American Engine Installations

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Category: Automotive

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American Engine Installations Reviews

Mohsen95 February 2, 2010
rip off business
To start with, there's nothing good about this company, so whatever you do stay away from those cheaters. The biggest mistake I ever made is taking my car there for engine upgrade.
My 95 jeep wrangler had a working and good engine, but it's a V4, and I wanted to upgrade to V6, so I started making my biggest mistake and called Thomas Stokes “President”. I was telling him that I am tired of the V4 engine in my jeep and that it’s very slow and even 18 wheelers pass me on the highway and I am not able to even get to the maximum speed on major highways. I then asked him if they do such thing as to replace the V4 with V6 engine and he said yes we can and so I proceeded to ask him about the cost and he told me that it will be about $2075, which I agreed to.
I called him back the next day and I told him that I am ready to go ahead with the upgrade especially that the night before my jeep wouldn’t start because of some electricity problem and if this happens to be something with the engine, this makes it the best time to go ahead and get the V6. The next day they sent me the towing truck and towed it to the shop.

Two days later I called to see how things are going and he told me that the rebuilt engine should be here next Thursday and it should be installed and ready to by Friday, which sounded great. I called on Thursday to check, and he told me that they got the V4 engine yesterday and that it’s already installed. At first I thought he was kidding when he said V4, because we agreed on V6, otherwise this wouldn’t be upgrade. Right?
So I started asking him about the fact that I asked for a V6 engine and then he said know you didn’t and that they don’t do upgrades. I was like, you could’ve said so to begin with instead of saying yes we can and they make this mess. He said that they only do engine swap with the same type/size, so I said then why did you not say that when I asked you if you do engine upgrade from V4 to V6 the first time we talked and then he denied that I ever mentioned upgrading from V4 to V6.
Of course the cost went up already because they kept on replacing parts here and there which I may or may need, so the cost went up to $2600+, and although I am going to pay to get my jeep back AND he told me that they accept Visa and Master card during the first call but now he’s saying that they only accept certified check, cash, or debit card. I decided that I am going to file a lawsuit against the company and also I filed a complaint with the BBB, and I already in progress.
Now that I got my jeep back after paying $2600+ for nothing, I’ll just keep working on this case, but I wanted to blog about and hopefully help others from being ripped off my American engine installations, and I really hope that they remove the American from the company’s name, because they don’t deserve it.
Anonymous to avoid lawsuit January 31, 2010
Rip off
In 2006, I spent near $5000 at the seminar to get access to "My Auction Generator" which is only a cover or affiliate for Doba.com. Adam Ginsberg's ebay system is impossible to make any money at through the drop ship. At the seminar he says (or they say), it is his exclusive warehouse which is a total lie & give a slide show where there is a huge profit margin which is also a lie, fact was my purchase price of items were identical to to ebay selling price & coaches can't find you a single item that will make money on ebay after fees & incredibly I found a report in 2010 on RipOff Report of a seminar in Dublin where now communication is online & conversations can actually be printed out & it is the exact same game.

The coaches keep encouraging you to keep looking, they give you product that won't make money & all the time very nice & supportive, they are trained to be this way all the while dishing out useless information & when pinned against the wall they suddenly have a call or a meeting then you start this entire cycle all over again.

I had wondered why the internet was so squeaky clean of Adam Ginsberg's name & that is because his staff scours the internet for articles like this one then comes up with some kind of argument in an attempt to disprove claims so the reader chalks it up as some whack job who doesn't know what he is talking about but trust me, they would not get on the internet with these claims if they did not get suckered out of their money on a faulty system that does not work and full of deceptive claims.

Adam Ginsberg has sued the RipOff report many times but the Ripoff Report has protection under the law then 2 days after I posted my own website of my own experience I was contacted by Adam Ginsberg's lawyers who threatened me with a defamation of character lawsuit. I can't possibly be responsible for defaming Adam Ginsberg, he is defaming himself by his own actions, I am simply telling people factual information of my experience. I told the lawyer this is just what I had suspected. then said, so this is how Adam Ginsberg keeps the internet so squeaky clean, he sues his victims for speaking out.

A news station really needs to penetrate this network, setup hidden cameras & actually sign up specifically for the My Auction Generator course & take a serious run at it to make it work then report on it but the News station has to be prepared for a lawsuit by Adam Ginsberg for revealing the truth about this guy. Also take a good look at the back of the Adam Ginsberg's contract. In 2006 it says that if you take him to trial you agree to waive a trial by a jury, he does not want you to be represented by your peers but instead mediators. It also says you cannot sue him for court costs or legal expenses & both of these reasons are why there are few lawsuits & none have won, it's rigged in his favor.

