Operation Repo Real or Fake? (Spoilers)
By: Blake
When I first saw Operation Repo I loved it. Seeing these crazy people having their vehicles repoed was very entertaining, but after I watched a few episodes I started to wonder how this repo team could possibly encounter this many insane people… every episode! I did some looking online and have found that many other people have had the same suspicion as me and I have ultimately come to the conclusion that the show is fake, for several reasons.
One odd thing I noticed is that the Operation Repo team doesn’t wear any type of uniform or company logo that shows they are legit and not just stealing. If I were doing a repo, I would want to identify myself to reduce the chance of getting shot while trying to take someones vehicle on their property. If they see that you are working for a repo company they would be more likely to cooperate, besides no uniform just isn’t professional. Instead, Sonya wears her gothic black dress and Matt wears his tattered blue overalls.
Another thing about the show is the outrageous incidents that happen. One show Matt was driving the tow truck with a repoed vehicle hooked to it and was complaining about having to “drop a deuce”. He ended up flipping the car they were towing because he couldn’t hold it in. The “boss” Lou fired him and rehired him the next day.
The most obvious red flag is the disclaimer at the beginning of the show. It basically says that the show is reenactments of actual events. I’ve been looking online for the disclaimer and have had no luck. Luckily I had some Operation Repo shows still recorded on my DVR. This is the entire disclaimer for Operation Repo:
The stories that are portrayed in this program are based on real events. The names of the characters were changed in order to protect their identities… and some honor.
There you have it.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Unbelievably, my twenty year old son figured out this show was fake before me. As far as Dog the Bounty hunter, he and his crew don’t wear uniforms… I do NOT want to know if their show is fake too!
July 28th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Maybe, I think so because you are right lou did fire and then rehire matt. I wonder.
August 15th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
I don’t care what anyone says, the show is REAL! What, you can’t fire someone and hire them back the next day. That happens all the time. When the person that fires you cools off and has time to think about it, sometimes they change their mind. And to answer the question why each episode there is a lot of drama, it is because they only show us the interesting epidodes we want to see. Do you think we would be interested is seeing them reposses a car in the middle of the night while everyone is sleep, how boring would that be.
August 18th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
I’m so bummed and feel stupid and kinda betrayed. I thought I could trust tru tv and discovery as fact. What a naive dork, so does that mean the hauntng is fake too? I know its re-enactments, but do the stories have any hint of truth? BUMMER!!!!!! anyway, I was always wondering why they didn’t use a tazer instead of pepper spray–whoopee!!! well, I guess I’ going to clear that series off my series recording. Does this mean ghosthunters is fake? If it is, its boring cuz we never get to see half of the stuff. well, I’m going to go pout for a while. TOTALLY BUMMED!!!!
August 25th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Is it me or has anyone else noticed that the episode where the girl lets the suv go into the lake is the same place where they repo the jet skies? Also, the episode I just watched when they repo the burned mitsubishi montero looked like the one the crazy guy burned in a earlier episode. Just wondering if you all noticed this also
August 29th, 2009 at 2:58 am
I was so upset when I found out this show was fake! I really liked it. My Husband pointed out several mistakes that the production team made. One episode the one where Matt found the raw chicken in the trunk. It was the newest one. Once Matt opens the trunk if you look close enough the trunk was lined with black trash bags. You can see the duck tape holding it together. Later in the show they had a police officer come and pick up a suspect. If you look at the police car there is no making on the car. It is a black and white car that looks like one but no decals on the car. When the Cop gets out of the car he is alone! IN LAS ANGLES! The funny thing was his uniform had no badges at all. He had a badge, but if you look close he was wearing high tops! Not police shoes that is required for his job, not to mention the 80’s style sunglass on his head, even thought it was in the evening with no sun. Again Sonia and the daughter went to repo a SUV that was burnt. If you look at the car it is burnt, but someone cleaned it. There was no glass, and if you look close there is no engine! You can tell by the way the front of the car was sitting. If you look close all the interer was taken out! No dash board, or anything? Why didn’t the car’s tires burn? And why if it burned can you still see the paint on the car. Another thing is the house in the background is empty, but the 2 guys claim that they live there. Come on, no one lives in that house! I just thought it was real and I really liked the show, but I can now tell it is fake, so I don’t even watch it now. I watch DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER! Now that show is real!
August 31st, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Ya I love this show but unfortunatly its reinactments. It did take me a few episodes to realize it. I was a former marine and it wasn’t till i saw some fight seens where I noticed how scripted all the “moves” were. It is still a damn funny show!
