ComplaintsforAAMCO Transmissions - Store #2004

• Initial Complaint

  12/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In June of 2023 I took my 2016 Chevy Impala to Aamco Transmission, in Glen Burnie MD because of some issues i was having that thought may be related to the transmission. At the time, despite acceleration issues, the car was still drivable, and was driven to the transmission shop. I was requesting what was advertised as a FREE diagnosis. I was later contacted by a young lady from the office that explained the FREE diagnosis could not determine the problem and would need to pay $300 for "further diagnosis". During that call I asked how much this type of repair (rebuilt transmission) usually costs as an attempt to gain some sense of transparency, and was told approx. $2200 - $2400, so i agreed to continue. I was later contacted by a mechanic that explained the transmission would definitely need to be rebuilt, but no information could be provided on the extent of the repair until the transmission was disassembled, which would cost an additional $1095. He explained that the total of the 2 initial diagnostic payments ($1395) would be applied to the total cost of the repair. I was also told financing options would be available, after expressing concern over no certainty of what the final cost would be. After paying the second deposit to have the transmission disassembled I was again contacted by the mechanic who at that time told me the transmission had been disassembled, was completely destroyed internally, and would cost an additional $4300 to repair and reassemble. I explained that I could not pay that amount, which was significantly higher than what had been discussed previously. No payment options were offered at that time & my car had to be towed from the shop. The front bumper remained unattached, the transmission was placed disassembled in the trunk, the exhaust piping was placed on the rear seat causing damage, the battery was removed and not returned and chrome decals were peeled from the vehicles exterior. Ultimately I paid Aamco $1495 to destroy my vehicle.

  Business response

  12/22/2023

  I called customer at noon on 12/22 to discuss what we can do to help resolve his concerns and reiterate the offer we made when he towed the vehicle away months ago to credit most of what he already paid us toward us finishing the repairs. I gave him my direct cell and he said he would call me back later. This vehicle arrived at our shop on 5/30/23 and was here a month and a half while he tried to decide how he wanted to proceed each step of the way. We not only have several companies that offer financing but also take all Major Credit cards and can work with the customers bank or Credit Union to help them secure financing. We help customers every week and would have no reason not to try to help any customer with Financing since repairing cars is how we make our money.  Among other inaccurate information he only paid a total of $1095.95 and I'm sure the 7 months that have passed since some of this took place have caused some miss remembering on the customers part. We did the free check initially and explained to the customer that we found an engine sensor code, a transmission solenoid code as well as numerous antilock brake codes. So we would need to do further diagnosis to be sure the solenoid was not the cause of his shifting issues. And we would also need to be sure nothing was damaged or left unplugged accidently by the people who did his engine repair the previous week. He authorized $299 to complete this additional portion of the diagnosis.  The diagnostic confirmed that the only way to resolve the issue was to replace or rebuild the transmission. At this time we contacted the customer to explain and get permission to remove the transmission and determine if it could be repaired/rebuilt for less than replacing it. The labor cost to do this would be $1095.95 and the final repair would be somewhere between $1987.34, if it only needed clutches and seals and bands and fluid, versus if it needed additional hardparts meaning gears and shafts and torque converters, etc that can normally be reused because most of the parts are heavy steel. He was told it would be $6400 if it had to be totally replaced.  He took a while but finally brought the $1095.95 and authorized the removal and teardown of the transmission. We found considerable parts damaged and needing to be replaced. These parts added up to a total repair of $5488.71 (which is $900 less than replacement) minus the 1095.95 deposit for the labor, his balance would have been $4312.76. This offer still holds except for slight price increases. We would not touch his emblems or his bumper during the transmission work.  However the engine person may have to move the bumper. Also I have see bumpers knocked off when they are rolled up a ramp onto a tow Dolly or Trailer. If the removed parts do not fit in the safely in the trunk we recommend the customer bring plastic totes or haul them separately on the tow bed. Again we are happy to help this customer with his repairs. Hopefully this response will help explain why we did what we did and help jog the customers memory. Please feel free to reach out if I can help in any way. Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  12/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On Tuesday ,December 12th I had my car towed to this business to have a starter put in I have warranty coverage the amount so the amount that I needed to pay AAmco was only 100.00 . My starter was replaced and my son called me on Thursday from AAmco to tell me that my car was ready and I could come pick it up. AAmco never called me to inform me that my vehicle was ready to go. My son went there to check on my vehicle to see what they were doing and to check on their progress with the car. He inform me when he arrived there ,that my car was parked out front and that someone named Amber from AAmco said that your mother's car been ready all morning and she can come get it. I'm trying to figure out why AAmco never called me. It's now almost 3pm . Amber called me about 9am in the morning on that same day Thursday Dec 14th to tell me that they hoped to have my car ready by the end of that day however she never called back to say that it was ready to go. Whenever she called that morning at 9am she mentioned that My car needed the axle boot repaired and that my warranty would not cover the axle boot repair. I then asked her how much would it cost to get it repaired,she said 145.00 would fix my axle boot and that that would take care of my axle boot repair. She said they would repair it and put more lubricant inside my axle boot. She charged my card$ 145.00 for boot repair $42.62 for supplies $87.00for Remove and replace starter ,now keep in mind my starter was fully covered for labor and everything by my warranty co. . All I was suppose to pay for was the$ 100.00 deductible for the warranty . That's all. AAmco charged my bank card a total of $ 362.10 knowing that they did no repair to my axle boot. They did absolutely no work on my axle boot yet they fraudulently charged my card. Once Amber from AAmco advised my son that they did not do anything ,no repairs,no nothing to my boot axle then they should have removed that labor charge of$ 145.00 for axle repair because it was not done and Amber stated that it absolutely was no done at all..Also the supply charge for the axle of $42.62 since axle repair was not done. The starter labor charge of $87.00 was covered by warranty This AAmco total care care place took advantage of me as a elderly female not knowing that my son is a mechanic and would know how to check my car to see if the axle work was done and it was not as Amber admitted it was not however they still charged my car. They lied that I authorized a diagnostic for valve cover repair which I never had any conversation with AAmco concerning any of this valve cover business. They charged my card for bogus things . They should have only charged me for the 100.00 warranty deductible fee as the endurance warranty company stated .AAmco never gave me my warranty paperwork for my starter that was installed. I am officially filing a complaint and I do wish to have all of the money that they took from my bank returned all with the exception of the 100.00 endurance warranty fee.That was the only amount that was supposed to be deducted .Also I did call corporate to make a complaint to no avail. Corporate was unable to get a resolution from Chuck the head person at this business . They told my son that the work was not done on my axle boot yet whenever I arrived they never mentioned to me that it wasn't done,they gave me my car key and at that point I mentioned that my son had told me that the axle work was never done and at that point Amber informed that it was not yet they refused to put the money back on my card. My mechanic son drove to me right after retrieving my car from AAmco to check the axle boot out and also confirmed that no repair work had been performed on my axle boot. He then called back to the repair shop and asked Amber why did they leave the charge of axle boot repair on my summary/statement bill of $145.00 from AAmco also the$ 42.62 for supplies for the axle boot repair . They had on my bill summary as if they had performed the work. Also charged me a bogus remove and replace starter fee ,which is a bogus charge because I was fully covered by my warranty for the starter.

