After 35 years in radio, starting as a jock, and finishing at Wollongong’s Wave-FM in 2020 as a sales exec, Barry Sandry became an entrepreneurial handy man. He owns a building business, heyBaz! together with several Jim’s Mowing franchises covering the Illawarra region.

In July, with things going well, Baz bought a brand new Renault van from a local dealer, only to have it forced off the road with gearbox issues. So, he took the van back to the dealer for repairs… where it sat for five weeks which, Barry claims, was costing him $1,000 a day in lost business.

With little urgency shown by the car dealer, Barry, hatched a plan, guaranteed get the dealer’s attention.

Drawing on his wealth of advertising and promotions experience and using only the materials at hand, Barry took another vehicle, with trailer attached, to make a bold statement by blocking the dealer’s driveway. This soon produced the desired effect with Barry invited inside for a chat and a cuppa, while offered alternative parking for his vehicle and trailer

Barry told the Mercury that the vehicle was stuck at the dealership for so long because they advised him they had no one authorised to do the required work, but they needed permission from Renault to release the vehicle back to him for repair elsewhere.

Last we heard, the dealer offered to buy the van back but had not offered any compensation for Barry’s lost income.

Read more in the Illawarra Mercury.