AAA & Jay Automotive Repair

Review: Taking my car to AAA & Jay has been the worst experience I have ever had in the service industry - BAR NONE.

In mid August of 2014, my Mazda had developed a clicking sound upon acceleration, and Jay's shop was just a half mile from my house. Through the recommendation of a friend and the sheer convenience of his location, I chose to take it to AAA & Jay.

Jay initially diagnosed it as a failed tappet, and gave me a cost estimate that seemed eminently reasonable, and a time frame of about 3 weeks. I got an over the phone estimate for the work from [redacted], and they actually came in at a higher price and slower turn around time than Jay - so I thought I was getting a [redacted] of a deal!

3 weeks pass, and no word from Jay. I begin communicating that I need my car back, and Jay begins making excuses.

"Waiting for a part to come in." , "Shop is very busy", "Had to go to the hospital", "have to send your part out to be machined", etc. Every time he gave me a reason for the delay, he assured me that it would be done in a matter of days.

This went on all the way through August, September, October & half of November. That's correct. A 3 week job became a 12 week job. To add insult to injury, when he thought he'd fixed the problem, he proceeded to drive my car to "test it out" and when he put it back on the lift, found metal shavings in the oil. That's correct - he actually damaged my car even more. At this point, he proceeded to tell me that the entire engine would need to be replaced. You can't make this stuff up, people.

I continually maintained contact with Jay throughout, constantly asking for updates and estimated time of completion. It is also worth mentioning that Jay never volunteered up any issues he was facing - he simply didn't communicate unless I contacted him - and even then, he was very difficult to reach.

In mid November, Jay informed me that he was going to have to delay further work on the car as he prepared to move his shop's location to another facility in town. From this point on, it was radio silence for over 3 weeks.

Around Christmas time, he informed me that he was set up at a temporary shop and was finishing work on the car.

And let the cycle continue. Yes, he began the excuse and re-promise thing all over again. Fast forward to mid-March 2015. Jay has had my car for over 6 months, without an end in sight - and has promised that the car is only a day or two from completion over a dozen times.

It took threatening to report the car stolen to persuade him to give me the car back, as he had steadfastly refused to tell me where his "new location" was up to that point.

If you happen upon his new shop, I beg you: please go elsewhere. Jay is by far the worst mechanic I have ever heard of, much less personally dealt with. Period.Desired Settlement: I want a return of all monies given to Jay for the repair, as my car is now in worse shape than when I gave it to him—even after the engine replacement.

Review: On February 20th took my 2004 Mercedes s240 to have brakes, rotors, inner and outer arms as well as sensors for ABS lights replaced. He gave me a cash price $1625 which was PAID IN FULL. He had to order the sensor for the ABS lights from Mercedes and told me he would call back when it arrived to have that portion completed. I have called and been by his shop several times and he will not return a call or schedule a time to change the sensor. One of his employees finally was able to get him on the phone. Jay reported that the wrong part was delivered and had to wait on the new one to come. He stated that he would call me in the next week to have it put on. Now he will not return a call, no one answers the phone (Jay uses his cell phone as the number for the shop).Desired Settlement: All I want is the work to be completed that I have already paid for!

Business

Response:

Per the phone conversation with Jay Jones, the part was on back order from Mercedes. It has since come in, and the vehicle has been fixed.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.

Jay called me on March 19th and scheduled a time for me to be at the garage on saturday 22nd. They did complete the work on my car and have asked me to reschedule to come back and get the alignment done again. After much delay, the problem has now been corrected with the part the was not completed originally. thanks!

Regards,

Review: AAA & Jay went out of business left my car abandon stole my motor and transmission out my car which he was paid to repair.Desired Settlement: wants to get my money engine and transmission back.

Review: On Nov. 3, 2013, my Ford Escort was towed to AAA & Jay [redacted]motive Repair to be serviced.On Nov. 4, 2013, I was told that they put a new distributor on my car and I was charged $395 for the part and $105 for the labor. This amount plus tax ($519.75) was paid in full on Nov. 4. When driving the car home, I noticed that there was trouble with the gear shift (not shifting property).On Nov. 6, I took the car to [redacted]motive (my regular repair shop near where I live) to find out what was wrong with the gear shift. The mechanic at [redacted] said that someone had placed the pressure throttle rod in the wrong hole and zip tied it to the next line, making the gear shift not move properly; also, the grommet was missing. Because the mechanic at [redacted] had serviced this car recently, he knew that this had just been done. He fixed this problem that was caused by AAA & Jay. On Nov. 11, the car would not start and I had it towed to [redacted]motive. The mechanic told me that it was my distributor that wasnt working. I explain to them that I just had that fixed. The mechanic told me that it was a defective part. They replaced my distributor and I was charged $62.33 for a new distributor with a life-time warranty. On Nov. 15, I called the mechanic at AAA & Jay and told him that I had to get my distributor replaced because the one they put on was defective. He was extremely rude and very defensive; and blamed me for not bringing it back to them. I was unable to tell him about the zip tied pressure throttle rod because he was talking over me not letting me finish! Besides, after the unsafe zip lock thing that they did to my car, I did not want them working on it again. Also the mechanic at [redacted]motive said that I was charged a ridiculous amount for fixing the distributor at AAA & Jay. After checking the Revdex.com website, I discovered that this has happened to others who have had their vehicle repaired at AAA & Jay; they were overcharged, received inferior repair work that had to be fixed at other shops and were also intimidated and threatened.Desired Settlement: I would like to have returned to me all the money I paid to AAA & Jay [redacted]motive Repair $519.75, plus the $20 I paid to have the gear shift fixed that they messed up while they had my car.

Business

Response:

this customer called me after she had taken her veichle to a different shop I explained to the customer the new part I installed had a 12 month 12k warranty the customer told me she had a bother part installed I asked customer to bring me the veichle I even told her I tow it for free customer told me she would have to think about it the customers best friend whos a customer of mine told me she had a used part installed and that they used parts off my old distribiture I explained to the customer she needed to bring me her car back her friend also explained that to her she has yet to contact me

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

In response to Mr. Jones' (AAA & Jay) reply to my complaint, I would like to say that the reason I had it towed to [redacted]motive (my regular repair shop) on November 11th was because it would not start. Seeing as it is an older vehicle, I thought something else was troubling it. It turned out it was the distributor, the part that AAA & Jay had replaced seven days earlier. After talking it over with the mechanic from [redacted], and comparing the prices of the two, I was outraged when I had found out that I had been charged practically 6 times the amount, for a faulty part, than the part that [redacted] put in.

When I called Mr. Jones, I told him in our conversation that I was not made aware of a warranty during the time of the repair, nor when I picked the vehicle up on November 4th. He said there was a disclaimer on the bottom of the yellow receipt that I was given, but upon inspection no statement of the warranty he had specified about (the 12 month, 12k mile warranty) was there. The only statements listed on the receipt are for an estimate, and the mechanic’s lien. The place on the receipt where the warranty would have been checked off only had the price of the part installed in the box. After I had said this to him, he grew defensive toward me and stated that I “should have had common sense to bring it back to him,” and he also said that my friend agreed and said the same thing.

In addition, I did not tell my friend that the replacement was neither new, nor used. [redacted] ordered the part from [redacted], an entire distributor. [redacted] did not use the faulty part, nor any part of the distributor that Mr. Jones installed in my car.

I do not wish to pursue this matter any further. I wish to have the matter closed and not have to be further stressed out by this.