Transmissions Unlimited

Transmissions Unlimited Jorge Vizcaino, Owner Defrauded me and so many others over the years, has at least 14 complaints filed with Dept. of Consumer

5th of Jun, 2011 by User540306

On Tuesday, May 24, 2011 I brought my car, a 1991 Toyota Corolla to Tires Plus located at 14411 Biscayne Boulevard, North Miami Beach, FL 33181 to have it checked out. I trusted this company as they have done satisfactory repairs/services to my vehicle for the past several years and I have been happy with the way the Store Manager, Luis had been taking care of my needs. However, little did I know, (and this is by no means, a bad reflection on Luis) that the people I trusted would send me to this place TRANSMISSIONS UNLIMITED to have my transmission looked at and worked on. After Tires Plus mechanic checked out my car, I got a phone call from Luis telling me on 5/24/11 that what they thought was the CV axle or axles that was causing the rumbling and clattering noise that seems to come from the bottom of my car, was in fact, not the CV axle(s) at all but the transmission. So at that point, I asked him if he knew someone trusted and reliable to refer me to. Luis told me that he himself did not know anyone, but his Service Manager, Deivy Ruiz did. He asked him to refer me and when they picked me up that same day to get my car, Mr. Ruiz handed me a "coupon" with the name of Transmissions Unlimited on it, a referral and his business car stapled to it. I asked repeatedly if this guy he was referring me to is good and he said, yes, yes. That was when my car was still driving, barely on its last legs, so I drove over to Transmissions Unlimited and told to see a guy named Jorge. I parked outside and entered through the back and was searching for the office. I found the office and went in and asked for Jorge. I told him Deivy from Tires Plus referred me over there and handed him the referral/coupon/business card. I sat down and I asked Jorge what did Deivy say to you about me to which he replied "He just called me to expect you and said you are a dear customer of theirs". Wow! After I finish this story, I would like to know if "dear customers" are treated or mistreated this way, I wonder what ordinary everyday customers are treated!!! Jorge then proceeded to ask me what the car was doing and I told him it drives slower than usual and makes a clanging, rumbling noise that seems to come from under the vehicle. I asked him how much would it cost to repair. He then said, well, we won't know until we remove the transmission and take it apart because it could be either the diferential or the entire transmission. He then said it would cost $375.00 to remove and diagnose the transmission to detect the problem; that would be labor and anything over that would be parts. He added, "I am already giving you $200 off the price it's really $575 but since your were a customer of Deivy, I'm giving you a discount!!!!! WHO IS HE KIDDING??? DID HE SEE A SIGN ON MY FOREHEAD WITH THE LETTERS STUPID ON IT!!!! In hindsight, I knew that I should not trust this guy as he kept intermingling "Let me be honest with you" during the whole conversation. I then asked him "Can't you give me an idea of how much it would cost me if this was the problem or if that was the problem or a ballpark range of what I can expect to "shell out". Again, he said he didn't know without taking the transmission out of the car and disassembling it. He was very ambiguous in not giving me a quote or even a range of what it could possibly be. He stated he is in business over 27 years so I wonder with all this experience he wasn't able to give me a quote or even a ballpark estimate what the possible options would be. (That's the scam, that's how they get you!!!) Then this other guy named Junior took me into the front and handed me a virtually blank piece of paper on it, only displaying my name, address, year, make and model of my car and phone number. In the line where it said Customer Comment all that he wrote down was C/S unit (what's a unit? isn't it a vehicle?) has a noise when driving. Wow! Everything else was blank then on the bottom of page it said charge for making Estimate which was printed then he wrote $375 RDI. Then to the right of that it had a disclaimer that read whether I wanted a written estimate and he scratched off "I request a written estimate" and then he asked me to sign it and I did. (You will see I NEVER GOT A WRITTEN ESTIMATE at any time) So Junior, his employee, said as soon as we know what is wrong with the transmission we will give you a call. Then I was given a lift back. So that was 5/24/11 approx. 