Travelers beware a nasty con!!! (1 Viewer)

Jan 5, 2014
198
840
tetbury
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29,579
MH
AutoTrail Expedition
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Long time
We are at the moment traveling in the Bulcans and have been walking in the Rila Mountains south of Sofia, really good few days and brilliant weather! The 7 Lakes walk was particularly good although very popular and the last weekend of the season so I think most of Sofia seemed to have been out,!!
We moved up to the north side of the range to the ski resort of Borovets with the intention of doing the highest peak the next day, only to find the lift to the start of the day walk would not be running again until the following weekend and then that was it for the summer season . So too late to do the walk, but we took the lift up to see what we were missing anyway - ski area looked quite good, but it would have been a long not so beautiful walk after the 7 Lakes!
Next day not feeling so well, so stayed another night in a lower lift carpark just outside of the town. Only one in it most of the night. In the morning come time to move on the camper wouldn't start!! No starter, no solenoid, all indications good, up with the bonnet no clue about anything! A car leaving the park stopped and asked if I had a problem, to which I told him the starter would not work. He then said his brother was an auto electrical guy and could have a look at it for me, would only take him 10 minutes to get there, so okay! Bloke arrived in shiny black Merc with all the laptop stuff to plug in. While he was doing all this, I phoned my breakdown number in UK (AA!) and they agreed that as I already had someone there l might as well go with them. By this time the guy told me it was the ECU which he had out and I needed a new one or he could repair mine for half the price with a years guarantee! That would be 850Lev or 1650Lev!! Now here the alarm begins to clang!!
When he returned half an hour later with the fixed ECU refitted and crawling around the front while I was kept occupied by the other bloke, all was declared fixed and that would be €850 - twice as much! That was a no way was he getting that, and it was 850LEV WHICH WAS STILL £400!!! By this time the other guy had gone but he was still talking to him on the phone, and he took my money and gave me a receipt. He then left and I started to wonder what the hell had just happened!
So what did happen?
The night before, around 9 in the evening a car parked close to the front of the van at 45 Deg with its engine running for about 10 minutes, someone got out of it, and the lights were left on, thought they were probably doing the usual carpark toilet stuff but could not understand why they had come so close. Also we had felt a couple of movements against the van which we both felt were strange. Did have a look out of the window but could not see anything except headlights, and it was very dark out there!
So back to the next day, if you are still with me on this, I was by this time very wound up and nothing seemed right, started to work out what had happened. The night before someone had gone under the engine and cut the lead to the starter solenoid. In the morning someone sat in a car the other end of the empty carpark and waited for us to try to start then coming rapidly to our assistance..
They had twisted the solenoid wire back together when they put the ECU back in, not easy to get at or see.
I have managed to do a battle damage repair to the joint in the cable, hopefully it will get us home.
The blokes were Serbian. The cars they were in were Serbian registered. I was told for tax reasons when I asked them why!
The receipt was Serbian.
The local police were not interested - but that is another long story!
We have now moved on up into Rumania but feel very insecure, lost a lot of trust, but there's a lot of very nice helpful people out here so we will get over it!
This was a well planned job, and could be worked almost anywhere on this type of base vehicle. There is no cover under the engine so everything is accessible, and I don't think any alarm device would cover it. The wire was very easy to cut, but not so easy to rejoin. They only twisted the ends together to make it work, and it would have shaken apart again on the Bulgarian roads!!
And today it's raining, the first time for 4 months! So now feel our journey home has really started!

Now having a day off, staying in a Rumanian monastery carpark for a couple of nights and going through the account only to discover we were ripped off another extra €5 when the port tax taken when crossing the Danube by ferry from Bulgaria at Oryahovo to Bechet in Romania. Another official taking advantage of exchange rate and ignorant trusting tourists!!
So who can you trust? We have met so many lovely helpful people on our travels, I dare say we will be caught again.
Isn't travel exciting!!

John
 

Snowbird

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Apr 24, 2009
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Although we love Bulgaria and Romania, we once had a couple of apartments there. We learned a long time ago that given the chance they will tighten your braces and nail your hat on. The Bulgarians and Romanians dont trust each other for very good reason.
With the average wage of 250 Euros per month most of them unfortunately are out for whatever they can get.
 
Feb 22, 2011
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That's shocking and goes to show how on guard everyone needs to be all the time.
Nothing you can do now but put it down to experience, forget it and get on with enjoying the rest of your holiday.
It must be very un-nerving though and so sad that we have to be suspicious of everyone s motives.

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hilldweller

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Dec 5, 2008
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Well full marks for them working for their money. That's a very clever scam.

Thanks for sharing it.

With luck you get your cash back because you can't be 100% sure it was a scam even if you were eager to publish what happened to the whole world.
 
Oct 2, 2008
4,434
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I think you need to be a bit more cycnical , if somethings seems to be amazing good luck , then it probably isnt .