Everybody, hidden cameras, post it on the internet, get them saying "Adam Ginsberg's exclusive warehouse", capture their examples of money to be made then simply go to Doba, compare to ebay, catch all the evidence you can, get the information out there in the name of protecting the general public on a worldwide level because he is sucking money from poor people who can barely make it then threatening to sue them & jail them if they speak out, he instills fear & terror in the ones he has raped of their dignity and cash, he travels the world and does the same on a global scale.

Does Adam Ginsberg have some good tools? I think he might but I doubt it, can he make the rich richer? I believe so. Can you make a living on Doba? not that I have seen. Do the poor get rich? not through this specific program, that one is a sham. The coaches will say things like, a guy just called me the other day, sold a patio set, made a lot of money. then corner the coach, which patio set, none of them have any profit potential, after constant badgering he finally says I don't know which one but he said he sold one and made a killing but the coach refuses to look at any of the patio sets to show how they can sell to make a profit. The entirety of that system is a fraud, it's as if the coaches were car salesmen pulled from 1970s car lots because man were those guys fast talking shysters.
All of the Adam Ginsberg staff will patronize you, they will always act surprised that such & such happened to you, then run you through the ringer again. Very, very clever.

I will steer very clear of any of Adam Ginsberg's products. Right now I rank him up there with Don Lapre & that is another thing, in Adam Ginsberg's contract you agree not to join in a national lawsuit against him... his legal contracts really say a lot about Adam Ginsberg's character but it can't hold up forever. He has worn out his welcome in many countries and cities. I don't even see a public listing in a Google search of any upcoming seminars, anywhere.

I also see places where Adam Ginsberg posts his own web blogs in response to the "web lies" about him. He is so good with damage control it's phenomenal, I was ripped off and I almost believe him, he is that good, but you can only rip off so many people for so long, lie for so long kind of like Clinton saying "I never had sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky" or Nixon saying "I am not a crook". but eventually the flood gates burst open, and they will eventually find out the truth. What is my motivation here? If I see a mugger in the neighborhood I warn my neighbors, it seems people aren't like that anymore, they care only for themselves, that's sad but there is a mugger in the neighborhood and I am taking my time to tell you, don't get mugged by this guy.
Sandra April 8, 2009
Fraudulent company
I had my Longblock engine replaced 4/19/06 and the engine had a 50, 000, 3 year warranty on it. I went tot he repair shop where my engine was installed and the doors wee locked and the telephone number was disconnected. I did some research on the internet nd came up with a company called Engine Solutions who had the exact same number that was listed on my original receipt from American Engines (214)358-4681. I called the number to asked i they were affiliated with American Engines and they told me tht American Engine went out of business over a year ago. They cagev me a number to call which happens to be an ex-Regional Manager for American Engine who has opened up shop under a different name, (Auto Engine Exchange Inc), who told me that Engine Solutions is actually American Engines but are telling people that they are not. I am having problems with the longblock engine I replaced in my car for $3000.00 and I cannot find American Engines in order to make good on the warranty which expires 4/19/09. I need some help with this matter.
February 20, 2008
Awful company, beware!
We purchased a 1985 Fleetwood Southwind RV for $3,150.00 on ebay from Anson Shultz of Boyer Tire in Castle Rock CO in December 2005. It was advertised, as in good condition but with a slight engine knock. Boyer Tire took the money for the sale of the RV and charged me $325.00 to tell me that the engine knock was in fact a blown engine. Boyer Tire had contracted to remove and replace the engine. They defaulted on the repair job.

However, after jerking us around for 6 months, the owner of Boyer Tire, John Brownlie abandoned the business and went on a mining expedition. Anson Shultz was left in charge and promptly demanded that I remove the RV or he would seize it and sell it as an abandoned vehicle. The vehicle he sold me just a few months earlier. Anson Shultz, Boyer Tire and ebay had defrauded us out of $3,475.00

I searched for a reputable garage to accept it for an engine replacement and found American Engine Installations. They represented themselves as the largest national chain of engine replacement specialists. The headquarters are located at 2351 W Northwest Hwy Ste 1302 Dallas, TX 75220 #214-358-4681 . The corporate office provided a written estimate on May 17, 2006 for a complete replacement, using their specially remanufactured engines.