September 1st, 2009 at 1:00 am
LOL.. it’s obviously fake. I just googled it because my friend and I just got into an argument. We just saw our first episode. I said it was fake.. he thought it was real. He thought bangbus was realt too…. what a sucker.
Actually it wasn’t hard for me to figure out it was fake.. the acting of the “customers” was horrible. Plus all reality shows are scripted…sad.
September 1st, 2009 at 3:50 am
The show is half real half reenactment. When I saw the episode where Matt gets kicked in the balls by the son of an elderly man who was getting his car repoed, that was when it struck me that its a fake. The “fight” was worse than the wwe or wwf. It looked so fake it was laughable. Im kinda pissed because I recently started watching it and i was actually digging it. If it was real, Matt, when recovered, would have ripped that kids head off. I feel duped too!! Nice fake wrestling moves Operation Repo…
September 1st, 2009 at 4:11 pm
I am so dissapointed,I watch this show every Monday on Tru-tv I thought it was so so real.
so dissapointed
September 1st, 2009 at 7:43 pm
This show is for sure fake. Far too many outrageous things happen and the people are almost always there waiting and ready for their car to get repo-ed. Pay attention and you will catch mistakes that couldnt happen in real life.
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:09 am
of course its fake why do u think they have a wrestler? And in every fight look how pre scripted it looks, like when that guy got beat up by the bikers why didnt they show his face after they picked him up from the floor? it didnt even look like they kept hitting him like one punch is gonna cause that much HOLLYWOOD scaring hahahahhaha.
September 14th, 2009 at 12:15 am
This is to Valerie Bostic, for August 15th. You are an idiot. Do not defend this crap. It is people like you that keep this inaccurate television show on TV. Do a google search and get a clue. Or watch the show and use common sense.
September 21st, 2009 at 10:43 pm
in 1 episode a crazy guy tazers matt. but who gives a f@#! hes and A$$hole!
November 6th, 2009 at 1:58 am
Check out wikipedia. They even say the show is fake
November 13th, 2009 at 3:59 am
At first I thought it was real, but after watching it several times, especially recently, it’s totally fake, and Matt is always breaking something, and some hot chick is always jumping on them. Matt pretends to hit people or get hit. Just plain stupid.
November 19th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Who Cares it’s stuff funny as hell.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:27 am
this is a fake ass show hahahahah
December 16th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
I had a feeling operation repo was fake. Its to bad couse operation repo could have been a great show if it were live and real.
I used to like dog the bounty hunter but I think it’s a lame lately. If you want real action no BS then watch the first reality show that started the whole reality craze…COPS. At least you know that’s real and raw. I am tired of watching dog run after someone screaming yelling at someone and they turn out to being no threat at all. Dog the bounty hunter is
Crap period. I watch it now just to laugh at dog when he over reacts.
January 2nd, 2010 at 3:13 am
I thought it was real until I watched this one episode. They were trying to repo this rich guys car and he was drinking beer from a bottle. He took the bottle and hit Lou on the head with it. The bottle shattered into a hundred pieces immediately. It was obviously a prop. There are videos on the net where people smack themselves in the head with beer bottles and they do NOT break like that.
January 7th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
The episode when they went to Compton to get a car, 3 gangbangers came out and not one of them threw a punch. Plus the bat they came out with was taken away by a FAT slow guy! In real life, blood would have been spilled. THE SHOW IS A FAKE!
January 8th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
I was hooked on this show until I watched my 2nd episode when the crazy Michael Jackson wannabe wouldn’t let his DeLorean go without a fight…and a moonwalk. It just seemed TOO crazy. I then started to realize that all these people seemed to be acting - poorly might I add. You could tell they were waiting to say their lines. Ridiculous. I understand reality is scripted most of the time, but don’t try and make it come off as real. Just like MTV’s crap - it’s not reality, it’s annoying. DOG The Bounty Hunter does not seem fake to me. They just don’t appear to be acting, nor do they have a crappy disclaimer at the beginning of their show. Sonia is just a Beth wannabe!! Stupid show - don’t waste your time!
January 13th, 2010 at 1:22 am
LOL too all you people out there saying “even wikipedia says it”, are you fucking retarted or what. Wikipedia is not an accurate nor creditable website for any form of research, lol go to the fucking library and read a fucking book you mooks.
