I called AAMCO during Monday, Memorial Day, May 25. The owner coincidentally was there and told me they were closed that day, asked me to drop my Jeep Wrangler off at the parking lot. And they would look at it the first thing in the morning. I took it there the same day, and left it overnight with the key and a note in the drop-box. So far no problems.
Tuesday comes, the owner is gone, and now I'm talking to the front-desk guy. He says they can't look at it until the noon. OK, so just a communication problem between the owner and the front-desk guy.
It's now Wednesday, I get a call to authorize a charge for labor to do the 'free diagnostics'. He wants $172 to take apart my rear differential, with the promise if I decide to get it fixed, they won't charge me additional labor. STUPID ME for not asking 'what if I decide not to?". However, $172 is three hours of labor, and I know it doesn't take that long to take apart a differential. Knowing I'm in a desparate situation and don't know anyone else in town, I authorize the charges. That's where the shortage of ethics comes in, where the diagnosis charge is inflated to trick the customer to get the car repaired there, with the promised conditional discount is offered, but at the customers' already incurred expense.
Still Wednesday, I asked the guy not to do any repairs, to put it back together, and I'll pick it up, around 4:30 PM. He says all the mechanics are gone and he earliest I can pick it up is at 11 A.M. Thursday.
On Thursday morning at 8 A.M. I called to ask before they put the differential back together, for the gear ratio. The front-desk guy says "I have no idea". Does not offer help until I ask "could you find out? Then he says, "Sure I just have to walk over and ask the guy who worked on it (That's about 20 feet between his desk and the shop). I get a message at 9:30 saying "I was going to get the gear ratio, but they already put it together, and I can come and pick up the Jeep".
I get there to pick up the Jeep, he bills me $198, saying they had to put oil in the differential, that's an extra $25. At this point I'm just trying to get a feeling from the guy if he thinks this is fair, all he's interested in saying is that "I asked you, and you authorized it". Obviously while knowing I'm not happy, he starts whistling some tune while printing the invoice. I think that means in the language of passive aggression "I see people like you all the time and don't care". You be the judge.
Then later, after driving it for about an hour, I realize the front hood latches are not hooked back on. Anyone who drives a Jeep Wrangler knows how dangerous that can be to drive like that.
At this point I'm just glad to be done with AAMCO, their predatory "free diagnostics" scheme, and their rude and negligent employees. I have friend and that had similarly bad experiences with this shop, and encourage them to add to this complaint with their own experiences.
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