Ripoff Report Needs Your Help!
X  |  CLOSE
Report: #207400

Complaint Review: American Engine Installations - Madison Tennessee

  • Submitted:
  • Updated:
  • Reported By: smyrna Tennessee
  • Author Confirmed What's this?
  • Why?
  • American Engine Installations 450 Edenwold Drive Madison, Tennessee U.S.A.

Show customers why they should trust your business over your competitors...

Is this
Report about YOU
listed on other sites?
Those sites steal
Ripoff Report's
content.
We can get those
removed for you!
Find out more here.
How to fix
Ripoff Report
If your business is
willing to make a
commitment to
customer satisfaction
Click here now..

was quoted a cost of $2083.00 plus tax for new long block engine. total cost of repair exceeded $4000.00. repair cost included an engine core charge of $695.00 for my engine not being albe to rebuild. was charged one hundred dollars extra for having to pull the transmission out with the engine as I was told my engine was locked up,,, it was running when it left as mechinic started engine to observe knocking sound. I was not able to examine old engine, I had to accept their technician's report. I was quoted free towing by Benjamin, but was charged $85.00 towing charge. My right side mirror was knocked off and no one accepts responisbility for the damage. I have made countless calls to customer service for repairs, but have not received any replies. my leather interior and carpet was covered with grease.

Keith
smyrna, Tennessee
U.S.A.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 08/22/2006 05:39 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/american-engine-installations/madison-tennessee-37115/american-engine-installations-ripoff-cost-of-engine-doubled-origional-quote-madison-tenne-207400. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

Search for additional reports

If you would like to see more Rip-off Reports on this company/individual, search here:

Report & Rebuttal
Respond to this report!
What's this?
Also a victim?
What's this?
Repair Your Reputation!
What's this?

Updates & Rebuttals

REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
0Author
12Consumer
1Employee/Owner

#13 REBUTTAL Owner of company

Engine Solutions Response

AUTHOR: Engine Soltuions - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, June 05, 2009

American Engine Installations (AEI) went out of business October 31, 2008 being unable to survive the economic downturn. AEI has always made its best efforts to provide quality products and services to its customers in a timely manner. Sometimes this was not possible due to supplier issues (AEI utilized over a dozen engine suppliers,) shipping issues, staffing problems, unpredictable workflow, parts availability, or unrealistic customer expectations. With all that said, AEI was not perfect and had its challenges. The engine replacement market is probably the most difficult to insure customer satisfaction within the automotive industry. With there being so many unknowns and variables most general repair shops avoid this line of work. Still, the vast majority of the company's clients were pleased and satisfied with the products and services provided by AEI.

Ripoffreport.com reports as of May 12th, 2009, of nineteen complaints, 3 are duplicates; leaving 16 complaints over a 6-year period, five of those were filed after the company went out of business; or to put it another way, less than three complaints per year. In truth, there were many additional complaints filed with various city BBB's, and with various State Attorney General offices; although, many of these represent the same complaint filed with both agencies.

In total, during the reporting period there may have been about 350 complaints of one kind or another. AEI operated about 45 shops, mostly franchises and about 15 owned by the company. It must also be remembered that not all customer complaints are reasonable, realistic or accurate and that it is not possible to satisfy every issue to everyone's liking. AEI sold or installed about 7,000 engines per year, and during the reporting period about 42,000 engines were sold or installed. Resulting in a complaint percentage of less than 1%; not an unreasonable percentage given the industry and scope of work. Reported complaints were addressed by the company, and a reasonable effort was made to resolve the issue at hand.

Both the Colorado and Texas Attorney General's offices have taken action against AEI. Both cases have been settled; AEI was not convicted of anything and admitted to no wrongdoing. AEI had been a member of the BBB for about ten years, and had always been in good standing (to be so, a company must be reasonable in addressing customer complaints and/or issues.) AEI was dropped by the BBB pending the Attorney General's actions, which were not resolved, before AEI terminated operations.

