Many vehicle owners in Nigeria are at the mercy of roadside mechanics who rip them off through repair scams. DANIEL AYANTOYE writes
A car owner, Joel Odeleye, was happy to pay a pocket friendly amount for a Nissan 2008 model car which he said an acquaintance sold at a giveaway price because it had an engine problem.
Odeleye told our correspondent that someone introduced a roadside mechanic to him who was said to be so good that he would fix the car in a few days.
He stated, “I trusted the person who introduced the mechanic to me. My initial plan was to buy another engine but the mechanic convinced me that he could perfectly fix it and that it would cost me N85,000. I negotiated the cost and he eventually agreed to N75,000. For about three months, the vehicle was with him because I was always travelling due to the nature of my job and there was no time to go to his workshop. I also expected him to call me when he completed the job as we agreed. One day, he called me that the car was ready and added that he also spent extra money on it.’’
He added that he merely ignited the engine of a client’s car for him to listen to via phone speaker and said it was that of his car.
Odeleye stated, “I was happy to hear the cool sound, thinking it was from my supposed car. I was eager to see him anytime I returned home so I sent him the balance. When I visited his workshop upon my arrival, I discovered to my chagrin that the car was still in its initial state. The sound was even worse. I was seriously not impressed and asked him why he lied to me. He only said that he repaired it but what he fixed was damaged again. At the end, I angrily took away the car in that state and till now, he had yet to refund me and I didn’t even bother to reach out to him again. Later, I bought a new engine for N150,000 and I have been using it for the past four years now without stress.’’
He further told Sunday PUNCH that despite his knowledge in cars, he was shocked to fall victim to the dubious antics of the mechanics.
Odeleye’s experience is one among several other experiences of Nigerians hoodwinked by car artisans through repairs. Many of the roadside mechanics deceive clients by passing off fake spare parts as genuine, reporting false car diagnoses to swindle car owners among other sharp practices.
Another car owner, Ifeanyi Amobi, said a mechanic presented a scrap fuel pump to him as the damaged one he removed from his car and demanded money for a new one he lied to have bought.
He said, “Unknown to me, there was nothing wrong with the fuel pump in my car. Perhaps, he worked on it, fixed whatever was wrong with it and returned it into the car. I remember taking my car to a mechanic before I got to know him. It was the first time I took the car to him. He said the car had a fuel pump problem. Immediately, I left the car at his workshop to fix it. When I returned later, he brought an auto electrician who began to fix an electrical problem affecting the car. But the auto mechanic didn’t tell me that the car no longer had a fuel pump issue.
“The fraudulent auto mechanic brought a damaged fuel pump and left it by the side of my car and told me that he bought a new one for N13,000. I was curious, but didn’t know how to approach the matter. Fortunately, while he left to briskly attend to something, the auto electrician told me that the auto mechanic didn’t change the fuel pump in my car, insisting that nothing was wrong with the car’s fuel pump. He told me that the mechanic only brought the scrap from his workshop box and left it beside my car to create the impression that he changed the fuel pump in the vehicle. I confronted him and he became angry with the electrician who was busy fixing the fault.
“The worst act from the auto mechanic was that he disconnected the tap connected to the fuel pump and left to attend to something else somewhere. The auto electrician became curious because he had earlier tightened it before he started the engine. He told me that if we had moved the car in that state, it could have gone into flames at a point. I immediately reported the matter to the police station and he was arrested. He was released later.
“Unfortunately for him, his dubious acts recently made him have a brush with the law when he sold a N2m worth of car for N250,000. The vehicle was left in his workshop by a client for many months.’’
More worrying experiences
Another motorist, Adeniyi Olaitan, said that he had lost count of the terrible experiences he suffered in the hands of roadside auto mechanics, adding that it was one he would never forget.
He stated that he took his Toyota Camry 2004 to a mechanic when he observed that there was a noise coming out from the front shock absorber.
Olaitan said, “I didn’t see the mechanic at his workshop that day but I met his apprentice. The boy removed the tyre and we saw that the shaft and tie rod were bad. So he called his boss on the phone in my presence. He briefed him and told him the faulty parts, adding that he already told me and I was ready to give him money to buy the spare parts.
“Unknown to his boss that his apprentice put the phone on speaker; he said “Make sure you inflate the prices for the spare parts. We have to make more money from the purchase before giving him our bill for work done.’’ I was shocked and for about one minute, I was blanked out and confused on whether to continue with the service or not. The boy was embarrassed as I saw in his countenance. I decided to go with the boy to buy the part which I never intended to do initially. Despite that, I know they still had their way because he kept calling his boss on the phone and they chose a particular seller who they said they were sure of his goods.’’
He stated that he didn’t want to argue with them but tried to haggle with the seller to at least reduce the prices.
He said, “But that was the last time I visited the mechanic shop.’’
Also, a motorist, Segun Odeyemi, told Sunday PUNCH that most motorists must have had nasty encounters with roadside auto mechanics.
He noted that the dubious nature of the auto artisans made him frequently change them but discovered overtime that they were not different from one another.