We were instructed by corporate to take the RV to AEI, 4850 Olive Street, Commerce City, Colorado, 80022, #303-286-7700. After receiving the estimate of $4,055.00 from AEI Corporate Headquarters, we contacted Tim Gemelli of AEI Commerce City on 5/17/2006. Mr. Gemelli was very sympathetic to our situation with regards to ebay and Boyer Tire and promised to help us out. Boyer Tire demanded the vehicle be removed by July 1 or it would be seized. So we towed the vehicle from Castle Rock to AEI at a cost of $550.00. Mr. Gemelli accepted the vehicle and told us he would not charge us storage on the vehicle. Mr. Gemelli did not contact us regarding our RV, all contact was initiated by us.

On 10/10/2006, Mr. Gemelli agreed to remove the engine and inspect it for $400.00. If the cost of repairs were to exceed the $4,000.00 estimate that would be the only cost we would have if we decided not to go ahead with the repairs.

Upon removal and inspection Mr. Gemelli informed us that the job could cost as much as $8,000.00. We told him that was far in excess of the $4,000.00 we had agreed to pay in our original estimate. We asked him how he came up with $8,000.00 from a $1,895.00 engine and a $1,800.00 labor charge. He couldn't explain and came up with various other estimates such as $6,000.00, $5,000.00. It appeared that he was probing us to see how much we could afford and then would price it accordingly. I reminded him that we were on Social Security and could only afford the original quote of $3,902.21, the amount in the written contract we signed on 10/10/2006.

Mr. Gemelli became very angry, shouting and screaming on the phone, when we questioned him about the parts prices. He said he had to make a profit and could not work for free. I reminded him that $4,000.00 is not exactly free. He wanted to charge $200.00 for a $20 water pump, $600.00 for a $400.00 rebuilt radiator, $100.00 for a $47. fuel pump, $50.00 for a oil pump screen that comes with a new oil pump at $0, $100.00 for a $28 set of spark plug wires that are included in the remanufactured engine price.

The worst is the engine itself. We were promised an Official AEI engine, as good as a GM Crate Engine, so said the corporate salesperson, Mark Winfrey, on 5/17/2006. Mr. Gemelli did not use the advertised and agreed upon AEI engine in the contract. It is possible he used a junkyard or rebuilt our engine in his chop shop. We contracted for a special AEI engine, not some junk he wants to stick us with. After all, it has to be warranted for 50,000 miles, according to the contract. You can not warranty an old used engine.

Once I presented Mr. Gemelli with a list of parts prices he became insane with anger towards us for questioning his pricing. He hung up the telephone; he cut off all communication with us. Communication has always been extremely difficult with Mr. Gemelli. The times when I have been able to reach him by telephone, I have been on hold for over an hour and fifteen minutes waiting for him to pick up the phone.

In our last communication he threatened to seize our RV with a mechanics lien and re-title it in his name. He bragged that he has done this before with other customers who have not been able to pay his fraudulent high bills.

Presently he is in the process of either tearing out the so-called replacement engine and dumping the vehicle on the streets of Denver, or filing a mechanics lean and switching our title. In October Mr. Gemelli offered to pay us $1,500.00 for our $4,000.00 RV. He seemed frustrated when I said the RV is not for sale and that we have already contracted to replace the engine. He refused to offer us $4,000.00 for the RV.

It is obvious that he intended to steal the RV from us with a mechanics lean and a switched title because the RV can be sold for approximately $12,000.00 with a replacement engine installed. That is a clear profit of over $9,000.00 for him.

Currently the RV is not running and not completely repaired as per the contract and with an unknown engine installed. We have the $4,000.00 set aside to pay AEI upon completion of the job. However we will pay AEI only after a thorough inspection and upon pickup, due to the breach of our contract. I have contacted the CO Governor Ritter, Colorado State Police, CO Dept. of Revenue, MVA, Adams County and CO State, Colorado Dealers Board, Adams country District Attorney, Commerce City Police Dept. and the BBB. Not one of these law enforcement agencies have recognized the CO Motor Vehicle Repair Act or acted to enforce it. It is CO Law and they are sworn to enforce the law. The commander of Commerce City Police Department said I don't care what the CO MVRA says. Oh Really!!

Upon contacting the BBB I was shocked and appalled to find that Mr. Gemelli of AEI has 31 complaints in 36 months. I contacted AEI corporate offices and asked to speak to the president. The phone system is defunct, only voicemails no people. There are no secretaries or receptionists to direct your call. I was connected to Matthew McMann's voicemail.

