TO: States Attorney Office, Ocala
1-24
Mr, XXX
My name is Dean. I have been a resident of Lake County for 18 years and have been working in Marion County for 5 years.
I am writing you to not only file a complaint about a business that resides in south Marion county, but also in hope of warning the general public of the deception and thievery of this companies business practices. The company name is Factory Transmission. They have recently relocated their business from north Belleview to the business complex that is just north of the Marion County Sheriffs office on Hwy. 441.
Back in May of last year I removed and brought my transmission out of my 1970 classic car valued at over $10,000.00 to Mr. Stan R. Gill, the owner of Factory Transmission for a transmission overhaul. He quoted me a price of $350.00 and stated it would take 3 days to perform the repairs. He stated he had been in business for 15 years at that location.
10 days later I got my transmission back and I installed it. The car went about 1.5 miles and the transmission failed. I had the car towed to his shop. He said he would get rite on it and get it back to me in 3 days. 18 days and some $735.00 later, I finally gat my car back from him. He stated he would give me a one year warranty on the transmission.
The transmission began leaking, the speedometer was 38 miles an hour too fast and the transmission shifted hirable. I called and called and finally got a hold of him. He requested I bring the car by on the upcoming Saturday morning for him to repair it. When I arrived at his shop, he was no where to be found. I called him over and over throughout the following week and finally got a hold of him. Again he stated, bring it by the upcoming Saturday for him to repair it. Again, he did not show up. Over and over we went through this until I finally gave up and performed the repairs my self.
There were old rusted bolts on the transmission, red-clay dirt al over it, torn oil seals, stripped out transmission oil pan bolts and the filter inside the transmission was installed incorrectly. After checking the numbers on the transmission, I determined he had in fact put an old used transmission from some other type of General Motors vehicle. I know this because I am a retired certified auto mechanic of 12 years; however, I am weak on the automatic transmission.
After I completed the repairs on this used transmission to the tune of around $60.00, I drove the car once or twice a week for few months.
December of last year I stopped by his shop to explain to him the transmission was acting up. He said he would replace it. I requested he replace it with a freshly rebuilt transmission as the one he put in it was not only a different transmission than the one I brought to him, but is was not a rebuilt one. He stated he was in a hurry to just get the car out, so he said he would have a freshly rebuilt transmission waiting for me the upcoming Saturday.
Well, that Saturday he did not show. Again I began the calling process. He stated he would meet me the upcoming Saturday for sure. When I arrived to his shop, he had vacated the building, the building just north of Belleview. I hunted him down at his new location just north of the Sheriffs office. I stopped in and told him to just refund my money. He said he would and for me to come by on that Friday. Of course, Friday came around and he did not show.
The following 2 weeks I tried to reach him. When I finally did in early January of this year, he said he did not have $735.00 to give me, but to drop off the car that upcoming Friday and he would install the new transmission and it would be ready for me on January the16th.
Reluctantly I dropped the car off to him with the agreement that, he would jot drive it with the exception of test drives, and that he would keep it inside his locked shop every evening. The 16th came and I called him, he said it was ready to go with the new transmission in it. I said I would pick it up the following morning as I was delayed on an out of town meeting. The next day I called all day long but got no answer.
The day after that I got his helper, Steve. Steve stated the car had not had the transmission replaced and that Stan had been driving it He stated Stan was gone for the day. I called the next day and again, Steve stated Stan was gone. I did this for several days until on the 21st of January, I stopped by the shop at around 6:00 PM.
Steve was in the shop, Stan was gone and so was my car. When I inquired to Steve of the whereabouts of my car, he stated Stan drove it home. I asked Steve to call Stan and have him return my car. Steve did and Stan refused. Steve passed the phone to me and Stan hung up. Steve then called him back and stated I wanted my car back, but again, Stan refused. At that point I called the Sheriffs department.
They arrived and talked to Steve. They then called Stan who again refused to return the car. The Sheriff stated there was nothing they could do, and that I should file a law suite against him in the morning.
I asked Steve if I could drive him over to Stans to get the car, but Stan said he did not want me to know where he lived. Finally Steves girlfriend showed up around 7:30 PM. She recognized me as we worked together and insisted Steve went and retrieved my car from Stan. Steve agreed and they both went to pick it up, leaving me alone to watch the shop that was wide open. I got the car back at around 8:15. Stan had put 53 miles on it and used almost a full tank of gas. Steve then apologized for the bad treatment I got from Stan and stated he does this all the time. He stated Stan was his friend but Stan was a crook, cheat, liar and a cheat.
The next day I visited 3 local transmission shops in Ocala. After explaining to them the transmission was rebuilt by Factory Transmission, they all refused to touch it stating, and I quote. If Stan did the work you can bet most of the parts are old used ones, and the he didnt replace were probably missing One guy stated, and I quote again, Stan rips people off all the time. I get all his customers and they all go through the same thing you did. Stan told me hes not worried about it because none of them will ever sue him
Mr. XXX, I think there is allot more going on here then just thievery. Stan accepts only cash, brags he pays no taxes, gets his shop broken into, files a claim with the insurance company and then, over night, gets all his old tools back with cash in hand to boot. I would appreciate it if you could do something about this guy, or direct t me to someone who can.
Thank you very much.
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