Unsolicited 'promo' car service voucher while at Macca's drive through. (Keith Adamson Auto Repairs, KAR)

happy1 · 27-06-2021, 04:01 AM

Hi,
Unsolicited sales at unexpected spots isn't great, and can be a nuisance.

Tonight I was sitting in the drive through line at a Macca's in a Perth industrial area trying to look at the menu etc, and this guy in high-vis pounces up at my driver's window. At this point I was only 2-3 cars behind the ordering spot at the drive through. The conversation went:
Hi, Do you need a car service? We are doing this great promo, Keith Adamson's workshop is just around the corner here, have you tried them before? Or would you like to buy this 12-month service voucher for only $139?
We are such a great workshop with years of happy customers etc.. bla bla..

The guy wanted to know details of how often I need a service, if it was due, or overdue etc, and he suddenly pulled out his pay terminal, and started insisting that I should pay for the $139 voucher that he had passed to me to read.

I suggested that if I wanted a service I would either do DIY, or go to the workshop myself, and check them out in advance, look at reviews etc.

He kept on pushing with all the various types of work that could be done (for free?) within the $139 voucher, such as re-gassing my airon etc. and it would apparently cover one major service and one minor service within this vouher. I said I don't have a leaking aircon.. oh but it should be re-gassed !
And don't you need a transmission service, shouldn't drive your car without that..

Anyway I suggested to him that see, the queue in front of me is gone, and all I want at this point is to drive forward and order food.

He kept going with oh but here is a second voucher for free within the price of the first one!! I suggested to him this is really fishy, Why should a workshop offer all this, usually workshops that are good are booked out weeks in advance.

Then he kept pushing if I had not heard about promotion sales, if he didn't sell me this voucher, he wouldn't get paid anything at all. He suggested I had vasted nearly 10 minutes of his time! He said he had sold 4000 of these vouchers and his customers were thrilled.

I said, I'm a little vary if this is for real, that got him even more persistent that this was real, and an extremely good deal, he pulled a bank card out of his wallet that had 'promotions' as part of the name, and he pulled out his phone starting to show me messages allegedly between him and the workshop.
He also had a shirt on under his high-vis jacket with the embroided logo of 'KAR Automotive'.

At this point he wanted to drop the price to $100 for whatever I was supposed to get. ( the two vouchers). Suggesting that he was going to run a personal loss on this.

There was a lot of small print at the bottom of this 'voucher'. For example that it wasn't valid for cars that were imported, and that it was based on buying parts for the repairs from KAR.

Anway, at this point the manager at Macca's turned up to ask what was going on, please move on.. need this lane flowing again. He glared at the 'promo' guy, but didn't say anything to him directly, and the promo-guy suddenly seemed more interesting in disappearing quickly.

When I came home I looked up Keith Adamson Auto Repairs. They do exist, but there was one review online that their receptionist is the most rude person someone has met.

I feel like calling them on Monday to ask if this was a scam, or if they really should run this type of agressive ambush sales outside Macca's.

Cheers,

Cashie · 27-06-2021, 06:08 AM

Does sound dodgy. That would **** me off if I was at a maccas drive through.

xr8-200 · 27-06-2021, 07:38 PM

It sounds like the bloke who barged into my work last week (in Burswood). He went straight past reception into the main office and started yelling his spiel ($139 service etc).
Got aggressive, insisting we pay now. No one was keen. He left eventually.
Apparently the Admin girl had seen him at the shops hassling elderly shoppers with the same 'vouchers' in the past.
100% a scam.

whitelion65 · 27-06-2021, 07:41 PM

You were in a car......you should have run him over!

Franco Cozzo · 27-06-2021, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xr8-200

It sounds like the bloke who barged into my work last week (in Burswood). He went straight past reception into the main office and started yelling his spiel ($139 service etc).
Got aggressive, insisting we pay now. No one was keen. He left eventually.
Apparently the Admin girl had seen him at the shops hassling elderly shoppers with the same 'vouchers' in the past.
100% a scam.

I had exactly the same thing but the guy come into our reception, then upstairs into our offices and started yelling about the services.

Its the new white van with the blokes selling speakers.

fiestaz · 27-06-2021, 08:09 PM

Sounds like the people who approach you at the servo or shopping centre carpark no with their rubbish spray can polish who want to apply it to your car to show you how good it is. It’s exhausting.

Streets · 27-06-2021, 08:35 PM

It's bad enough trying to get through the front door of Coles without some ****ing chugger trying to get your bank details for their direct debit charity scam

if one of these cheeky ****s stood between me and my big mac I'd be homicidal

happy1 · 28-06-2021, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xr8-200

It sounds like the bloke who barged into my work last week (in Burswood). He went straight past reception into the main office and started yelling his spiel ($139 service etc).
Got aggressive, insisting we pay now. No one was keen. He left eventually.
Apparently the Admin girl had seen him at the shops hassling elderly shoppers with the same 'vouchers' in the past.
100% a scam.

Hi, thanks for replies. Yes definitively same one. The one that pounced on me was also getting aggressive. The guy was not tall, and a little overweight. A little darker skin, maybe Malaysian or similar.

