- Report: #1278
Complaint Review: AAMCO Transmissions - ROCHESTER New York
-
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AAMCO Transmissions
1521 MT. Read Blvd. ROCHESTER, New York, U.S.A.
Phone:
716-254-5920
Web:
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AAMCO Transmissions Rochester, NY. rip-off
- My 1991 Honda Accord (manual transmission) had a transmission problem.
I could not shift into 1st and 3rd gear.
- I brought it to AAMCO Transmissions on Monday 12/27/1999 at
1521 MT. Read Blvd. in Rochester, NY. 14690
Independently owned by:
Barry/Francis ENT., Inc.
Francis F. McAllister
Phone# (716) 254-5920
- When all was said and done, my car was ready to be picked up on
Wednesday 01/05/2000 at AAMCO, ten days later.
=================================================================
The Facts as I Remember Them
--- ----- -- - -------- ----
- After AAMCO did a external diagnostic service which includes a fluid check and road test with diagnosis, I was told on Monday that I needed a special bolt and lock washer and, the car would be ready in (2) days.
- I was told, I lead a charmed life. The special bolt had broken off and half of it was still in the transmission. I'm lucky the half in the transmission didn't cause more problems. If it had, I was told I could be paying as much as $1600. In this case, it will cost me $400, to rip the transmission apart.
- The transmission had to come apart in order to get the bolt fragment out.
- I expressed that the car had to be done in no more than (4) days because I had to work New Year's Eve. I could NOT be inconvenienced that night.
- I was working over the phone with a guy by the name of Bruce at AAMCO. During the whole ordeal, the owner Francis F. McAllister or his son(s) never made their presence known to me. I only worked with Bruce.
- On Tuesday, I decided to have AMMCO put in a clutch kit. $258.77 Since it was apart.
- Any way, I kept on top of the situation because, the parts now had to be ordered, I was told from a Honda dealer (John Holtz). Time was critical.
- Well, the parts didn't come in on Wednesday or Thursday. I'm on the phone to AAMCO and the Honda Dealer.
- AAMCO said they special ordered the parts.
- The Honda Dealer said AAMCO ordered the parts on a regular stock order. The stock order was a special order.
STOCK ORDERS TAKE A MINIMUM OF (3) DAYS.
- Talked to a great guy by the name of Roger Pettit, in Parts. (Experienced)
- The Honda Dealer mentioned that if AAMCO had ordered the part to be shipped over night, then it would have been at the dealer by Wednesday.
- The Honda Dealer stated that most transmission places order their parts over night in this manner.
- I got on the phone with Bruce at AAMCO and was told that he didn't order the parts over night because, he was trying to save me money. Over night shipments cost more.
- The actual cost of both the parts mentioned above was less than $5.
- I was furious that my car was not to be ready on time and, before a (3) day holiday.
- Bruce mentioned that if the parts come in on Thursday, he had to have them by 1:00 PM. It takes (4) hours to put the transmission back together. If they did come in and the dealer called to let him know, he'd send a guy to pick them up.
- AAMCO and the Honda dealer were to be closed for Friday, New Year's Eve. The day I really needed the car, to work that night.
- I decided to contact the home office of AAMCO as per their web site instructions for customer satisfaction. I thought that they should know about the situation and my discontent. Maybe, they could help. Maybe, I could get a customer discount for all my inconvenience. That was on Thursday.
- WRONG!
- All AAMCO's are individually owned, (franchise).
- I talked to a person over the phone by the name of Pat Accordino at the main AAMCO home office, (Customer Relations).
Phone# 1-800-523-0401 x312
- I told her the situation and mentioned I was worried about any
retaliation towards me for calling the main office.
They had my car.
- Well, the first time I talked to her, she said she talked with the franchise owner, Francis F. McAllister.
Could have been one of his sons, I don't know.
- She said, she made the owner, Francis F. McAllister aware of the situation.
- The last thing that happened on Thursday was, another call came in from Bruce at AMMCO. He mentioned that the master builder recommended replacing a $67 shaft. He could over night it and it would be here on Monday.
- Talk about adding insult to injury. (3) days later I was told this. I wasn't to be told at all if the parts had come in on time. I was told, they were not going to tell me because they knew I was in a hurry for the vehicle.
