Rising Troubles with Malicious Roadside Services: Young People Facing Scams and High Fees

People tend to get upset when car problems or accidents occur. Trouble caused by malicious road services is on the rise (Image is for illustrative purposes only / Vertical)

Problems related to roadside car services are increasing rapidly. Last year, the number of consultations received at consumer affairs centers across the country reached a record high. The most specific issue is that young people get into trouble.

[Dealbh]My car tires are flat…Why should I get involved in a bad roadside service?

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Even though it is supposed to start from 1,980 yen.

“Even though he said ‘Battery charge starts from 1,980 yen,’ I was charged 50,000 yen.'” “When I tried to refuse, I was given a huge cancellation fee.” advice on malicious road services has been going one after the other.

A man in his 20s living in the Tokyo metropolitan area searched for roadside assistance on his smartphone when his car’s battery died while he was out and about. I found a site that said, “We’ll come to your battery repair site for 1,980 yen” and we applied.

However, as soon as the contractor arrived, he gave a contract to the man with the blank amount column. Without any explanation, they put a check mark on the document and asked me to approve it. The man thought, ”Is that so?” and did as he was told. The contractor started the engine with a “jump start,” which provided electricity from the rescue vehicle. The battery has not been replaced.

Nevertheless, the total amount offered was 50,000 yen. In addition to the basic cost of 1,980 yen, the bill included emergency response costs and labor costs. The man thought it was “expensive,” but since the car started moving, he said nothing and paid with his credit card. When I went home and talked to my parents, they said, “It’s too expensive.”

According to the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF), the most common request for roadside assistance is a dead battery, accounting for about 40% of all requests (as of 2022). The next most common problem is a flat bottom.

220,000 yen even if the work is canceled due to a tire puncture

In the case of a man in his 20s living in the Tokai area who suffered a flat tire while driving, the bill was even higher. I drove my car to a nearby convenience store parking lot and searched for “flat tire” on my smartphone. I found a company that said they would fix it for a low price, and asked them to fix it.

However, a contractor who arrived at the site said that repairs would cost more than 200,000 yen. I was taken aback and said, “This is a different story. I want to cancel it.”

Then the seller says, “You will be charged 150,000 yen as a cancellation fee.”The man complained that such an amount was unreasonable, but the seller took a firm stand, saying, “We will not return until we pay the cancellation fee.”

In the end, the man paid a cancellation fee of 150,000 yen and an extension fee of 70,000 yen for the time it took him to pay the fee, for a total of 220,000 yen.

“I will tell my work and parents.”

In some cases, businesses openly threaten customers or make false statements.

A teenager working in the Tokyo metropolitan area was driving when his car stalled. I parked my car on the side of the road, searched online, and found a company that said, “We’ll be there in as little as 5 minutes.