P.S Just case you see something online dosent mean its all true…..use your heads people
January 20th, 2010 at 12:40 pm
operation repo is lame and everyone one there is a horrible actor. this show should be cancelled
January 25th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Man what a let down. My brother in law told me it was fake and I swear at that moment it was like finding out Santa was a sham!! But everyone is absolutely right. There weere just too many red flags. There is no way that they come in contact with these insane crazy people every single episode. Midgets, XXX models, Gangbangers, ninjas…I mean COME On!! It all makes sense now. I cant understand why this would be on TRU TV if it is staged. Lou as a former Marine (allegedly)should be ashamed of this fraud.
January 29th, 2010 at 2:42 am
ok people if you will notice that it says that there based on real events so that suggests renactments but i saw one episode where the head camera guy was getting the guy to sighn papers to show that footage on tv. if you’ll also notice that the ones with the blurred faces are real ones no actors. they’re a real repo company but obviously all the repos are not that intence but why would they waste their time renacting or showing the boring ones. also they don’t just go pushing guys around with no reason obiously they feel threatend and they do it out of self defence. ive just read a lot of bull on these forums of sceptics that think they know every thing.
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:55 am
I knew it was fake because whenever they call the police, they arrive on scene in minutes. This never happens!
February 24th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
You mean to tell me that everything I see and hear on the TV isn’t real? Damn, does this mean that Star Trek was “fake” to?
March 6th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Yeah I knew it looked funny… its kinda like Pokemon they always all where the same clothes haha!
March 14th, 2010 at 3:19 am
The show is fake. If someone was repossessing your car, plane, or helicopter, wouldn’t you wonder why there were people there with cameras? I think it would be one of the first things I would ask. Yet, no one ever asks about them. Also they show no identification, no paperwork, and in one episode immediately put a guy in a headlock then ‘repossessed’ his helicopter. Right before this they had mentioned how careful they would have to be since the events of 9/11. This was being careful? Not once did they mention they were repossessing his helicopter until they had taken his log book and started it up.
I’ve never had a repossession but, it seems to me that would have to show some type of identification or paperwork prior to taking your car or truck away. I also noticed that several of the policeman that did show up on the few episodes I watched had on uniform shirts with blue jeans. It also says at the beginning of the show that it is a reenactment. I still find it slightly entertaining. If nothing else it is different. Tonight when watching it I thought how great it would be if the TLC group from ‘What Not To Wear’ could get hold of the people on this show. Especially Sonia. Surely she’s kidding with the makeup, jewelry, and clothes.
March 14th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Have you also noticed that anytime the police get involved they do not have any patches on their arm that identifies what city or county they are with? The Police car doesn’t say it either, it most the time just says Police.
March 15th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
These are a family of fat “arrogant low-level-class” latinos that have the chance to be on TV; all of them show their ignorance by celebrating and laughing at the drama that went on everytime they do a repo….that is a true sign of people without education. They don’t even verify their information before they take a car or other property. Now, that fat lady with tatoos (whoever that is…) also became a “blond wannabe”…stupid look! and the other fat that shouts he was a “marine” before…a “shame for the marines”, Iwould say, with that stomach? a marine?. Get them off the air!
SHAME FOR AMERICAN TV…
March 15th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
I AGREE…EVERY REPO IS A “KNOCK DOWN DRAG OUT” THIS IS SO FAKE BECAUSE I DOUBT PPL WOULD BE SO ANGRY EVERY SINGLE TIME, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY SEE CAMERAMEN RECORDING THEM!! YOU HAVE TO AGREE TO BE ON NATIONAL TV SO THEY HAVE TO AGREE TO BE ON THE SHOW DUH!!!
March 16th, 2010 at 3:30 am
Believe me guys this is no fake. have u seen all of these low budgets movies with so many bad actors. if this was fake there would be so many bad actors in here that it would be obvious but there is none and i am good of telling the difference so all you hate shut the f up and go on with your miserable life
March 18th, 2010 at 12:40 pm
the worst episode is when they repo the helecopter. the man just walks into his office where matt is waitng for him then matt jumps him for no reason he basicly beats the crap out of him the man didn do anything wrong!!! they always try and act like secret agents or somthing never knocking on doors and asking the owner to sign anything they try and sneak the car oyt wich never works why would it wih that loud ass truck there all 300 + pounds and how do they always know excactly where the car is they go to restarraunts and stuff an knw exactly where it is everytime but i love it
March 28th, 2010 at 6:09 pm
It is fairly easy to tell it is fake. Everyone who feels it is real should look at the facts. You can be ignorant and ignore the facts but this show is FAKE.