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OP
OP
jwells
Jan 5, 2014
198
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tetbury
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It was the AA who suggested that I go with the guys who were there with me. This was in Bulgaria, I would have had a long wait for the AA to turn up!!!
 

Riverbankannie

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Mar 11, 2016
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I like your attitude. Shit sometimes happens and sometimes you come up against unscrupulous people but as long as you are both ok, put it down to experience and get on with your holiday. As you say, most people are willing, helpful and trustworthy.
 
Feb 24, 2013
12,990
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Bolsover, Derbyshire
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not long enough
Submit the receipt and hopefully you will at least get that money back, will take some of the edge off it

A clever con, sort of thing I would easily fall for as well :(
 

Shrimp

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May 27, 2015
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A clever con.
But then I’m suspicious of any noise/movement and if I had felt the movement on the van I would have been up & out!
Pays to keep your ears & eyes open all the time, there are a lot of con artists out there!
Enjoy the rest of your trip and put it down to experience.
 

138go

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For future reference ..

Repairing ECU is a very skilled job and would certainly take more than 30 minutes even if you had all the kit to find the fault. The Electronic Control Unit is the brain of your engine. Most of the parts in modern electronics are surface mounted and are absolute sods to repair. That’s if you can find the faulty part in the first place. You certainly need a wiring diagram and I would not have thought that an auto electrician would have one. It’s the sort of thing that Fiat have and is just not available.
 
Last edited:
May 31, 2015
11,518
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Getting Better
Could happen anywhere in the world, there is always someone ready to con or take advantage.....

Thankfully there are more good guys then bad...
 
Feb 22, 2011
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It was the AA who suggested that I go with the guys who were there with me. This was in Bulgaria, I would have had a long wait for the AA to turn up!!!
Presumably they would sub it to local contractor ?

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Aug 6, 2013
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For future reference ..

Repairing ECU is a very skilled job and would certainly take more than 30 minutes even if you had all the kit to find the fault. The Electronic Control Unit is the brain of your engine. Most of the parts in modern electronics are surface mounted and are absolute sods to repair. That’s if you can find the faulty part in the first place. You certainly need a wiring diagram and I would not have thought that an auto electrician would have one. It’s the sort of thing that Fiat have and is just not available.
Not worth repairing anyway. I'm certain Fiat would simply bin it & supply a new one. The only cost of a new ECU is the massive profit margin - they won't cost Fiat more than £20 to manufacture (or have manufactured for them).
 
Dec 16, 2017
1,221
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Almuñécar, Spain
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Low Profile - Globebus T7
Thank you for sharing - A good '"Heads Up' for, what must be said, quite an enterprising scam. Another good reason to carry one or more Mark I Tail Wagging and Woofing devices!
 

pappajohn

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Aug 26, 2007
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Hey Mr, just passing your house and noticed you have some slipped tiles on your roof.... And while I'm here do you want your drive tarmacing.

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Jun 14, 2018
40
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Kent
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Bailey Autograph 79/6
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Newbies
Sad to hear about your experience IThank you for sharing will make us more aware in future especially in car parks
I hope it didn’t spoil the rest of your trip and you manage to recoup at least some of your money
 
Jan 22, 2012
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Wigan
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Knaus Sun TI 2012
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2010
That's a terrible thing to happen and despite what some people think I believe a lot of us would have fallen for that one. Its a bit worrying as its quite clever and I wonder how long it will take to reach the more motorhome popular areas like Spain.
 

glyndwr

Free Member
May 11, 2014
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coach
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since 1984 Chausson atm
Sounds like UK - everyone out to rip us off !

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Oct 7, 2013
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South Wales
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Thanks for the heads up..

As far as scams go.......that’s clever.
 

JockandRita

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Aug 2, 2007
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Lincs/Cambs border
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N+B Flair 8000i
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Since May 05 (Ex Tuggers).
@jwells. Sorry to hear about your experience :( but I am glad that you have shared it, helping the rest of us to be more aware of our environment when overnighting. Thanks. (y)

Have you been refunded by your breakdown insurers yet, helping to make the whole experience more bearable?

Cheers,

Jock. :)
 

Steve and Denise

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Sep 26, 2011
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@jwells. Sorry to hear about your experience :( but I am glad that you have shared it, helping the rest of us to be more aware of our environment when overnighting. Thanks. (y)

Have you been refunded by your breakdown insurers yet, helping to make the whole experience more bearable?

Cheers,

Jock. :)

Third world countries eh not for me maybe.

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OP
OP
jwells
Jan 5, 2014
198
840
tetbury
Funster No
29,579
MH
AutoTrail Expedition
Exp
Long time
Update! Insurance eventually covered most of the cost, and I have now fitted an under engine cover just like vehicles used to be fitted with. Benefits - keeps muck of all types out!!!! Disadvantage - lot of hassle having to take it off for servicing!
 

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