All AEI warranties have become void as a result of AEI's bankruptcy and closure. A proposal had been made to the Texas Attorney General for the continued support of AEI warranties for the balance of their outstanding terms. This proposal was denied by the Attorney General's office, leaving AEI customers with worthless warranty paperwork. As part of AEI's settlement with the Texas Attorney General, a penalty was paid to the state. These funds were to be made available to AEI customers presenting valid claims against the company. Should you have a claim, some restitution may be available to you through the Texas Attorney General's Dallas office.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#12 Consumer Comment

In order, the answers you are looking for

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, September 09, 2006

1.) Is it common practice to not completely, complete a job, meaning not install or incorrectly install everything that was supposed to be installed?-No.(Some brackets are useless, only for assembly line installation purposes though)

2.) Do harmonic balancers or crank shaft pulleys really go bad under normal wear and tear?-Yes

3.) Is it common practice when reinstalling an exhaust manifold to not install the exhaust manifold gasket?-Yes. Chevrolet does not use exhaust manifold gaskets.(I do though)

4.) Is it common practice to over torque an exhaust manifold mounting bolt so much that it breaks the head completely off leaving the threads inside the engine block and just leave it that way and let the customer find it themselves so the customer must fix it?-No(They must have used air tools to install, I do not)

5.) Is it common practice, because the exhaust manifold was so over tightened by the mechanic to leave a huge stress crack in the exhaust manifold?-No(Chevrolet exhaust maniflods warp during use...there is a spreader tool to facilitate instalation after it has been used)

6.) Is it ok to have to breathe cordon monoxide and get very light headed and dizzy and have to drive with your head out the window so you don't DIE because a mechanic I paid to do work on my truck cracked and improperly installed my exhaust manifold? Last time I checked, overexposure to carbon monoxide can kill a person.-No(I know you're being sarcastic, but you may want to document this issue for Small Claims Court)

7.) Is it common practice to replace an engine with the wrong engine?-?(The only difference is Vortec/Non-Vortec. Unless they failed to switch everything dealing with the fuel system, there will be no issue, as all other parts are interchangeable)

8.) Is it common practice to try and install the wrong parts on the wrong engine, and then tell the customer that everything is good to go?-See above

9.) Is it common practice switch out a carburetor that works for one that dose not work or damage the one that worked so it will no longer work, and then tell the customer that it needs to be replaced and try and charge for it?-?(You have multi-port fuel injection, not a carburetor. See above)

10.) When replacing an engine is it common practice to break electrical connectors and not reconnect them?-Yes/No(This is fairly comman, but not acceptable. The connectors should be repaired properly prior to return of vehicle to customer. Plastic breaks/Old plastic breaks easily)

11.) Is it common practice to disconnect the temperature gage and not reconnect it? Isn't the temperature an important thing to monitor?-No/Yes

12.) Is it a common trade practice to dismantle a vehicle and leave critical parts all over the shop floor where parts could possibly be damaged due to dirt, oil, grease, being kick or tripped over causing parts to come up missing?Yes, absolutely(Where would you like them to put the parts, in your vehicle? As long as everything is cleaned prior to installation, there is no issue. We place them on the floor under the vehicle for up to week, and inside the truck on cardboard for more than that)

13.) Would you say that it would be ok for a mechanic to release a vehicle to a customer in this condition?-No

14.) Is it common practice to SURPISE the customer with other work you did without consent from the customer and then charge the customer for it when the customer comes to retrieve their vehicle when the was customer was never ever informed in anyway whatsoever of the other work that needed to be done BEFORE the work was done by the Mechanic? Then when the customer objects to the SURPRISE charges then mechanic holds the customer's vehicle hostage until the customer comes up with certified funds only? Is that a right way to do business? Maybe I'm confused about this one?????-No, not always(My typical customer drops off the keys and says FIX IT. They find out the bill when they pick it up. My customers trust me, and send other people who need an honest mechanic. I advertise very little, and stay swamped for 3 weeks out of 4 each month.) (In the 2 1/2 years I've been in Jax, I've only had to place a lien on 2 cars. One guy left without a trace, and the other tried to scam me out of FREE work-"A" owns car, "B" gets work done, "A" claims I have to give "A" the car back. Sux to be him, it's my 30th Anniversary Edition Cougar now)

Good luck in Court.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#11 Consumer Comment

Two More Cents

AUTHOR: Brandon - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, September 09, 2006

You are right, I did make a huge mistake by choosing American Engine because of their low price. AEI was the low bidder. Now I know that AEI was just lying to reel me in.

