A man protective of his sister is now warning all women that they should not visit a mechanic alone after her experience trying to get an oil change.
The video comes from creator Rufa (@nycrufaa), who posted the video on Friday and has already received more than 1.6 million views for his efforts. In it, he records himself imploring all women to avoid what he claims will be an inevitable trap in which a mechanic will "prey" on a woman with an inflated oil change price.
He starts, "Please, if you're a woman, please run. I'm begging you to not go to the mechanic alone, bro."
He then reports that his sister saw a check engine light come onto her car, and he advised her to get an oil change to remedy this issue.
"You probably need oil," he says he told her. "Go to the nearest mechanic and ask him for an oil change, not synthetic. Just [a] regular oil change."
When 40 minutes went by, he says he grew concerned and called her. She said a nice mechanic was about to do the oil change for her, but added, "You didn't tell me an oil change was so expensive." She then reported the man offered to drop it from its usual $250 to $190, which set off his alarm bells. After confirming she hadn't yet paid anything, the TikToker says he ordered his sister to leave.
"They prey on girls like you, bro. They literally prey on it, bro," he implores. "And I know damn well, it's some guy that barely speaks any English. Some Arab guy."
He then adds, "I'm Arab. I know for a fact it was probably one of those people." His bio includes an Arab flag and also identifies him as a "Coptic Orthodox Christian," which Brittanica notes is a member of an "Oriental Orthodox church and principal Christian church in predominantly Muslim Egypt," which also has dioceses in the United States
"Because $190 for an oil change?" he concludes. "You're going to give me the oil jug with it."
According to a LendingTree article from October 2023, "While the amount you pay for an oil change can vary, the average cost of an oil change can range from $35 to $125, depending on a number of factors."
Synthetic oil vs. conventional oil is a big one, and while Rufa maintained his sister should just get conventional oil, some cars require synthetic oil.
The article also noted location can be a factor, stating, "The estimated price for an oil change on a 2019 Subaru Outback in Birmingham, Ala., is $105.67. In New York City, meanwhile, the same oil change will likely cost you closer to $145.35."
Commenters on the video also discussed the discrepancies.
"Anything above 50$ is not worth it," one claimed.
Another shared, "My grandpa is no longer here, just us ladies of the household. Mechanic said synthetic oil is better, is this true? Charged me $79 for oil & air filter." Someone went into the comments to say that was a good price.
Someone else complained, "I paid 370$!"
As to the assertion that mechanics inflate prices for women who come in by themselves, one said, "I dress like a whole dude and go to the Toyota dealership," with a laughing emoji. "I get an oil change and an all-round inspection for $111 lol."
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via email.
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