Aamco Jim Dougherty Potential franchisee be aware!!!!AAmco shamelessly ripped me off!!! Estimated loss $ 25k!!!!! Horsham Pennsylvania

The purpose of this report is to alert potential franchisees to scams this company is running.

  I responded not too long ago to an online advertising about a business for sale listed by Aamco.I went to a discovery day in Horsham, PA. After I filled the application and went to visit the center, I was told by JIM DOUGHERTY that I was approved to become a franchisee of Aamco. He also told me that the 76-year old New Jersey franchisee was in bankruptcy and was losing his lease in about a month. He urged me to rush to training in the new university in Newnan, Ga, for 4 weeks so that I can be ready to replace him as soon as possible.

  I hired a lawyer who recommended that I went for the training. I ended up leaving my job and going for training in Georgia for 4 weeks. The whole trip ended costing me close to 10 thousand dollars. I also paid Aamco 3 thousand dollars training fee and 5 thousand dollars deposit on the franchise.

   I was told by Jim Dougherty, while in training, that I should be ready to close on the store in March 1st, 2015. After successfully completing the training, the nonsense started. First, a couple of weeks passed without any significant news but lawyers arguing back and forth about nothing, then I was told that the landlord was taking a third of the building to rent it to another tenant, then they tried to stick me with a 9% escalation rate, then they went back to reduce my space more after I refused such a huge hike. They also told me that I have to move all the equipment that were on the other side to my reduced space, including a compressor and some building benches.

  Each time I agreed to their demands, they came back with another problem. I realized that Aamco shamelessly corrupted my attorney and was in bed with the landlord to defraud me. When Jim Dougherty asked me for a $10,000 deposit on the lease I gladly comply but , as soon as he got the check, he started to make unrealistic demands like moving all the useless pieces of equipment in the middle of the reduced shop floor I was getting.

Two months after I finished training, not a single piece of documents was ever signed to me by Aamco. It became clear to me that Aamco had no interest in giving me the franchise but was using me to get their franchisee out of bankruptcy and potentially sell the place for more money.

Right now, Aamco has not even returned the $5000 deposit I gave them, in spite of me repeated demands to give me my money back.

  My advice to any potential franchisee, WATCH OUT FOR THIS COMPANYy!! THEY ARE EXPERT CON ARTISTS!!They choose their prey and run their scam carefully. I don't think they scam everyone but I think, in their mind, I was the weakest link.

  POTENTIAL FRANCHISEES, BE AWARE OF AAMCO!!!!!!!