Italian roadside scam
We are currently in Italy and have just left the site Camping Lido Salpi at Manfredonia this morning. Within a 100m of leaving the site entrance on the road to Bari, the S141, there was a black Nissan Juke registration number EH768LB parked on the roadside. On passing it we heard a noise but thought no more about it. However the Nissan car came speeding up behind us and flagged us down. On stopping he then told us we had clipped his driver's door mirror with our motorhome. On inspection there was a black line the same height as his door mirror on the side of our motorhome and the mirror on his vehicle was damaged, leading us to think that we had somehow clipped it as we went past, but we did not think that we had done it. He then demanded insurance details and on refusal threatened us with the police. After negotiating a settlement, we went on our way, as this was a very quiet lonely road and he was also on his mobile phone, which points to having someone else nearby. On arrival at our destination we found that this had also happened to another couple who were pitched next to us at Manfredonia, and they had had exactly the same happen to them. I just want to make everyone aware of this scam. Perhaps the Club may be able to contact the site at Manfredonia and warn others.
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On stopping he then told us we had clipped his driver's door mirror with our motorhome. On inspection there was a black line the same height as his door mirror on the side of our motorhome
Whilst accepting that his "damaged" mirror is not evidence, how do you account for this.....?
Had you left the van unattended nearby for a period...?
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Unfortunately, of all the countries we have toured in, Italy is the worst for scams. I have been overcharged at Petrol stations and also been told that my wiper blades needed replacing when they didn’t. It is common for garages to advertise a low price for fuel and you find that it is any one pump only which requires cash or is mysteriously out of order.
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"and he was also on his mobile phone, which points to having someone else nearby."
Do mobile phones only operate very locally in Italy?
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I think a couple of you are being unkind to the OP. They were probably frightened and did the best they could in the circumstances. They have also been brave enough to share their experience in the hope that it will help others.
Despite what I sometimes think, this is a club primarily intended to help other people, not a target range for keyboard warriors.
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Well said Dunclair
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This happened to me yesterday on the motorway to Livorno Italy.
Driving my car solo and passing a BMW there was a bang - put it down to a flying stone.
I'm then chased by the BMW containing a rough looking couple who overtake pointing to their wing mirror.
They pulled in at a lay-by and proceeded to shout in Italian that I had damaged their wing mirror when I passed them, there was certainly damage to the outside cover on their mirror and on the outside of mine!
Whilst I was explaining the fact to the thuggish man that if there was a collision then my mirror outside would have struck his mirror on the inside (his initial written demand for 500euro then was reduced to 50), his thug partner in tights noticed my dashcam and promptly raised her bootlid to hide the number plate - too late, they then gave up..
I returned to my car and he very kindly attempted to wave me back onto the motorway directly into the path of a truck!!
Many thanks to originator of this thread for the 'warning' without which I may have paid just to get rid of them - it must have been a jagged metal pole thrust out of their window to make such noise and scratches to my mirror cover
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Two years back when staying at Camping Rialto north side of Venice, my brother visited the local Lidl in his car for supplies. On returning to the car and loading up he found his front drivers side tyre flat. He'd only come 200m from the campsite. It was hot they had opened the car windows whilst loading it. After his wife helped him unload stuff from the boot and change the wheel she found her bag had been taken from the front seat. Another British car in the car park had also been done. At the tyre house my brother was told the tyre had been knifed. Obviously a scam. Fortunately my wife and I had walked to the supermarket rather than take the car. Would suggest have local police numbers handy when travelling in Italy. To rub salt in.. the tyre house did not have a matching tyre and could only fit a cheapo as we were leaving the next day. On his return home Red Pennant would not pay for a matching tyre!
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I have to report that exactly the same happened to my wife and I today. Unfortunately we weren't aware of the scam at the time. We were about 30 mins into a 3-4 hour drive, just outside Pisa, heading north towards Genoa. We over took a lorry and a car which was just in front, as I passed there was initially a smell of burning followed by an enormous bang, then the car I'd overtaken pulled out, flashing his lights and bibbing his horn. Quite disconcerting when your on a very busy motorway, with lorries everywhere and my first thought was either I'd had a blow out or a bike had fallen off my rear rack. I quickly pulled over and the car pulled in behind. The guy jumped out and claimed I'd moved over his lane and clipped his wing mirror. He said he could call the police, but that would take 1-2 hours or we can just agree an amount for the damage. He pointed to my van, which had a long black mark on it, but seemed to easily wipe off. All very odd, but it was about the right height and he showed me his mirror hanging off. I challenged him regarding the fact I was pretty certain I hadn't moved across, but he walked up and down the road markings to show how the van had moved. He initially asked for €400, showing me a picture of a similar mirror on eBay, I said there's no way I'm paying that, but in the end we offered a lot less and he went in his way. Reflecting on all this as we continued our journey, I realised it was a scam. I'd like to think I'm not easily fooled, but they are well drilled, know that you'll be concerned about a loud bang and pull over, get animated in Italian, play on your decency and the fact your in a foreign country. Annoying, but I'm wiser now I guess. Anyway, please, please be alert to this if travelling in this area.
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Someone's posted a story along the same lines.
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Might be an idea for the club to post a warning about such scams in the magazine and overseas page. There are various scams knocking about. In Spain it involves offering to help to fix a flat tyre which they have messed with whilst you were paying for petrol or just stopping you to warn about something at the rear of the caravan before someone attempts to steal anything of value from the car. I've heard about similar ones to the wing mirror in Spain as well.
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