JEDDAH, 2 July 2006 — Ahmad Kulaif, a government employee, was shocked to the bones when he discovered that the engine of the car he recently bought from the used-car market contained banana peels. And, no, it wasn’t a lunchtime accident from a careless mechanic.
Two days after purchasing the car, the engine froze up and Kulaif took the vehicle to a mechanic, who discovered the banana peels. The mechanic explained that using banana peels temporarily eliminates the white smoke that comes out of an engine that is on the verge of needing a major overhaul.
Kulaif is one of countless victims of used-car hustlers who try to sell lemons to the unsuspecting or careless car-shopping sucker.
He ended up paying SR5,000 to fix an engine on a car he bought for SR12,000 from a street vendor at the used-car market in Jeddah’s southside Al-Jawhara District. The mechanic told him that even with the repairs the car is only worth about SR5,000.
“I thought I was an expert in cars, but those salesmen outsmarted me,” he said.
Salesmen at the market are experts in hiding flaws and mechanical malfunctions of the cars they offer for sale. This is definitely “buyer beware” territory.
People who have shopped at the car market all agree that the used-car auctioneers, who call out for bids over electrified sound systems, are the sketchiest of the salesmen at this no-holds-barred auto market.
While there are many showrooms here, where salesmen tend to be more honest, the vendors outside on the dusty street are more likely to play a shell game.
This is especially true on Friday afternoons when hundreds of amplified shysters form a grand cacophony of misinformation about the vehicles for sale. A common ruse is for these auctioneers to have people planted in the audience who place bids in order to increase the price of the vehicle.
Fawaz Al-Gathmy, who owns a showroom, said that the market is intimidating even to experienced people like himself. Despite seven years of business at the market, Al-Gathmy says he still fears getting ripped off by fellow dealers.
“A person should always consult a mechanic before buying a car from there, because you can never trust those street dealers,” he said, pointing out that their appeal is due to the lower sticker prices of the vehicles. But, he added: “You get what you pay for.”
Basim Hussain, a Syrian car mechanic who works at the market, said that a person should not be hasty in buying a vehicle from there. He said that after choosing the right car, the customer should have it checked out at a mechanic’s shop.
“Some salesmen try to mislead the customer by saying they will sell to another person if the customer suggests taking the car to a mechanic,” he said. “If they say that, just walk away, because something’s wrong with the car.”
Mechanics at the market will check vehicles for a SR100 fee. That money, says Hussain, is a small price to pay to avoid paying thousands of riyals later.
Adam Ahmad, a Saudi, said that he visits the market frequently just for fun and has gained enough knowledge and friendship with dealers for him to understand how the market flows.
He said that once a dealer sold a car with a transmission problem that prevented the vehicle from going in reverse. The dealer made a conscious effort not to put the vehicle in reverse when exhibiting the car to customers on the road.
“Since he didn’t think about a non-functioning reverse gear, one customer fell for the prank and bought the car for at least triple its value,” he said. “When it comes to business with those people, friendship doesn’t exist.”
