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So my friend, who is unemployed and can't seem to find a job in the software industry, calls me up with a "great" new idea to earn some money. Seems he heard that car repossessors can make up to $300 a car and typically do 10 cars a night. He thinks it is a great idea and wants me to be his partner in crime....literally.
I politely told him no thanks. I don't really like being shot at.
Was I wrong?
I'd say you're right: I don't like being shot at either.
I don't think you were wrong! My ex brother-in-law took part in this adventure and was shot at several times and stabbed once.
We do need folks to do this dangerous job and I'm glad its not me.
'Tain't crime, of course, as the car belongs to the bank and you are acting as their agent. I assume you meant this figuratively.
But it seems that one would be putting oneself in a risky situation without a real need to. I mean, if your family is starving, then you MAY indeed have a real need to - but short of that you would probably do well to pursue another source of income. Sure, I could make more money delivering pizzas than flipping burgers, but I don't see it as being wise or necessary for my family at this point. Same argument here.
Problem is, you're dealing with folks who are desperate, and they may see your removing 'their' car as removing from them the possibility of earning a wage. Thus you would be threatening their family, and they might go postal on you. Or they may see it as an ego thing, thinking you were being disrespectful... and go postal on you. They've already shown themselves to be on the fringe of society in one form or another (foolishness, greed, ego, bad luck, bad health, bad marriage, or any of a million reasons which push them closer to breaking).
I think you made the right decision.
10 a night would be fast, don't know about the price. Expect PO'd "Customers", LOL. Not pretty.
Tell him to watch a few episodes of Operation Repo. See what these guys go through as they repossess cars, and then see if he really wants to do it.
I'll second what 2ndsupporter said about how this occupation could be hazardous to your health.Quote:
Originally Posted by 2ndsupporter
A few years go I decided to take my buddy up on his offer to make some extra money while doing "recoveries" of vehicles used for "car title loans."
One night we finally located the vehicle this person had used for a CTL. The standard rule was when my buddy recovered the vehicle I followed him in his personal vehicle as he drove the forfeited vehicle away.
This one night he managed to unlock the car, put it in neutral and pushed it out of the driveway. He's a big guy! He started the car alerting the owner who ran out the door with a rather large sledgehammer with him. My buddy just barely made it out of harms way with seconds to spare. The next thing I know he's running towards me in my buddy's car with the sledgehammer. I hit the gas & got the heck out of there as quickly as humanly possible.
After that scary incident, NO MORE extra money in such a hazardous line of work. It just isn't worth it!
You made the right decision in declining.
Car repo is a good way to get beaten up or even possibly killed.
Definitely not worth the money or the risk.
Bad example. Operation Repo is Fake. Nonetheless, it is a very dangerous jobQuote:
Originally Posted by Squawker
Repo man? Sounds kinda interesting to me. Maybe Afghanistan for $120k a year wouldn't be so bad either. I think I'd get free meals and lodging with that one.
Ram Rod--
Yes we do; free laundry service too……Along with free sun tanning and all the free sand you want :image035:Quote:
I think I'd get free meals and lodging with that one.
P.S.
Of that $120K......The first $92,600 is income tax exempt too.
Repo guys have very expensive wreckers that allow them to jack cars without ever getting out of the truck, then haul the car to a safer area and strap it in if necessary, but I think a lot of times they don't even stop at all. (so I've been told by a repo guy). Still the threat exists, so if you're cool with the potential for trouble....go for it. I'd imagine it pays very well, cause most people won't do it.
Nothing more irrational than a dead- beat in love with his car that is being towed because he is being ripped off by the financier because he can't call them to make a payment because his old lady stole his cell phone after he got fired for being late for work because he had to go to court for domestic violence when he hit his ex old lady's mom for throwing him out of her trailer after he ate her food.
Been there, done that. Worse than smart mouthed drunks is taking a car from a woman taking her kids to school. Try to feel good about yourself then. If you get 1 or 2 a day you doing good. Remember this is something of a team sport and the pot gets split.
Relative did the repo thing for International Harvester. Try takin' away a farmers combine! Yes...he got shot at.:gah: