Complaint Review: Cottman Transmission - HWNC 2322 - Houston Texas

Sorry fox~~~~~wrong person~~~~~I'm jst someone whoz been in the business for a long time and i know the tricks~~~~THE TRANZMN~~~~~~~~~~~~~~AS FAR AS THE CARAVAN GOES~~~~~~this is common practice~~~disable the vehicle~~~~sell low going in then sell lottza (hard parts) which are not included,~~~to get the $$$ high enough to split with corporate @ 7.5% to leave enough for a reasonable profit at a price that on average is hgher than everyone else~~~~~~~~Thats how it workz

The trans-man known as "MR NICE GUY" is a joke!He is anti Big company because he couldn't qualify a COTTMAN franchise; shady background!

Cottman advertises a free Transcheck 21 Plus Service. The TV commercial does not mention the details of what this service covers, as it is to detailed to be practical on TV. This service includes a road test, visual inspection, and a scan of the computer system. This information is available on the website as to exactly what it covers. It is also covered in most printed advertisements. There is a wall poster in the store that details it also. There are two things that can be determined from this free check: 1. Is it an actual transmission problem. 2. Is the problem an external or internal problem. Keep in mind, most shops and dealers charge for this initail check(usually 40-80 dollars.) Over time, I have had several situations arise due to a misunderstanding of what this service covers. Even after careful explanation of what it covers(as above), and what can be determined, some people just cannot comprehend what you are trying to explain. A transmission is a very complex piece of machinery, and the whole repair process can be justifyably overwhelming. Is that the case here? Maybe, maybe not. Lets assume that that you understood that this would be a complete diagnosis, and that this is also what you were told. Once you were informed that there would be a charge to proceed further, I would expect that you would question what you were previously told. After all, you understood this to be a FULL diagnosis, correct? Once informed that there would be a charge to go further, you had two choices: 1. Take your van and leave, with no charge. 2. Authorize the internal inspection for $325. What did you choose? The internal inspection. That does not sound like the decision of someone who feels ripped off and decieved. If I felt that I was decieved on what the "free check" was, I sure would not authorize additional work. Especially if they were ripoff swindlers, and guilty of false promises and advertising. The shop is not a finance office or bank. You told them what you could afford. They told you what they could do. Your credit rating means nothing to the shop or relevant to this complaint. Were you a smart shopper? Did you do any research? A quick 5 minute trip to the BBB website revealed some good consumer advise on what to expect when you have transmission trouble. This consumer advisory alone would have informed you of how the inspection process goes, step by step. The obvious issue here is money only. YOU only have $500, and cannot afford to fix YOUR van. YOU made the decision to invest $325 of it with the ripoff swindlers/false advertisers, when you could have chosen not to. It sounds as though you are also upset because they would not let you pay out like you desired. I have never seen a dealership that has a payment plan. Banks and credit cards do that. No, they should not have forgotten the case. Transmissions can have as many as 500 parts, and when you box them up and put them in the vehicle, things can get missed. Doesn't make it right, but it happens. An inconvienence, but the part was returned. If I were you, I would seriously consider rescending your report here, and sending a letter of apology to the owner. If it were my shop, I would probably pursue legal action for slander. You have posted in writing on the internet, for the world to see, that you are accusing someone of ripping you off. You refer to an advertisement on TV before you brought your van in, which you feel was deceptive. You had a chance to leave with no charges at a later point, after the ripoff swindlers completed the deceptive inspection. Yet YOU CHOSE to allow the intenal inspection with the charges clearly explained and authorized. Who is ripping off who? You may be lucky to have only invested $325 at this point....... It is a sad state of affairs when consumers expect businnesses to accept responsibility for their own informed decisions.

ROY/LINDA~~~~~~ This is the way the shoz are trained to do business~~~~leave the car for the checkout (free) then the sell job comes; Don't drive the car you will cause more damage an it will cost more to repair~~~~is one line~~~~~~~~~"don't worry we can work something out if you don't have money now~~~~~~~is anutha one~~~~~The people who sell the jobz are usually a person that has no or limited mechanical experience.~~~~Then they gve you a (tear down, inspection) for the amount that after it is taken out,you cannot afford to have anyone else to work on it~~because it will cost more than their estamate for repairz~~~~~~~THEN YOU SAY "OK"~~~~(with your arm behind your back)~~~~~~~Then theres the next "upsell" ~~~~~~~~~YOU NEED HARDPARTS!!!!! AND A CONVERTER~~~~~~~This part is usually kept quiet before the removal of the tranz~~~~~~~~NOW YOUR "LOCKED" you can't do it anywhere else because of the cost~~~~~~~~"DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR" ??????~~~~~tHEN YOU GET IT BACK ~~~~~~~~it shifts hard or erratic~~~"not all jobs come out this way"~~~~~~~~~~Just the ones that are complicated and require proper diagnosis prior to the work being done~~~~~~~~Then you bring it back for warranty;~~~~Its always something that was not worked on before~~~~for more money~~~~and you have to fix it to keep the (original warranty) good~~~~~~~~~~~~~All quotes NEED to be in writing~~~~~with terms / conditions~~~PRIOR to repair~~~~~~~THE TRANZMN

