After many time-wasting, money wasting and agonizing trips to the mechanic you finally identify the problem and have to change a few parts. But where to get the spare parts - who has time to go to Ladipo market, so you give the mechanic money to go and get the parts and replace it. You collect your car later and it feels and drives okay and you breathe a sigh of relief.

A week later, the same problem starts over again and you are back to square one and can only look forward to another round of financing the lifestyle of mechanics and part dealers. Cause of the problem, your mechanic bought the cheapest low quality part he could find and he installed it in your car. Of course he has a come-make-we-chop symbiotic relationship with the part dealer to inflate the cost of the part to you. One part dealer actually told me recently that he will never stock genuine parts because he wants his customers to keep coming back to replace the low quality parts he sells to them.

Can you remember that feeling of frustration and victimization when your car broke down again after spending all that money? Care to share your story? This thread is for those of us who have been a victim of dishonest part dealers and mechanics selling us fake parts at inflated cost. Its time to shift the power balance back to us the consumers and do something about this fraud. Can I get a witness!

A few weeks ago, I was at the spare parts shop of a friend. a mechanic came in to inquire about a part for Lincoln Aviator he was fixing for a customer. My friend had it in stock and quoted him a price of N50,000 for the part. The mechanic negotiated it and they agreed on a price of N45,000 for it. The mechanic then told my friend that the owner of the car will call him to ask for the price of the spare part. He instructed my friend to tell the owner of the car that the price was N150,000 and to accept nothing less than N140,000!

I could not believe what I was hearing and the magnitude of the fraud taking place before my eyes. Don't get me wrong I like to make profit like everyone else...but this na daylight robbery. I agree we need to speak up and do something about how these mechanics and part sellers take advantage of us all. You better believe its everybody but most people never know and keep paying inflated price for bad quality parts.