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American Auto Management, American Automan STOLE OUR TRUCK and no one will help us get it back Ripoff Tempe Arizona
We were contacted by American Auto Management aka American Automan (AAM) by phone in response to an ad we placed in the Truck Trader to sell our 2001 Ford Ranger 4x4. We went down to their place of business at 1652 N Scottsdale Rd, Tempe Az, on 03/26/05.
We were introduced to Edward "Eddie" Calles Jr., the business manager, who went over and explained the "program" to us. We were told once they found a "user" for our truck they would be responsible for making the payments and carrying insurance on our vehicle. We were insured that AAM would make sure payments were being made and if they were not, they would make them and repossess the vehicle. We were also insured that there was no risk of losing the vehicle due to the GPS tracking device that they put on the vehicle in case the "user" does try to steal it. Of course, we did pay a $325.00 fee for that tracker to be put on the truck.
Eddie insured us that they had several contacts with insurance companies so they could make sure that insurance coverage never lapsed, yet.
We were mislead to believe that they were a member of the Better Business Bureau and were a caring, Christian company. Eddie made us feel ok with this program by explaining that they do this to try and help out people who are trying to overcome past obstacles/difficulties that they couldnt control. We were suckered.
We do have the signed contract that states all mentioned above and a letter later dated stating the "user" was found for our vehicle and we were no longer responsible for the payments. We were told we would get a letter in about a week instructing us to drop our insurance but we never got that letter.
On May 18,2005, my husband went to their office to check on that letter and saw that the business was closed. The writing on the windows stated we would be contacted by mail. To this day, June 1,2005 we have still not been contacted.
However, we have received by mail a speeding ticket via photo enforcement from Paradise Valley courts for our truck dated May 18, 2005. The man driving it looks a lot like the guy who took the truck out for the test run before we signed it over to AAM.
At this point, law enforcement agencies refuse to help us locate our vehicle. Our insurance wont cover it. And our payments are not being made. We need help. We just want our truck back. We still owe quite a bit of money on it and will be in severe financial ruin if we have to continue paying on it.
We have tried contacting tv channels but havent gotten no response. My husband was able to get some personal contact info for Edward Calles and his father's businesses ie addresses & phone #'s. We have not done anything as of yet with them since we are afraid of scaring them away. We would love to get a group together to help all who need it and ourselves to get out of this situation with as little damage as possible.
Rachel
Apache Jct, Arizona
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Tipton
Mesa,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Fee for tracking device was a ripoff!
#4Consumer Comment
Thu, June 09, 2005
I noticed you were charged by AAM $325 for the tracking device?! That is so crazy! I turned my car over in January and didn't have to pay anything. They just said if I wanted my car back before it was placed, that I would have to pay $75 to have the tracking device removed.
It's so unbelievable they dreamed up ANOTHER way to rake in the cash before they took off! I was able to find out today that the very nature of their business was illegal, and is considered a Class 1 Misdemeanor, in and of itself. With what they've done, there are a host of OTHER charges as well, obviously!
Tempe Police said we need to go through the Attorney General's office, that this falls under their jurisdiction. I'm hoping we soon can come in contact with each other and work on this together! Waiting to hear on that...
Rachel
Apache Jct,Arizona,
U.S.A.
American Auto Management-I DON'T UNDERSTAND
#4Author of original report
Thu, June 02, 2005
I really do not understand why the police will not help us. No matter how they did it, with a slim jim or a contract, they still stole "owners" vehicles and "users" money!
An AJPD officer says that the Tempe pd should take our complaints as fraud/schemes reports. That is not just a civil matter as they keep telling us.
I will be sending a suggestion/comment to the editorial staff to see about how to get us together.
Vicki
Peoria,Arizona,
U.S.A.
We too would like to GET them!!!
#4Consumer Comment
Thu, June 02, 2005
We too would love to get them! As others have been trying to get together we can't post email or phone numbers on this site...
We unlike you are the "users" WE put as much as $3500 down on our vehicles had made the payments on time every month... payed our ins. and... we are finding out that our payments weren't being made to the lenders!
They don't call me CrabbyVick because I'm happy about this at aol I am truely upset about all of this and would love to get as may people both sides together to join forces! We unlike you have been contracted for ONE of our three vehicles. And one owner of another was and contacted us. but we still have one that we don't have the information on and would like to get together with that person as well. Everyone has to be just short of out of there minds about this horrid experience!!
I don't know where on this site that we can ask to be able to get contact information but IF I find something I will be more then happy to share it in a posting...