I spoke with Matthew McMann. He stonewalled me and misrepresented himself as the company president. He refused to give me the address for the corporate head quarters and refused to take any responsibility for Mr. Gemelli of AEI, saying that he was a franchise and that they had no control over his fraudulent and deceptive business practices.

I reminded Mr. McMann that at no time since 5/17/2006 has it ever been mentioned that AEI was not entirely a corporate enterprise. The quote, contract, estimate, and all correspondences have the company logo and AEI on all the letter heads.

After exhaustive attempts, I reached the elusive president of AEI Dallas John Hartnack. He said he would make everything all right by talking to Gemelli. He failed miserably and sent us an identical inflated invoice full of mistakes, a copy of Gemellis. He then refused to take responsibility for his store in Denver. The company AEI, has 85 complaints nationwide and numerous unsatisfied judgments. A VERY BAD COMPANY!!!

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that we are in Pennsylvania, and the RV is broken down in Denver, Colorado. Colorado has a statute that allows for unscrupulous auto garages to vastly over charge on a repair order. Then with no due process of the court, without a court hearing and judgment, they can obtain a mechanics or garage lien, and consequently steal your entire vehicle and re-title it in their name. People's automobiles, trucks and RV's are second only to their homes in value. Colorado law let's some criminal steal our second most valuable asset.

Attention all RVers! STAY AWAY FROM AEI NATIONWIDE, or you may lose your RV. What this means is that we are at the mercy of Mr. Gemelli, a man in Colorado, with 32 BBB complaints in 36 months, and his insatiable desire to steal the RV of a little family. Whose parents are on social security disability, and their only pleasure in life, is to go camping together, and sing kumbaya around the camp fire.

Sincerely,
John S II

Update: As of 5/2/2007, and after no communication since 2/12/2007 Gemelli of AEI has informed me he has illegally sold our motor home. This case is now criminal as well as civil. No Notices has been given as required by the CO Law, therefore the sale is illegal. Also AEI has engaged in selling as an unlicensed dealer. AEI has violated 7 statutes of the Colorado Motor Vehicle Repair Act in addition to the rest of their criminal and civil violations.

1.violated 7 statutes of the CO MVRA,
2.lied to a law enforcement officer,
3.violated AEI's company policies and contract,
4.engaged in the illegal sale of our vehicle under CO law (no notices given)
5.acted as an unlicensed dealer in CO, a violation of CO Department of Revenue)

AEI Dallas Headquarters, under John Hartnack President, is taking no responsibility for their own AEI store, in Denver.

Update:

June 12, 2007 Greasy Gemelli of AEI and his lawyer Greasy Gomez have filed an abusive and meritlous lawsuit against us, to steal our motorhome and $14,000.00 more from us. OUTRAGEOUS!! Colorado law enforcement refuses to enforce the Colorado Motor Vehicle Repair Act, which would force the immediate release of our motorhome. UNBELIEVABLE!!

Update:

June 18,2007 The Colorado Attorney General Office today filed charges against Tim Gemelli, AEI Denver CO and John Hartnack Owner,AEI Dallas TX.

It is now up to us, to follow up with a class action or multi-litigant suit to retire the crooks of AEI. Please contact me if you are interested.

HOORAY FOR THE CO AG!!!

UPDATE:

October 3,2007 No Resolution!!! AEI has had our motorhome 1 year and 4 months. Colorado has not enforced their own laws, (Colorado Motor Vehicle Repair Act), to get our motorhome released by these crooks (AEI). The Adams County Court has not yet ruled (3 months) to dismiss the meritless lawsuit filed by AEI. BBB of Denver is required by AEI's own contract (item 24) to seek binding arbitration through the BBB, AEI is in violation of their very own contract. AEI is nothing more than a criminal enterprise, stealing vehicles and so far Colorado has not acted to enforce their very own laws. UNBELIEVABLE!!!

