ComplaintsforLevco Transmission

• Initial Complaint

  09/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I checked several transmission shops for a rebuilt transmission on my 2016 Jeep. Levco was one of them. Lithia Jeep suggested that I bring the Jeep in for a diagnostic check which could show a simple adjustment could fix my problem. Turned out I needed a complete transmission. Jessie at Levco had been texting and calling me. Said he really needed the job and would give me the best deal on a rebuilt transmission. We took our Jeep in on 8/8/23. He said he would charge us a total of $5200.00. We agreed. He wanted payment up front. When he ran our card, it was for $7200.00. Said he needed to pay a $2000.00 core charge and when our old transmission was returned, the $2000.00 Would be refunded to us. Job is done and he refuses to refund us our money. He wrote on our copy of his invoice that $2000.00 would be refunded to customer. Also other transmission shops quoted $4500. to $6000. for this same job. The dealer, as everybody knows, would have charged more. I never would have gone to them and never would have gone to Levco had I known that Jessie is not an honest person.

  

  Business response

  10/16/2023

  Tell us why here...Complaint ID # ******** 
  Hello,
  It has come to my attention there has been a misunderstanding.
  Please let me explain the facts. My Name is Jesse S******. I am the person representing Levco Transmission, I am grateful for the business and always try harder than anyone to deliver our best service in appreciation.  I was involved throughout the procedure. Going back to August, the very beginning of the month I spoke to Ms. ******* regarding the options to repair her vehicle. She did mention it was at the Lithia Jeep Dealership here in Reno, NV. She stated that the repairs were going to be too much and was wanting to see if we could help. I immediately started searching for a used transmission and sourcing a rebuilt from the Jeep dealership as well. I Shared my findings with Ms. ******* and Mr. *** who was here with her. I sourced a used transmission from B&R Auto wrecking with 95,000 miles for $ 2,675.00 for the transmission only without core fee or tax fee or shipping fee included, with a 6-month warranty and no labor coverage. A Used transmission from Transtar with 70,000 Miles for $ 3,900.00 for the transmission only not labor or tax this is only the price of the transmission not shipping or fees, and this was the same for the transmission I sourced from B&R Auto Wrecking. If Ms. ******* had decided to have gone with a used transmission for example the Transtar transmission would have costed $ 5,967.00 . Let me explain transmission $  $ 3,900 + fluids and filter $ 250.00 = $ 4,150.00 tax on this amount is $ 343.00 shop supplies and haz mat fee is $ 24.00 and last labor is $ 1,200.00  plus shipping $ 250.00    = so now we have a total on a used transmission of  $ 5,967.00   I Also Sourced a transmission from the Lithia Jeep dealership with a 3 Year warranty 100,000 Mile coverage, on the part only, but it will not be ready for some time, a few weeks. Ms. ******* and Mr. *** discussed the options among them self's and came to an agreement they wanted to go with the option that had the best warranty which would be the transmission I was sourcing from the Jeep dealership. I explained to them that the transmission itself from the jeep dealership cost not including tax would be $5,200.00 for the transmission itself not labor or any fluids or anything else, and there was a core fee additional of $ 2,000.00 and that I needed to collect these funds in order for me to order the transmission ahead of the procedure. That I needed to collect this money from them and the difference which would be for everything else like the labor and tax and fluids will need to be paid at the time of completion; and the core fee will be returned to them after Jeep dealership credit me back for the core in 1 to 3 weeks. This is Normal procedure for our shop and other businesses that have to special order anything. Ms. ******* and Mr. *** understood clearly and agreed because they were going to be paying $ 7,662.84 according to the quote, they showed me from the dealership, but somehow Ms. ******* can't find it and is stating she doesn't have the time to look for it and she will not waste time calling the dealership to receive a copy of it, per her explanation to me. She Said to me after a few days of completion of her vehicle that I was dishonest and wanted her money back and that the dealership was only going to be charging her after everything was said and done out the door $ 5,200.00 not the $ 7,662.84, she was quoted. Now I was only charging them $ 7,100.00 to $ 7,200.00 in total for the procedure give or take of course being it was a ballpark figure and they agreed. When I explained my figures to them as you see on my notes you will see the brake down of it on the far right note pad math equation. I explained to them that the labor to do this procedure was calling for 8 Hours according to the labor guide and my labor per hour rate was $ 200.00 per hour. but I was going to give them a discount of $ 400.00 to make the labor only $ 1,200.00 instead of $ 1,600.00. If you see the math breakdown.   See the breakdown and the work order you see the explanation, itemized detailed report. As well as the final invoice shows the breakdown of everything. I immediately called the dealership and spoke to Bob who is the service manager on September 14, 2023, at 4:30 pm at the Lithia Jeep dealership in reno, NV and asked what the labor cost would be to do this job and he stated it would cost $ 1,600.00. The next day September 15,2023 I called again and spoke with Fernando, and he stated the labor rate per hour was also $ 200.00. When I Spoke to the Lithia Jeep Parts department and talked with Donna, she mentions the transmission was $ 4,973.75 plus tax and core fee of $ 2,000.00 additional. I don't know where Ms. ******* came to the conclusion after the services were performed that I was a dishonest person, or we were a dishonest business.  I was really upset and asked Ms. ****** what I could do? Being I dint mark up the transmission like the dealership says list price should be $ 5,750.00 plus tax. She said to return her $ 2,000.00 dollars and I asked her to pay the difference then since the difference would be owed and she stated that job should only be $ 5,200.00 in total parts and labor and that I was dishonest and took advantage of her and I can't explain it clearly or better to her now. On my final attempt to correct any misunderstanding I contacted the Lithia Jeep Dealership and asked them to hold the transmission I turned in and asked to have it returned to me so I could install it back into the Jeep Ms. ******* owns and give her a full refund so she could take her business somewhere else, and they said they would and understood the situation. Then I called Ms. ******* and explained that I had a solution and would do the labor to install her transmission back for free and give her a full refund and that the procedure would only take a day. Ms. ******* did not want to hear about it or wanted nothing else but her $ 2,000.00 dollars. I tried to explain the difference on the balance owed equaled to $ 2,010.20. but I was writing off the $ 10.20 besides the other $ 400.00 in diagnostic and the other $ 400.00 in labor to equal the $ 810.20 but it still was not clear to her.  I Explained that the core money which was the $ 2,000.00 covers the balance on the invoice and instead of paying me an additional amount of $ 2,010.20. The  CORE deposit covers it and then I don't have to refund her 3 weeks later, but this explanation and all don't make sense to her. If Ms. ******* had paid me the deposit and the repairs and core fee on her jeep the total would have been $ 9,200.00 Ms. ******* only paid me $7,200.00 I NEVER ONCE SAID THE WHOLE JOB WAS GOING TO BE $ 5,200.00 I could never do this and cover taxes for her and do the labor for free. The work Order states clearly that the repair was going to be  $ 7,200.00  + -   meaning give or take a little, and the core fee is not included in total meaning its additional and separate. She Understood it clearly but now, She stated I'm a thief and I worked something out with the dealership to keep her $ 2,000.00.     Levco Transmission has been in business for 32 years and we are here to serve our customers and our community as best as possible and to be transparent and helpful every single time.  
  Jesse S******
  ###-###-####
  Levco Transmissions 
  