- Well, the 1st of the year came and went. It was now Monday, a week later and the Honda dealer had received one of the two parts by then, the special bolt.
- No car for Monday.
- I was back on the phone again with AAMCO's main office - Pat Accordino
- I wanted my bill to be 5-10% discounted for my inconvenience.
Again, I was worried about retaliation towards me, at my car.
I mentioned this to Pat Accordino.
- Pat Accordino told me that I should expect the franchise owner to be unhappy with me calling the main office.
- Pat Accordino called the owner again.
Pat Accordino mentioned the owner would take care of it.
- The owner took care of nothing.
- No car for Tuesday.
- The second part came into the Honda dealer on Tuesday.
The lock washer.
- The Honda dealer couldn't get a person to deliver the parts to AMMCO until the afternoon. This would be too late. Bruce at AAMCO stated, that he was a guy short and couldn't send a person.
- See how the car fell off AMMCO's priority list.
- I was also told by Bruce at AAMCO that since I called the main office and made the franchise look bad, that I was to pick up my vehicle the following day and payment would only be accepted by cash or bank certified check. This was also for, making them look bad at the Honda Dealer.
- I was told that they have dealt with people like me before.
(Dis-satisfied ones, I believe)
- I called Bruce back, to tell him I'd pay in cash after I test drove. He said fine.
- Pat Accordino from the main AAMCO office called me back on Tuesday. She let me know that my car would be ready to be picked up the next day. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR USELESS HELP Pat Accordino!
You only made things worse.
- Well Wednesday finally came and the call from Bruce came to let me know my car was ready.
- We argued over paying in cash first or test driving the car first. I asked why the change? He said, we've dealt with people like you before. He mentioned, I could test drive before paying and leave him off on some corner. I lost this argument. He got the cash then, he came with me on the test drive.
- I asked for a percentage off for my inconvenience. I was told again how it wasn't their fault and, how lucky I am working with a transmission shop that didn't run up the price.Bruce mentioned that most of their business comes in, by word of mouth.
- Boy, am I lucky. I sacrificed my car for 10 days.
- The vehicle was driven for 14 miles total, in ten days.
They lied on the receipt, which specifies the vehicle was only driven 4 miles when I picked it up. But this was the first thing I checked. I set the vacation mileage meter. I thought this to be excessive. (10 miles too much)
- What else could be wrong with this car?
- What assurances to I have when you've pissed off a franchise by calling the car dealer and the home office?
- I had a rear side passenger flat tire on Thursday night.
My fault, I guess. I had to replace it, once I got the rusted piece of steel out of it.
- While writing this, Pat Accordino from the main AMMCO office called to follow up. Boy, I guess, I got 10% off my chest.
- BOTTOM LINE:
- I payed full price ($716)
- Always have the parts that are ordered from a dealer. OVER-NIGHTED!
- Never call the home office, this makes a franchise mad.
- Never have a transmission job around the holidays.
- Always set the vacation mileage meter to zero when taking your car in.
- The customer, in this case, was treated like grap.
- If I had the dealer do it. I would have at least been treated like a customer they wanted to keep and, probably been given use of a car.
- In my opinion, NEVER GO TO AMMCO!
- Never call 1-800-GO-AMMCO
- Here is my 2 cents and, my word of mouth.
- America is a wonderful country. You can get screwed and still voice your opinion via freedom of speech.
welcome to the internet,
you're in my world now,
for all to see,
<<< Russ Militello >>>
- UPDATE: 02/11/2000
- I received a call in mid January from Mike Pekula from AAMCO in Philadelphia (1-800-292-8500 x221) and he stated that he read the above from this web site. He mentioned that he was the Director of Consumer Affairs at AAMCO and knew the owner at this location.
He was calling me to see what he could do, to help out.
He wanted to know if 10% or $71 was a good amount to satisfy this customer (me). For all my time, aggravation and dissatisfaction, at the time, I agreed. It seemed sensible.
He said he'd talk to the Owner.
Well, that was January and I'm writing this in mid February. Still no response back from Mike Pekula. I called him and he stated he was still working on getting a firm commitment from the owner (McAllister)
Yup, the check is in the mail, with AAMCO.