He asked if I was 'local' and based on that he tried to sell me the Osborne Park based 'voucher'. When I suggested I wasn't sure if I was being tricked, he showed me a thick pile of 'vouchers that he had made for other workshops south of the river also. So he obviously have deals with more shops,.. if this is real at all. Perhaps it's all scam.

I hate if elderly people are being taken advantage of by this agressive 'promo' guy. I'm sure he doesn't have the mandatory cool-off period etc, because you obviously can't find this guy if you regret what you spent $139 on.

slowsnake · 28-06-2021, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

I had exactly the same thing but the guy come into our reception, then upstairs into our offices and started yelling about the services.

Its the new white van with the blokes selling speakers.

The speakers you see and what's in the box are not the same, that's the scam, they have a second van nearby identical to the first, the one with the "real" speakers, lol.
They tell you a mate has the good speakers, the for sale ones!.
His are for display only!

Cheers King Billy

Citroënbender · 28-06-2021, 09:06 AM

Has anyone contacted the first business mentioned? I tend to think it’s a complete fraud and they likely have no stake in it.

tweeked · 28-06-2021, 09:37 AM

I have seen one like this before as a legitimate "introductory" model. The price you get covers the labour, oil and filter of the service, and as the OP said, you cannot provide parts yourself. It is a good deal if you have a well maintained car. The workshop does its nuts on the first service, but gets a chance if they find other issues with the car and will make its margin on the parts. They also have an opportunity to build up a client base.

The marketer keeps the majority of the voucher value, so you can see the gamble the workshop takes. SO it is in the workshops interest to impress from there. What I did see was that since the offer is "cheap" many voucher purchasers who took it up brought in cars that hadn't been serviced for ever, didnt read or understand the T&C's, and expected that the "service" would fix their car for $139. They then scream when they are quoted on what is required to just make their cars safe.

Tassie f100 · 28-06-2021, 10:34 AM

Well really as a start up ofer a $100 dollar service is still a bit of an earner.Bulk oil at around $1000/205 litres,so $20-25 for oil >$10 filter,leaves $60 labour for 1/2 hour job.

tweeked · 28-06-2021, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

Well really as a start up ofer a $100 dollar service is still a bit of an earner.Bulk oil at around $1000/205 litres,so $20-25 for oil >$10 filter,leaves $60 labour for 1/2 hour job.

The shop doesn't get the money, the marketer does. It is all about building a client base. The buyer just turns up with the voucher and the workshop honours it.

The danger is the marketer then pays someone on a commission basis to sell the vouchers. They have little understanding of what is a service versus what is maintenance, or little care at worst, they just want their commission. The workshop will be tarred by any non ethical, pushy commission based spruikers.

Tassie f100 · 28-06-2021, 11:19 AM

Wouldn’t be thinking that the marketer gets the whole $139.The marketer possibly gets most of the $39 and the shop gets the balance,so still maybe bit over $100

happy1 · 08-07-2021, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Has anyone contacted the first business mentioned? I tend to think it’s a complete fraud and they likely have no stake in it.

Hi, Apology for late reply. Yes on Monday this week I called the business and asked them. They confirmed it isn't a total fraud, and that they were using this guy to bring in new Clients.

When I mentioned the method used, to jump at you in the Maccas queue when you are under pressure to make other decisions there too, and then turn aggressive when not buying from him, she admitted that 'yes this promoter has some personal issues'. (but he does sell really good at times..)

I suggested maybe it isn't such a positive thing for the shop to use a guy like this, she said she would mention my feedback to the manager.

I mentioned that I had discussed it on a car forum, and that one of you had said the same guy came to the workplace at Burswood. I got a 'thanks for contacting us'., and the one I spoke to was polite, and expressed that she was grateful I took the effort making them aware of this.

roKWiz · 08-07-2021, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy1

she admitted that 'yes this promoter has some personal issues'. (but he does sell really good at times..)

I got a 'thanks for contacting us'., and the one I spoke to was polite, and expressed that she was grateful I took the effort making them aware of this.

She then turned around and said.....Dad we've had to many complaints about you, can you tone it down.

lra · 08-07-2021, 04:03 PM

If you took advantage of the initial 'good' deal, how many faults, real and imagined, would they find with your car to be fixed on a subsequent service ?

Express · 08-07-2021, 04:26 PM

I would have wound up the window after 'Hi'.

Bushchook5 · 09-07-2021, 09:38 AM

Same thing happened to me yesterday. This absolute tool (Nick, according to his shirt) accosted me at my own work. His sales spiel escalated to abuse and berating me for wasting his time, the fact he worked on commission etc. One of the rudest, most aggressive flogs I’ve ever met.

I called Keith Adamson office to let them know what had happened and Kerry (owners wife) said he doesn’t work for them directly and that he just brings them business. I told her that his behaviour was completely unacceptable and something needed to be done, she apologised, said she didn’t like him and said she’d speak with Keith.

He had absolutely no right to come into my workplace and intimidate me the way he did. POS.