AAMCO transmission Rip-off no customer service, ripoff liars from Nebraska to Arizona * Rebuttal "dedicated to helping customers"
I own a 1995 Ford Taurus SE. I first toke it to AAMCO in Omaha, Ne , 13 August 1998. Which at that time I needed $1800.00 worth of work done. They fixed the car and it ran great for 18 months until March 2000. In March 2000, I took the car into Cottman Transmission in Glendale, AZ for just a check up and have the fluid changed. And during the check they notice the transmission was leaking in about 3-4 places. I told him I just had work done on it 18 months ago and he said the only way it was bad now was that the AAMCO did a bad seal job.
I called AAMCO Customer Relations Department. The lady asked me what AAMCO did the work and she would call and let me know something. She called me back and told me that the AAMCO in Omaha had no liability and I had only a 3 month warranty and she located a AAMCO in Glendale, AZ that would help me and give me a discount since I was a repeat customer.
I called the AAMCO in Glendale and spoke with the owner, John. He told me to bring the car in and he would look at it free. So on Feb 3, 2000 I did. John told me the seal was bad, along with other leaks and that Ford just makes a bad transmission on the Taurus models and Ford knows it, and Ford will not do anything to fix it. The transmission does not allow for the flow of
fluid to go through the transmission properly and the heat here in Arizona just kills transmissions. And that the AAMCO in Omaha thought my tranny was a model AX4N and I have a model AX4N-E (,but Kirk in AAMCO in Flagstaff wrote down I have a AX4N). I told John I had just moved out here and had been here for only 9 months and that was mostly the winter months which is only about 79%-90%. He said it does not take long for damage to accrue and he has a mechanic that used to work for Ford.
I met the mechanic and he told me that once they open the transmission up, he could see if there was any more damage. He found more damage another torque convertor like last time, a valve body, and an electronic solenoid. John and his mechanic ensured me they would fix it right and put the new upgrade parts on it so it would cool the fluid better. And to help me out next time, give me a lifetime warranty for 1/3 the price
which was about $290 at his cost.
They did the work on the car. On 14 Feb. 2000, I went to pick the car up and give him a check for $2000.00. The remaining balance of $261 was to be paid in payments to John. When we were going over the receipt I noticed there was no mention of a
lifetime warranty and just a 12 months unlimited mileage warranty. He told me he put the price of the lifetime warranty in with the price of the transmission and he then wrote on the receipt lifetime warranty, but he did not change the 12 months warranty. After putting two transmissions in my car in 18 months, I wanted to know what I have to do to make sure this adventure does not happened again. John told me have it check every 12 months, I said if the heat kills transmissions out here in Arizona, should I have it checked twice a year. He said
nah, only if you want to.
My wife drove the car and she told me it just didn't feel right. Not like before. It drove better when it was leaking , she thought. So I went back to AAMCO and one of the mechanics, the one that used to work at Ford told me that the car is driving normal and when the car had all that power in the passing gear that was because the gears dropped to low and that caused the internal damage, so now the gears are working right. He had someone drive the car and when he came back he said it is passing great, a matter of fact this is the best Taurus I've seen in a long time. But if anything, check your throttle
position switch, that can cause a problem, but the tranny is working great. So I took his word and gave AAMCO a $65.00 payment.
All this time my wife is saying it does not feel right. I know she is not a mechanic and she always hears something and I regretfully believed AAMCO not my wife. They still said the car was fine. Then in April I decided not to pay him the balance when I notice my cruise control did not work and it worked right before. I would save some more money and take it to a Ford dealer and hope to have it done right. Trying to get
work done cheap was a bad mistake, I thought. But in the mean time I had to pay of the loan I already had for $2000.00.
Then on 16 August 2000 my family and I went on vacation and had plans on going to my sister's wedding. We were about 120 miles from home(Peoria,AZ) and 17 miles from Flagstaff, AZ, Highway 17 north exit 322, the transmission went out again, just after being rebuilt 6 months prior. My wife and I pushed the car off the exit. We had road side assistance and called a tow truck. Our price for the tow to Flagstaff was $9.00. We got a hotel
about 11:45 that night which cost $64.00 for that night and eat which was $26.00.