  Business response

  12/22/2023

  Customer had her Hyundai towed into us because the vehicle would not start. This can be as simple as a dead battery to as complex as an electrical issue or locked up motor. She also complained of leaking axles. Unfortunately, like most customers she was under the impression that the warranty company would hopefully cover everything except her deductible. We did our free initial Vehicle Courtesy Check, which included retrieving any computer codes and she had PO335 and PO101, road testing (if possible) but this one did not start and we did a visual inspection around the issue which did not show anything broken or disconnected. Until each issue is properly diagnosed the Warranty Company or our shop has no way to know if any repair will be covered or to what extent. After the initial free check, we knew the Warranty Co would require additional diagnostics that did not fall under the free check. We were going to have to test the motor to make sure the Engine was not locked up and that the electrical system was sending enough voltage to the starter to operate. We also confirmed that the axles were leaking from the boots, but we would need to determine if there was any mechanical failure outside of the leaks. We also found two computer codes for additional issues, and we also found oil and power steering fluid leaking. At that point, we called and explained all this to the customer. We also explained that we would need to do further diagnosis on the no start issue as well as the two codes, and axles and other leaks if she wants us to try to get them covered by the warranty company. We explained that she would authorize $299 and we would try to get as much of that covered as possible by the warranty company if possible. We would submit any findings to them in an attempt to have them cover as much as possible and hopefully the Warranty Company would  accept at least some of the diagnostic fees, and of course, any repair fees that we identify. We stressed that they may not cover any or only part of the diagnostics or repairs and if they did not cover them then any remaining fees would be her responsibility.  The warranty company only covered 30 minutes of Diagnostic just for the Starter. Depending on their individual policy sometimes they do not cover anything.  And her Policy also offered zero coverage on her other issues. We have no way to determine coverage until each individual issue is Diagnosed and then contacting them for the details and coverage for any customer's individual contract. So on 12/13/24 we called and explained all this to the customer and she authorized the $299 Diagnostics so we could spend the necessary time for the additional Diagnosis to try to get as much covered as possible. We immediately completed the additional Diagnostic and that same afternoon we contacted the Warranty Co with Diagnostic results. Unfortunately they were only willing to cover part of the Starter and none of the other repairs were covered at all under her policy. The cost of the Starter itself was $228.63 plus tax but they only covered $170. They also only covered a half hour of labor toward the Starter diagnostics and they covered the .6 labor to install the starter. The Contract also did not cover Shop Supplies or the tax for the starter. They also turned down Coverage on the axles and all of the other repairs because they did not fall under her particular policy. We contacted the customer the next morning of 12/14 and explained what she would owe $362.10 and why ($58.23 short pay for Starter, 16.25 tax not covered, 42.62 shop supplies not covered, $145 for the part of diagnostic that was not covered, and $100 deductible ). She authorized her copay of $362.10.  We immediately ordered the Starter and completed the repair that morning. Her son just happened to stop by the shop virtually right after we finished it. We told him it was done and he said he was just going to go get his mom and bring her right down. There was no real delay in notifying the customer that the car was ready, he just happened to stop in. As you can see by the timeline we were working very diligently to get the car back to her. Please also keep in mind that ultimately we only charged her an hour, so $145 instead of the full 299 for the Diagnostic that was not covered. The Warranty Company only covered a half an hour, and we only charged her $145 instead of the full additional Diagnostic time she had Authorized that we spent diagnosing everything else that ultimately was not covered under her policy. The Warranty company also did not cover the shop supplies. When she picked up her vehicle she was so happy with our speed and responsiveness that had told us she was already planning to bring it back to us periodically to do the uncovered repairs, as soon as she had more money. 
                       After all this mess and misunderstanding happened I offered that we would take 10% off of each subsequent repair bill to ultimately credit her back the $145. You can see on the receipt the list of repairs that still need to be done (and the axles are one of them). In addition, the Warranty Company was only paying a lower cost because they could buy a starter from one of their suppliers for $170. The problem is our fleet agreement with that company requires us to charge two hours of additional labor to install "shipped in" part so the customer would have paid $290 additional ( just for the Starter) and she would have had to potentially wait days for the Starter to be shipped in as well. We worked very hard to go over all of these things with customers, but many times they’ve pre-determined that they think the Warranty Company is just gonna cover and pay everything that the vehicle needs. In this case the warranty did not cover the tax or shop supplies at all, and only covered a portion of the diagnosis, and only covered a portion of the cost of the starter. We would never take advantage of a customer! We actually saved this customer at least $200 versus what she could have ended up paying at another shop or the dealer for the same service and repair. I hope you can see that we completed the repair quickly, properly and professionally. I am also fairly certain this is not the first issue the BBB has helped a customer with regarding their Warranty Company and what they did or did not cover. We have just been unable to get this customer to understand we did everything we could to get everything covered.  I am sure you have handled a bunch of complaints where customers were not happy with what their aftermarket Warranty Company did or did not cover.  
  Thank you again for your help in resolving this matter and please do not hesitate to reach out to me if I can be of any further assistance. While we know we did everything properly and explained thoroughly and the customer just misunderstood what her payment was for and what was covered, we are still more than willing to help her with any future repair issues and will offer her discounts for those repairs to help offset the money she paid and incorrectly felt was inappropriate.   