I agree with you for the most part about picking the middle price, but it will not always be the case. It might likely be the case with motor vehicle repairs for the most part. It is a very good guide line to follow, it does make since to me.

I install kitchen appliances for a living. I'm a self-employed contractor that contracts for a few major stores that sale kitchen appliances. We also do bids for jobs and 90% of the time we are the lowest bidder. The funny thing about this is that our customer service record is 100% flawless. Our company has the absolute best reputation in our entire area for the field we are in.

We take care of our customer's period. If we make a mistake on the job we point it out and fix it for them, witch has happened to everyone, mistakes happen and we learn form them just like you said, I agree with you. But because we are honest and we don't charge our customer's for our mistakes our customer's are happy. Our competition is not so hot, we have had to go out and fix what they messed up and we also found out that the customer was charged more then we would have.

We had to fix leaking pipes that have caused water damage, reinstall venting duct for island hoods, etc, etc. Well you get the idea. So you can see that just picking the middle price will never guarantee that you will also get good service and not be lied to down the road. It might give you a better chance for better service but it will never be the case every time that tactic is used. Maybe things are just different in the motor vehicle repair world I don't know. It's still not my fault that I chose AEI for my engine needs, if their service is that bad then they need to disclaim it before they ever take anyone's car. LIFE IS A GAMBLE AND I LOST, BUT THIS TIME THE HOUSE CHEATED.

RobertThanks for sharing your knowledge of how to select a service repair station, I will go that route from here on out. I would like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind. Since you are a Mechanic you would be the best person to ask.

1.) Is it common practice to not completely, complete a job, meaning not install or incorrectly install everything that was supposed to be installed?
2.) Do harmonic balancers or crank shaft pulleys really go bad under normal wear and tear?
3.) Is it common practice when reinstalling an exhaust manifold to not install the exhaust manifold gasket?
4.) Is it common practice to over torque an exhaust manifold mounting bolt so much that it breaks the head completely off leaving the threads inside the engine block and just leave it that way and let the customer find it themselves so the customer must fix it?
5.) Is it common practice, because the exhaust manifold was so over tightened by the mechanic to leave a huge stress crack in the exhaust manifold?
6.) Is it ok to have to breathe cordon monoxide and get very light headed and dizzy and have to drive with your head out the window so you don't DIE because a mechanic I paid to do work on my truck cracked and improperly installed my exhaust manifold? Last time I checked, overexposure to carbon monoxide can kill a person.
7.) Is it common practice to replace an engine with the wrong engine?
8.) Is it common practice to try and install the wrong parts on the wrong engine, and then tell the customer that everything is good to go?
9.) Is it common practice switch out a carburetor that works for one that dose not work or damage the one that worked so it will no longer work, and then tell the customer that it needs to be replaced and try and charge for it?
10.) When replacing an engine is it common practice to break electrical connectors and not reconnect them?
11.) Is it common practice to disconnect the temperature gage and not reconnect it? Isn't the temperature an important thing to monitor?
12.) Is it a common trade practice to dismantle a vehicle and leave critical parts all over the shop floor where parts could possibly be damaged due to dirt, oil, grease, being kick or tripped over causing parts to come up missing?
13.) Would you say that it would be ok for a mechanic to release a vehicle to a customer in this condition?
14.) Is it common practice to SURPISE the customer with other work you did without consent from the customer and then charge the customer for it when the customer comes to retrieve their vehicle when the was customer was never ever informed in anyway whatsoever of the other work that needed to be done BEFORE the work was done by the Mechanic? Then when the customer objects to the SURPRISE charges then mechanic holds the customer's vehicle hostage until the customer comes up with certified funds only? Is that a right way to do business? Maybe I'm confused about this one?????

