A Gurugram man recently shared how he was scammed by a petrol pump tyre shop after encountering a simple flat tyre. Taking to Instagram, Pranay Kapoor posted a video detailing the ongoing scam at certain tyre shops located within petrol stations. "Got Scammed at a Petrol Pump Tyre Shop," he captioned the post. In the clip, Mr Kapoor explained that while driving, he noticed a warning light indicating a flat tyre. He promptly drove to the nearest petrol station, where a staff member inspected the tyre and confirmed it was indeed flat. The employee told Mr Kapoor that the tyre needed to be removed for a thorough check.
After lifting the car using a jack, the tyre shop worker sprayed soapy water over the tyre and brushed it across the surface, all in front of Mr Kapoor. The staff member proceeded to remove a visible screw from the tyre, but then claimed that there were four separate punctures that needed fixing. He said each puncture required a mushroom patch and quoted Rs 300 per patch, totalling Rs 1,200 for all four.
However, instead of agreeing to the repair, Mr Kapoor decided to visit a proper tyre repair shop. There, a qualified technician checked the tyre and informed him that only one puncture was genuine, but the others were likely made deliberately by the petrol pump worker to inflate the bill. The technician then showed Mr Kapoor a thorn-like tool that scammers use to create fake punctures while pretending to check the tyre.
Eventually, the tyre had to be replaced entirely, costing Mr Kapoor Rs 8,000. "Don't make the expensive mistake I made. Share this video with your friends and family to warn them," he said in the video.
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Internet users were quick to react to the video. While some shared similar experiences, others expressed shock.
"Oh shoot, this has happened with me at least thrice now over the past 9 months and each time I've just been like what even is happening!" one user wrote.
"Learnt it the hard way like you. Now I always sit on top of them and ask them to remove any things from there fingers before they start the process," commented another.
"Something similar happened to my two wheeler recently. When the petrol pump guy was checking my tyre pressure, he said I had multiple punctures which I didnt feel when I came to the petrol pump. Felt something fishy, went to a tyre shop and had to change the tire eventually," wrote a third user.
"Whoa! Thanks for the info. Seems my last journey to the puncture shop was just the same. Will be careful from now on. Sterling post! Thanks," said another.