The next morning my family went to eat and I called the road
side assistance to have them tow the car to AAMCO in Flagstaff ( 2710 E Route 66 Flagstaff,AZ 86004 (520)-526-4395 ). I called AAMCO at 7:30 am and Kirk answered. I told him my situation and he was willing to help me after he looks at the car and call John in Glendale since he did the work and John would also have to approve the work on the car. At this time I knew he would be no help since I refused to pay him the remaining balance $196.00. So I waited for Kirk to call me back. In the meantime,
knowing the worse case not paying John due to the fact of a bad job and now it is evident with the tranny out again, I called the AAMCO Customer Relations Department at (800)-523-0401. I gave her my info and she said a rep would call me back. 2 hours later a rep called me back. Her name was Lakia Walters. She took my info down and said that I would have to wait until she call John. Kirk from the AAMCO in Flagstaff called me and I notice his tone of his voice was not helpful like before and he said I had to call John. I knew then my car was not going to get fixed.
I called John collect at (602)-931-9231. He asked me what happened. I told him the car started smoking and loosing power and the tranny went out. HOW CAN A TRANSMISSION GO OUT AGAIN IN 6 MONTHS, I told him? I told him we were stranded in Flagstaff and needed help. No concern from him, except you still own me money. I told him, yes I do and the reason why I did not pay you and it must have been true because my tranny was out again in 6 months. He told me that Kirk said that there was no fluid in
the tranny. Yep no fluid, because IT WAS ALL OVER HIGHWAY 17 NORTH EXIT 322 and on my car and my wife from pushing the car off the exit.
John tried to give me a sob story about paying in good faith but the good faith in fixing my tranny, he did not meet either. John also said he tried to call me about the payments, which he did not. We have caller ID and voice mail, he lied. So I offered to pay him the balance of $196 or what ever it took to get my car fixed and he said That he thinks I owe more and he has to check his records and now I don't want the money due to our good faith was broken. He kept saying I was driving the car all this time without fluid and it was my fault and Kirk said that the tranny was 7 quarts low. If I was driving the car all this time without
fluid, John's AAMCO must not have sealed the tranny right then and there was still a leak according to John.. He then said I want to help you so call me back in 1 hour after I talk to Kirk.
Lakia Walters called back and told me that Kirk would work with me and give me a cap of $700.00 on parts and possible a loaner car. And because I did not pay the $196.00 in a certain time frame my lifetime warranty was void.
So I have to pay another est. $2300 on a new tranny. I asked
her does AAMCO HQ have any liability and she said no they are just the middle man and you have to work it out with the owner, John. I did not call John back and he did not call me. I called Kirk and asked him how much damage and he said it would be about $1629.00 and that the tranny was fried. I called and got a Ryder truck with a car carrier for $379.00 to drive the car back to Peoria. I checked my family out the hotel and got a cab for $12.00 to take us to get the truck.
When I got to AAMCO , Kirk was cold towards me and my family and his mechanics was laughing about how we drove the car without any fluid. At this time I was pissed and I put the car on the trailer with the sorry help from the mechanics out side watching my wife and I try to push the car on the trailer. I told Kirk that there was fluid in the tranny, just look at my car and there is no reason why a tranny should go bad after 6 months. He
agreed with me. He said he told John nothing, But he still told John that there was no fluid in the tranny because John talked to Kirk about the car.
My family and I drove back to Peoria. The $196.00 I don't know
if that was for the tranny, labor, parts, or the warranty. But if so I don't have a lifetime, I should still have a 12 months warranty. I called Lakia today 19 Aug 2000 and left a message to call me Monday. I want to know where that money falls in what category and I still should have a 12 month warranty, which is written on my receipt. Besides no $2000.00 tranny should go out in 6 months, unless t was done wrong from the start. I have contacted two local TV stations for any help and sent an email to AAMCO and plan on Monday contacting the Attorney General
Office and possible a lawyer next.
My expenses: What AAMCO should pay for.
$9.00 - my part of the road side assistance
$64.84 - hotel for one night
$45.00 - food in the hotel
$12.00 - for cab
$379.00 - Ryder truck and car carrier
$40.00 - To fill the truck up with gas on return to Ryder
$1432 - for airline tickets to fly my family to my sisters wedding on
the 26 Aug 2000
$150.00 - paying for Tux that I will have short notice to get fitted now
$110 - for wife's Nike tennis shoes getting tranny fluid on them
$150.00 - est for cell phone calls made
$3200.00 - new transmission from Ford Dealer
Raylando@webtv.net
iA8-19
2 Updates & Rebuttals
After hearing about badbusinessbureau.com, AAMCO said they are fixing our car ..