  Customer response

  01/02/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******* I never authorized 2 any diagnostics nor was that ever discussed with me. I never told this repair company to ask them he warranty company to cover my boot/ axle repair because I already knew this was not covered and I verbalized this to AAMCO as well. They are outright lying and being deceitful to keep my money for work that was not authorized by myself. AAMCo is crooked and took advantage of me as a senior woman. The statement that I am reading here from AAMCo is dressed in nothing but lies and untruths. I dispute l of these untruths that they have bogusly submitted here

  Business response

  01/08/2024

  We have an offer to hopefully help rectify this complaint. I tried to call the customer to explain everything again and make sure she would be comfortable with this. However, she did not return my call. She is always welcome to call me, but I did not want to have the customer feel bothered. While we strongly disagree with the customers contention that we did not explain everything well. We know we were thorough in our explanations, and in fact follow Scripts the same way for hundreds of customers every year. However we also understand that sometimes, especially if a person has predetermined ideas that their warranty companies gonna cover everything, they may not necessarily listen as intently or ask the questions that consumers might normally ask if they don’t understand something. We also have virtually never had a customer ever leave a vehicle with an aftermarket Warranty saying “I don’t want to know if the warranty company will cover anything any other repairs I need”. And ironically the axles would’ve been covered had she had them thoroughly checked sooner before the actual boots split? The Warranty company would’ve covered the mechanical failure to the axles and we still tried to get them covered. But had she identified the issues sooner, before the boots on the axles were damaged they would have been covered as well. But clearly this left room for some misunderstandings. Because of this apparent misunderstanding, at this time we are offering to give back the $145 for the diagnosis for the additional issues that were over and above the Starter repair that the customer claims she did not want. We apologize again for any misunderstandings! We work very hard to not have misunderstandings and hopefully this will show our good faith and satisfactorily resolve the customers concerns. I can assure you emphatically, we would never take advantage of any customer. We are especially sorry that this happened because when the customer originally picked up her car, she said she was very happy and intended to bring her vehicle back to us in the future for the other repairs needed. I would love that to still happen! I assure you we will work especially diligently for her to get any needed repairs covered as much as possible through her warranty company And to be especially careful to keep her well-informed and make sure she’s comfortable moving ahead on any repairs. The rest of the Bill is based on the Coverage offered from her warranty company for the Starter repair, under her individual policy. This coverage is outlined and determined by her warranty company. Only they determine what they did and did not cover. We are very experienced in dealing with these warranty companies. We certainly strive to have the Warranty company cover and pay as much as possible toward the repairs versus the customer having to pay for any more than necessary. Unfortunately the starter was not 100% covered (as many customers often expect). I’m sure the BBB has likely previously dealt with Coverage issues through Warranty Companies from other customers. They seldom cover everything even though their commercials certainly lead people to believe they will. They did not cover the full cost of the cost for the starter, part of the diagnostic specifically for the Starter, nor the shop supplies, and some tax. Hopefully the customer will agree that we’re trying to do the right thing and eliminate the complaint and hopefully we can work with the customer again in the future. I am always open to the customer contacting me or if you have any further questions or concerns please contact me as well. Thank you all again for all your help and consideration.

  Customer response

  01/10/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  Good afternoon I am willing to accept AAmco Total car care refunding  the $145.00 back to me in the form of a  mailed check ,to my home address .As my credit card that was used for that payment is no longer valid. My address is *** **** *** **** *** **  **** ******* ** *****. Additionally , I no longer feel comfortable speaking to AAmco directly nor in person. Thank  you. 