You already answered that I should not have picked AEI for my engine needs because they where the low bidder and I agree with you 100% now that I know how AEI really is but because I chose AEI for my engine needs I did not waive my rights as a consumer.

I never signed anything saying I waive my right to be informed BEFORE the extra work was performed by the Mechanic. ALL Motor Vehicle Repair Facilities MUST give the customer the OPTION to consent or deny the extra work BEFORE the work is completed by the Mechanic. Unless the customer willing signs something that says this exactly: I do not wish to receive any estimate, either written or oral, to which I am entitled to by law, BEFORE repairs are authorized.

Unless of course the issue is a safety issue and then the Motor Vehicle Repair shop and keep the truck just as you stated above. My case was not a safety issue. The money issue is not even a real big deal in my case it's just the principle of it to me. The real big factors in my case is all the poor workmanship AEI performed on my truck that I paid them to do correctly not incorrectly.

I would really appreciate any answers you could provide about the above questions Robert. I have evidence against all of the above proving my side of the story.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#10 Consumer Comment

Here goes nothing...

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, September 05, 2006

You say AEI told you the reason they were unbelievably cheap is because they do everything in-house. Okay. Then you say the shops that rebuild them(in-house again) were more expensive. THAT is your clue. In-house is in-house, no matter how the seller wants to state it. The labor hours are the same, no matter what, and the profits will be too. By your own admission, it would have cost you nearly the same amount($1900) just to buy a rebuilt engine yourself. Again, THAT'S your clue that AEI was LYING.

I am not very good at pricing anything except auto repairs. Those I can shoot from the hip with pretty fair accuracy. I was given the example of blood tests, from someone who wanted to show how people cannot be expected to know everything. I lift weights. I get injured. Some of it is taken care of by the VA. Some of it, I cannot wait for(ER). My blood tests cost me $15 at the VA. If I have to go ouside the system(due to time constraints), I make my own appointments, and ask questions. I ignore the high/low bidders, and take the guy in the middle. Usually, the middle guys are all about the same. They are telling the truth. The high/low bidders are scamming one way, or another. If one place wants double what the middle guys want, I avoid that one. If one place wants 1/2 what the middle guys want, I also avoid that one. Nobody has to know anything about pricing to understand this simple trick. Avoid the high/low bidders.

This is how Fitness Reports were handled in the Corps. HQ looked at all of them for a certain period of time. The high/low ones were ignored. The ones in the middle gave an accurate appraisal of performance from the Marine. High ones could be falsely elevated, as low ones could just be falsely lowered. One man's trash...another man's treasure. Get it?

This is not an attack on you. I am simply attempting to show you how it's done. You could fight them, but you will not win. What you will get though, is an education. You now know NOT to use the low bidder, nor the high bidder, in a repair situation. Always call around(bring the car if possible instead of using the phone), and pick the guy in the middle who sounds "right".

Good luck in the future.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#9 Consumer Comment

Motor Vehicle Repair Act

AUTHOR: Brandon - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Ok, I am going to give my two cents here. First off I'm totally neutral here, I'm not picking any sides just presenting the facts and the laws.

The original report is very vague and not very detailed at all witch is not making this any easier for anyone to figure out. The first issue that will change this entire augment here is if AEI called Keith for consent to do the extra work and charge him accordingly for it BEFORE AEI did the work over the original estimate.

The keyword here is BEFORE. Keith is obviously upset about the additional cost, but why? Maybe because AEI did not ask for his consent to follow through with the additional work. If AEI just did the work without Keith's green light then AEI is dead wrong.

