Where does the notion Germans are direct and honest come from when it is entirely untrue?

[ThatNoUVAtYourEyes]

Just in Germany now - they spilled oil on the autobahn so my car skid sideways into the ditch, charged me 1120 euros for the towing - and are playing it was my fault.

(Whether insurance will pay or I will have to, for the repair that will certainly run into thousands or tens of thousands, remains to be seen - what is dead obvious is the whole small town where car repairs seem to be the only business is coy and playing dumb)

Tourist beware

[Anonymous]

I'd say this goes for the socialisation, not how autobahnpolizei does the job. by the way, it's Germany, they do excessively like the justice, why don't you ask some local person you met, about how to complain about this?, to whom, in which style etc. German motorways are full of video cameras, might work. And then you just present your side of the story. You know, in direct and honest way (😉😂).
Direct and honest might mean slightly rude and too straightfoward, if you're from North America, by the way.

[ThatNoUVAtYourEyes]

I did complain. ADAC could not care less since I am not a member.
Direct and honest? The village knows the guy who runs the towing service spills engine oil on the road to cause some business. There is even a bridge with oil marks/spillage on it right above where my skidding started. Autobahn polizei have not contacted the kriminalpolzei. Presumably I am expected to be saving the village?

[Opinion Owner]

Wow, I've heard some crap about Germany but this is a new level of pragmatism. Maybe this local business boss is bribing the autobahnpolizei? Or police officer is FROM that town and rather trusts them than you? Maybe contact directly someone above them? Do you speak German? Ask on a forum somewhere, maybe there's more such issues? Loosely cause a sort of a drama? Go into media with other witnesses/victims of that repairing workshop?
Which province are you in? Which town is it? by the way I'm sure there must be some tv show on some of larger german tv stations that's into "investigation of small people problems with shady organisations / people of power / mistreatment by the government. If you find it, you can maybe threat those shady business owners that you will expose them to tv. Just first research what the main journalist name is, so that you look serious enough.
I live in a small country, there are such shows, and such strange cases where some self-proclaimed boss of a village is torturing everyone just because he has money - such and similar cases are always ik the reportages. Journalists love drama, you get support from people, evildoers feel disarmed. Maybe take into consideration? It's also much more powerful later in court if people who are not you, made a video recording of the issue going on. Plus, public exposure with visual evidences makes that local creep or creeps unable to say "no one ever heard about this and you are making it up". I mean even if you won't go into this, even every other little step can help someone who will be affected after you... What if someone crashes themselves into death after skidding on the oil? Let's say weather conditions are in several ways worse? 🙈

[ThatNoUVAtYourEyes]

Gees Louise - I used to drive Aachen to Pasau via Frankurt and Nuremberg. Never felt like... pleasure but I always thought Germans were just victimised by... who knows, the Pope. Or some big dark force.
Who am I going to call? Sure, i know people from the European Commission in Brussels but honestly - no one pays me for any of this, they wrecked my car, the insurance is giving me a hard time and want me to pay for all involved expenses so far first (and they can always claim later it was my fault - where exactly will I find a forensics engineer to check what actually happened)? And do what, pay more to rescue Germany from its problems? I'm not a sheik of any kind, my money was incredibly hard to earn, I missed out on most of private life and all of having a family dealing with similar shit in Brussels - and when I discovered the EC was hacked they dumped me to Luxembourg where a car hit me on a pedestrian crossing; to try to take that to court over there is a total non-starter - you can just tell from the beginning they'll fuck you over big time.
Have told autobahnpolizei now I think someone spills oil onto the motorway - that the sign to slow down or beware of the slippery road or wind is not there - they mostly shrugged their shoulders.
It isn't like Belgium is much better - you also get set up and get declared guilty until you prove otherwise (so you get to work at 200% for equal money as the slackers who all have children and wives - that is called 'solidarity')

[ThatNoUVAtYourEyes]

As far as I am concerned, drug lords are running the show and it isn't exactly my job to deal with any of it. According to ADAC I am a) not a member, b) not German thus could not be one (the lady on the phone was on my side until I said I am not German, then the guilt became mine).
It is Pforzheim. The car that was parked in front of the garage (Auto-Schirdewan) next to the big oil stain on the road (there are plenty around that garage/towing service) drove past me in anger/loud engine and speeding - you reckon it's accidental, or, say - threatening?
Feel free to deal with it, I have enough similar issues wherever I go, and heroism, according to me, is narcissistic (not just dangerous) - locals or other Germans should be dealing with this, not me. I have enough of my own problems as it is (maybe some form of German feds are already looking into this - honestly, how would I have any clue?)