                                             

  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *******

  Business response

  01/11/2024

  I am glad the customer has accepted our offer to bring this matter to a close. I am disappointed that it came to this point in the first place and assure you we are here to help if she changes her mind about further assistance with future repairs. Please let me know if there is anything else we need to do at this point to close this. Otherwise I will authorize the settlement Check be sent to the customers home. Thank You 

  Customer response

  01/11/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  ******* *******

• Initial Complaint

  12/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I recently got my transmission repaired and replaced through an aamco service station per their recommendation through me also paying for a full diagnostic to be done on my car in regards to the issues I had the vehicle towed in to their Aamco certified Transmission and Total Auto Repair Center in glen burnie Md 7423 Ritchie highway 21061 on the first week of November for I paid for the diagnostic service which was $299 which I specifically asked and made sure to verify before authorizing any payment that I would get a full print out of the lead mechanics findings per the investigation of the noises and issues that I brought the vehicle there to inspect and properly diagnose for that large Fee the owner/ manager Chuck or Charles as he stated whom he presented himself to be assured me yes your request will be validated and followed through with per your instructions. My instructions were very clear and vivid about the current conditions of the truck when I dropped it off I I spent 24 mins in a call with the since then fired service advisor or front staff employee who name was Nick he has a very nasty attitude and a very bad customer service skillset and was not very good at taking notation from customers in regards to their vehicles and the pertinent information that needs to be relayed to the mechanic for proper communication and diagnosis of those vehicles it was later told to me after such poor customer service and communication through nick per chucks words I apologize for nicks actions and service you received he is a veteran and suffers from ptsd as to say excuse his actions because of such He was subsequently fired per his poor work ethic and personal performance issues all which had nothing to do with me yet it was relayed to me that was so that I give them more time with my vehicle . Upon having my vehicle for almost a month they and per their recommendations as they claim through their findings is I needed a full transmission replacement which was well over $5200 . I then at that point once again made very well clear to state was the vehicle checked completely over per my original requests and followed through with to make sure that all were verified and validated for sure after and was this a definitive diagnosis to my trucks issues Chuck or Charles as he stated yes your request will be and have been received and verified I then made sure to tell Chuck or Charles that also upon me authorizing yet once again a very large sum of money after claiming they knew what my issues were and how much to fix them and what needed to be done I made sure to state any part soft parts as well as hard internals that were to be replaced or removed as well as rebuilt or repaired I wanted verification pictures vids as well as the old parts that were not to be cored so that I knew what was replaced and what I paid for since I paid in full Chuck or Charles as he stated very clearly yes all of your requests will be honored and followed through with . as well as countless other issues that somehow only they saw and was no signs of needing replacement also suggested I get that work done due to the fact they were already replacing the transmission so they added even more money to the bill Which was for seals and gaskets that they claim were leaking which was another $529.16 That was added to the bill and I once again stated to Chuck or Charles that I wanted proof of replacement just like the rest of the work done that If authorized to get done per your claim to findings . I’ve encountered several issues regarding my truck being there and the lack of workers parts resources as in actually knowing how to fix the transmission all for them to keep my truck a full calendar month and not actually fix any issues I towed the vehicle in for in the first place there is alot more I would like to add I’ll just save that part for my attorneys to deal with because it had a lot to do with unprofessional issues that the owner himself said to me out his own mouth . After having my truck there for almost two months at this point they reach out to me and explain that they have completed my truck yet could not release it to me because some other issues were present that they needed a third party to touch on my truck in order for it to run properly with the new work that was claimed to be done to the truck in its almost two month stent at this shop . All of my issues were even more frustrating because I have it all documented through all the 4 numbers that Chuck or Charles has claimed to have I have every text message and call audio . I went to pick up my truck for the first time since its claim to have been gone through and should be running fine and fixed I drive my truck to the highway only for it to be in the exact same driving conditions as it was when I originally dropped the vehicle to the shop I immediately call Chuck or Charles and lets him know the Truck is running the same conditions as it was when I dropped it off which was not highway safe at all and it’s same running conditions so I will be getting it towed because I cannot drive it home Chuck gave me a tow number to have the vehicle towed back to the shop and also because he was in North Carolina at the time it would take him even longer to get back to what issues the truck had After getting back to the truck finally Chuck stated he went back through the truck completely and even went above and beyond to make sure he touched everything under my truck and touched anything and tightened anything that could make any noise at all He then doubled down to say I would like you to take a ride with my mechanic so he can see if you can replicate the noise for him to see if he can hear the noise to make sure it’s there Now also keep in mind per Chuck or Charles own mouth neither him nor the mechanic whom was the sole person who not only diagnosed the transmission in the first place he also wa step one to claim the other work and noises were