#30
Thu, September 28, 2000
I borrowed $1342.00 to buy airline tickets to fly my family and myself to my sister's on Aug 26, 2000. The following week I called AAMCO Customer Relation Office. Lakia Walters was off from work due to a family emergency and I spoke to her supervisor, Sabrina at 1-800-523-0401 ext. 318. She said she had to pull my file and get back with me. She called me back. I told her that Lakia was supposed to have gotten a copy of the paperwork/receipt from AAMCO in Glendale, AZ, because my copy was not readable. Sabrina said she did not get a copy yet and would call John the owner. I tried to call Sabrina and left at
least 6 messages during the week of 4 Sept. And I didn't receive any call back from her. returned to Peoria, Arizona on 7 Sept 2000 and called the office again.
I spoke to Sabrina. She said John said he will not fix the call. And still she did not get a copy of the receipt from him. She also told me that it is possible for a transmission to go bad
within 6 months and she has seen them go bad in 1 day and some over years. And that the parts are mechanical and they do go bad. On or able the 11 Sept 2000, Lakia called. She apologized for not getting back to me and needed to get caught back up on the story and she would call me back. She called back and spoke with my wife. My wife asked her about the copy. Lakia said she got the copy from John and doesn't remember the conversation she had with me. My wife told her to check again and Lakia said she was sure that the copy she had was from John. My wife told her I faxed it to her on 21 Aug 2000 from Kinko's and after about 15
minutes she said oh this is the copy from your husband. She said for about the 20th time she would call John again.
Then my wife called John to get some questions answered that she had. A lady answered and said that John was not there, but my wife heard John in the background. After asking questions to the lady, John got on the phone. John said he was not going to fix the car and it was our fault that it broke. When my wife asked How would a transmission brake in 6 months, he kept evading
the answer. He then said he could call my employer and I would get in trouble since I'm in the Air Force. And she said go ahead and I will tell anybody who asks me not to go to your shop.
Later that day I get a phone call from my boss saying that John called the Air Force base and that we were harassing him and his wife and that I owed him $196, but he doesn't want the money. My boss laughed and asked me why would he call the base and tell us that you owe money, but he doesn't want it. I told him the story. He told me to do what I have to do to get the car fixed.
Around 13 Sept 2000, I talked to Lakia. She still did not get the
receipt from John and had nothing to say that I wanted to hear. So I told her, since she is no help and we are getting nowhere, I have to take this matter to another level and that I have contacted Ed at the badbusinessbureau.com and I want to let you know and give the message to John. She said OK. About 3 hours later, with a much more positive attitude she called back and asked me where the closest AAMCO dealer was other than the one in Glendale and I told her the one on 8825 N. Black Canyon Hwy. (602-997-6280). She said OK, and that she would call me right back. She called me back in about 30 minutes and told me that the Black Canyon AAMCO was going to fix the car and to pay my balance of $196 to Pam and that they would tow my car to the shop and I will still have my lifetime warranty.
So I called Pam and made arrangements to get the car towed. Well, Pam called back in about 1 hour and told me that there was a problem and I have to call the AAMCO center and I did. Lakia said her supervisor had to get an authorization number before they can start the work and that John had to give one also. I said John told me and you many times he will not fix the car. Lakia said he has to give an authorization number also and he will. On 15 Sept, 2000 they came and towed the car to Black
Canyon AAMCO.
So I thought everything was good now. Well, on 20 Sept 2000, I get a call from my boss and John called again. He said HE WANTED TO FIX THE CAR. I had to laugh. All this time over a month now, and out of the clear blue sky he wants to correct the problem now. I asked my boss why. And he said John's business is about 40% Air Force and he doesn't want to have a bad name around the Air Force base. And that he will fix the car and you pay nothing. I told my boss that I contacted the bad business bureau and I wondered if that had something to do with it and he said he did not know and to call John.