To date, no response, no check, no nothing from my friends
at AAMCO.
I'M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH ------------------------ WHAT A CLASS ACT!
reading for your enjoyment,
<<< Russ Militello >>>
[email protected]
I could not shift into 1st and 3rd gear.
- I brought it to AAMCO Transmissions on Monday 12/27/1999 at
1521 MT. Read Blvd. in Rochester, NY. 14690
Independently owned by:
Barry/Francis ENT., Inc.
Francis F. McAllister
Phone# (716) 254-5920
- When all was said and done, my car was ready to be picked up on
Wednesday 01/05/2000 at AAMCO, ten days later.
=================================================================
The Facts as I Remember Them
--- ----- -- - -------- ----
- After AAMCO did a external diagnostic service which includes a fluid check and road test with diagnosis, I was told on Monday that I needed a special bolt and lock washer and, the car would be ready in (2) days.
- I was told, I lead a charmed life. The special bolt had broken off and half of it was still in the transmission. I'm lucky the half in the transmission didn't cause more problems. If it had, I was told I could be paying as much as $1600. In this case, it will cost me $400, to rip the transmission apart.
- The transmission had to come apart in order to get the bolt fragment out.
- I expressed that the car had to be done in no more than (4) days because I had to work New Year's Eve. I could NOT be inconvenienced that night.
- I was working over the phone with a guy by the name of Bruce at AAMCO. During the whole ordeal, the owner Francis F. McAllister or his son(s) never made their presence known to me. I only worked with Bruce.
- On Tuesday, I decided to have AMMCO put in a clutch kit. $258.77 Since it was apart.
- Any way, I kept on top of the situation because, the parts now had to be ordered, I was told from a Honda dealer (John Holtz). Time was critical.
- Well, the parts didn't come in on Wednesday or Thursday. I'm on the phone to AAMCO and the Honda Dealer.
- AAMCO said they special ordered the parts.
- The Honda Dealer said AAMCO ordered the parts on a regular stock order. The stock order was a special order.
STOCK ORDERS TAKE A MINIMUM OF (3) DAYS.
- Talked to a great guy by the name of Roger Pettit, in Parts. (Experienced)
- The Honda Dealer mentioned that if AAMCO had ordered the part to be shipped over night, then it would have been at the dealer by Wednesday.
- The Honda Dealer stated that most transmission places order their parts over night in this manner.
- I got on the phone with Bruce at AAMCO and was told that he didn't order the parts over night because, he was trying to save me money. Over night shipments cost more.
- The actual cost of both the parts mentioned above was less than $5.
- I was furious that my car was not to be ready on time and, before a (3) day holiday.
- Bruce mentioned that if the parts come in on Thursday, he had to have them by 1:00 PM. It takes (4) hours to put the transmission back together. If they did come in and the dealer called to let him know, he'd send a guy to pick them up.
- AAMCO and the Honda dealer were to be closed for Friday, New Year's Eve. The day I really needed the car, to work that night.
- I decided to contact the home office of AAMCO as per their web site instructions for customer satisfaction. I thought that they should know about the situation and my discontent. Maybe, they could help. Maybe, I could get a customer discount for all my inconvenience. That was on Thursday.
- WRONG!
- All AAMCO's are individually owned, (franchise).
- I talked to a person over the phone by the name of Pat Accordino at the main AAMCO home office, (Customer Relations).
Phone# 1-800-523-0401 x312
- I told her the situation and mentioned I was worried about any
retaliation towards me for calling the main office.
They had my car.
- Well, the first time I talked to her, she said she talked with the franchise owner, Francis F. McAllister.
Could have been one of his sons, I don't know.
- She said, she made the owner, Francis F. McAllister aware of the situation.
- The last thing that happened on Thursday was, another call came in from Bruce at AMMCO. He mentioned that the master builder recommended replacing a $67 shaft. He could over night it and it would be here on Monday.
- Talk about adding insult to injury. (3) days later I was told this. I wasn't to be told at all if the parts had come in on time. I was told, they were not going to tell me because they knew I was in a hurry for the vehicle.
- Well, the 1st of the year came and went. It was now Monday, a week later and the Honda dealer had received one of the two parts by then, the special bolt.
- No car for Monday.