UPDATE:

Febuary 16,2008 The BBB (Bad Business Bureau)fraudulently and illegally engaged in Grand Larceny under Colorado Law. The BBB stole our titled and tagged motorhome and gave it to the Gemelli Gang,(Charles and Tim Gemelli) of AEI,as a reward for their fraudulent business practices. The BBB was founded for the sole purpose of protecting the consumer, and not engaging in fraud to protect business's from consumers. This illegal decision was rendered by John Scott an arbitrator with the the BBB and is being appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. We are now at the mercy of the CO District Court to enforce CO law (the CO MVRA). We were given only 10 days notice of the BBB decision. The decision was so illegal and unjust that Suzanne Bacon of the BBB was apologizing for Mr Scott's decision. Now we have 3 enemies in CO, Boyer Tire, AEI and the BBB. The CO AG refuses to enforce the CO MVRA and demand the return of our motorhome. ILLEGAL, FRAUDULENT and UNBELIEVABLE!!

UPDATE:

February 19, 2008 We received a copy of the answer to our motion to set aside the BBB decision. Greazy Gemelli's lawyer Greazy Gomez cites case law, to argue that the BBB does not have to obey CO State Law and can issue judgments for real property, without adhering to the law of the land, in this case the CO Motor Vehicle Repair Act. This lawyer is the same lawyer that showed contempt for the court order that was sought against AEI by the CO AG office. However since he displayed contempt, for the Adams Court Order in the BBB (Bad Business Bureau) arbitration hearing, in front of John Scott (Criminal Arbitor), he had the blessing of the criminal BBB to carry out his total contempt and disregard for sacred CO Law (CO MVRA) which would have released our motorhome from AEI over 17 months ago. UNCONSTITUTIONAL, ILLEGAL, FRAUDULENT and UNBELIEVABLE!!
September 13, 2007
Fraud and cheating!
We had our 1996 Ford Windstar to American Engine Installations on 9/16/04. We were told it would take about a week to do the job. We called back in a week & was told one of the mechanics was injured at the shop. The manager said we would get the van back the following week, we had already paid a $800.00 deposit. We called back the next week they said they haven't received the engine yet. We told them we were going to tow the van to another shop following day. The next day new engine was sitting in the shop & they were removing the old engine, they told us that the job would be finished in three days.We called back & was told that engine wasn't running right & they had to remove the engine & tear it down. They said that a defective part was installed & that they replaced it. They reinstalled the engine & road tested it. When I went to pick the van up noticed the heater & A/C. was not working I brought that to their attention. I came back the following day to pick it up, that was now Nov 3 2004.& paid the balance of &2,797.40 This not the end. In the early spring of 2006 the engine bellowed out white smoke while my wife was driving my daughter to CCD. Needless to say my wife was quite upset. We tried to contact the shop to get it towed back for warranty since we put on less than 20,000 miles of the 50,000 mile warranty & well with in the year period. We finally got in contact with the head office & was told they no longer have any franchises in N.J. I asked then where can I bring it to have the warranty work done. They told me that the nearest franchise was in North Carolina & that I would have to my van towed there. At that point I told them that was totally absurd. My van is sitting my driveway collecting leaves. So if you are thinking of having An engine replaced PLEASE RECONSIDER BEFORE USING AMERICAN ENGINE INSTALLATIONS. P.S. Their warranty Dept. keeps leaving messages on our answering machine asking us if we want to extend our policy.
July 26, 2007
Overcharged for non working vehicle
National office quoted engine replacement for my 1995 Chevrolet Camaro at $2795. Now, more than 8 weeks later, the rebuilt engine won't run, the price is now $4180 and I still don't have my vehicle back. The Knoxville, TN American Engine Installations branch has been giving me double talk from the third week. First I was told the engine would be replaced with a rebuilt one, as my engine had "thrown a rod and made a hole in the oil pan."

Two weeks later I called for a date when I could pick up my vehicle and was told that there was a mix up and that they could locate the LT1 "P" series engine my vehicle required. So, he told me that he was going to ship my engine to the company for a rebuild (!).

One week later, I called again and was told the engine should be back any day.

Days later, he called me to tell me the engine was back in the shop and that "it looks beautiful". I was told that they needed to install all the other parts taken from the engine before processing, re-install it in the vehicle and dp a road test.

I called often, but it was a few weeks later when he finally agreed it might be ready. I found the shop to be way off the beaten path. The car was sitting outside the bay area, with the hood up. He told me that extra parts (water pump, oil pump, oxygen sensor and others) had to be installed and that the cost was going to be more than a thousand dollars higher than we had agreed to and signed the contract for. I knew I was being raped, but I just wanted to get my vehicle and go home. It had been 7 weeks since they towed my car in to their shop!

Well, it would not start. After they tried to start it for more than 45 minutes, I finally gave up (totally disgusted) and went home. He assured me he would call when it was ready.