[Opinion Owner]

Yes it's true locals should have been concerned with this not a visitor... Hm...
So if I'm getting it correctly, you used to work for European Commission and now wherever you go, you (amd your family members?) run into such things? Is somebody wanting to... Get rid of you? Wth have you discovered about EU man... That is NOT normal, maybe your route is being followed and predicted as you are convenient to... Disappear?:/ I don't know I know I'm probably overdramatising but I am just picking from all you say...

[ThatNoUVAtYourEyes]

It isn't that _this_ follows me.
I just still have the vibe of 'stick with the rules' the crooks find upsetting.
Do you happen to know how one should go about finding a lawyer in Germany?
As I understand, it is regional here? Does each state have its own tegulation?

The towers bank payments terminal refuses cards without even contacting the bank - they were probably disconnected after fraud reports, or they did it themselves to get cash, give you no receipt, and you can never ask for a refund.
I think this calls for a lawyer to get involved, before I pay them (maybe they are not even allowed to hold my car hostage)

[Opinion Owner]

I don't know about Germany but I know in my country, foreigner-non foreigner, same thing - if you want a lawyer, you can find them anywhere in any town having their private offices. Walk around the some nearby larger town, you'll run into few of them, mostly in nicer, pedestrian or market streets? ... Write e. g. Aachen, lawyer in google search (but in german language), here you'll get search results with their locations and bussiness phone numbers, emails amd working hours (if you pick one and Google it separately, often any small bussiness will then show even working hours, I swear I searched dentist like this, because I was aiming at very odd hours, late afternoon when majority of dentists don't work anymore. The working times info sometimes isn't even visible on their site - so they obv somehow updated that themselves for Google to show.) I think it's same in Germany, because I know this thing works in majority of central/eastern/southern Europe. That much I've travelled. (Never been to Germany though, so I'm a bit insecure, but that's what logics tell me.)

[Opinion Owner]

Ask also locals on some local forum... Ask people from southern slavic countries on some forums too lol :p. We're tight on money and mastered finding the best price/qulity ratio in original countries. Those who emmigrated to Germany often brag how great Germany is, super full-of-justice-land, etc. I mean I heard this story, among others : a guy fell from construction site, bruised the head, sought some lawyer SPECIALISED (I mean he focused in his work) in the construction sites injuries, and he's super popular between immigrant construction workers. So the guy fell simply because his own leg slipped, but he got 70 000 eur on court because lawyer found the company didn't demand helmets for all workers, rather it was optional. So in this way presented, company endangered his life and traumatised him potentially forever, will he ever be able to work on heights, where to find work now etc blah blah, he won that money and transferred to another company, ofc non traumatised haha. Also if you find south slavic actual lawyers, you can go for it too, it's well known we are super friendly but damn know how to be sly if needed, to simply stay alive in our corrupt original countries. This slyness is rather intended at bureaucracy etc than on another regular person which is too rare. Try. ~? Ask locals or on some forum, if they know a lawyer specialised in that kind of crap. Maybe in the end of the day you also profit!!! 😏

[ThatNoUVAtYourEyes]

Well I was raised in souther slav land.
It will eventually get resolved.
I just a) really did not need this - from Germans especially, b) am not in need of wasting time or mental energy on what was someone's criminal intentions or negligence, c) the political implications I don't remotely want to consider.
This was a journey specifically to _help_ Geanic people I considered my closest allies find a comfortable way forward (ambitious as that may sound). It was already at my personal expense. Now that whole initiative looks rather misguided.

