MEINEKE Consumer Complaints
July 13, 2012
Do you have a complaint with Meineke Car Care Centers or a particular Meineke franchise location?
Please share your Meineke complaint or problem below.
Meineke Car Care Centers seem to have a disproportionately large number of angry complaints and serious allegations leveled at them across Internet complaint sites.
Have you had a bad experience with Meineke?
Do you think it’s a problem throughout the chain, or with a single Meineke franchise location?
Angry Meineke Customer Vents on YouTube
This angry Meineke customer broadcast his Meineke complaint on YouTube.
The man claims his wife brought their van into a new Meineke location in their small town in Virginia to get a $19.95 oil change.
The Meineke worker allegedly told his wife that the car was not safe to drive and needed many immediate and expensive repairs.
The Meineke worker told the woman that there were major problems, that the timing belt was bad, there was water mixed with the engine oil, and the water pump was bad.
The woman claims that the Meineke worker told her she should not drive the van, as the engine could seize up at any moment.
The husband took the van to his trusted mechanic who told him:
There was no water in the engine oil.
The timing belt was fine.
The water pump was fine.
The man said that he spoke to three local women who all had the same experience: they went in for the advertised $19.95 oil change and were all told they needed major, expensive repairs.
On our MEINEKE Franchise Complaints post, we reported that many Meineke franchise owners are struggling to keep their centers open.
For some, like this center in Virginia, it is just a matter of time before they’ve damaged their reputation enough that they are sure to fail. This man even suspects Meineke switches license place bulbs with burned-out bulbs just so they can charge to replace them. Whether they do or not, it just shows how far this Meineke has destroyed consumer trust.
Meineke Care Care Centers: Share Your Experience
Are you familiar with Meineke?
What was your experience – good or bad – with your Meineke Care Care Center?
What steps should Meineke and Driven Brands be taking to stop bad consumer experiences?
Do you think these consumer complaints and bad practices are the result of a few bad Meineke centers, or are they all the same?
Please share a comment, opinion or insight below.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH MEINEKE? PLEASE SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
Tags: Meineke, Meineke franchise, Meineke Car Care Centers, Meineke complaints, Meineke scam, Meineke rip-off, Meineke ripoff, Meineke fraud, Meineke lawsuit, Meineke class-action lawsuit, car repair scam, auto repair scam, auto repair complaints, car repair complaints, car repair fraud, Meineke consumer complaints
MEINEKE Franchise Complaints
July 13, 2012
The Meineke franchise has a very high SBA loan default rate of 31%.
With nearly 900 locations, the Meineke Car Care Centers franchise is owned by Driven Brands, Inc. and is sometimes co-branded with fellow Driven Brands Inc. affiliate Econo Lube.
Are you familiar with the Meineke franchise opportunity? Please share a comment below.
The initial Meineke concept of providing quality exhaust service at discount prices has expanded to include complete brake service, oil and lube service, front-end alignment, shock and strut service and Catalytic converters.
According to the US Small Business Administration, Meineke franchisees have received 280 SBA-guaranteed loans since 2001; nearly a third of those loans have been defaulted on by Meineke franchise owners.
The Meineke Franchise has a failure rate of 31% for SBA-backed franchise loans
It’s likely that Meineke franchise owners who received SBA loans may have collateralized their franchise loan with their houses or other personal assets, and nearly one-third were unable to repay those franchise loans… despite serious incentive to do so.
Another area of concern for prospective Meineke franchise owners should be the large number of Meineke consumer complaints posted on the Internet.
MEINEKE Franchise Owners Share Their Complaints
On our post Is MEINEKE a Great Franchise Opportunity?, commenter John Marshall wrote:
I was a Meineke franchisee in Atlanta for 10 years. The Meineke franchise is overpriced and a broken business model. The fees are some of the highest in the franchise world. They have one of the highest SBA failure rates of any franchise.
There are a few shops that are the exception and perform very well. The bulk of the shops are run by owners that work 60-70 hours a week and make less than what they send Meineke each month. The rest of the shops fail with the owners losing their savings and sometimes their homes. Google search “Meineke shops for sale” and you will be amazed how many shops are for sale. Why would a good operator want to sell a very profitable cash flowing business?Google search “Meineke Car Care Center litigation/lawsuits” and see how many lawsuits Meineke brings against franchisees…
Anonymous from San Diego wrote:
The failure rate of this this franchise is staggering! I am a current Meineke franchise owner for many years now and in that time the failure rate of this business model is about 40% this is approximately 700% higher than the national failure rate for franchises. About 40% of the owners of these businesses are out of business in 3-4 years and replaced with the next franchisor.
