A CAR mechanic who evaded a customer after taking her money and failing to carry out agreed repairs, must now pay her back.
Rossuriani Abdul Rahman, a 29-year-old factory production technician, bought a used 21-year-old B-segment subcompact hatchback for RM13,500, with 200,000km on the odometer, from the mechanic last year.
“I found out about the car from his wife who works at the same factory,” said Rossuriani when met outside the Johor Consumer Claims Tribunal.
She received the vehicle on Nov 17 and noticed within six days that it required repairs.
“I informed the mechanic who promised to fix the problems,” she said.
Between then and Dec 21, 2025, Rossuriani transferred RM4,450 to him via several online bank payments to cover work on the wiring, auto-lock system, lower control arm, and drive shaft.
The mechanic subsequently borrowed the vehicle from Dec 23 to 29 for a holiday to Kelantan and Negri Sembilan, claiming he needed to test-drive it.
“When he returned the car in early January, I asked him when he was going to do the repairs,” she said.
The mechanic then offered to repurchase the vehicle for RM18,000 – a sum that included the RM4,450 she had paid for repairs – but she declined.
Rossuriani requested a direct refund of her RM4,450 instead, at which point the mechanic stopped answering her messages and blocked her number.
“Even his wife is not speaking to me,” she added.
She has since taken the car to a workshop in Jalan Kempas 2, Tampoi Indah 2, where repairs cost her a further RM6,000.
Tribunal president Lee Chee Thim ordered the mechanic to refund the RM4,450 to Rossuriani within fortnight.
Members of the public requiring tribunal assistance can contact 07-227 1755 / 1766 or visit the office at Level 17, Menara Ansar in Jalan Trus, Johor Baru.
Opening hours are 8am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday, and 8am to 4pm on Friday.
