the update

    • pinchies on 13/02/2017 - 21:49

      Now it sounds ACA worthy…

  • IMadeYouReadThis on 12/02/2017 - 13:48

    Feel sorry for you OP but there is nothing that you can do as you don't have Pre pictures. Not same but something similar happened to me when I took my 2 months old black car to an auto car wash. When I got home, I noticed a big scratch from driver seat to rear and knew immediately that it was done at auto car wash.

    Raised it with the car wash company (Caltex if you are keen to know) and they said sorry - unless you have pictures of how your car looked like prior to you entering the car wash area, we don't believe you as we have had more than 80 car wash done on that day without any complain.

  • baz3189 on 12/02/2017 - 13:56

    A lot of dodgy mechanics out there so wouldn't surprise me at all if OPs story is true. So many out there are in it to make a quick buck. Had one tell me that my brake pads were needing to be replaced despite the fact that only 3 months earlier I replaced them and know for certain they are in very good shape. They got very defensive when I called them out on it.

    Point is, if they think you aren't very car savvy many will try and make as much money out of you as possible. Not all, but a lot.

  • Winterbear on 12/02/2017 - 14:26

    Primacy 3 tyre wear life is usually very short 30k is about right. It is comfort and quiet tyre but short life.

  • sky blu on 12/02/2017 - 14:55
    -8

    Until I hear the story from the other side I'd give you the benefit of the doubt.

    One thing that mystifies me is that your Dad left the car there for 4 hours, just for a roadworthy assessment? From the way you described him (hand wash car regularly, wax, spray tyre shine), typically one with that habit does not like to leave their car longer than the necessary time it should take. Besides, your Dad (family) bought 350k of cars, surely he should know how long it takes to get a RWC?

    I hope it wasn't some shifty move from your Dad because Asians usually go for shops that are either through their acquaintances, or friends' recommendations. Since your family is allegedly well off (350k worth of cars), just put this down as an experience, have the tyres replaced if necessary to faciliate the sale of the vehicle. The cost would be negligible compared to what your folks would have been through had they been physically hurt.

    Personally if it were my case and some dodgy place did that to my parents with such injustice, they'd better pray they have night cameras. I remember 15 years ago, my brother bought his first car 🚗. We didn't know much about cars and trust the good in people. Turned out the car had some major mechanical problems just a couple days later. Went back to the private seller and asked why didn't you tell us and if he could contribute to the repair cost. Gave excuse we didn't check properly and basically wanted us to p*** off. Okay. Fast forward to one stormy night, all the front windows of his house just shattered, possibly resulted from bad weather.

    Oh and we are gentle Asians.

    • supnigs super skids on 12/02/2017 - 15:12
      +4

      That's actually quite a silly thing to write here. Almost boasting about a crime you committed. It's tracible you know just like how op showed where he lived

      • sky blu on 12/02/2017 - 15:15
        +2

        Where's the crime, apart from your deduction? 😊

    • PJC on 12/02/2017 - 16:32
      +1

      As the saying goes, it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good.

    • esty on 13/02/2017 - 16:23
      +4

      You're joking right?
      You buying a faulty car from a private seller is no ones fault, but your own.

      Yes i understand what he did was immoral,but its your job to ensure you're making the right purchase.

    • stonkered on 14/02/2017 - 17:11

      Woah, watch out for this guy everybody.

  • smpantsonfire on 12/02/2017 - 15:40
    +5

    Is this the new Google docs? Changes everytime I visit.

  • Amour on 12/02/2017 - 15:44

    I would lodge a complaint with Consumer Affairs/Fair Trading for your state. Even if nothing comes of it, there will be a record of the complaint and might help someone down the track if they regularly undertake shonky behaviour.

    I haven't had great experiences with those that deal with cars. When I was a very poor first year apprentice I had some panel damage that needed fixing (accident not my fault). I filled my car with fuel, stuck the receipt in the glovebox and reset the trip meter just before dropping it to get fixed. When I got it back the fuel light was flashing and there was a few hundred klm's on the trip meter. It might not seem like much now, but at the time filling my tank with fuel took a good chunk of my meagre salary.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 12/02/2017 - 20:37
    +6

    Still waiting for a pic of the spare…

  • Findo on 12/02/2017 - 22:21

    Thanks for making my night, OP! Sounds too far fetched to be true, but an entertaining story nonetheless.

  • DiscoJango on 12/02/2017 - 22:42
    +3

    this is why you find a good mechanic and stick with him, even if he is a 1 hour drive away

    • humdingaling on 13/02/2017 - 12:47

      just like GP, dentist as well

      only problem is when they retire and the you have to go on the hunt again

      Good help is so hard to find these days….

  • captobvious on 12/02/2017 - 23:55
    -1

    When i was a kid I was doing burn outs in daddys new car. I think you guys are just trying to pass the blame cause your parents just clued on.
    Naughty!

  • Zanadar on 13/02/2017 - 11:44

    Why are the children dealing with this, for example why is the young teenage son going to the police station to file a report?
    Is there a language barrier here?

    • ihbh on 13/02/2017 - 12:02

      From a small subset of what I've seen, some Asian immigrants (and probably other ethnic immigrants) who might have been here for 30 or so years, don't make an effort to speak English much and have the children translate for them and do the English comms when necessary, such as in this instance.

      • LittleKatie on 13/02/2017 - 22:17
        -1

        They could be hiding an illegal immigrant or not paying tax.