On the flip side, if AEI did indeed get in contact with Keith and Keith said ok to the additional work but was just not happy about it then too bad for Keith. Now if Keith was a REASONABLE person he most likely would NOT have filed a Rip-Off Report on AEI, unless he really felt like AEI did him wrong. Which AEI just may have done in this case, but nobody will really know unless Keith updates us on the issue of weather or not AEI did ask him BEFORE the work was done.

AEI cannot do the work and then charge for it without the consumer's consent, per Article 9 Motor Vehicle Repair Act of 1977 42-9-105 and 42-9-106.

What I think happened here is AEI did the work and when Keith went to pay the bill it was more, then Keith would be rightfully upset. Because AEI might have said you pay it or we keep it. AEI would have not been in compliance with the law, then civil penalties could be applied against AEI.

But again if AEI asked consent from Keith BEFROE the additional work was performed then AEI is in the right, and if Keith did not like the extra cost then Keith should have said no, I don't want you guys to do the work. Then AEI might have had to charge him a fee to reassemble the vehicle and be done with it. Which AEI would still be in the right. AEI also has the right to charge 10% or $25.00 more witch ever is less without Keith's consent and not be in conflict with this law, because 10% or $25.00 more is a REASONABLE amount.

$2000.00 more is not a REASONABLE amount without consent. That would be a big surprise when you go to pay the bill wouldn't it? Also if Keith did pay the new extra amount and did not consent to it, Keith did not just waive his rights or consent by paying the extra. He can still go after them for the money back in court, if this was the case here. This law was made to protect the consumer from being screwed over from a repair shop.

If someone brings in a car and is told the repairs are this $2000.00 and when they go to pick it up it's $4000.00 and the shop says you pay it or we keep it is illegal. That would be wrong of AEI don't you agree?

So what does the consumer do? They have to pay it or battle with the auto shop over it in or out of the courts. Or lose their car or truck? That's why this law was made. So the issue of the original estimated price being a REASONABLE one or not, is really not an issue here at all. As long as AEI followed the consumer protection laws then AEI did every thing right, and I guess Keith was just upset about having to pay the REAL price.

The only reason I would suggest that AEI would do the work with out consent is because, if you read the other Rip-Off Reports here the issue comes up a few times. AEI also did this to me and I have proof that they broke the law and I'm taking them to court over it and along with many other repair issues.

Here's the other thing, before I chose AEI for my engine needs I asked them why they could do it cheaper and faster then most other companies. My answer was this: because they do everything internally within the company. AEI has their own remanufacturing plant that they use to do the rebuilding of everything.

When someone comes in and their motor is rebuildable then no charge is made for it. So then AEI orders a motor that has already been rebuilt from their plant and sends the CORE back to the plant. So because the process is internal no one is trying to make any huge profits here, like if you used a different rebuilder out side of the company.

The motor in my case would have cost $1900.00 plus labor if I went out and got it myself. This is what the franchise owner told me is the reason AEI is cheaper then almost everyone else. This to me dose sound like a REASONABLE reason why AEI could be cheaper. AEI is a nation wide company.

The other companies I talked to did not operate this way. They rebuild the motor at the shop the vehicle is at and then reinstall it. So it will take longer and much more labor will be involved here. AEI can then use the Wal-Mart prices, but in my case I also got Wal-Mart quality. Is it my fault I got bad service? NO. AEI in my case was very deceitful and dishonest.

Before this entire thing started I did not know the economics of how much an engine swap would be, but the explanation that AEI gave me sounded very REASONABLE to me and will sound that way to many others as well. Also, Robert the price you gave one of your customers over the phone while you where on the road and then the final price was different without tax was within the limits of this law.

I believe you are an honest Mechanic, $6.00 more is not unfair at all to the customer, but $2000.00 is if the customer is not a where of the additional cost. Please see the Motor Vehicle Repair Act of 1977 to see the laws I mention above this.

sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company your comments on this policy are welcome! CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#8 Consumer Comment

Wrong again

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 24, 2006

First, I do not use "all caps". When the letters of a specific word are all capitalized, it shows EMPHASIS. Yelling pertains to every letter of every word being in caps. Please learn more about online chat-speak.

