# gas inspectors scam



## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

I know this is a "well worked " topic, but yesterday two guys turned up, saying they were Repsol inspectors. Suspicions aroused when I looked closely at the elblem on their shirts which read "Resol" not "Repsol"

From this forum, I knew Repsol will never send an inspector without writing to you 1st. Therefore i refused them entry. They then went down to my neighibour, who was leaving at the time and actually blocked his car from leaving (200mts away but in plain sight) Pepe was smart enough to tell them he was going into town and didn't have the time to deal with them and he would ask me to keep an eye them and if they they were not gone in a few minutes call the police.


This is in the Cocentaina/Muro/ Alcoy/Millena area.


Two men both mid 30's both about 5 ft 10 to 6ft tall and dark hair(very short), wearing very dark blue shirts and black trousers, driving a black Seat Ibiza( I didn't get the reg) one speaks english


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

dunmovin said:


> I know this is a "well worked " topic, but yesterday two guys turned up, saying they were Repsol inspectors. Suspicions aroused when I looked closely at the elblem on their shirts which read "Resol" not "Repsol"
> 
> From this forum, I knew Repsol will never send an inspector without writing to you 1st. Therefore i refused them entry. They then went down to my neighibour, who was leaving at the time and actually blocked his car from leaving (200mts away but in plain sight) Pepe was smart enough to tell them he was going into town and didn't have the time to deal with them and he would ask me to keep an eye them and if they they were not gone in a few minutes call the police.
> 
> ...


yes, well worked as you say

but a reminder never hurts - people DO get scammed all the time, so it's clear that not everyone knows about it

and there are a few members here in that area, so the description is useful, too


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

My parents were scammed two weeks after they moved here so they were very vulnerable and simply assumed the inspectors were honest. They charged them €135 to inspect and replace one hose. Their landlord refused to refund the money. They did around 200 homes that week and the police said that once invited into your home there is nothing they can do about it.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

dunmovin said:


> I know this is a "well worked " topic, but yesterday two guys turned up, saying they were Repsol inspectors. Suspicions aroused when I looked closely at the elblem on their shirts which read "Resol" not "Repsol"
> 
> From this forum, I knew Repsol will never send an inspector without writing to you 1st. Therefore i refused them entry. They then went down to my neighibour, who was leaving at the time and actually blocked his car from leaving (200mts away but in plain sight) Pepe was smart enough to tell them he was going into town and didn't have the time to deal with them and he would ask me to keep an eye them and if they they were not gone in a few minutes call the police.
> 
> ...


Well done on not being sucked in!!! a good reminder 

Jo xxx


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

thrax said:


> My parents were scammed two weeks after they moved here so they were very vulnerable and simply assumed the inspectors were honest. They charged them €135 to inspect and replace one hose. Their landlord refused to refund the money. They did around 200 homes that week and the police said that once invited into your home there is nothing they can do about it.


I don't understand that. Is it not illegal to 
A. Sell you a service that is not needed, ie tell you that something is required when it is not.
B. Impersonate people from a company where you are not employed.
C. Charge over the odds.


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## Guest (Nov 27, 2011)

You have called the police, correct? 
Thanks for passing the info along. I will never forgive the mother **** who scammed my grandmother.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I don't understand that. Is it not illegal to
> A. Sell you a service that is not needed, ie tell you that something is required when it is not.
> B. Impersonate people from a company where you are not employed.
> C. Charge over the odds.


According to the police who showed up, no it is not illegal as long as you have invited them in. Or perhaps it means, the police are not interested in looking into this matter


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

i had two come to my gate a while back. Didnt let them in cos we dont have gas 
Neighbour was caught about a year ago though


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

thrax said:


> According to the police who showed up, no it is not illegal as long as you have invited them in. Or perhaps it means, the police are not interested in looking into this matter


Yes, but they were invited in under false pretences.

I know, I know. It would seem that the police don't want to/ can't go any further on this, but they should be made aware that their excuse is pathetic.


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## nigele2 (Dec 25, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes, but they were invited in under false pretences.
> 
> I know, I know. It would seem that the police don't want to/ can't go any further on this, but they should be made aware that their excuse is pathetic.


I reckon if you come across these guys you should invite them in and then blow their brains out. After all they entered voluntarily so no crime has been committed  Do take care though or you might blow away a real gas/electric representative 

ps If the Guardia do not follow this sort of thing up what the hell do they do all day?


