Beware the thieves of the panel beating business

Recently,  I had an accident in my car where I rear-ended a smaller car.  While the damage to my car was substantial it was certainly not write off material.

Front view immediately after accident.  The number plate is cracked across the top.

It was duly put on a low bed because it was not starting.  It was then carted off to somewhere in Chamdor by Magalies Towing.  However, I have since discovered that the vehicle was assessed by Anthony Knight of SIAS in Strijdom Park and signed off by Joao Carvalho of Outsurance.

Two days later I got an assessment from the Insurance company saying that it was not economical to repair, given that the car was only insured for the market value of R20000. The assessment was for R21 388.

At the scene of the accident, while waiting for the tow truck I did a quick sourcing of the relevant parts and came up with a part replacement total of about R7500.

The front lights (complete)  I found for R3000, the right front indicator light R650, the bonnet- R2500 (second hand), the grill - R1000.  The rest of the work word be straightening the cradle and the front valance where the UNDAMAGED radiator was attached. NOTE NO WATER under car!!!

Outsurance's assessment included a new radiator for R850.  Two years ago I had to have my radiator either fixed or replaced and I shopped around.  I could not get an alternative radiator. Mercedes Benz could supply a new one for R3500 but my mechanic said that only the tubes had to be replaced as the upper and lower tanks were OK.  That cost me just on R2000.  I would dearly love to know where the assessors are going to get a NEW radiator for that car at R850!!!!

STRIP AND ASSEMBLE	Part	Labour	Betterment	Total Cost
LOOSE PARTS	0	132	0	132
ENGINE BAY COMPONENTS	0	528	0	528
FRONTAL COMPONENTS	0	316.8	0	316.8
COLOUR MATCHING AND BLENDING	0	132	0	132
PAINT	Part	Labour	Betterment	Total Cost
FENDER RIGHT FRONT - BOLTED	1255	0	0	1255
VALANCE FRONT LOWER	460	0	0	460
FRONT PANEL - WELDED	800	0	0	800
INNER TRAY LEFT FRONT	570	0	0	570
INNER TRAY RIGHT FRONT	570	0	0	570
CHASSIS LEG LEFT FRONT	345	0	0	345
CHASSIS LEG RIGHT FRONT	345	0	0	345
COLOUR MATCHING AND BLENDING	800	0	0	800
BONNET	1485	0	0	1485
REPAIRS	Part	Labour	Betterment	Total Cost
VALANCE FRONT LOWER	0	792	0	792
FRONT PANEL - WELDED	0	1056	0	1056
FENDER RIGHT FRONT - BOLTED	0	132	0	132
SUPPLY AND FIT - GENUINE	Part	Labour	Betterment	Total Cost
BUMPER COVER FRONT	1500	316.8	0	1816.8
COOLANT	90	13.2	0	103.2
NUMBER PLATE	120	6.6	0	126.6
SUNDRY ITEMS	94.85	0	0	94.85
SUPPLY AND FIT - ALTERNATIVE	Part	Labour	Betterment	Total Cost
HEADLAMP LEFT FRONT	1250	132	0	1382
HEADLAMP RIGHT FRONT	1250	132	0	1382
INDICATOR RIGHT FRONT	475	52.8	0	527.8
RADIATOR	850	316.8	0	1166.8
RADIATOR SHROUD	625	79.2	0	704.2
BONNET GRILL	825	105.6	0	930.6
OUTWORK	Part	Labour	Betterment	Total Cost
BODY SEALANT	0	0	0	30
RUST PROOFING	0	0	0	60
PARTIAL REPAIRS	Part	Labour	Betterment	Total Cost
INNER TRAY LEFT FRONT	0	132	0	132
INNER TRAY RIGHT FRONT	0	132	0	132
CHASSIS LEG LEFT FRONT	0	132	0	132
CHASSIS LEG RIGHT FRONT	0	132	0	132
SUPPLY AND FIT - SECOND HAND	Part	Labour	Betterment	Total Cost
BONNET	2500	316.8	0	2816.8

Coolant for R90.00?  Very expensive water.  All one needs is 1 litre of antifreeze for the whole radiator.  Cost R30.00.

