clifffaith
TUG Member
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2016
- Messages
- 5,009
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- Points
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- Location
- San Juan Capistrano, CA
- Resorts Owned
- Worldmark
Apparently they are going to require proof of membership to eat at the food court starting March 16 in Southern California. It was all over the news last night, and people are grumbling about it on our local Facebook.
Then this was posted on Nextdoor last evening:
Scam on Elderly at Costco (on Lomita in Torrance) Parking Lot
I was at Costco this evening picking up meds for our dog. As I was walking to the entrance, I noticed a car with all sorts of detailing supplies around it. I thought it was peculiar that someone would decide to detail their car in the Costco parking lot. As I was walking back to my car after going to the pharmacy, I noticed a guy wiping wax in different places on the same car I had passed by earlier. I looked again and noticed he was talking to an elderly woman. It seemed really strange that an elderly woman would hire a mobile detailer to meet her at Costco to have her car worked on. I decided to take my cart back in their direction so I could hear some of the conversation. All I could hear was the guy explaining about the products he was spreading on the car and that she would need to wipe it off the next day--I thought how is this woman who is approximately 80 years old going to be able to wipe all that stuff off her car? I walked by a couple more times in hopes of getting more information. Finally, he left the woman alone and went to his truck. I walked up to the woman and asked if she was okay. She said he was charging her for the work he had done. She said he wanted $500.00 and that he was going to take her to her bank so she could withdraw the money. I asked her if she had asked him to detail her car and she said she was just trying to go to Costco and he started doing stuff to her car. She also said another man (probably in on the scam as well) came over and told her that she needed to pay him the $500.00. I told her you aren't paying him a dime. She was scared and told me to be careful because he was going to come back. When he did come back, I told him that she isn't paying him a thing. He argued with me and said I had no idea what I was talking about and that he had taken scratches out and polished various areas of her car. I told him again that she is not paying him and that I was calling the police. While I was on the phone with the police, I could overhear him tell her things like, "Oh so that's how it's going to be, huh?" and "Wow, you have me do work for you and then you're not going to pay me". She was trying to assuage his anger and telling him I was a friend of hers. Eventually, the police officer/dispatcher asked to speak to the woman. As she was talking to them, he skulked away, got in his car, and left. The woman thanked me for stopping and helping her as she didn't know what she was going to do. BTW, because she hadn't paid him, the person from police said no crime had been committed so no officer was dispatched. Please warn your family, friends, parents as it seems he preys on people, in this case the elderly, who may not put up an argument to a guy that towers over them--he towered over me too so I can imagine how she could feel powerless. The guy was about 6' 2", in his mid to late 20s, and wearing a blue mechanic type shirt with a Chevron badge. He has dark brown hair and a dark tan. He was driving a black Chevy Z71.
Then this was posted on Nextdoor last evening:
Scam on Elderly at Costco (on Lomita in Torrance) Parking Lot
I was at Costco this evening picking up meds for our dog. As I was walking to the entrance, I noticed a car with all sorts of detailing supplies around it. I thought it was peculiar that someone would decide to detail their car in the Costco parking lot. As I was walking back to my car after going to the pharmacy, I noticed a guy wiping wax in different places on the same car I had passed by earlier. I looked again and noticed he was talking to an elderly woman. It seemed really strange that an elderly woman would hire a mobile detailer to meet her at Costco to have her car worked on. I decided to take my cart back in their direction so I could hear some of the conversation. All I could hear was the guy explaining about the products he was spreading on the car and that she would need to wipe it off the next day--I thought how is this woman who is approximately 80 years old going to be able to wipe all that stuff off her car? I walked by a couple more times in hopes of getting more information. Finally, he left the woman alone and went to his truck. I walked up to the woman and asked if she was okay. She said he was charging her for the work he had done. She said he wanted $500.00 and that he was going to take her to her bank so she could withdraw the money. I asked her if she had asked him to detail her car and she said she was just trying to go to Costco and he started doing stuff to her car. She also said another man (probably in on the scam as well) came over and told her that she needed to pay him the $500.00. I told her you aren't paying him a dime. She was scared and told me to be careful because he was going to come back. When he did come back, I told him that she isn't paying him a thing. He argued with me and said I had no idea what I was talking about and that he had taken scratches out and polished various areas of her car. I told him again that she is not paying him and that I was calling the police. While I was on the phone with the police, I could overhear him tell her things like, "Oh so that's how it's going to be, huh?" and "Wow, you have me do work for you and then you're not going to pay me". She was trying to assuage his anger and telling him I was a friend of hers. Eventually, the police officer/dispatcher asked to speak to the woman. As she was talking to them, he skulked away, got in his car, and left. The woman thanked me for stopping and helping her as she didn't know what she was going to do. BTW, because she hadn't paid him, the person from police said no crime had been committed so no officer was dispatched. Please warn your family, friends, parents as it seems he preys on people, in this case the elderly, who may not put up an argument to a guy that towers over them--he towered over me too so I can imagine how she could feel powerless. The guy was about 6' 2", in his mid to late 20s, and wearing a blue mechanic type shirt with a Chevron badge. He has dark brown hair and a dark tan. He was driving a black Chevy Z71.