In my opinion Meineke intentionally sets franchisees up for failure with overpriced leases, 7% royalties and a whopping 8% of gross revenues HAVE to be spent on marketing. 15% off the top and they generally stick the franchisor with a $3,000 to $6,000 padding they add to the real estate lease cost. If the lease is $6k Meineke pays the building owner $6k and bills the franchisor $9.5k-$10.5k to cover the triple net lease. Next Meineke will create phony overinflated revenues and under report the expenses factors so that the opportunity looks good but, not too good to potential investors.WHY? Because it is more profitable to turn over franchisors that pay $50,000 franchise buy in fee and put that franchisor out of business and get the next franchisor in the door with another $50,000 in franchise fees. Average Meineke dealer does about $700,000 year, if they can put that franchisor out of business in 3 years they get 4 year’s worth of revenue from that store in 3 years.
Lastly, the owners of the franchises are honest hardworking people of all persuasions trying to build the American dream for their families but instead are intentionally set up for failure by Meineke with lies and deceit.
I am still in business and want any potential franchise investors to be warned to stay away from Meineke or EconoLube business at all costs.
Meineke Franchise: Add Your Opinion Below
Are you familiar with the Meineke franchise opportunity?
What do you think accounts for the SBA loan failure rate of Meineke franchise owners?
What steps should Meineke and Driven Brands be taking to stop further franchise failures?
Has Meineke taken serious action to address the problems that led to the 31% loan failures?
Does Meineke & Driven Brands intentionally churn franchise locations?
Are Meineke consumer complaints a result of the economic pressure Meineke franchise owners are under?
Please share a comment, opinion or insight below.
ARE YOU A MEINEKE FRANCHISE OWNER OR FORMER MEINEKE FRANCHISEE? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH DRIVEN BRANDS INC & THE MEINEKE FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY? PLEASE SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
Tags: Meineke, Meineke franchise, Meineke complaints, car care franchise, muffler franchise, automotive franchise, franchise opportunity, quick lube franchise, franchise failure rate, worst franchise, sba failure rates, SBA franchise loans, franchise information, Driven Brands, franchise churning
LINE-X Franchise Complaints
July 11, 2012
The Line-X franchise has a relatively high SBA loan default rate of 20%
Are you familiar with the Line-X franchise opportunity? Please share a comment below.
That means that Line-X franchise owners, some of whom may have collateralized their franchise loan with their house or other personal assets, were unable to repay their loans 20% of the time despite having a very serious incentive to do so.
The Line-X Franchise has a failure rate of 20% for SBA-backed franchise loans
Another red flag is the fact that Entrepreneur data indicates that Line-X franchises have been closing and the Line-X network is shrinking at a concerning rate.
In 2008, there were 460 Line-X franchises in the U.S.. By 2012, that number had shrunk to 385, a decline of 75 franchises or 16% of the total number of operational U.S. Line-X franchises.
Are you familiar with the Line-X franchise opportunity?
What do you think accounts for the SBA loan failure rate of Line-X franchise owners?
What steps should Line-X be taking to stop further franchise failures?
Please share a comment, opinion or insight below.
ARE YOU A LINE-X FRANCHISE OWNER OR FORMER FRANCHISEE? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE LINE-X FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY? PLEASE SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
Tags: Line-X , Line-X franchise, Line-X complaints, coating franchise, automotive franchise, franchise, franchise failure rate, auto franchise, worst franchise, sba failure rates, SBA franchise loans, franchise information, unhappy franchisee
1-800-RADIATOR Franchise Complaints
July 11, 2012
The 1-800-RADIATOR franchise has a high SBA loan default rate of 23%
Are you familiar with the 1-800-RADIATOR franchise opportunity? Please share a comment below.
That means that 1-800-RADIATOR franchise owners, some of whom may have collateralized their franchise loan with their house or other personal assets, were unable to repay their loans 23% of the time despite having a very serious incentive to do so.
The 1-800-RADIATOR Franchise has a failure rate of 23% for SBA-backed franchise loans
Are you familiar with the 1-800-RADIATOR franchise opportunity?
What do you think accounts for the SBA loan failure rate of 1-800-RADIATOR franchise owners?
What steps should 1-800-RADIATOR be taking to stop further franchise failures?
Please share a comment, opinion or insight below.
ARE YOU A 1-800-RADIATOR FRANCHISE OWNER OR FORMER FRANCHISEE? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE 1-800-RADIATOR FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY? PLEASE SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
Tags: 1-800-RADIATOR, 1-800-RADIATOR franchise, 1-800-RADIATOR complaints, auto repair franchise, automotive franchise, franchise, franchise failure rate, auto franchise, worst franchise, sba failure rates, SBA franchise loans, franchise information, unhappy franchisee
GREASE MONKEY Franchise Complaints
July 11, 2012
The Grease Monkey franchise has a high SBA loan default rate of 23%
Are you familiar with the Grease Monkey franchise opportunity? Please share a comment below.