Considering the chassis legs were not damaged in the accident why would they have to be repaired?

The view from the left side.  The bumper is nearly straight and that damage was from previous damage.

View under the bonnet at scene.  Not radiator is pushed back, the shroud is complete and NOT damaged.  The upper cradle is pushed straight.

I rejected their assessment and asked for my car back which they did and the insurance company gave me R8000 odd as settlement for my claim.  The vehicle was then sent to my panel beater who told me that there was absolutely NO fuel in the car at all.  The tank was dry.  The battery had been replaced with a vastly inferior battery and then when I went to visit I discovered that my corner piece of the bumper which I bought a few years ago had been stolen, my car jack had vanished and a half 5 litre oil was also stolen.

I put in a claim to the insurance company for the missing items and was paid out R1850, which was great.

When I delivered my new battery to the panel beaters and some petrol we tried to start the car and it would not start, so we tried to find the fault and discovered that the distributor had been maliciously damaged.  At the scene of the accident I checked under the bonnet and the distributor was complete and undamaged.  It was not touching any parts of the radiator or radiator shroud which had been pushed back.

At the panel beater the distributor cap lifted very easily, without a screw driver and the rotor arm was missing as was the inner cover.  The central tit on distributor cap was snapped off, which means it will have to be replaced.  Mercedes Benz has given a quote of R1033.30 for all three parts.

Distributor cap - missing central tit.

Distributor missing cover and Rotor Arm

My conclusion is that the Assessment departments and the panel beaters are defrauding the Insurance companies.  Not only the Insurance companies but the public as well.

People are under the impression that they should trust their insurance companies.  We shouldn't!! They are there to make money NOT to help anyone, least of all their clients, who happily cough over MILLIONS in the hopes of getting good service.

We have to question everything.  When I initially put my old Mercedes Benz onto my insurance I was told that my windscreen excess was R2000!  I asked why when I had just replaced the windscreen for R350 fitted?  They then reduced my windscreen excess to R350.  I suggested they look into their suppliers for fraud - then.

I know PG Glass and subsidiaries, were accused of industry collusion in March 2016, to which their CEO vehemently denies it.

COMPETITION COMMISSION INVESTIGATES SEVERAL COMPANIES FOR ALLEGED COLLUSION

Penis poles in Johannesburg

Saw these at Hollard Street on Marshall Street in Joburg. Penis poles!!!!!

MNET to increase fees and RED PEPPER Garbage

I actually don't care.
I am not a subscriber and I seldom watch any TV. The few times I do go and stay at people's houses to look after animals I find that I have to sit through repeats of repeats of repeats of repeats.  I am not a sports fan or a reality TV fan or even a news fan so whatever they show on other channels leaves little of interest.
I have a TV but I use it as a monitor for my desktop computer!!!!!
Once in a while I watch DVD's on it but I don't even watch SABC or E-TV.  That is just straightforward BOREDOM.  Even watching paint dry is of more interest.
Over the road from where I live there is a studio called  Red Pepper Studios.
The management are the most inconsiderate pigs I have ever had to deal with.  They know who they are!!!  They don't care about their neighbours.
A few years ago they installed a huge diesel generator over the road from my flat.  The exhaust pointed right into my bedroom and despite many, many complaints, nothing was done to improve the situation.  The noise was so bad that when it switched on in the middle of the night I would have to go and sleep in my car downstairs in the garage!!!  
Then, Red Pepper, in their infinite wisdom started with Big Brother and they installed a "portable" temporary monster of a generator which was planted on the road way and obstructing the view of traffic for people exiting the property next door.
I was nearly killed by some idiot in a 4X4 vehicle when he/she decided to overtake another vehicle on the left.
Then after much complaining by the neighbourhood of the noise emitted by the contestants of the "Big Brother" House at 63 4th Avenue Linden the Red Pepper Studios quietened them down and then the last show of 2015 was cancelled due to the sponsor pulling out due to bad publicity.
Now I have been told that "Big Brother" is to return to my neighbourhood.
The ten seconds I watched of Big Brother last year showed three black men sitting on a couch.  One scratching his scrotum, the second pick his nose like he was digging for diamonds (sonny, you will never find anything of value up there) and the other swilling some liquid around his moth and then spitting it back in his cup.
Sorry, this type of behaviour does not appeal to me.
ANOTHER excellent reason not to pay for DSTV.

