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24 Hour Auto (aka Coast To Coast Transmissions, Nationwide Transmissions, And Now TransmissionCiti Continues to rip people off!! Denton Texas
The owner of this company is attempting to make another fresh start. Operated out of his Denton shop "24 Hour Auto" (a misnomer in itself), the company formerly known as Coast to Coast Transmissions and Nationwide Transmissions is now reborn under the new name TransmissionCiti.com
I don't want to see this new venture succeed because the Owner is immoral, unethical and just a plain jerk.
My husband used to work for this company, owned by Larry Duncan, but quit in October a month before it was apparently raided by the police and FBI. He quit because the company was a complete rip-off for most of the customers. He never was paid for the last week he worked along with the two other employees who quit the same day. Larry made claims that these three ex-employees deleted files and removed files from the "office", which is a complete fabrication. He gave this as a reason for withholding their checks.
The owner tried his best to make everything legal and up front, but still be able to trick people into purchasing his service by stretching and twisting the truth. Customers are under the impression that they are contacting this company to make repairs on their vehicles' transmissions, which his shop does locally. But what people get when they contact the company through the website is a "Transmission Repair Broker." Basically he tricks people into paying him to find a shop in their general area to rebuild the transmission. In some areas he has developed relationships with shops, but in most places, shops are located and contacted by using Google or the YellowPages. He tries to get the shop in the customer's area to work at a discounted rate, which they often do, but not so much that using the "broker" and the time it wastes is worth it. Factoring in Larry's cost, there is almost no money saved anyway, and no discount anywhere near to less than a thousand. Many times it costs just as much or more than if you found a shop on your own, which is what I suggest everyone do. For most transmission repairs, depending on the vehicle, they cannot be done for less than $2,000. Sometimes it happens, but most transmissions have hard-part damage. Sometimes, especially on foreign cars like Hondas or luxury cars like Audi or Mercedes, the repairs can be upwards of $3,000 or $4,000.
Do yourself a favor and find a repair shop on your own. Shop around and make sure you get a price quoted that includes an upper limit. Shops don't like to give you a worst case scenario because they are afraid to lose the business. But most locally owned places would rather have made a happy customer. Don't use a franchised chain and don't use the internet for car repairs. DO NOT GIVE LARRY DUNCAN ANY MORE BUSINESS. His internet company really is a small operation run out of a dirty office in the back of his shop with maybe 3 or 4 people answering phones. His shop really isn't big either. It has two bays and four lifts. If you hear any different, like it is an eighteen bay shop, imagine what other fibs are being told. Larry should have been arrested when his place was raided but, as in most cases, the world is unjust.
Momof3
Krum, Texas
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Momof3
Krum,Texas,
U.S.A.
Chain Shops
#3Author of original report
Mon, May 05, 2008
I agree that there are many owners of chain shops that are honest and treat their customers well. I apologize for making such a blanket statement. My comment should not single any type of shop out for how they operate. The shops that did work with Larry Duncan and his internet transmission repair broker business were often dishonest themselves, but many were just as deceived as the customers. Larry's mistake was assuming that every shop owner reasoned like he did.
My suggestion to those in need of transmission repair is to shop around and ask questions. Ask for a worst-case price for your transmission and ask to see the broken parts. Many chain shops are completely honest and would rather have a good name in the long run than be dishonest for the short term gain. Some are dishonest, but there are just as many mom and pops that are as well. Find one that you trust.
Robert
South San Francisco,California,
U.S.A.
Don't use a chain?
#3Consumer Comment
Thu, April 17, 2008
momof3, I own one of those 'chain' stores and I run a very honest business and stand behind my work, so I resent the fact you say not to use a chain. This guy Larry is a total con artist, everyone in the transmission business in Dallas knows who he is. This guy needs to be buried underneath the prison he gets put in.