March 29th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
Show is obviously fake… too many things to list. Even if the events really took place the disclaimer at the beginning of the show tells you the events are purely reenactments anyways. Wikipedia as mentioned before also tells all.
March 29th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
I stuck up for this show but then i did a little research and yes froy is in fact a make up artist he was a make up artist for the movie ali and another movie you can even google his name and his pic pops up with the movies so… now i am having serious doubts that maybe some of these episodes have been scripted and maybe even all. but go ahead if you dont belive me google ali make up artist or even just his name
April 20th, 2010 at 4:07 am
People, just read the disclaimer at the beginning of the show: ” The stories that are portrayed in this program are BASED on real events.
The names of the characters were changed in order to protect their identities…and some honor. ”
BASED on real events means FAKE. And if you have to read the disclaimer to discover this, well that’s just sad. After the first 20 minutes I knew the show was BS without even seeing the disclaimer.
Case closed. Move along here folks… nothing to see.
April 27th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
lol its clearly fake - lets the diclaimer as much says so . not to mention repo people are under strict laws. they cant fight , they cant man handle people , they cant break into peoples property . if you watch it its clearly acting too . as for dog the bounty hunter he is for real - his diclaimer just says dont try this at home . and dog can legally man handle people .
May 11th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
This show is re-enactments based off of real events, but of course the re-enactments are more dramatised for entertainment purposes. If you really pay attention you can tell that those are re-enactments. For one thing most repos are done late at night. Another thing is that the people are always right there on the scene when their car is about to get repossessed and you can tell that many of them are overreacting about getting their cars repoed. The repo people never show any kind of I.D. and at times they don’t present any paperwork from the finance companies. Even when they do have paperwork, the people that are getting their cars repossessed never ask to read them. And it is very unlikely that any reputable repo people would be dressed like that, especially Sonia. She is made up like that to make the show interesting. And the biggest red flag are the confrontations. There is no way that they could pepper spray people, hit people, push people, and put choke holds on people like they do without breaking the law. And many times the people had not even touched them. If that was real, those people would be filing assault and battery charges against them left and right. I really liked the show and I wanted to believe for the longest that the show was real, but after awhile I finally had to concede that it wasn’t. But the real clencher is you never hear anybody call Sonia a fat ugly b$tch. If that was real those people would be calling her all kinds of fat, ugly, b$tches, especially when she is all up in their faces,talking crazy to them and trying to take their car.
June 1st, 2010 at 2:08 am
I watched this show 4 or 5 times and I was like wow how crazy are those folks in Los Angeles?! I mean EVERYONE freaks and no one calmly says yeah, you’re right I haven’t made a payment in 3 months. I know we live in a crazy world but there really are lot’s of people who still have some dignity.My late husband and his best friend worked for a repo company and 90% of people willingly turn over the keys and all of them are highly embarrassed about losing the vehicle. They did run into a few who got angry and if they could not get the person to hand over the keys calmly, thye police were called. No fights no screaming (well people losing the cars screamed not repo guys) I knew this show was fake when the girls went to repo a car that was not returned by a fired employee. The uy did not tell his wife and she was surprised but still on the husbands side. Realisticlly she’s gonna beat him down and yell at him for not telling her!
June 25th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
I am shocked that some of you EVER believed it was real. I just got done watching one scene and came on the internet to confirm because it was so blatently fake. Is America this dumb……I am scared for our future.
WOW JUST WOW
July 11th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
The show is FAKE. Not reenactments, not dramatizations… 100% fake. Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (which has been enacted in all 50 states with minor deviations), does allow a private party to make a “self-help” repossession when a debtor defaults on an obligation. However, such a repossession must not constitute a “breach of the peace.” A breach of the peace can be something as simple as taking the collateral over the debtor’s verbal objection. Any use of physical force or intimidation is always a breach of the peace. Therefore, this show is 100% fake. Case closed.
July 12th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Yep, I agree that it’s fake. It reminds me of Reno 911 without the comedians. Very obviously staged and as a former cameraman, I can assure you that you don’t get those beautiful angles and lighting without pre-planning.
July 13th, 2010 at 5:24 am
That half the people figured out it’s fake surprises me given what a mass of dumb f’ers I live around. Now the idiots are defending “All Worked Up” as real.
Reminds me of a guy who told me how he know pro wrestling is fake and then proceeded to proclaim, “that move was real”, “that was real, he really hit him”, …
Beam me up Scottie, there’s no sign of intelligent life here!