12:39 PM. On Wednesday afternoon 5/25/11, I called over to Transmissions Unlimited and asked Junior if he had found out the problem on my car yet. He said no, it would probably be tomorrow, he wasn't sure. So I called back on Thursday, 5/26/11 and finally he tells me "It's fried, the transmission and the diferential is fried". I said what does that mean? He said many parts were broken and it was destoyed. So at that point, I asked him "So, how much is it going to cost to fix" and Junior said there would be two options----one would cost $2100 for a completely brand new transmission rebuilt with genuine Toyota or after-market Toyota parts with a one year warranty or option two for $1850 for a used transmission that he would go pick up from the junkyard from an old Toyota and rebuild it with a six months warranty!!!!! ARE THEY SERIOUS! I WAS, TO SAY THE LEAST, SHOCKED AND BROKE DOWN CRYING!! Those prices he quoted would be in addition to the $375.00 "labor". I finally muttered I would get back to him, I would call him back. About 45 minutes later, he (Junior) calls me and presses me, So what do you want us to do? You need to tell us what you want us to do!!! I told him I told him I would call him back about that, and that I wasn't ready that's why he didn't hear from me. So I got on the phone and called several other transmission shops and they ALL GAVE ME QUOTES OVER THE PHONE, including labor, flat price for my car. All these quotes were so much lower that what Transmission Unlimited gave me. So I went back that very same day, Thursday, May 26th with my friend and I emphatically told Jorge I did not want to do the work there and to please reinstall the transmission completely back into the car and I will have it towed out of there when it is ready. At that point, Jorge said it might be difficult to reinstall it into the car as many of the parts are irrevocably damaged. I told him again, I did not want to proceed with them fixing it and to put the transmission back into the car. He then proceeded to start reducing the original prices that were quoted to me first down from $2100.00 to $1750.00 to yet the rock bottom price of $1450.00!!!!! He obviously did not want to lose the job, but I insisted I want the car put back together again and when it was ready I would tow it out of there! That was Thursday, May 26, 2011 right before the long Memorial Day weekend. I politely asked Jorge if he could please try to have it ready for me to pick up and tow by Friday, to which he said he would try. I called again around 3:00 PM on 5/27/11 and asked Jorge and he said it's 80% that it would not be ready that day, it would be ready on Tuesday, May 31st. I called him on May 31st and spoke to Junior and was told that it wasn't ready and it "should be" ready and reinstalled by the next day, June 1st. NOW I'M GETTING VERY ANXIOUS AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE I WAS PROMISED THE CAR ON TUESDAY, 5/31 AFTER THE LONG HOLIDAY WEEKEND. I called my friend very upset to tell him this and he told me that if the car is not ready by June 1st then I would go ahead and take further action!!!! I call yet another transmission shop in Hialeah, who I had briefly spoken to 5/31. He happens to be a "friend" of Jorge. He gives me a quote of $650.00 plus an additional $150.00 for a total of $800.00 to rebuild the transmission including labor, flat all together! I told him I would let him know. Less than an hour later, at 10:48 AM, Jorge calls me on my cell phone and tells me my car is ready. That was very very strange as all of a sudden, the previous evening around 6:00 PM my friend had driven over their and saw my car in the same exact spot it was left when I first dropped off the car on 5/24/11!!!! And it became evident that this "so-called" friend and/or business acquaintance from the Hialeah shop called Jorge and told him, so then it dawned on me that the only reason he rushed to get the car together for me was because he thought I was bringing it to his "friend". Or else, as of this writing, I feel he would still be stalling me. THIS GUY IS A SCAM ARTIST, DEFRAUDER, LIAR, AND HE CHEATS PEOPLE. He has 14 complaints filed with the Miami-Dade Department of Consumer Protection since 2003. In 2011, already he has 1 complaint filed against him. He has swindled too many people in one way or the other. I must add that I do not know, as of this writing, the status and disposition of these prior 14 complaints and whether or not they were resolved to the benefit of the victim(s). However, Jorge Vizcaino, the sole owner of TRANSMISSIONS UNLIMITED has a lousey track record and was a horrendous story was filed on Ripoff.com by a Lisa on June 6, 2007. CUSTOMERS WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS------BEWARE!!!! DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT GOING TO THIS GUY; HE WILL DEFRAUD AND OTHERWISE RIP YOU OFF IF YOU DO! BE PRE-WARNED! I am, as of this writing, attempting to retrieve my total amount paid to him of $375.00 and will settle for not a penny less!!!!!

Track this Report 0 Comment | Post a Comment