I called Pam at the Black Canyon AAMCO to find out what had happened and she said talk to John. Lakia at the AAMCO center said since he worked on the car he has the right to try and fix the problem with the car if he wants to.
CONVERSATION RECORDED
So I called John, this time with a tape recorder hooked right into my phone. John apologized for all what has happened and he wants to fix the car for nothing and give me a 12 month warranty. I told him I had a lifetime warranty that he include in the price and I will pay the balance of $196, you fix the car, and I still have my lifetime warranty. After he thought about it, he acted like he did not remember our conversation. I told him when I came into his shop on Feb 3 , 2000 this
is the 2nd transmission in my car that have gone out in less 18 months, why would I not get a lifetime warranty with my luck I have had with transmissions. He said, now I remember, when it came into me the tranny did go out in 18 months and I gave you a discount being a return customer and an Air Force member. He told me about the warranty. That it was not good with the warranty company because it was not paid in a certain time frame and his insurance did not cover it and that the money for my transmission will have to come out of his pocket. And in the
future if there is any problems with the transmission he will have to pay out of his pocket. He kept bringing up the fact that I did him wrong for not paying and he did me wrong for not fixing the car right. He mentioned that about 3 times in our conversation. He also mentioned something about getting 2 phone calls from an office. And when I asked him who and what office, he changed the subject and said I know your wife is upset, talk to her and let me you what you want to do and I will go and get your car.
In my opinion, I think he heard I contacted the bad business bureau and he did not want no repercussions and he was afraid about the damage it would do with 40% of his business coming from the Air Force base.
When I asked him why he made his decision now to fix the car, he just said he wanted to make amends and try to have a better business relationship. The timing of events within one week going from I WILL NOT FIX THE CAR, to now with a smile on his face I WANT TO FIX THE CAR, just seems odd. After I mentioned the badbusinessbureau.com, everything seemed to turn around for the best. The car has been in his shop since 22 Sept 2000. I spoke with the shop today (27 Sept 2000), and the parts are on order and the car should be ready by next week and to call the shop around the 3rd of Oct.
I will not truly be happy until I get the car back working correctly, so stay tune, more to follow. And thank you badbusinessbureau.com for being there for the consumer.
Raylando@webtv.net
Some businesses are out just to make money off of a recurring customer, definitely not the case in this particular story
#30
Thu, September 21, 2000
From: AFUENTES@msn.COM [SMTP:AFUENTES@msn.COM]
To: info@badbusinessbureau.com
Cc:
Subject: Rebuttal to RipOffReport
Sent: 9/20/00 7:39 PM
This email is a rebuttal to RipOff #3356.
It was sent by CONFIDENTIAL at AFUENTES@msn.COM.
........................
AAMCO #9592 (Shore Consultants Inc.) owner John (Auto Repair Service)
9/16/00 (Last Modified: 9/16/00)
.........................
They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:
Their email: AFUENTES@msn.COM
Their name: CONFIDENTIAL
Their phone number: @Rebuttal_Phone@
Their relationship to the company: Supporter
Rebuttal:
This rebuttal is in response to a story titled "Rip off, no customer service ...." There seems to be some information missing from this story.
There are some businesses that are out just to make money off of a recurring customer but this is definitely not seem to be the case in this particular story. For starters you have a Ford Taurus and you have not stated it is a commercial vehicle, so you were due and should have a 12 month warranty.
If you had a problem 6 months later and the center wanted to charge you for this repair, the new costs must be justified. This is where customer relations come in. If you talked to Ms. Walters and you did not receive a resolution that was to your satisfaction, then there must be more to the story than you are willing to release.
If a 12 month warranty is issued the only reason the warranty can be voided is if the center has proven the cause of the transmission failure to be an external factor. (e.g. cooler lines, radiator failure, or electrical problems) Customer relations is in place to act as a mediator and to make sure all
centers are operating within the guidelines of the warranty. If the customer relations representative was not able to get this repair covered under warranty, there was a good reason for it.
If you are still not satisfied, I can give a name of a person that is dedicated to helping customers in this company. The person is Lajonda Jones. She is a caring representative and she knows her stuff. I am not sure of the number you can reach her at but call the number to reach Ms. Walters and ask to speak
to Ms. Jones. I guarantee you she will be able to help you.
Good Luck!