  Customer response

  10/21/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I see Jesse sent you a copy of his notes and draws your attention to the right side.  I would like to draw your attention to the left side. This is all he showed us at the time when he said we would only pay $5200.00. He never gave us any other paperwork other than the work order and our receipt for $7200.00.  The work order states that the $2000.00 core charge would be refunded to us.  The invoice and other notes were given to us only when we picked up our Jeep. We did not have and did not show him a written quote from Lithia as he states.  He wanted me to get a quote from them after our Jeep was repaired and I told him no. I did not tell him Lithia was going to charge $5200.00. He is the one that came up with $5100.00 or $5200.00 charge.  He did not say he would be charging us $7200.00. If he had, I would have gone with another shop.  They were all close to $5200.00. I told Jesse my husband was just out of the hospital and had so many doctor appointments coming up.  We had no other transportation.  He said he would have our car back to us in two days which sounded good.  He took several days longer.  He knew how desperate we were.  We are old and had plans to return to Arizona as soon as possible.  Just one more reason to take advantage of us.  I don't know why he made all the calls to his friends at Lithia, but it obviously made him greedy when he found out what a dealer would charge for this job. When he offered to put our old transmission back in, he also offered to buy our Jeep from us. I figure he was only offering another way to take advantage of us.

   

  **** *******

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