Complaint Review: American Transmission & Auto Repair - Arlington Texas

 American Transmission and its owner Jeff Kinseth along with his acting manager Darrin Dilsaver make a habit of ripping off used car dealers in our area. Better stated would be that they make a habit of ripping off anyone who is dumb enough to walk through there door. There scam is to lure customers in who are financing vehicles from used car lots. Once they get them in the door they make all kinds of false promises like we can probably fix it with just a fluid change for $89.

BEWARE they have an F BBB rating!!! This is a dead give away that this company is ran by a crook. What makes things worse is he has signange that says God Bless you! On his phone recording he also tells you he hopes God blesses you. This guy is a phony! Do not take your car there!

Once they get the car in there shop they routinely and without customers authorization create a totally fraudulent invoice that adds up to more money than the car is actually worth. In other words they will take a car that has a $6,000 value and stick a $4500 repair bill on it knowing the the retail customer does not have the money to reclaim the vehicle. They then demand payment from the car dealer or the finance company knowing that most will not pick up the car because it is just not cost effective. They then place a mechanics lien on the car and this is where therte scam normally pays off because they get a car free and clear that they have done no work to whatsoever.

I have several friends in the car business who have dealt with this crook Jeff Kinseth on this exact same issue. Tommy Campbell of Campbell Motor Co has been the victim of Jeff Kinseth and Darrin Dilsaver's scams several times in last 6 years. I have also lost 3 cars to this exact scam from Jeff Kinseth and American Transmission in the past 5 years. Recently on November 7th 2013 they attempted there scam again when Darrin Dilsaver faxed a copy of a bill in the amount of $3,678.67 to my company fax # claiming this bill was owed on a 2006 Chevrolet Impala for various repairs he claims he performed including Transmission Case, Transaxle assembly, differential, L/S kit, Pump Bushing, and Rack & Pinion. I went with my employee Erick to pick up the car this time planning to finnally expose the fraud that Jeff Kinseth and Darrin Dilsaver are engaged in. I knew from my previous dealing with these guys this was nothing more than a scam and I knew that the work they were claiming had been done was most likely never performed as it is all just part of a scam to defraud car dealers out of there cars.

As I suspected when we arrived to pick up the car we were greeted by Darrn Dilsaver and he was surprised to see us. This is the great part of there scam! Most people just never show up. When we did show up he was told by Jeff Kinseth that we could no longer pick up the car for $3,678.67 that hre wasnow a $400 fee added to this amount for "mechanics lien fee" This was a mere 15 days after the date of invoice which would make it impossible and illegal to obtain a mechanics lien so soon after a repair as we had only been notified days earlier.

When I demanded taht he include this charge on the invoice his exact words is "I dont have to do a d**n thing" Thank God for technology as I have this entire encounter recorded with my iphone which is going to come in handy in court as I go after him for fraud. Well since i knew i had this all being taped and I had Erick there as a witness I peeled off another $400. When Darrin Dilsaver counted it back this still apparently was not enough money to defraud me out of in one day as he demanded another $17 before releasing the car even though he had just given me the exact total not even two minutes earlier.

Clearly when these guys smell blood they get every drop they can. When Jeff Kinseth the owner of American Transmissions & Auto Repair finnally pulls the car around it is on dead empty so he parks it at the gas pump at teh station next door which he also owns JWK Auto Group. My employee Erick gets in the car and immediately notices that the power steering is not working. He goes back inside to inquire and these two guys are literally beside themselves with laughter at how well there scam worked once again. I tell him it is of no use if we were to leave the car here with these crooks they would just figure out a way to add another couple thousand of fraudulent repairs. Less than two miles after leaving there shop on Cooper street Erick calls me and says the transmission is slipping terribly which was no surprise to me at all.

The next morning I took the car to two independent auto repair shops and had them both write estimates and sign sworn statements that the work in the invoice from American Transmission had never been done. These two guys have teamed up to rob many car dealers and individuals out of there hard earned money. I am currently researching there comapny and I am uncovering a long trail of this unscrupulous and fraudlulent behavior. I have already contacted the Federal Trade commision, and the Attroney General's office and have employed an attorney. I have made up my mind this is the last time I will allow these crooks to swindle me. I do not care what amount of money or time it cost me I will use every resource available to me until I see Jeff Kinseth and Darrin Dilsaver put out of business and preferrably behind bars where they belong.