verified as well . I came to take a ride with the mechanic the hearing impaired mechanic I take him out on a test ride in my truck which has full video and Audio of the test ride and the mechanic and I take him to the highway he immediately tells me we have not taken your vehicle in the highway because we aren’t allowed to do that on a test ride of a customer vehicle without them I said ok so how did you ever properly go through my issues that I stated in the notes about the trucks issues were only on the highway? He then stated those notes were never properly relayed to him when it was dropped off every repair was per his findings and his findings only so my notes were never written down by nick as he stated and he apologized for it and said he thought I needed a transmission because of how he felt like it drove on the city streets . I then take the mechanic on the highway and soon as we get on the highway the noises replication happens immediately as I stated it does and would on the highway speeds he then hears it as I roll both windows down so it’s very clear also while it all being caught on audio and video he states to me I apologize I can’t hear that well so I couldn’t hear this noise this isn’t the noise I heard though in regards to the transmission I said you needed . I said so how did you come up with I needed a transmission if you never drove it on the high way before or after the claim of replacing the transmission components how could it properly be done ? He stated I just want you to be happy so let’s take the car back and now I’ll check it for the noises we just heard that I never checked the first time which I know is the same issues you dropped the truck off for in the first place . I then say wow and drive him back to the shop so I can let Chuck know what his mechanic just clearly admitted to not only on video and audio away from the shop but to my face personally to admit to the issues being valid I walked into the shop to at that time let the new female front desk assistant know what happened on the test drive and I sent her the Audio of the test ride as well as the noises that were being replicated as I stated they would and was happening as well as me having the mechanic in the truck so his claims to not hear them were shown as false . Upon Chuck coming out from the back he approached me with a different temperament than he did before me paying the very large repair bill that also I must state for the record I received none of my so called broken and and damaged parts I received not one picture not one video of anything changing or had been replaced removed touched gone through at all and I asked for this all before authorizing the payments to make sure I had confirmed my requests would be made and I was assured I was going to get and I received nothing at all to the claim that any work was ever done to my truck I stated to truck what was going on and he flipped out on me and got very aggressive and disrespectful all in front of his female front desk assistant he as in Chuck or Charles as he stated called me a ***** and stated it seems no matter *** we do to your vehicle your gonna be a ***** and act like a ***** about it “ After hearing that as well as the female front desk attendant saw and heard as well I then stated I would like police you to feel safe in this matter if your going to proceed in this unprovoked and unprofessional manner Chuck or Charles as he stated then proceed to issue threats to get the F out his shop as he’s on the phone with the police I walk out to make sure my wife was present in the manner for a witness to the issues at hand as well as the female front desk assistant was there to witness this all from start to finish. Chuck proceed to stay in the phone with the police to demand their presence he then proceeded to lie on a recorded 911 call that I was being aggressive towards him and violently threatening him all lies he stated all once again in front of a witness that none of the above were actually taking place I then wait as four police officers came to his aid thinking it actually was a real issue other than a civil matter dispute over being called out for *****ulent auto service practice I stated to the police the concerns I’ve dealt with from the service I’ve received up until this point and they saw how Chuck or Charles was not able to stand the facts that were being brought up in their presence Chuck even admitted in front of them that these issues were valid only because I told in In front of the four officers who also were wearing body cameras that I also have the report number and video number on that can be viewed he admitted he did not know what the noises were from the original drop off at all an he stated if I wanted to take the truck to another mechanic shop to properly diagnose the issues he would gladly pay for them As far as a refund he told me to my face good luck with that because I’m not giving you one and no I don’t have any proof that work was ever done and I know i I told you that I would have all that you asked before payment I somehow forgot and don’t have any of it to give to you he stated your transmission was under warranty yet it doesn’t have any warranty information either So how am I to know is anything was done and the vehicle is driving the exact same conditions as when it was towed to the shop in the first place his response was told bad because we did work on your transmission cus it needed work so we have to be paid for that and if you wanna leave it here with us to fix all your original concerns you can leave it here with us even longer but I will tell you we don’t know what the noises are right now So you can either take it with the work only we can say was done and needed done and leave with the same conditions the truck was In when you brought it in and that make you happy Or you can leave it here with us to now try and find out what the noises and issues you originally dropped it off and asked to be done and looked at in the first place I will however state to you though in front of all these officers I don’t know what the noise is don’t know what it could be nor how to fix it but I will keep doing stuff to you truck til we get it right even though I don’t know what it could be even though I charged a full diagnostic Fee in which yes you paid and I don’t give you any results of any findings that helped us reach why you needed any of the work you had done here at this shop I will tell you that none of this will result in a refund at all because we did work on your truck even is there is absolutely no proof at all that is was anything done and it’s still in the exact same driving conditions as it started in .