Odeyemi added, “The target of most of them is to maximise profit to the detriment of their clients. One is in for a long one if one’s vehicle develops fault on the road and one has to be at the mercy of an emergency auto mechanic. Some of them believe if they don’t rip one off, they cannot get enough money from the job. There was a time I was using a rover and its gasket got burnt. I called an auto mechanic. I was new to the car at the time and he immediately told me that the cost was N22,000, whereas the price was N600. I gave him the money but discovered some months later that he swindled me. There was one that charged me excess money to buy engine oil for my car. He ended up swindling me and still bought engine oil which was not meant for the vehicle. It’s that bad.’’
He further said that it could be painful when they charge so much and still do shoddy jobs which would eventually affect the vehicles’ output.
He added, “It’s one thing to scam customers and still deliver a good job. I mean if something is sold for N500 and you collected N2, 000 from me and you bought the best product. But you fleeced me and I still didn’t derive value for the money paid. Such a situation is troubling.’’
On his part, a car owner, Taiwo Arinola, stated that some of the roadside auto mechanics would make friends with one by delivering a good job only to show their true nature thereafter.
Arinola stated, “I have had many experiences with mechanics. If one is not careful, they may make one end up not using a car again. They can be funny. I once had an issue with a mechanic who I gave money to buy a fuel pump and he bought a bad one and till today he didn’t refund me. I had to get another one. There was also an instance where an auto mechanic removed a part which he said was damaged from a car. He collected money to buy a new one and still returned the old part he claimed was bad into the vehicle. What do you call such an act, lying that he had fixed a replacement?’’
He advised car owners to have some knowledge about their vehicles and be sure of what they want to fix in them and monitor whoever is handing the job.
Samson Ajifowobaje, who drives a Nissan Primera Saloon, recalled an experience when his car had a shaft problem and he bought a replacement for his auto mechanic to fix.
He noted that the mechanic rejected it on the basis that it was not the size, adding that when he took it to the seller he insisted it was the size.
Ajifowobaje said, “The mechanic insisted but the person I bought the part from insisted that he should fix it, adding that if it didn’t fit it he would collect it back. I asked the mechanic to do that and it fitted the size well. It was then that I discovered that he was aware that it was the size. But he was only trying to disturb me because I didn’t give him money to buy it himself.
“There was also a time when my car’s fuel pump had a fault. I asked the mechanic the cost for a replacement and he said N7,000. I decided to buy it myself and I eventually got it at a far lower price. Most times, when these roadside auto mechanics know they will not get money from one apart from the money for the work done, they will find a way to fleece one. At another time, I wanted to replace a part in my car. He directed me to someone to buy from and before I got there, he had called the person on the phone to sell it at a particular amount. I decided to check another store and saw that the difference was N5,000 for the same brand of the product. A friend did repair work on his car which was the same model and brand as mine for N120, 000. I did the same repair for N40,000. There are several different ways these guys scam people and I don’t think it is okay. If they want to buy parts or repair a car, they should do it with the fear of God. They should make customers want to return to them after patronising them.’’
Roadside auto mechanics react
Some roadside auto mechanics have also reacted to the allegations, accusing most of their clients of causing such harsh practices.
One of them, Muideen Oladele, advised car owners to engage the services of trusted mechanics to get value for their money.
He said, “Of course, I agree that one must eat where one works but one should not allow such an act to be to the extreme. Many customers are not finding things easy. Things are hard. But some car owners too don’t want the truth. A colleague got a car repair job recently and the money he asked for was a bit high. The customer asked when he would complete the job and he said the next day. He asked how could the job he collected such an amount of money for be concluded in such a short time. He thought the job would be poorly done whereas my colleague didn’t want to delay his car. There are also some auto mechanics who after collecting money for genuine spare parts would buy inferior ones.’’
He further said that he always advised his colleagues not to purchase second-hand parts when they collected money for new ones because a customer would not be pleased upon discovering such an act.
In the same vein, another mechanic, Salaudeen Ademola, said that some customers were also responsible for the attitude of the auto mechanics.
He gave an example that there were different types of engine oil but some car owners would insist on the cheap ones even when told the implications on their cars.
Ademola stated, “There was a customer who I worked on his car some time ago. He wanted to buy oil for his Toyota Hilux. I told him that there is a particular type specified by the manufacturers for each car. I told him the price for his vehicle but he said the price was too much and urged me to get a cheap one. There was nothing I didn’t do to convince him but he didn’t answer me. He was on his way to Abuja when the vehicle broke down. Then a mechanic along the road told him to change the oil.’’
He stated that the customer had no choice than to buy original oil, adding that some customers think that mechanics who reject car parts they bought do so because they want to make money. He said, “But it’s not so. Personally, I don’t fix any car parts bought by clients. This is because if the vehicle breaks down, the fault will be transferred to me.’’
On his part, an auto body technician, Friday John, also claimed that customers influence the behaviours of auto mechanics. He noted that some customers could buy car parts for N20, 000 and pay N1000 to a mechanic to fix it.
