Wannabe influencer's 'threat' to garage to get 'free repair work' backfires

A family-run garage who claim they were threatened by a wannabe influencer got their own back when his plan completely backfired.

Dave Aspden said he would 'make or break' car specialists Zaustworx by shaming them on social media when they didn't fit his exhaust for free, it is claimed.

He wanted the business in Darwen, Lancs to remove the cost for fitting the part on his Vauxhall Cavalier in exchange for promoting them in his 22,000-member Facebook car group, report the Manchester Evening News.

The garage were happy to oblige at first and offered to carry out the work - but the Dave reportedly didn't return until weeks later.

After then being told they were booked up until March, the social media mogul allegedly warned them that they would 'regret messing' with him.

Minutes later, Dave left a review on Zaustworx's Facebook page.

In the post he branded them 'cowboys' and 'f***ing morons' for making him wait for the free job.

But it was worker Gary, 52, who had the last say as he hit back - posting their entire exchange, including the negative review, on the firm's own Facebook page to expose Dave's behaviour before warning they 'would not tolerate threats'.

He said in the post: "THATS IT!!!!!!! No more free work for anyone and you can thank Dave Aspden for that."

The post attracted more than 10,000 comments with many branding Dave 'utterly petulant'.

By firing back at the influencer, Zaustworx's page earned treble the following - jumping from 5,700 likes to more than 16,300.

But this wasn't before the garage put up another post saying 'oooops Dave , i think your plan has backfired' - after their page had attracted just the 250 new followers.

Dave has since admitted that he 'lost his temper' but still stands by the fact that the garage should have 'honoured' the job as the fall out could have been 'avoided'.

Gary said: "I had to protect the business, being threatened like that. But the response that it got was unbelievable.

"It blew up, but it blew up in his face, and that could have so easily been the other way round if I hadn't posted the conversation.

"The phone didn't stop ringing, with people booking jobs in and people just ringing with support.

"I booked quite a few jobs in just purely because people had seen that and thought 'I'm going to use him'."

Dave first contacted Zaustworx in October via Facebook Messenger and said: "This is the car I want you to do an exhaust on for me to exchange for me drumming you up some free advertising on my car group of 22,000 and also all my friends on Facebook that are into cars."

Gary replied saying: "Yeah bring it down so I can have a look mate and we will sort something out."

Dave claims he brought the car into the garage and there was a 'handshake' on it - though Gary claims the customer never actually booked the car in for the work to be done.

Gary said: "When he came in, I told him the earliest [we could do it] was February and then when he got in his car, I said 'let us know when you want it doing'.

"He said, 'yep, I will do' and then drove off. So he never contacted us to let us know what date he wanted or anything, and then messaged us [months later] saying are we still alright for February."

When Gary told him they were now booked up in February and it would need to be March, the customer flew into a rage and said: "Are you going to stand by your word and get it done February?

"If not let me know and I'll sort something out but trust me you'll regret messing me about with my social media following."

After the garage exposed the row online, Dave discussed it with other social media users and admitted he was 'wrong to lose his temper' but still maintained that the garage were in the wrong.

Dave wrote: "That is the thing, people only know half the story. Zaustworx and I had shaken hands on a deal and when I went to see him about 7 weeks ago but as usual only half the story ends up on social media.

"If you ask me to do a job and I shake your hand that is my word it’ll be done on the day we agreed whether it’s a free job or you’re paying me 10k.

"If he couldn't do it when he said then he shouldn't have agreed the deal with me after talking in person.

"I shouldn't have lost my temper, granted but at the same time he should have also honoured his handshake or just say he can't do it and all this would have been avoided."

When approached for comment, Dave said: "There was a deal made between myself and Zaustworx in person that we shook hands on."