- I was back on the phone again with AAMCO's main office - Pat Accordino
- I wanted my bill to be 5-10% discounted for my inconvenience.
Again, I was worried about retaliation towards me, at my car.
I mentioned this to Pat Accordino.
- Pat Accordino told me that I should expect the franchise owner to be unhappy with me calling the main office.
- Pat Accordino called the owner again.
Pat Accordino mentioned the owner would take care of it.
- The owner took care of nothing.
- No car for Tuesday.
- The second part came into the Honda dealer on Tuesday.
The lock washer.
- The Honda dealer couldn't get a person to deliver the parts to AMMCO until the afternoon. This would be too late. Bruce at AAMCO stated, that he was a guy short and couldn't send a person.
- See how the car fell off AMMCO's priority list.
- I was also told by Bruce at AAMCO that since I called the main office and made the franchise look bad, that I was to pick up my vehicle the following day and payment would only be accepted by cash or bank certified check. This was also for, making them look bad at the Honda Dealer.
- I was told that they have dealt with people like me before.
(Dis-satisfied ones, I believe)
- I called Bruce back, to tell him I'd pay in cash after I test drove. He said fine.
- Pat Accordino from the main AAMCO office called me back on Tuesday. She let me know that my car would be ready to be picked up the next day. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR USELESS HELP Pat Accordino!
You only made things worse.
- Well Wednesday finally came and the call from Bruce came to let me know my car was ready.
- We argued over paying in cash first or test driving the car first. I asked why the change? He said, we've dealt with people like you before. He mentioned, I could test drive before paying and leave him off on some corner. I lost this argument. He got the cash then, he came with me on the test drive.
- I asked for a percentage off for my inconvenience. I was told again how it wasn't their fault and, how lucky I am working with a transmission shop that didn't run up the price.Bruce mentioned that most of their business comes in, by word of mouth.
- Boy, am I lucky. I sacrificed my car for 10 days.
- The vehicle was driven for 14 miles total, in ten days.
They lied on the receipt, which specifies the vehicle was only driven 4 miles when I picked it up. But this was the first thing I checked. I set the vacation mileage meter. I thought this to be excessive. (10 miles too much)
- What else could be wrong with this car?
- What assurances to I have when you've pissed off a franchise by calling the car dealer and the home office?
- I had a rear side passenger flat tire on Thursday night.
My fault, I guess. I had to replace it, once I got the rusted piece of steel out of it.
- While writing this, Pat Accordino from the main AMMCO office called to follow up. Boy, I guess, I got 10% off my chest.
- BOTTOM LINE:
- I payed full price ($716)
- Always have the parts that are ordered from a dealer. OVER-NIGHTED!
- Never call the home office, this makes a franchise mad.
- Never have a transmission job around the holidays.
- Always set the vacation mileage meter to zero when taking your car in.
- The customer, in this case, was treated like grap.
- If I had the dealer do it. I would have at least been treated like a customer they wanted to keep and, probably been given use of a car.
- In my opinion, NEVER GO TO AMMCO!
- Never call 1-800-GO-AMMCO
- Here is my 2 cents and, my word of mouth.
- America is a wonderful country. You can get screwed and still voice your opinion via freedom of speech.
welcome to the internet,
you're in my world now,
for all to see,
<<< Russ Militello >>>
- UPDATE: 02/11/2000
- I received a call in mid January from Mike Pekula from AAMCO in Philadelphia (1-800-292-8500 x221) and he stated that he read the above from this web site. He mentioned that he was the Director of Consumer Affairs at AAMCO and knew the owner at this location.
He was calling me to see what he could do, to help out.
He wanted to know if 10% or $71 was a good amount to satisfy this customer (me). For all my time, aggravation and dissatisfaction, at the time, I agreed. It seemed sensible.
He said he'd talk to the Owner.
Well, that was January and I'm writing this in mid February. Still no response back from Mike Pekula. I called him and he stated he was still working on getting a firm commitment from the owner (McAllister)
Yup, the check is in the mail, with AAMCO.
To date, no response, no check, no nothing from my friends
at AAMCO.
I'M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH ------------------------ WHAT A CLASS ACT!
reading for your enjoyment,
<<< Russ Militello >>>
[email protected]
