My husband and I left Rhode Island March 15 heading south from Rhode Island. Our trip was fine until April 3rd as we were driving through Houston, Texas when the transmission was making funny noises. After stopping twice and checking fluid levels, we knew we would be in trouble if we didn't pull off the road. Luckily for us there was an exit ramp with a gas station and big parking lot.
In our panic we call AAA only to find out they do not tow RV's. We paid to have our Motorhome towed to a local service station and paid through the nose. I immediately called Good Sam and signed up for Road Side assistance.
A side note: we were stuck in a small town called Luling, Texas and were towed to a station called G&K Auto and Transmission. $3600 later and a rough ride home, we took the motorhome to a location transmission specialist and found out that the parts we paid for were not installed. We have entered a dispute with the credit card company and are looking a criminal law suit.
Be careful.... AAA recommended the tow company, but the tow company recommended the service station. My husband called the tow company this morning and told him not to tow to this place. He agreed they were not reputable.
Our thanks to Good Sam Club for their coverage and growth.
AAA will not be renewed.
Been there with AAA over 10 years ago, I see they haven't changed. The thing with us was the the towing company was contracted with several different companies and towed everything to their AAA approved repair shop. When we finally got the MH back and took it to an authorized repair shop by us, it cost another $2500+ to fix there mistakes and missed repairs.
barbnd46 wrote: My husband and I left Rhode Island March 15 heading south from Rhode Island. Our trip was fine until April 3rd as we were driving through Houston, Texas when the transmission was making funny noises. After stopping twice and checking fluid levels, we knew we would be in trouble if we didn't pull off the road. Luckily for us there was an exit ramp with a gas station and big parking lot.
In our panic we call AAA only to find out they do not tow RV's. We paid to have our Motorhome towed to a local service station and paid through the nose. I immediately called Good Sam and signed up for Road Side assistance.
A side note: we were stuck in a small town called Luling, Texas and were towed to a station called G&K Auto and Transmission. $3600 later and a rough ride home, we took the motorhome to a location transmission specialist and found out that the parts we paid for were not installed. We have entered a dispute with the credit card company and are looking a criminal law suit.
Be careful.... AAA recommended the tow company, but the tow company recommended the service station. My husband called the tow company this morning and told him not to tow to this place. He agreed they were not reputable.
Our thanks to Good Sam Club for their coverage and growth.
AAA will not be renewed.
Sorry for your troubles. As long as we are RV-ing I'll keep GS Road Side assistance. I broke down once and as it turned out could limp to a service place so I didn't use the tow. But, they did have a list of acceptable service shops near where we were.
As a retired fraud detective and currently a hire back with the police agency I retired from I have some thoughts. There's no such thing as a criminal law suit, at least not in NC. In NC there is a charge, NCGS 14-104 which is basically paying an advanced payment for a service that never gets provided. It's a boarder line civil matter but, is on the statute book. You can go to a magistrate's office and swear out a criminal warrant. A similar charge may exist in Texas. There is a heavier felony charge of Obtaining Property by False Pretenses. That would require a law enforcement officer to be involved as it is a felony. The facts of your case probably wouldn't meet that standard but, they may.. The problem you will likely run into is that you and the repair shop entered into a civil contract and you have evidence that they didn't fulfill their end of the contract. We tell people that if your goal is to recover money the civil court is the best option. In the criminal courts a judge isn't obligated to order your loss refunded. If convicted the defendant might have to pick up trash on the side of the highway, etc.. The warrant would say "State of Texas vs. Joe the mechanic" or something like that.
Since you live out of state I would start by making a formal complaint with the BBB (better business bureau). If the shop is in any way legitimate they wont want a negative rating with the BBB. Then, if you feel the facts reach the level of a criminal act you might be able to file a police report by phone and they would save you a trip to Texas. If you go to court then you'll be traveling back and forth, which is a drag.
I really hate these shops that take advantage of people when they are vulnerable. If they charged you for parts that you can prove were never installed that would technically be a false pretense. Getting the Houston cops to pursue it might be a bit tougher. The civil contract end of it complicates matters. The state must prove "intent to defraud" and the intent must exist at the very beginning of the specific series of events. The fact that they charged you and knew they didn't install parts they charged you for should do it. There also must be a human as a suspect. You can't arrest a business entity. The attorney general's office might prosecute a business but, never the local cops. Which brings up my next point.
Most every states Attorney General has a consumer protection division. Contact the Texas Attorney general's office and file an official criminal complaint with their consumer protection division. I would complain in writing, a letter, not an email. There's probably a form you can print off on their web site. I would write the letter very concise and lay out the facts with no unnecessary language. State your facts, your complaint, and end it. proof read it before you send it. You want to sound professional and not like a letter from the Jerry Springer show.
What usually happens in NC is that they send your letter and their complaint to the business demanding a response. Business's only operate in any state at the consent of the attorney general. The Attorney General and shut them down at the swipe of a pen if they appear to be a corrupt business that exist off of stealing from people. Here is the link to their consumer protection division:
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