Second, nobody established the "going rate" of anything, at any amount. Kieth was told HIS cost would be $2000. As I have shown repeatedly, this price is UNREASONABLE, and thus, cannot be considered factual. And since it is an UNREASONABLE price, to be ignored by a REASONABLE person, the Judge will consider it as such. A reasonable person is someone who understands the realities of life. Getting a job done for 1/2 what it is worth, is not a REASONABLE expectation.

I have shown the REASONABLE price one can expect to pay for this job. I gave both the "cost", and "list" prices for the remanufactured engine. I also gave the number of hours the job will take. I used $60/hour, but the labor rate for Madison Tn would be the one to use. It's close enough though, at $60/hour, to show the labor itself wasn't going to be FREE.

I have yet to defend the practice of the shop in question. Show me where I did. Post the quote. You cannot, because I never did.

Acknowledging the way they get customers through the door and signing the repair order, is not defending them. It's merely presenting facts. You may not like them, but they still take precedent over feelings.

There are brake shops that use the same technique. They offer a magical $98 4 wheel brake job. That's roughly 1/2 the price any other shop will charge for a "pad-slap". The place is packed full of CHEAP customers looking for that UNREASONABLE advertised brake special. I have people call me every day. I tell them the actual price at my shop. I also tell them to call other shops, and see if ANYONE else offers a 4 wheel brake job for so little. I usually end up fixing the jobs these people just got done elsewhere.

A shop up the road offers an $8 oil change. He includes a tire rotation. Do you really think you're going to get an oil change in 2006, for the same price an oil change cosr in 1960? And include more labor to rotate tires? If you do, you better bring at least $200 with you. Once he gets your tires off, he'll stick you for a brake job. Don't need one? Tough! Most states allow the shop to require you either let them do whatever needs to be done(for safety issues), or they can require you to tow the vehicle off the property. He'll put your wheels on so the tow truck can get your car, AFTER he closes the shop. You'll sit there all day, and there's not a thing you can do about it...except suck it up and give him the money he wants to do your new brake job.

Illegal? Nope. False advertising? Nope. The invoice will show an $8 oil change. That, and your $200 brake job.

I went back to NC this past weekend. I had a customer call and ask for a price on a tune-up for her truck. I guessed it about $350. This was while driving 80mph on I95 heading home. I had no labor guide, or price sheet in front of me. The shop was closed, as I let my guys have time off too. I was off by $6. Her bill before tax, was $356. Now, can you name another shop that can do that? No, you can't. I can do it day long. I can do it because I understand how economics works. I know I cannot do the labor for FREE, nor can I lose money on the parts.

BTW, everyone else was near my price, except a few. Some wanted over $500, while others claimed it could be done for about $70. She chose me because I came highly recommended as being honest. Blunt, but honest.

She also knew the high price, and low price were UNREASONABLE.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#7 Consumer Comment

Shopping Around Is Still Not the point

AUTHOR: Janet - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 24, 2006

When did we establish that this was a $4k job in the first place? If you read the posts the "going rate" is @$2K-$2500 for all customers for this business. And if you choose to jump to their defense further, pls avoid the all caps thing. It's on-line yelling and me thinks thou protests too much.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#6 Author of original report

He should demand the old engine back, he owns it.

AUTHOR: Mike - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 24, 2006

They said it was not rebuildable and locked up so it had no core value. He's entitled to keep it just like any other part of a car that has been replaced. Even if it was to be sent back for rebuild he is allowed to inspect it.

They charged him extra because it was more complicated to remove since it locked up. He said it wasn't locked up when he brought the truck there. If they chose to keep running an obviously bad engine until it locked up, they have to eat the cost of that result. Also, if their story about it locking up is true, it may have had core value when it first arrived.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#5 Consumer Comment

No, you miss the point

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 24, 2006

"Shopping Around not the point

It doesn't matter how many places he called. He was quoted and accepted the quote from this company. It doesn't matter if he was quoted $10,000 everywhere else and then these guys agreed to do it for $1,000. They set the price for the work, they should have stuck with it and not doubled it. Sounds like classic bait and swtich. Especially since they won't produce the part, just their report on the part."