ROY/LINDA~~~~~~ This is the way the shoz are trained to do business~~~~leave the car for the checkout (free) then the sell job comes; Don't drive the car you will cause more damage an it will cost more to repair~~~~is one line~~~~~~~~~"don't worry we can work something out if you don't have money now~~~~~~~is anutha one~~~~~The people who sell the jobz are usually a person that has no or limited mechanical experience.~~~~Then they gve you a (tear down, inspection) for the amount that after it is taken out,you cannot afford to have anyone else to work on it~~because it will cost more than their estamate for repairz~~~~~~~THEN YOU SAY "OK"~~~~(with your arm behind your back)~~~~~~~Then theres the next "upsell" ~~~~~~~~~YOU NEED HARDPARTS!!!!! AND A CONVERTER~~~~~~~This part is usually kept quiet before the removal of the tranz~~~~~~~~NOW YOUR "LOCKED" you can't do it anywhere else because of the cost~~~~~~~~"DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR" ??????~~~~~tHEN YOU GET IT BACK ~~~~~~~~it shifts hard or erratic~~~"not all jobs come out this way"~~~~~~~~~~Just the ones that are complicated and require proper diagnosis prior to the work being done~~~~~~~~Then you bring it back for warranty;~~~~Its always something that was not worked on before~~~~for more money~~~~and you have to fix it to keep the (original warranty) good~~~~~~~~~~~~~All quotes NEED to be in writing~~~~~with terms / conditions~~~PRIOR to repair~~~~~~~THE TRANZMN

ROY/LINDA~~~~~~ This is the way the shoz are trained to do business~~~~leave the car for the checkout (free) then the sell job comes; Don't drive the car you will cause more damage an it will cost more to repair~~~~is one line~~~~~~~~~"don't worry we can work something out if you don't have money now~~~~~~~is anutha one~~~~~The people who sell the jobz are usually a person that has no or limited mechanical experience.~~~~Then they gve you a (tear down, inspection) for the amount that after it is taken out,you cannot afford to have anyone else to work on it~~because it will cost more than their estamate for repairz~~~~~~~THEN YOU SAY "OK"~~~~(with your arm behind your back)~~~~~~~Then theres the next "upsell" ~~~~~~~~~YOU NEED HARDPARTS!!!!! AND A CONVERTER~~~~~~~This part is usually kept quiet before the removal of the tranz~~~~~~~~NOW YOUR "LOCKED" you can't do it anywhere else because of the cost~~~~~~~~"DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR" ??????~~~~~tHEN YOU GET IT BACK ~~~~~~~~it shifts hard or erratic~~~"not all jobs come out this way"~~~~~~~~~~Just the ones that are complicated and require proper diagnosis prior to the work being done~~~~~~~~Then you bring it back for warranty;~~~~Its always something that was not worked on before~~~~for more money~~~~and you have to fix it to keep the (original warranty) good~~~~~~~~~~~~~All quotes NEED to be in writing~~~~~with terms / conditions~~~PRIOR to repair~~~~~~~THE TRANZMN

ROY/LINDA~~~~~~ This is the way the shoz are trained to do business~~~~leave the car for the checkout (free) then the sell job comes; Don't drive the car you will cause more damage an it will cost more to repair~~~~is one line~~~~~~~~~"don't worry we can work something out if you don't have money now~~~~~~~is anutha one~~~~~The people who sell the jobz are usually a person that has no or limited mechanical experience.~~~~Then they gve you a (tear down, inspection) for the amount that after it is taken out,you cannot afford to have anyone else to work on it~~because it will cost more than their estamate for repairz~~~~~~~THEN YOU SAY "OK"~~~~(with your arm behind your back)~~~~~~~Then theres the next "upsell" ~~~~~~~~~YOU NEED HARDPARTS!!!!! AND A CONVERTER~~~~~~~This part is usually kept quiet before the removal of the tranz~~~~~~~~NOW YOUR "LOCKED" you can't do it anywhere else because of the cost~~~~~~~~"DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR" ??????~~~~~tHEN YOU GET IT BACK ~~~~~~~~it shifts hard or erratic~~~"not all jobs come out this way"~~~~~~~~~~Just the ones that are complicated and require proper diagnosis prior to the work being done~~~~~~~~Then you bring it back for warranty;~~~~Its always something that was not worked on before~~~~for more money~~~~and you have to fix it to keep the (original warranty) good~~~~~~~~~~~~~All quotes NEED to be in writing~~~~~with terms / conditions~~~PRIOR to repair~~~~~~~THE TRANZMN