AND now the RED PEPPER STUDIOS have replaced the light that has been flashing for six months with an LED light and have pointed into my flat so now I cannot sleep at all.

I curse Red Pepper Studios to hell.

And more about the scam

More about scam artists.

Be very careful about receiving random call especially when the person says they are from "Cash is King", Cash Converters or any pawn shop.

Today I was phoned by a Cynthia of "Cash is King" shop in Randburg, saying she had seen my ad on OLX and wanted to see the ring, but as she didn't have a  car could I bring the ring around.

I immediately suspected a scam and said I would bring the ring later.

When I went out I dropped by the shop and showed her the ring, she then proceeds to weigh it and then takes a 5X magnifying glass to look at the ring and then decides she will pay pawn for it of R1 800.  I said to her I am selling the ring and I want R6000 for said ring.

She then proceeds to take photos of the ring and sends them to her boss in Joburg who then says they will pay R2000.

I said I was very angry with her dragging me out under false pretences and wasting my time.  If I wanted to pawn the ring I would have done so.  I wanted to sell it which is why it is advertised on OLX.

Doctors and pharmaceutical companies

Doctors and pharmaceutical companies are not in the business of healing people. They are in the business of making money. 
I used to work in the pharmaceutical industry and was astounded then (30 odd years ago) what side effects those drugs had on people. 
Everyone is popping tabs to "prevent" illnesses without realising the side effects these drugs have. Many of these side effects are worse than the original ailment.
I am not suggesting that one should go off their meds BUT one should look to what is the actual illness.
Recently I took a little old man to the cardiologist and although the visit cost the medical aid a bomb and the little old man was healthy the cardiologist insisted that he come back in six months time for a "check up"
WTF???????
My comment is "I am healthy and YOU want to see me. I have to pay for the visit BUT you want to see me?"
This strikes me as a money making scam. Sorry. NO GO. I will go to a doctor if and when I am sick, not because he wants to see me.
I am sure that some doctor dreamed up the saying "prevention is better than cure."
In conclusion, why would anyone want to live beyond their useful years?
Is it because we fear death?
What is death?
I can think of far worse things than death?
Like living in severe pain.
Like living with no memory.
Why must we be kept alive so some doctor or caregiver can make money from us?????
Shouldn't we be allowed to die when we want?
I am convinced that pharmaceutical companies and doctors are in cahoots with the fast food companies, like McDonalds. The fastfood companies make foods which send up cholesterol levels and cause heart attacks and strokes so the pharmaceutical companies make drugs for the doctors to prescribe to cure.

scam artists email address

katealex112

 julianascott28 with an email address of jamesmandisa28@gmail.com

mark.peterson0404

davidjacks899

grommesmartins@hotmail.com

annamotlhatlhane28@gmail.com

Lolly young (706) 810-6768 lollyoung13@gmail.com

mrsbrendasmith300@hotmail.com

Henry Marc  henrymarc464 @ gmail.com
and a related one

Mr. Greg Brown Gerente de remesas internacionales

(greg.brown@us-banksofamerica.com)
            +1 (612) 564-8087

The reason I know this is that these people will send you a generic email address and a fictional phone number as in the above case of Mr Greg Brown.  The phone number belongs to a private person in Minnesota NOT the Bank of America AND the email address bounces as address unknown!!!!!!

Be careful.  DO NOT answer any address request for an email !!!!

You can also post on the following Facebook page a picture of your property and the phone numbers of the thieves.

Stolen Property Gauteng https://www.facebook.com/Stolen-Property-Gauteng-484805598358459/?ref=hl

thieves and liars

BEWARE: Cellphone numbers 0603221472 and 0730421640. The owners of these phones are thieves. Do not deal with them

Their names are Brian Khoza and his brother/cousin/nephew Kenny You can also post on the following Facebook page a picture of your property and the phone numbers of the thieves.

Stolen Property Gauteng https://www.facebook.com/Stolen-Property-Gauteng-484805598358459/?ref=hl