  Business response

  12/06/2023

  This complaint is absolutely ridiculous and virtually all twisted and convoluted with falsehoods.  The accusations are so absurd and twisted that I cannot even begin to respond. He, in hindsight has been one of those customers who apparently is just trying to get something for nothing. He also claims he has retained an attorney.  If you, or his Attorney can somehow act as a mediator we are open to and would appreciate any third party help.   We did the proper and necessary repairs to his transmission. After he authorized the $5200 transmission repairs he even asked us to look at his Brakes and Oil because he was so satisfied overall. By the way we advised him he did not need to spend additional money on those repairs at this time. Since then he has accused us of everything from *****, to breaking his mirrors, to burning all his gas (despite the fact we actually added gas at no charge because it came to us on empty), to claiming I ran out of the office because I was afraid to face him about broken mirrors (THAT WERE NOT EVEN BROKEN).  All of these and most of everything else he wrote is absolutely twisted and crazy.  We have towed the vehicle back to our shop at no charge, we have sent a tech with him several times to experience this "MAJOR UNSAFE TO DRIVE NOISE/ISSUE".  He has continually lied to us, threatened us, and totally disrupted our shop to the point where we finally had to call the Police to the shop. 

              Despite all this, we continued to still try to help him isolate this noise/issue.  We have also even offered that he consider taking it to a certified third party Shop and if they find anything to do with our work or Warranty we would take that information and decide how best to handle any warranty repairs and consider paying the diagnostic fee as well. On the initial road-test the vehicle was dropping out of gear as soon as we started driving it, so it was unsafe to drive on the highway without risking doing more damage to the vehicle or completely breaking down. Now the issue he is complaining about seldom happens and his own videos clearly show he is driving it just fine while this issue is occurring. My Tech has a GPS app on his phone and it even shows how erratic and unsafe the customer was driving the vehicle with my tech as a passenger while trying to replicate the issue. That obviously makes this particular issue very hard to pinpoint. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions. We did the Transmission work properly, we paid for all the necessary parts and labor and have bent over backwards to try to help with a symptom that likely has nothing to do with the transmission failure. So a Refund would not be a practicable or fair solution.   Thank You for your help       

  Customer response

  12/11/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  First, I would like to address the unprofessional attitude and very racially motivated accusations  that have been waged against me, and my character simply because I have asked questions and raised much concern regarding the many issues I’ve experienced since my truck was taken to this shop for repair; repairs in which I do not have any confidence were ever completed by said company. On several occasions I have requested proof of repairs (written diagnostic and/or core parts/numbers provided) as of today, I have not received such requested proof, yet I paid for the diagnostic and made it very clear I would pay for the core parts. My truck, from day one, was never properly diagnosed or repaired. According to the technician, he nor Chuck properly diagnosed my truck nor did either take my truck out on a highway road test prior to telling me I needed a new transmission. My issues started on day one when I called to inform Charles (Chuck) that I would be picking up my vehicle, after it had been in his care for over a month. This extended delay of me picking up my vehicle was due to Chuck and his technician’s countless claims of needing to re-program, re-tune and go over everything that was supposedly done to my truck. Upon informing Chuck that I was on my way to pick it up, Chuck assured me they had all my receipts, old  parts, new parts number, as well as warranty information that I would need for regular service, what was covered under warranty and the length of the warranty. He also assured me that they took the vehicle out on its test drive on the highway. Upon my arrival, there were no prepared documents, no warranty information, no used parts, nor any new part numbers provided or readily available after requesting this information several times. When I arrived, I asked to see Chuck, as I had just gotten off of the phone with him. I was informed my the front desk representative that Chuck was not in that day and he was not made aware that I was supposed to receive any of the documents/items I had requested. He stated Chuck left nothing for me. He stated he didn’t know anything about any parts or anything else that was supposed to come with the vehicle when I got there. He said Chuck only told him to give me the keys once I paid then let him know when I left. 
  After paying, I went out to inspect my truck. I had two immediate issues upon turning in my truck: my truck was left on 1 mile to empty; when I dropped the vehicle off it was on 15miles to empty. This was also stated to the company when I dropped it off. I also let them know that I didn’t mind paying for whatever gas they had to use for a test drive to replicate the symptoms I stated were happening to my truck. The second issue was my power mirrors being off track/malfunctioning from someone pulling on them, instead of using the electric knob to adjust them. I went back inside to let the person at the front desk know of my issues and he called Chuck. When speaking with Chuck, I immediately asked he how could a proper road test have been done if I’m picking up the truck and it’s on 1 mile to E? How could he/company have driven it for the highway test drive speeds, that I spoke originally about, and even if he/company added gas it would still be gas left over from the test drives? I then disregarded that issue after speaking to Chuck. I let that issue go and went to find a gas station that was close to a mile and a half away I got gas and headed to the highway to return my truck home. 
  After traveling, less than 2 miles, down the highway, I begin to experience the SAME driving conditions/symptoms/sounds, that I had stated to Chuck and prior to getting it, the truck’s transmission and seals “fixed” by Chuck (AAMCO transmission). 
  On Monday morning, I called Chuck to let him know the continued issues I was having with my truck and that I didn’t feel safe driving it back to his shop. He provide me with a number and told me to call and have my truck towed back to his shop so that he could attempt to determine the issues. Each time I picked my truck up, it was still experiencing the same sounds as when I originally took it to be serviced. I provided Chuck with video/audio of the issues I was experiencing. The final time I went to Chuck’s shop, I went on an actual road test with his mechanic. During this road test, the mechanic made it known that he and Chuck were both hearing impaired/hard of hearing and that neither himself nor Chuck had previously taken the truck on a highway test drive nor had they done a proper diagnosis of my truck. He stated they only went by the notes that was provided to the by an employee Chuck had recently fired. I let the technician know that our entire ride and conversation was being recorded and he stated he understood. Upon return to the shop, the technician immediate when to Chuck in the back of the shop. As I was wiring for Chuck and the technician to return to the front of the shop, the front desk receptionist (now a female) stated to me that both Chuck and the technician were hearing impaired and as a result, she had personally driven my truck with them in it to determine if she could hear the sounds in which I had originally stated the truck was making and she WAS able to hear the same/similar sounds. 
  When I made this known to Chuck, he became irritated, disrespectful, and very unprofessional. At which time he told me that all I had done from the beginning was *****ing and complaining and no matter what I wasn’t going to be satisfied. At this time I left the shop and went outside to get my wife so that she could be a witness to Chuck’s disrespect and unprofessionalism. Upon reentering the shop, Chuck was still irritated, I let him know he was being recorded at this time he told me to get out and he was calling the police. I told him that was fine as I was a former police officer myself. Upon making his 911 call, Chuck falsely accused me of threatening him and his business. Each time I asked him to provide proof of me threatening him and/or his business, he could and would not provide such proof. Once officers arrived, he continued to make false accusations against me by stating I threatened him. The officers asked him several times when and to provide proof, which again he was not able to do so because he was not being truthful. He also attempted to tell he officers that it was very possible that I had a gun on me, at which time the officers determine that was false and that he only said that in a act to escalate the situation. As the officers stated to him and myself, this was a civil matter as I the customer wasn’t satisfied in the service, or lack there of, that may or may not have been rendered by Chuck and his company. Again I requested, in front of the officers, for a written/printed copy of my diagnostic, the old parts, and the new part numbers. Chuck refused to provide this information and told me to get it in court and that he would only provide me with a typed copy, that he was typing in the moment, with no findings. On several occasions he has refused to provide proof of services being rendered, even though I requested and he agreed that he would provide upon me picking my truck up. I have never threatened Chuck or his company, and if this was indeed the case, why has Chuck texted me from his personal number to apologize and to state that he will pay for me to have my truck taken to a third party company for a reevaluation/diagnosis? As a customer I am very disappointed and dissatisfied in the customer service and quality of service that I experienced with Chick and his company. I am and will continue to request a FULL refund of $5200 as I have zero proof any repairs were ever done on my truck. I am also still requesting a full printed/written diagnostic, core parts that were replaced, and part numbers for supposed new parts that were used. Ashley of today, my truck is still in operable and is still making the original sounds it was making when I originally took my truck to Chuck at AAMCO Transmission in Glenn Burnie, MD. Please provide a full refund of $5200 immediately.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************** ***************