No. If everyone quotes a REALISTIC price that is double what the consumer finally decides is the REASONABLE price, the consumer is WRONG, and the place that gave the UNREALISTIC price is LYING.

If every Jewelry store tells you the price of a 1K diamond is "X", and Joe's Bar and Diamond Emporium tells you he can hook you up for 1/2"X", you would decide Joe is the good deal. I would decide Joe is full of crap.

Bait and Switch is reserved for offers a REASONABLE person would consider to be accurate. It is not REASONABLE to think a $4000 job can be done for $2000. I have already shown it was never going to happen. The shop was never going to buy an engine for $1600, and do more than $1000 worth of labor for $400. I also pointed out that the engine itself was not going to be rebuilt and installed for $2000.

Every other shop already understood the economics of the work required. The shop in question understood the economics of the WalMart mentality.

Offer the customer a CHEAP price, and the line will form. Just because the price is UNREASONABLY low, means nothing. After all...everyone always KNOWS when the price is too HIGH, but they also KNOW the UNREALISTICALLY LOW price is just right.

Bait and Switch? Nope. Lack of good consumer skills, and reasoning came into play.

As for the old engine...it's called a CORE, and must be sent back to the rebuilder. Obviously, the engine would not be around to show anyone. Rebuilders consider an engine that knocks to be of less value than one that doesn't. When an engine knocks, it means there is bearing, crank, rod, etc. damage. Damaged parts equal extra expense for the rebuilder.

What a shock! The rebuilder says he can do the job for $1655, but charges extra if the CORE engine is broken. Wait...that's NORMAL and REASONABLE.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#4 Consumer Comment

Shopping Around not the point

AUTHOR: Janet - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, August 23, 2006

It doesn't matter how many places he called. He was quoted and accepted the quote from this company. It doesn't matter if he was quoted $10,000 everywhere else and then these guys agreed to do it for $1,000. They set the price for the work, they should have stuck with it and not doubled it. Sounds like classic bait and swtich. Especially since they won't produce the part, just their report on the part.

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#3 Consumer Comment

Here you go

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, August 23, 2006

The COST of a decent reman engine for your truck is $1655 from ATK. List will be about 50% over that, or roughly $$2482.

The labor required is anywhere from 18-22 hours, depending on transmission, and whether you have 4WD, or not. At $60/hour, that works out to roughly $1000-$1300, just in labor.

There is no possible way the job was ever going to be done for $2000. The $4000 figure is the accurate one, when you include fluids, tax, tune-up stuff, belts, hoses, etc.

Now, was this place the only shop you called, or was their UNREALISTIC low price the one you liked, while everyone else offered the more accurate $4000 figure?

If everyone else is telling you $4000, and one place tells you $2000, guess which one is lying to you. I couldn't even rebuild that engine in my shop for $2000. Not, and make a profit. I couldn't buy the engine AND do the labor for $2000. I'd lose money.

Did you call anyone else, and if so, why did you consider their price to be unreasonable?

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#2 Author of original report

american engine installations

AUTHOR: Keith - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, August 23, 2006

1998 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer 4.3 engine W is 8th digit of vin

Respond to this report!
What's this?

#1 Consumer Comment

Year, Make, Model, Engine size, 8th digit of VIN

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Without these, nobody knows anything.

Did you get more than one price, or was this place the only one you called? If you called more than one, was this place the "reasonable" LOW price, while everyone else qouted prices double that?

Respond to this report!
What's this?
Featured Reports

Advertisers above have met our
strict standards for business conduct.

X
What do hackers,
questionable attorneys and
fake court orders have in common?
...Dishonest Reputation Management Investigates Reputation Repair
Free speech rights compromised

WATCH News
Segment Now