That was more than a week ago, and he stalls every time I call. I have decided to contact the Tennessee Attorney General's Office and the Better Business Bureau.

Please, Please! Do NOT trust this company with your car!
July 21, 2007
We were taking by this company...
We called to get a quote and it was $2,456.00. When we got to the A.E.I. Franchise shop in Colorado Springs the quote suddenly turned into $3,180.00 ; (worst case senario) were Lon's ((the manager)) words. His end of the job price is over $3456.22. He told us that if our block was machinable and able to be used that it would save us money (a $400.00 core charge) because buying a rebuilt block costs $1,000 and machining only cost about 2/3 of that price. He then told use that if block was rebuild able then we would save the $400.00 core charge for the block. He called to get a price on a water pump while we were sitting there and said it was $49.95 & we did some checking and it was actually only $25.48. He later tried to charge us $120.00 for it until my husband brought it to his attention. Our radiator was fine but left in the van when motor was pulled and damaged as a result. He is trying to charge us for a new one ($299.00) because of his mistake. When he took the van on a test drive of about 15 miles the motor blew again, on the day we were supposed to pick it up. It was supposed to be a new block but is not. The NEW radiator is damaged as a result of pulling the 2nd motor. He never flushed the motor and put in the Dextostrat coolant that the motor called for, which when asked he said he would do. This whole thing was supposed to take 7 to 10 business days and now this is the 10th week. We dropped the car off on the 16th of May and did not get it back until the 20th of JULY. Now I have the car and the next day I drive it to a car wash and it stalls out and won't restart. Now my 12 yr. old and I are stranded once again. I found that it has an oil leak from somewhere by the oil pan. Also it is missing the plastic shroud that sits on top the motor cause it is sitting in the van broken.There is now some scuff damage to the driver's side door right below the door handle that was not there.

The day we were supposed to pick it up I noticed that the gas gage was on 3/4 of a full tank when he got it, it was above full. I have done nothing but be nice to this guy. All I have wanted is to be treated fairly and without being taken for a ride and that is exactly what this whole ordeal feels like with this guy. This manager, Lon Rathmell , talks to me like I am stupid and with disrespect. He tells me one thing and tells my husband a totally different story and then says he explained this to me. Also Joe at the main office in Dallas tells us that it is policy to charge 100% markup on all parts. I have pics of ALL the damage to the radiators and also pics of where he put my old radiator on the ground outside of his shop. The pic also shows about a quart or two of antifreeze all over the ground under it. Mind you, he charged us $57.50 for environmental fees for disposal of the antifreeze, oil, and train fluid. He also charged us $30.00 for a bounced check fee that he can't or won't prove that is bounced. I don't understand why this company has so many complaints against them and they are still allowed to operate.
June 9, 2007
RV’ers, beware of american engine installations, stay away!
RV’ers, BEWARE OF AMERICAN ENGINE INSTALLATIONS, STAY AWAY!!!

Dear Sirs or Madams,

We purchased a 1985 Fleetwood Southwind RV for $3,150.00 on ebay from Anson Shultz of Boyer Tire in Castle Rock CO in December 2005. It was advertised, as in good condition but with a slight engine knock. Boyer Tire took the money for the sale of the RV and charged me $325.00 to tell me that the engine knock was in fact a blown engine. Boyer Tire had contracted to remove and replace the engine. They defaulted on the repair job.

However, after jerking us around for 6 months, the owner of Boyer Tire, John Brownlie abandoned the business and went on a mining expedition. Anson Shultz was left in charge and promptly demanded that I remove the RV or he would seize it and sell it as an abandoned vehicle. The vehicle he sold me just a few months earlier. Anson Shultz, Boyer Tire and ebay had defrauded us out of $3,475.00

I searched for a reputable garage to accept it for an engine replacement and found American Engine Installations. They represented themselves as the largest national chain of engine replacement specialists. The headquarters are located at 2351 W Northwest Hwy Ste 1302 Dallas, TX 75220 #214-358-4681. The corporate office provided a written estimate on May 17, 2006 for a complete replacement, using their specially remanufactured engines. We were instructed by corporate to take the RV to AEI, 4850 Olive Street, Commerce City, Colorado, 80022, #303-286-7700.