  Business response

  12/15/2023

  We have tried to do everything we can do for this customer within reason. He is impossible to deal with rationally and has his own twisted and terribly distorted interpretation of the facts and reality. He requested his parts but I explained the main parts were cores he would need to pay a fee for so he declined them. His other parts are still here and available. He has threatened us numerous times and while we have tried to ignore that it finally reached a point where I no longer felt comfortable for my staff or myself especially since he acts so erratic and out of the norm. Also having been a ex-police officer the thought that he may have a weapon was certainly a concern. We have just been unable to overcome anything in a rational normal way. We offered to help pay for third party diagnostic and we have offered to have someone act as a mediator. What else should a reasonable person expect? We spent the time ,labor and parts to fix his transmission so a refund is not a reasonable request.  Especially since the vehicle had a 2-3 chatter and would drop out of gear momentarily on the 4-5 shift during our initial road test (which I have explained to the customer numerous times). We explained we would not continue to drive the vehicle on the highway at higher speeds and risk doing additional damage and even breaking down, which any reasonable customer would understand but especially an ASE certified mechanic. Most important is the fact that when my tech went with him he could not initially replicate it and then finally when it did occur after considerable driving it finally happened over 70 mph with the window down to hear it. The customer says that as well as having been a Police officer, he is also an ASE certified mechanic. My point is even a regular customer understands finding an intermittent issue can be very difficult. But when you also have other MAJOR issues at the same time obviously would normally address them first. For him to ignore the falling out if gear and chatter and supposedly only be worried about this intermittent noise is ludicrous. Also any reasonable person understands a vehicle possibly having multiple issues and multiple repairs being needed at the same time. But when you have a mechanical background and you were a police officer there is no excuse for someone to be so degrading, insulting, threatening and unreasonable as this person is. It would seem that the only logical explanation is he is just a totally unreasonable person or they are just trying to manipulate the situation to get money. Again we have looked at the vehicle multiple times, towed it back in at our cost, and sent a tech with him multiple occasions during which it would not happen or he would have to drive it erratically and unsafely just to get it to SOMETIMES make a noise during which the vehicle still operated normally, as shown in his videos. We added gas to his vehicle at no charge and tried to advise him that we added $15.00 worth of gas and it continued to show 1 mile to empty the entire time we were driving it. We even checked his brakes and oil at no charge per his request after he was quoted the final price for his Transmission repair (and told him they did not need additional repairs at this time). He forgot his parts as he was so busy accusing us of breaking his mirrors and acting erratic, belittling and threatening.  I have dealt with customers for many years and I have never had a customer who has been so terrible to deal with, and we all have had some outlandish customers. When you couple his erratic and hostile behavior with an issue that is intermittent and relatively minor (when compared to the 2-3 chatter and gear dump on the 4-5 shift) along with being ASE certified and a former Police officer there is simply no excuse for his erratic and unacceptable actions. AND despite all of this, the customer care part of me, still has offered to help figure this out. Hopefully someone can get him to accept a reasonable and rational plan to help him get it figured out.  Thank you again for your help!  
  
  
  --
  7423 Ritchie Hwy. 
  Glen, Burnie, MD 21061
  (410)590-0070 phone
  (410)590-0074 fax

