Urban Fable

Ramila Mistry (left) has a story to tell. Her washing machine had packed up and she called Just Dial day-before-yesterday for the number of the manufacturer, LG Electronics. The Customer Care service of the company assured her that an engineer would visit her place in the course of the day and attend to the machine.
Within a couple of hours a man showed up at her doorstep, wanting to see the machine. He took it apart, identified the problem and suggested that a certain panel would have to be replaced. It would cost her Rs 3,000-plus service charges. Since it was an old machine, she argued that it would make better sense to go for an exchange scheme and get a brand new machine. The mechanic convinced her that a fully automatic machine of the same make would cost upward of Rs 30,000, not less. Ultimately, she agreed to replace the part and the man left with it, promising to return with a new panel the next day.
No sooner had he gone than her phone started ringing from LG Electronics. The voice at the other end introduced itself as the engineer deputed to attend to her washing machine and wanted directions to her house. Ramila-ben jumped out of her skin. So who was the other man? He had taken away the panel… And how could she be sure that this one was a genuine LG man? She realized she had been tricked out of her wits.
It did not take the ‘LG man’ long to figure out the cause of her confusion. Apparently, there are impersonators on the loose in Lokhandwala who get tipped by Just Dial (and similar directory services) on complaints relating to domestic appliances and before the genuine company representative arrives, rip-off the consumer. Upon hearing Ramila-ben’s problem with the washing machine, the man said it could easily be fixed for Rs 250 only and would not require changing any panel.
So there you are. How Ramila-ben resolved the issue is not as important as the moral of the story: Don’t entertain any repair man at your doorstep until you are satisfied with his bona fides. It is better to be cautious, than regret later. For, what Ramila-ben went through could happen to any of us.

Harish Wadhwa says:
1. Don't worry, Ramila-ben. If you bang into that service man again any day, just "Dho Daalna"! Or maybe, even spin him dry in the same washing machine!!!
2. Isn't our dear Santosh-ji looking a heroine of the yesteryears in the photograph below? Wow, kya aada hai, aur kya pose! Have a great holiday Santosh-ji and don't forget to get the balushai of Laxminagar in Delhi.
--Harish