  • megaclix on 13/02/2017 - 15:47

    Could the mix-up have been at Toyota in the past?

    For example, the car is being serviced, all 4 wheels off, along with another 15 Aurions at the same time. I can see that happening.

    Edit: Nevermind, I just read the part about the tyres being cleaned the day before.

    • bdl on 13/02/2017 - 20:16
      +1

      Toyota have sold more than 14 Aurions? :)

    • BartholemewH on 13/02/2017 - 23:25

      Correction, tyres were cleaned and tyre stamps recorded the day before ;)

  • esty on 13/02/2017 - 16:18

    Hey Bud,

    Long time car enthusiast and have worked in automotive trade for a few years in my younger days.

    Seems implausible what you are suggesting. Judging from the photos, your parents car has factory alloys. Which would mean the mechanic would have to;

    1) remove your tyres from the alloys (they charge 25 dollars this)
    2) put the old tyres back on you alloys (another 5-10 bucks)

    multiply this by 4 = $120~

    not really worth their while…

    But then ive seen people go to long lenghts for a quick buck.

    Just my thoughts…

    • zhenjie on 13/02/2017 - 20:46
      +1

      You're assuming retail prices. It's his own labour so would certainly be a viable scam

      • sky blu on 13/02/2017 - 22:17
        +8

        Viable scam but an implausible story in this case. Remember the following notes:

        • The car is serviced (assumed regularly) at a Toyota dealer.
        • The father looks after the car on a regular basis (hand-wash at least once a week, wax, tyre shine etc.).
        • The car was brought into the auto shop in question with the sole intention of performing a roadworthy assessment.
        • The family has had vehicle transactions worth 350k in the past 2 years, it is safe to assume the father is well aware of how long a roadworthy assessment takes.

        Think about it, if the auto shop is requested to perform only a RWC, do you think the shop owner, or the supposedly shady staff, had enough time to:

        • Assess the condition of brought-in tyres (with 30,000KM wear, newly washed and sprayed tyre shine); and
        • Decide to swap to allegedly inferior tyres, although other commenters have pointed out from the photos, that the swapped tyres have similar wear to a 30,000KM clocked tyres.
        • To physically perform the above:
          • Jack car, remove 4 wheels
          • "Good" tyres removed from alloys
          • "Bad" tyres put back on alloys
          • Put 4 wheels back on car

        Now, remember that:

        We went home aborting the roadworthy check since they did us a bad deed.

        So the ordered service was neglected the whole time! Everyone in the auto shop was busy performing this daylight robbery. Remind me what a RWC actually entails and how long does one typically take again?

        I think we haven't had all the facts of what actually transpired. Without them, we can't pass any judgment on the business.

        • spackbace on 14/02/2017 - 00:19
          +3

          Now that's too much common-sense!

  • burningrage on 13/02/2017 - 19:31
    +1

    This comment…

    P.S. for those interested in the police's comments: they can't do anything regarding the alleged tyre swaps. They can't do anything re; physical threats. If you are physically hurt, They will then be able to visit and speak with the accused; however, no charges are generally laid due to lack of evidence without a witness.
    Which I guess are all fair comments.

    is really disturbing…. people have to arm themselves these days if police is not going to lay charges even though you are hurt.

    • spackbace on 14/02/2017 - 00:22

      It's a "he said she said" situation. Either side could be lying, how can the cops charge anyone?

      • aa1320 on 14/02/2017 - 19:06
        +1

        That doesn't make sense at all.
        When you call a the police for something (e.g: suspicious people), at least they would send patrol and have a look.
        Shouldn't the police at least get some sort of understanding rather than say they could not do anything about it?
        This just show how lazy and hopeless our police are.

        • spackbace on 14/02/2017 - 19:09
          +1

          When you call a the police for something

          Which the parents didn't do… and instead left the scene. Either because the story is fabricated, or they wanted to get out of there.

          Shouldn't the police at least get some sort of understanding rather than say they could not do anything about it?
          This just show how lazy and hopeless our police are.

          Given the number of holes in the story, and the way the story keeps changing, I highly doubt this is the fault of inept police, and fingers shouldn't be pointed at them for anything in this fanciful story.

        • hell0 on 14/02/2017 - 21:53

          @Spackbace:

          I take it you were the police officer it was reported to…

        • spackbace on 14/02/2017 - 21:55
          +2

          @hell0:

          Yes, despite being in a different state, and previously showing my associations, it was me…

        • hell0 on 14/02/2017 - 22:42

          @Spackbace:

          Can the member come in again to you to make the report? Possibly after your holidays even?

  • mreddie on 13/02/2017 - 21:18
    -4

    Send us the location and name of the garage and we can hit their google business page like a MF

    • spackbace on 14/02/2017 - 00:20
      +4

      Lookout, we got a bad ass over here!

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 14/02/2017 - 07:20
    +4

    Stilllllll waiting for a pic of the spare…don't let us down OPs

    I like how the story goes argument, becomes long stick, becomes metal bar… When OP gives up and posts on Whirlpool Im pretty sure the story will have changed to a bazooka.

  • bricabrac89 on 14/02/2017 - 12:58
    +1

    Probably trying to scam the mechanic out of a set of new tyres, rather than the other way around.

    • montorola on 14/02/2017 - 15:34

      New set of tyres, full tank of fuel, car and boot mats too! LOL

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