John said, “Some will even say they want to buy the required car parts themselves. Some can give the amount asked to buy the parts and when they are to pay the mechanic for the job done, they will say the mechanic has made enough from the money paid for parts. You see that such a customer has unknowingly encouraged the mechanic to inflate the money for parts next time.’’
Another mechanic, Muritala Olabanji, said he tried to do his best for his customers, noting that his conscience would be at rest if he didnt do what was right.
Olabanji said, “There is a reward for everything. If anyone thinks he can swindle someone and get away with it, it’s a lie. If one’s conscience condemns something, it’s good to desist from such a thing. Any customer that insists on buying car parts, it’s good if the customer and mechanic agree. But if the mechanic doesn’t want such a situation, he should allow the customer to go. For me, I don’t engage in sharp practices.’’
Experts speak
In his view on the matter, a vehicle engineer, Mobolaji Abidoye, attributed sharp practices by auto mechanics to poverty.
He identified poverty and lack of skills as two reasons responsible for such dubious practices by auto mechanics.
Abidoye added, “These people are trained. One cannot deny the quality training they got. We need them but if there is a way to improve their skills, their thinking will improve. If they do things right for clients, there will be overall improvement in the value chain. It means that they have done things right and the vehicles will run longer. Perhaps, their thinking is that if the cars don’t have faults for a long time after the repair works, who will patronise them again. The third reason is the thought process and orientation of both the customers who are the end users and the mechanics.
“As a customer, when your mechanic tells you to use a lubricant grade of 0W20 especially for your car engine; we call it spark ignition which are petrol engines, what do you say? I have seen clients who are high net worth individuals, senior men and women in their organisation who earn millions of naira. One will advise them on the best thing to do even as a professional, they will tell you, “No, my car engine doesn’t need that.’’
“I once explained to a client that what is written on the engine oil lubricant states, ‘5W30’ and that the number means testing ranges. Basically, the 5 means testing at cold starting or winter range and it means the flow rate. When it’s tested in the cold setting and W means winter, and the number on the right, which can be 30, 20 or 50 etc actually means testing in a hot weather or hot conditions. The higher and lower number means a whole lot and the price is also different because if you to buy one rated 0W20 and SHP rated at 20W50, you know the difference will be close to N10,000 or N15,000 for 4 litres.’’
According to him, the solution to the issue is to have more people offering quality services in the value chain.
He stated, “It’s not easy but I believe people should know that honour is better than cash. If there are more people in the value chain, offering genuine services, then the world will be a better place. Customers have to be re-oriented too. And then the final one, I think the government also have to help in many ways by providing financing to buy new vehicles because even people who want to get brand new cars end up buying used cars.’’
Also, a car spare parts manager, Roland Edwin, urged car owners to patronise reputable auto mechanics and avoid quacks.
He said, “There are sharp practices in the auto industry but it’s advisable that car owners take their vehicles to reputable workshops. It’s a fact that people prefer to patronise roadside auto mechanics because the prices reputable workshops charge are higher than roadside mechanics. The economy and purchasing power are also contributors to the development. That is why car owners see roadside auto mechanics as an alternative.’’
He also advised Nigerians to research more on their vehicle brands to know every symptom and seek professional advice.
“As you take your cars to roadside auto mechanics for repair works, there are two things you can do: insist on the kind of parts you want or buy the parts and give the mechanic to fix,’’ he noted.
He added that there was no way to totally eliminate the sharp practices among mechanics, noting that car owners could also explore the option of using trusted mechanics through referrals.
Edwin added, “If you have a friend that has a good and trusted auto mechanic, your friend can recommend the person based on relationship because he or she will not recommend someone who is not capable and untrustworthy. Apart from that, there is no way we can eliminate the sharp practices. People will keep patronising them as the economy bites harder and the fraudulent ones among them will keep defrauding customers who don’t know anything about their cars.’’
In his contribution, National President, Nigeria Automobile Technician Association, Muhammad Sani, advised car owners to desist from patronising quacks.
He said, “Most of the people who perpetrate these acts are not our members. As far as the association is concerned, we are calling on car owners to ensure that they patronise registered members of the association. Also, they should ensure they have a specific mechanic who will be handling their vehicles.
“Most of these car owners have their own problems. They don’t have standard mechanics. They just use any mechanic whenever their cars are faulty. Someone who handles your car regularly will not treat you dubiously and if such person does, no matter how hard he tries to cover up, the truth will be revealed.’’
Sani further said car owners should contact their mechanics if their cars developed faults on the road, adding that such mechanics would refer them to someone closer to where they were since the association’s members spread across states in the country.
He stated that members of the association were trustworthy professionals counselled on the need to be honest to customers always.
Besides, NATA Chairman, Rivers State chapter, Mr Tusiima Christopher, enjoined car owners to report anyone caught in the dubious act.
He said, “You know that in every organisation, there are still bad eggs and one thing I found out about most of those people is that they are not registered members. Most of them are roadside mechanics that don’t want to belong to the organisation because in our group there is discipline. Anyone found engaging in dubious acts should be reported to us immediately.’’
Christopher stated that the group had laws guiding members’ conducts with punishment for every infraction.
