My name is James Horgan, a 37 year old single Dad of two great kids ages 8 and 3. My home is in Wylie, TX and I work in Carrollton, TX. I currently am without my 2006 Honda Accord vehicle because I was scammed and taken advantage of by a transmission repair shop in Farmers Branch near where I work at called American Transmissions.
On June 12, 2010 I drove to see my friend in Austin, TX and as I approached Hillsboro my speedometer went to zero, my check engine light came on, the D (Drive) indicator started flashing, and my VSA (Traction Control) light came on. I got off the highway on the next exit and parked the car in a gas station. I researched on my iPhone what could possibly be the problem and read a couple of forum posts where some people were experiencing the same thing with 2001-2003 Accords. I let the car cool down and turned the engine back on. Everything went back to normal except the "Check Engine" light was still on but reset itself down further on the highway. I found one a couple of miles from where I work, American Transmissions, and had a co-worker follow me down there on our lunch break which would have been Wednesday the 16th. I went to the counter where I met David. He asked me what the trouble was and I told him my symptoms from driving to Austin and the fluid overfill. He went with me to the car and he drove it for a test drive and during this test drive never said a word which I thought was odd. I told him I didn't have time to go over the multi-check inspection because I had to get back to work but would be back a little after 5. He called my cell phone around two hours later and said I would need to get the $395 transmission service in order to find out what was going on with my transmission. I told him I really couldn't afford spending $395 just to get a quote so to speak. He was very persistent over the phone and I told him I would come down and speak to him after I got out of work.
I went down to the shop after work where David was sitting behind the counter. I said I wasn't going to get the $395 Trans service done because I wouldn't be able to come up with the money for the repairs once it has been determined what was wrong. As soon as I said that the phone rang and David handed me the phone telling me it was his General manager Anthony. Anthony began to give the speech about how money isn't the most important thing and helping people out when they need it etc. He said he could get me financing on the repairs and that is when I interrupted him and told him my credit was a big mess because of the divorce and losing my previous job. I then told him I had a bankruptcy filing on my credit report and he said he could guarantee me 99% that he could set me up with some sort of financing because he knew two places that didn't run credit checks. I said if he was able to get me financing with a good rate then I could get the repairs done. He then convinced me to get the $395 transmission service which is taking my transmission off, opening the case to see what is in need of repair, and them reinstalling the transmission. Then I could find out what was wrong and get a written estimate. David filled out a handwritten work order detailing the $395 service so I signed it and put my initials in the box next to the $395 charge. I needed a rental car so David set me up with a 1995 Ford Explorer at no charge while they had my car. He knew I was on a budget so this worked out great and I drove home. The next day in the early afternoon I received a call from the GM Anthony. He said he had good news and bad news and said the bad news was my transmission had major damage and contamination and then started spouting off parts it would need. This was over my head as I am a calibration technician and continued listening to Anthony tell me what was wrong with my transmission. He then said it would cost me $2700 for a rebuild of my transmission. I was extremely upset about this because my car was still drive able and I couldn't even tell second gear was slipping. I told him once again I did not have the money to get this job done and he said no worries he was still working on the financing. He then said he would have the guys get working on the car and I adamantly said not until the financing was in place which I was leery I would get in the first place. Tuesday June 22nd I received a call around Noon from David at the repair shop. He said my car was repaired and ready to be picked up and paid for immediately. I said I was still waiting to hear back from the finance places and he said sorry you were denied but the car needed to be picked up and paid for before they closed at 6pm. I said I didn't give written or verbal authorization for them to rebuild the transmission and David said yes I did. Right then and there I knew I had been scammed. What I failed to do was to get a copy of the original invoice when I signed for the $395 Trans service. I then explained to David that I didn't have the money and he said I had better come up with it or I would lose my car. I then explained I didn't own the car but the finance company held title to it, Westlake Financial. This surprised him as I think he thought I held title to it. He then said I should call them about the possibility of them helping me pay for the repair and putting it on the back end of the note. When I got back to work that is exactly what I did and when I got a hold of someone they said it wasn't their problem and that I was on my own. They then said David had called them trying to get them to pay the cost of the repair and if I didn't have the money to them by the end of business today that he would impound the car. So as it stands now I am without my vehicle as they have it locked up at their place of business and will not release it to me until payment has been made for $2500 which I never authorized. I have no way of coming up with this money and am afraid the repair shop will sell my car off before I do. Please Help!
Sincerely,
James Horgan
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