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## Guest (Dec 3, 2011)

Just a quick update for all that read this thread:

Our town is being hit by a scam in which someone is calling houses to say the Town Hall is going to send someone to inspect water quality. This *is* a scam, and if anyone receives a call like this, make sure to check with your town hall before letting anyone in your house!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Seriously though, would you invite unexpected gas/ water/ drive tarmacers/ meter readers into your house in the UK/ USA??
I wouldn't have, and I wouldn't here either. 
I'm lucky in the sense that I have a high metal fence and hedge around the house and I have an intercom phone thingy, so I can "screen" people before I open the door to them. I quite simply never open the door to this kind of caller and have never never let someone like that into my home. So, I might miss out now and then on the demonstration of a Kirby vacuum cleaner, but I can live with that.

My advice is, don't ever let people like this into your house.
And if you don't fully understand the language, even more so!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Seriously though, would you invite unexpected gas/ water/ drive tarmacers/ meter readers into your house in the UK/ USA??
> I wouldn't have, and I wouldn't here either.
> I'm lucky in the sense that I have a high metal fence and hedge around the house and I have an intercom phone thingy, so I can "screen" people before I open the door to them. I quite simply never open the door to this kind of caller and have never never let someone like that into my home. So, I might miss out now and then on the demonstration of a Kirby vacuum cleaner, but I can live with that.
> 
> ...


in the UK they *do *just knock on the door to read your meter though, because in older properties the meters are indoors (usually under the stairs) , so yes, I would & have done so there - but not for anything other than to read a meter, but that isn't an issue here because meters all seem to be accessible from outside the property

& of course I asked for ID - 
though let's face it ID is easily faked these days


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## Guest (Dec 3, 2011)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Seriously though, would you invite unexpected gas/ water/ drive tarmacers/ meter readers into your house in the UK/ USA??
> I wouldn't have, and I wouldn't here either.
> I'm lucky in the sense that I have a high metal fence and hedge around the house and I have an intercom phone thingy, so I can "screen" people before I open the door to them. I quite simply never open the door to this kind of caller and have never never let someone like that into my home. So, I might miss out now and then on the demonstration of a Kirby vacuum cleaner, but I can live with that.
> 
> ...


PW, my dear old grandmother was scammed out of big money because she trusted the wrong people. For that reason, even though these sort of things go against common sense, I thought it was a good idea to post the new scam here.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

halydia said:


> PW, my dear old grandmother was scammed out of big money because she trusted the wrong people. For that reason, even though these sort of things go against common sense, I thought it was a good idea to post the new scam here.


I don't doubt it halydia. 
It *is* a good idea to post about scams. I hope everybody continues to do so.
However, it's also a good idea to apply common sense in Spain, so my advice stays the same as in my previous post - don't let the bu**ers in in the first place.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

The gas guys who scammed us did have very official looking ID, with a Junta de Andalucia stamp, and we even rang their "head office" to check!

We had been reading about legal requirements to have gas appliances regularly checked a few weeks before, so we were completely taken in.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> The gas guys who scammed us did have very official looking ID, with a Junta de Andalucia stamp, and we even rang their "head office" to check!
> 
> We had been reading about legal requirements to have gas appliances regularly checked a few weeks before, so we were completely taken in.


Well obviously some scams are more elaborate than others, and an ID with an official stamp on looks very convincing, but I've never even got as far as checking ID. If I don't know they're coming they don't get in through the front gate let alone the front door. I'd rather not get what ever service they're offering, or get labelled as being an unfriendly old cow than get scammed...
but that's just me.


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## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Well obviously some scams are more elaborate than others, and an ID with an official stamp on looks very convincing, but I've never even got as far as checking ID. If I don't know they're coming they don't get in through the front gate let alone the front door. I'd rather not get what ever service they're offering, or get labelled as being an unfriendly old cow than get scammed...
> but that's just me.


if you didn't invite/ask them to visit or there was not a written notification, chances are it's a scam. You are not being "an unfriendly old cow" just someone wise enough not to be taken for a fool:ranger:


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

dunmovin said:


> if you didn't invite/ask them to visit or there was not a written notification, chances are it's a scam. You are not being "an unfriendly old cow" just someone wise enough not to be taken for a fool:ranger:


Well, I probably *am* an unfriendly old cow at times, but a smart one!!


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