  Customer response

  12/21/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I’m requesting a FULL refund of $5200 as I, the customer, has ZERO confidence or proof that any work was done to my vehicle. Chuck keeps saying I supposedly threatened him and his staff, yet he has texted me from his PERSONAL phone to bring my vehicle back to him and/or to take it to another shop and he will pay the diagnostic fee…I know personally I would never want to deal with or communicate with a person that has supposedly threatened me and/or my staff repeatedly. Furthermore, if I supposedly threatened him, why didn’t he state said threats to the three police officers that arrived. Not only was this whole ordeal captured on body worn cameras from 3 different angles, it was confirmed I never threatened anyone nor was I the aggressor in the matter. The front desk clerk, confirmed to myself, Chuck, and the officers that threats were not made. When the officers arrived and asked him what threats were made he couldn’t tell them of one threat as he was lying then and he’s lying now. Once he didn’t provide any evidence of supposed threats or aggression from me, the police officers let him know this was a civil matter, not criminal as he never provided any proof that a crime or threat was made to him or his staff as he keeps trying to proclaim now. Chuck nor his company provided me with any proof that services were provided! I requested a written diagnostic, I NEVER received it. I requested my old/core parts, I NEVER received them. I requested the new part numbers of the supposed parts he used, I NEVER received them. Said requests were made several times, prior to authorizing services to be completed, when services were supposedly completed, and in front of the police officers. Per the person that collected my payment (Ross), Chuck didn’t leave any paperwork or parts, but he made it very clear to take my money and let him know immediately when I left the premises. In front of officers, Chuck stated he wasn’t giving me anything and if I wanted it, I’d have to go to court. Again this is when the officers repeated that this was a civil matter and that it would have to be resolved in court. Chuck is an older white man that is/was intimidated by my stature and professionalism as an educated black man, that does have a certification as a mechanic and is a former police officer. Once he was made aware of my certification and former occupation, is when he started to proclaim I threaten him and his staff…once he realized I knew the services I paid for were not provided is when he became increasingly unprofessional, lying more often, and his TRUE racial complex appeared!!! His main goal was to **** me/my wife out of money, and he DID JUST THAT!!! My vehicle is in the SAME working/sound condition as it was when I dropped it off at his company, leaving me to believe I was ****med out of $5200 and no services were ever completed!!! And as his tech stated, on my recording, when we were on the highway test drive, prior to that day my truck was NEVER taken on the highway nor was it given a proper diagnosis by him or Chuck;  they just ASSUMED it needed a transmission!!! Also as his front desk clerk stated, she personally drove the truck down the road and she DID hear the sounds and she told this to Chuck and his tech as both Chuck and the tech are hearing impaired. Chuck and his company are a BIG ***** and ****!!! Chuck keeps proclaiming he has offered to help me, in this situation, however, I am afraid to return to his shop! His lack of character, his lying, his unprofessionalism, and his aggression has me afraid for my own safety and well being in dealing with him as I am not sure of his intentions if I were to return. The only help I want from him is a FULL refund of $5200; based on my encounters with him, he is not to be trusted and I don’t feel safe or comfortable going anywhere near him or his shop. Please provide a FULL refund of $5200 immediately.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************** ***************

  Customer response

  12/24/2023

  I would like to mediate this issue as I am not satisfied with the response, and lack of action taken by the business owner.

  Thank you

  Customer response

  01/02/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of Mediation. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

  Better Business Bureau: I would like to go through mediation with my claim, as I am not satisfied with the company’s response and lack of action. Mediation is the appropriate step before I file in court. In the last notification I received from BBB, there was no place for me to indicate I would like mediation, so this is serving as my consent to mediation in the event I am unable to communicate prior to January 5, 2024.

  Thank you,

  ******* **************** ******  ** ********

   

  Business response

  01/07/2024

  I appreciate your help in attempting to resolve this matter. However at his time the next step is to figure out and get the problem diagnosed. I would normally be totally open to any help or mediation, with a reasonable, rational, logical customer but he is none of these. My goal obviously would be to try to meet some type of fair resolution. However, this customer has been absolutely unreasonable and irrational in every way in his actions, attitude, threats and accusations. Again the vehicle was at our shop for most of the time while he was deciding if he wanted to do the repair and if he wanted us to actually complete the repair. Only at the very end of the time were we getting the proper parts and completing the repair. Initially the vehicle had to be towed to us because it would drop out of gear and was barely drivable. After the repair was done the problem is a noise you hear ONLY SOMETIMES that you may only hear with the window down and often over 70 miles an hour and driving in a very erratic, irregular manner. My fear is not only the fact that you would be trying to bring us to a solution in the middle (which we’ve done nothing wrong) but also the fact that he is just so irrational and illogical in every way. So even if we reached a solution, I have strong reservations as to whether he would abide by any agreement that was made. Also in order for me to consider mediation or arbitration I would have to better understand and review all the rules and regulations with Corporate Attorneys . Obviously this would need to be some type of binding and he has also expressed that he has an attorney. It may be best if his attorney tried to reach a reasonable solution with Aamco. While I certainly want to avoid a legal procedure I’m afraid this may likely be the only solution. I’m afraid it would just be a waste of time and money for all involved. Most importantly until someone is able to identify and diagnose this current actual issue, everything else is pretty much a moot point. His transmission was falling out of gear to the point where the vehicle couldn’t safely go down the road. There was no way while it was in that condition, we could drive it to replicate the additional conditions he’s outlined. Nor do we think that likely has anything to do with the transmission repair or is related to the problem that was the main reason he brought it to us in the first place. And again, let me stress if it does have anything to do with our work, it is completely covered under his warranty, and we are happy to do whatever additional necessary repairs inside his transmission under his warranty for free. We had to complete the repair that we did first. Since he also claims to be an ASC certified mechanic, he should understand that better than most people. So I go back to my original offer that we will pay the reasonable and standard diagnostic fee to have the issue diagnosed by the dealer. And we will take care of any repair identified to be related to our transmission, diagnosis and repair under the terms of his warranty. This is the crux of the entire issue. No Shop would guarantee that any repair will take care of EVERY issue that vehicle may have. Any more than any doctor would say a particular surgery is going to make that person 100% well and that they will have no other medical conditions in their entire body whatsoever. Thank you for your continued help.

  Customer response

  01/19/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response and will be moving forward in the legal process with legal counsel. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************** ***************

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