Fix Your Car Dent Scam?

[Sue]

Twice now in the past month I’ve been approached on the street in front of my apartment (while getting in or out of my car) by someone driving by who stops their car and points out the dent in the side of my car and how he can fix it for me. Whether it was legit or not, I’m totally not interested as it’s a 13 year old car and I just don’t care if it doesn’t affect performance. They are not pushy once I say no, and they drive off. I’ve heard of this scam in parking lots, but is this a thing now to approach people while driving down the street? It was not the same person twice, although both times it was a hispanic man in his 30s or so, driving with a woman around the same age in the car. I’m guessing the woman is supposed to make him look more “legit” and like a family man, not a scammer. I live near the Alaska Junction. Is this happening to anyone else?

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[JanS]

happened to me in Safeway’s upper parking lot…also hispanic, but 2 men in the car..

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[fatkitty]

I think there is a scam going on. My friend’s husband was taken last summer for something very similiar. Their minivan had a dent in it and he was at Safeway in Admiral and someone came up to them and offered to fix it. My friends husband felt so bad for this person because he needed money that he agreed to have him come to their house and fix it. Well, after working on it and taking money (can’t remember how much, $500???) the guy said he was done and left. Turned out that it wasn’t fixed and looked worse than before! I don’t know if this is the same person or not. This happened last summer but it did happen at Admiral Safeway.

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[seattlesparkle]

This happened to me, while I was in Westwood Village. It was after dark (around 5pm in November), I was returning to my car, when two men approached me to say they could fix my dent for $200. They were very intimidating, and after telling them ‘no’ several times, I said okay, then went into the store to ask the store clerk to call security. She told me to call the police. I called my husband instead. My husband came and told the men that we were not going to pay, and would call the police. They then left, after arguing that they fixed the dent with my permission, and that we owed them $200. The dent was not fixed, although they appeared to work on it for 10 minutes. There were two males, who were very persistent, even following me into the store, and waiting by the front door, demanding to be paid.

FYI, please be warned, that even though they have the tools to fix the car, they can be very intimidating, and won’t take no for an answer. When I told them I did not have the money, they said they would take my credit card. Really, bold, eh??

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