After receiving the estimate of $4,055.00 from AEI Corporate Headquarters, we contacted Tim Gemelli of AEI Commerce City on 5/17/2006. Mr. Gemelli was very sympathetic to our situation with regards to ebay and Boyer Tire and promised to help us out. Boyer Tire demanded the vehicle be removed by July 1 or it would be seized. So we towed the vehicle from Castle Rock to AEI at a cost of $550.00. Mr. Gemelli accepted the vehicle and told us he would not charge us storage on the vehicle. Mr. Gemelli did not contact us regarding our RV, all contact was initiated by us. On 10/10/2006, Mr. Gemelli agreed to remove the engine and inspect it for $400.00. If the cost of repairs were to exceed the $4,000.00 estimate that would be the only cost we would have if we decided not to go ahead with the repairs.

Upon removal and inspection Mr. Gemelli informed us that the job could cost as much as $8,000.00. We told him that was far in excess of the $4,000.00 we had agreed to pay in our original estimate. We asked him how he came up with $8,000.00 from a $1,895.00 engine and a $1,800.00 labor charge. He couldn’t explain and came up with various other estimates such as $6,000.00, $5,000.00. It appeared that he was probing us to see how much we could afford and then would price it accordingly. I reminded him that we were on Social Security and could only afford the original quote of $3,902.21, the amount in the written contract we signed on 10/10/2006.

Mr. Gemelli became very angry, shouting and screaming on the phone, when we questioned him about the parts prices. He said he had to make a profit and could not work for free. I reminded him that $4,000.00 is not exactly free. He wanted to charge $200.00 for a $20 water pump, $600.00 for a $400.00 rebuilt radiator, $100.00 for a $47. fuel pump, $50.00 for a oil pump screen that comes with a new oil pump at $0, $100.00 for a $28 set of spark plug wires that are included in the remanufactured engine price.

The worst is the engine itself. We were promised an Official AEI engine, “as good as a GM Crate Engine”, so said the corporate salesperson, Mark Winfrey, on 5/17/2006. Mr. Gemelli did not use the advertised and agreed upon AEI engine in the contract. It is possible he used a junkyard or rebuilt our engine in his chop shop. We contracted for a special AEI engine, not some junk he wants to stick us with. After all, it has to be warranted for 50,000 miles, according to the contract. You can not warrantee an old used engine.

Once I presented Mr. Gemelli with a list of parts prices he became insane with anger towards us for questioning his pricing. He hung up the telephone; he cut off all communication with us. Communication has always been extremely difficult with Mr. Gemelli. The times when I have been able to reach him by telephone, I have been on hold for over an hour and fifteen minutes waiting for him to pick up the phone. In our last communication he threatened to seize our RV with a mechanics lein and re-title it in his name. He bragged that he has done this before with other customers who have not been able to pay his fraudulent high bills.

Presently he is in the process of either tearing out the “so-called” replacement engine and dumping the vehicle on the streets of Denver, or filing a mechanics lean and switching our title. In October Mr. Gemelli offered to pay us $1,500.00 for our $4,000.00 RV. He seemed frustrated when I said the RV is not for sale and that we have already contracted to replace the engine. He refused to offer us $4,000.00 for the RV. It is obvious that he intended to steal the RV from us with a mechanics lean and a switched title because the RV can be sold for approximately $12,000.00 with a replacement engine installed. That is a clear profit of over $9,000.00 for him.

Currently the RV is not running and not completely repaired as per the contract and with an unknown engine installed. We have the $4,000.00 set aside to pay AEI upon completion of the job. However we will pay AEI only after a thorough inspection and upon pickup, due to the breach of our contract. I have contacted the CO Governor Ritter, Colorado State Police, CO Dept. of Revenue, MVA, Adams County and CO State, Colorado Dealers Board, Adams country District Attorney, Commerce City Police Dept. and the BBB. Not one of these law enforcement agencies have recognized the CO Motor Vehicle Repair Act or acted to enforce it. It is CO Law and they are sworn to enforce the law. The commander of Commerce City Police Department said “I don’t care what the CO MVRA says”. Oh Really !!

Upon contacting the BBB I was shocked and appalled to find that Mr. Gemelli of AEI has 31 complaints in 36 months. I contacted AEI corporate offices and asked to speak to the president. The phone system is defunct, only voicemails no people. There are no secretaries or receptionists to direct your call. I was connected to Matthew McMann’s voicemail.

I spoke with Matthew McMann. He stonewalled me and misrepresented himself as the company president. He refused to give me the address for the corporate head quarters and refused to take any responsibility for Mr. Gemelli of AEI, saying that he was a franchise and that they had no control over his fraudulent and deceptive business practices. I reminded Mr. McMann that at no time since 5/17/2006 has it ever been mentioned that AEI was not entirely a corporate enterprise. The quote, contract, estimate, and all correspondences have the company logo and AEI on all the letter heads.

