GARAGE BLACK LIST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20596, 21 June 1930, Page 27 (Supplement)

GARAGE BLACK LIST.

MOTOR BILKERS' PROBLEM.

ORGANISATION IN ENGLAND.

An organisation is being formed among motor garage proprietors in England to put a stop to the great amount of motor " bilking " which takes place every year. It is stated that garago proprietors esti male their annual loss through this cause at £150,000. This is chiefly brought about through people running cars when they cannot actually afford to do so. discussing . the. problem they have to contend with, the representative of a big London garage .stated lately that, on an average each.garage.proprietor lost £SO a year through these causes. "It costs about £2 a week to. run the average car ; and many people cannot afford this sum, he said. " They frequently contract lia-. bilit'ies beyond their means. " Jn theory credit is not given to motorists; but, unfortunately, in actual practice, one month is becoming the rule. - A man brings his second-hand car, which he may have bought, for about £2O, and places it in tile garage. He pays the first week or two, and then lets payments slide, and when- he cannot clear off the deficit, he transfers the cflr to another garage anc ' repeats the dose. • This is continued until he is stoppod.-- He-then has to sell the car. :

" I know of ono man earning £3 a week who has a cheap car, and although it costs him £2 a week to run, he goe3 for week-ends to Brighton and Margate. Such a thing is quite common, and disaster is the result.

"Again, quite recently, a car was garaged at one establishment, taken to another for repair, and garaged at a third place—all within a few weeks, and the total indebtedness of the man, which was left' unpaid, was made up of amounts varying, from £5 to £10." Stops are being taken to deal with the matter; and it is proposed to form a mutual organisation, controlled by members of the motoring ; trado, so that information can bo provided at short notice of such cases. Tho association v ill not collect debts, but its members will be warned against the " bilkers," who go from place to place.