AAMCO LAWSUIT INVESTIGATION Website Suspended [UPDATED]
AAMCO Lawsuit Investigation (ALI) is a website dedicated to exposing allegations of fraud by Aamco Transmissions, Inc., the Horsham, PA-based franchisor of transmission and automotive repair centers.
Aamco Transmissions, Inc. is a subsidiary of American Driveline Systems, Inc. which is owned by American Capital, LTD. American Driveline Centers, Inc. (previously known as Cottman Transmission Centers, Inc.) is a PA-based affiliate that operates corporate AAMCO centers.
(UnhappyFranchisee.Com) Since its debut in 2009, the AAMCO Lawsuit Investigation website has compiled and displayed the substantial number of lawsuits and government interventions pertaining to fraudulent practices going back more than 40 years.
Some of the documents and reports include:
- The Restrictive Orders [against AAMCO]
- FTC Actions Against Aamco’s Parts Sales
- The 14 State Consent Judgment
- Other State Enforced Restrictive Orders Against Aamco
- California v. Aamco 1981 Judgment
- Minnesota v. Aamco (1967)
- State v. Aamco Automatic Transmissions Inc.
- North Carolina’s 1987 Complaint Against Aamco
- NEW STATE INVESTIGATION – Virginia authorities find Aamco violated State Franchise Disclosure Law
- Washington / Aamco sign 2012 Cease and Desist order: Criminal offense for willful violation
- 2013: SEC Enforcement Action poised against American Capital Ltd.
- Jury finds both Aamco and Franchisee involved in deceptive sales scheme
- Aamco / Franchisee Lawsuit Database
Located at the WordPress-hosted domain aamcolawsuit.wordpress.com, AAMCO Lawsuit Investigation (ALI) also includes hundreds of firsthand, direct consumer complaints of problems that they have had or are having with AAMCO Transmissions, especially in regard to fraudulent business practices and deceptive sales techniques.
AAMCO franchise owners also left numerous comments on the ALI site, admitting that they were trained in fraudulent business practices by AAMCO, and some were forced into deceptive practices through the financial trap set for them by the AAMCO franchisor.
Franchisees complain that AAMCO is a predatory franchise company that takes back over struggling franchises and resells them for a profit again and again, a practice known as “franchise churning”
Did AAMCO Get the ALI Site Suspended?
The AAMCO Lawsuit Investigation (ALI) has long been a thorn in the side of AAMCO Transmissions, as it is a collaboration of scorned customers, employees and franchise owners determined to warn others about this allegedly unscrupulous company.
In fact, when prospective franchise owners search the term “Aamco franchise,” the ALI site comes up second only to Aamco Transmission’s own franchise sales site.
Yet Sunday, November 24, 2013 the ALI home page was replaced by a notice that read:
aamcolawsuit.wordpress.com is no longer available.
This blog has been archived or suspended for a violation of our Terms of Service.
The suspension came shortly after the posting of a new lawsuit against Aamco filed by attorney Jonathan Fortman, and not long after someone posted a rumor that AAMCO was getting ready to “drop the hammer” on the ALI site.
Can AAMCO Suppress Free Speech & Get Away With It?
In a word: No.
UnhappyFranchisee.Com supports the AAMCO Lawsuit Investigation website and will voice its opposition to WordPress.Com for taking the site offline.
We will increase our coverage of the Aamco franchise and consumer disputes, and invite franchise owners, employees, customers and all others to exercise their 1st Amendment right to express their opinions below, or on any of our other AAMCO Transmission posts.
[UPDATE: THE AAMCO LAWSUIT BLOG WAS RESTORED AFTER RECEIVING AN OBJECTION FROM THE SITE’S OWNER]
Read and comment on AAMCO here:
AAMCO Transmission franchise posts
AAMCO TRANSMISSION Franchise Complaints
AAMCO Franchise Called a “Financial Nightmare”
AAMCO Franchise Complaints: Terrible Site Selection
COTTMAN TRANSMISSION Franchise Complaints
ARE YOU AN AAMCO FRANCHISE OWNER OR FRANCHISEE? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE AAMCO FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
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I have no doubt that AAMCO and American Capital are behind the ALI site being suspended based upon the timing and comments posted on our site. I applaud unhappyfranchisee.com for stepping in to ensure that the customers and franchisees will continue to have an outlet to expose the blatant fraud in this system. The ALI site has been out there on its own for years. The administrator devotes countless hours with no compensation. To my knowledge, wordpress has never suspended the site until the information about our lawsuit was posted. What AAMCO must now realize is that ALI is not alone anymore. The truth will be exposed regardless of any underhanded tactics they may employ. This is yet another example of the bullying tactics used by these companies to silence those with the courage to stand up and say enough is enough.
We have posted the information about the AAMCO class action lawsuit here:
AAMCO Franchise Lawsuit Alleges Pervasive and Blatant Fraud
Frankly, I am surprised and concerned that WordPress would give in to corporate bullying, if that’s indeed what happened.
If ALI is unable to get reinstated, we will certainly reach out to WP and the blogging community to bring awareness and pressure to this travesty.
Bloggers hate a bully, and they don’t take kindly to those who would restrict 1st Amendment rights online.