After exhaustive attempts, I reached the elusive president of AEI Dallas John Hartnack. He said he would make everything all right by talking to Gemelli. He failed miserably and sent us an identical inflated invoice full of mistakes, a copy of Gemelli’s. He then refused to take responsibility for his store in Denver. The company AEI, has 85 complaints nationwide and numerous unsatisfied judgments. A VERY BAD COMPANY!!!

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that we are in Pennsylvania, and the RV is broken down in Denver, Colorado. Colorado has a statute that allows for unscrupulous auto garages to vastly over charge on a repair order. Then with no due process of the court, without a court hearing and judgment, they can obtain a mechanics or garage lien, and consequently steal your entire vehicle and re-title it in their name. People’s automobiles, trucks and RV’s are second only to their homes in value. Colorado law let’s some criminal steal our second most valuable asset. Attention all RV’ers ! Do not break down in Colorado or you may lose your RV.

What this means is that we are at the mercy of Mr. Gemelli, a man in Colorado, with 32 BBB complaints in 36 months, and his insatiable desire to steal the RV of a little family. Whose parents are on social security disability, and their only pleasure in life, is to go camping together, and sing kumbaya around the camp fire.

Sincerely,

John Sions

Update: As of 5/2/2007, and after no communication since 2/12/2007 Gemelli of AEI has informed me he has illegally sold our motor home. This case is now criminal as well as civil. No Notices has been given as required by the CO Law, therefore the sale is illegal. Also AEI has engaged in selling as an unlicensed dealer. AEI has violated 7 statutes of the Colorado Motor Vehicle Repair Act in addition to the rest of their criminal and civil violations.

1. violated 7 statutes of the CO MVRA,
2. lied to a law enforcement officer,
3. violated AEI’s company policies and contract,
4. engaged in the illegal sale of our vehicle under CO law (no notices given)
5. acted as an unlicensed dealer in CO, a violation of CO Department of Revenue)

AEI Dallas Headquarters, under John Hartnack President, is taking no responsibility for their own AEI store, in Denver.

CO Attorney General is filing charges against AEI.
December 15, 2006
Lie, cheat, steal!
Company lied about engine block being non rebuildable (among other things) and this was the last straw. Our son was charged $500 for a core charge that company said was for another engine block which they claimed they had to furnish, in leiu of our non rebuildable block. When the car was finished and our son got it home, I personally checked the car over, only to find the original engine block was in the car and not replaced. We crossed referenced the engine numbers and discovered that they were the original factory stamped numbers. We were lied to and cheated by this company throughout this 6 plus week ordeal. To me this is consumer theft and fraud.

I spoke to the manager of American Engine several times and was told the block was shot, engine messed up with parts falling out of it, upon his inspection and a new block would have to be found because they didn't have one and this supposedly delayed the process of completion of the rebuild. The manager also stated that someone had already put another engine in this car and probably what happened was the engine was over reved that destroyed this engine. He told me he had seen this before because he drag races and knows what happens. I told him I know how my son drives and this was not the case. The car had 160,000 miles on the all original engine, clutch and transmission. If the car had been driven like the manager described, this engine, clutch and transmission wouldn't have lasted 160,000 miles as it did.

I work for the company that built this vehicle and know the engine that was installed. I have the factory engine numbers that were stamped in this block when installed and they match. To me, we have been lied to, cheated out of our money and this constitutes theft and fraud. If you need further information, please contact me.
November 2, 2006
Tried to make me pay $ 2995.00 overcharge
The company quoted me a price of 2885.00 and tried to make me pay 2995.00 for the engine. Then they marked up other parts as much as 200%. i was also hit with a core charge for my old engine supposedly being nonrebuildable, but i was never given the opportunity to view this or dispute it. that was an additional 500.00 this process was advertised as a 7-10 business day turnaround time they have had my car for six weeks now. then to add insult to injury a contacted the director of field ops. Terry Cheeks and started to question prices i felt were over inflated and such and i was told " its none of your business what our mark up is on parts and he was not going to discuss it with me because i was not an American engine employee, and if i didn't like it i could take my car else where." Now this was after the engine is already out of my car. I have rented a car for over a month now so imagine how expensive this is getting after 6 weeks of waiting i am very frustrated with this co.

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