[ThatNoUVAtYourEyes]

*Germanic* not *Geanic*

[ThatNoUVAtYourEyes]

*feels* misguided
A few weeks ago I was entertaining the idea of writing some big software with German partners. And some other really cool things.
Now - sure, it isn't everyone - but the way they expect you wreck a basically brand new car on an oily road - and that insurance (from another country) will finance _their_ repair shops (the insurance guys strictly want it at one of their partner garages, for obvious reasons) - I mean that shows a huge lack of brains, not only ill intentions.
Ça va, I have to add.

[ThatNoUVAtYourEyes]

Ok, so this will sound a bit mystical, but, honestly - for the treatment I have been getting (not exactly caviar and castles with suitable princesses, nor with the loyal royal guard on duty - more like having to explain to every Tom, Dick and Harry how to go about the basics of social life - and then having to argue with severely ill intent to get paid for my work) - why they'd expect me to be willing to keep helping... I cannot find any reason at all.
Sure, being kind - but single and mistreated along the way - they can find Charlemagne elsewhere, Jesus also, or get a Hitler, bugger if I'll be doing any of this charity of graciousness stuff again.

[Opinion Owner]

Wow, where are you from/have lived as a child?
And why did you block me, I couldn't reply at first

[ThatNoUVAtYourEyes]

I didn't block you

[menina]

I have no idea. I didn't know they were seen like that.
Maybe you just had a bad experience with them. It doesn't mean all Germans are like that.

[Anonymous]

You need a good lawyer, and/or support from your insurer.
You'll find assholes, bastards, buggers and bitches in every culture on earth. To label all Germans on the basis of one incident is a bit harsh. German submariners in WW1 used to allow merchant targets to abandon ship before they sank it. Then the English introduced Q-ships. Look it up, and decide who the assholes were.

[ThatNoUVAtYourEyes]

I'd like to think so, but it gets advertised as the 'rules liking' country, engineering quality - so one would expect it to be so.
This is more of the wild west case, and the costs to me are huge.

[Opinion Owner]

That's no reason to cave in and why I suggest not relying on your own resources.

[ThatNoUVAtYourEyes]

Have you ever had any success with something like that?
I did when kriminalpolizei got involved for a car I bought also in Germany, paid for, and never received - once they found the guys.
But not yet for a case without kriminalpolizei being involved.
Maybe I should go report it there (autobahnpolizei were not particularly interested)

[Anonymous]

1120 Euros? Just for towing?

That's insane.

For that money i would expect to be carried away on a cotton wool cloud powered by the wings of angels.

[ThatNoUVAtYourEyes]

Yep.
It took less than 1h total (maybe 10km to cover - there, 15 minutes to load, back, 15 minutes to unload)
They charge 230€ per hour plus VAT = 275€ per _hour_

On top of it, the guy simply waited on the road for 1h (for the traffic to clear, when there was none of it) - and recorded he was there from 2.30am until 6am - so, 3.5h.

They believe my insurance will pay - and, on top of there being a limit at 1250€ for the _entire_ transport back to Belgium (they in turn ask for 1800€ to transport the car from Germany to Belgium, so I will hire a transporter and drive it myself) - I will still get a claim recorded which will up my insurance considerably.

I have no idea how to go about this - to find a lawyer and prosecute it all will take countless hours of my life I will never get back. The stress, in addition to it.

[DryGermanGuy]

What the hell kind of story is this?
I have needed a car towed probably six or seven times in the last twenty years, I always paid between 75€ and 100€, flat fee! I have *never* heard of an hourly paid towing service in Germany. There is so much competition, you just call the next service company, if you don't like the quoted price.

[ThatNoUVAtYourEyes]

This was ADAC subcontractor. Adac responded to my query about this some weeks later, I will double check it but at first glance it was 'we can't help'

[DryGermanGuy]

Yeah, I know and have used these, too. They read "Im Auftrag des ADAC" instead of just "ADAC" on their trucks. Still, never heard of anything else but a flat fee for towing. When I needed one, I just called the first five or six service companies I found online and asked for prices. The cheapest+quickest one I booked. No haggling, no reneging.
I guess for a foreigner in a car crash, having police at your side could help.
You may want to inform the official consumer watchdogs about your case, verbraucherzentrale. de and verbraucherschutz. de.

[karaspara]

😂😂😂 It's called a stereotype they are the same as everyone else