That means that Grease Monkey franchise owners, some of whom may have collateralized their franchise loan with their house or other personal assets, were unable to repay their loans 23% of the time despite having a very serious incentive to do so.
The Grease Monkey Franchise has a failure rate of 23% for SBA-backed franchise loans
Are you familiar with the Grease Monkey franchise opportunity?
What do you think accounts for the high SBA loan failure rates of Grease Monkey franchise owners?
What steps should Grease Monkey be taking to stop further franchise failures?
Please share a comment, opinion or insight below.
ARE YOU A GREASE MONKEY FRANCHISE OWNER OR FORMER FRANCHISEE? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE GREASE MONKEY FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY? PLEASE SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
Tags: Grease Monkey, Grease Monkey franchise, Grease Monkey complaints, quick lube franchise, automotive franchise, franchise, franchise failure rate, auto franchise, worst franchise, sba failure rates, SBA franchise loans, franchise information, unhappy franchisee
BIG O TIRES Franchise Complaints
July 11, 2012
The Big O Tires franchise has a high SBA loan default rate of 23%
Are you familiar with the Big O Tires franchise opportunity? Please share a comment below.
That means that Big O Tires franchise owners, some of whom may have collateralized their franchise loan with their house or other personal assets, were unable to repay their loans 23% of the time despite having a very serious incentive to do so.
In addition, Entrepreneur reports that the total number of Big O Tires locations was 523 in 2008. Today, the Big O Tires website states there are “more than 480” Big O Tires locations, indicating a potential decline of 42 centers. has
The Big O Tires Franchise has an high failure rate of 23% for SBA-backed franchise loans
Are you familiar with the Big O Tires franchise opportunity?
What do you think accounts for the high SBA loan failure rates of Big O Tires franchise owners?
What steps should Big O Tires be taking to stop further franchise failures?
Please share a comment, opinion or insight below.
ARE YOU A BIG O TIRES FRANCHISE OWNER OR FORMER FRANCHISEE? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE BIG O TIRES FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY? PLEASE SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
Tags: Big O Tires, Big O Tires franchise, Big O Tires complaints, automotive franchise, franchise, franchise failure rate, auto franchise, worst franchise, sba failure rates, SBA franchise loans, franchise information, unhappy franchisee
MAACO Franchise Complaints
July 11, 2012
The Maaco franchise has an alarmingly high SBA loan default rate of 29%
Are you familiar with the Maaco franchise opportunity? Please share a comment below.
That means that Maaco franchise owners, some of whom may have collateralized their franchise loan with their house or other personal assets, were unable to repay their loans 29% of the time.
In addition, Entrepreneur reports that the total number of Precision Tune franchises has declined from 432 in 2008 to 425 in 2011, a decline of 7 franchise centers.
The Maaco Franchise has an alarmingly high failure rate of 29% for SBA-backed franchise loans
Are you familiar with the Maaco franchise opportunity?
What do you think accounts for the high SBA loan failure rates of Maaco franchise owners?
What steps should Maaco be taking to stop further franchise failures?
Please share a comment, opinion or insight below.
ARE YOU A MAACO FRANCHISE OWNER OR FORMER FRANCHISEE? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE MAACO FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY? PLEASE SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
Tags: Maaco, Maaco franchise, Maaco complaints, automotive franchise, franchise, franchise failure rate, auto franchise, worst franchise, franchise information, unhappy franchisee
PRECISION TUNE Franchise Complaints
July 11, 2012
The Precision Tune Auto Care franchise has an alarmingly high SBA loan default rate of 31%
Are you familiar with the Precision Tune franchise opportunity? Please share a comment below.
That means that Precision Tune franchise owners, some of whom may have collateralized their franchise loan with their house or other personal assets, were unable to repay their loans 31% of the time.
In addition, Entrepreneur reports that the total number of Precision Tune franchises has declined from 277 in 2008 to 232 in 2011, a decline of 16%.
The Precision Tune Auto Care Franchise has an alarmingly high failure rate of 31% for SBA-backed franchise loans
Are you familiar with the Precision Tune franchise opportunity?
What do you think accounts for the high SBA loan failure rates of Precision Tune franchise owners?
What steps should Precision Tune Auto Care be taking to stop further franchise failures?
Please share a comment, opinion or insight below.
ARE YOU A PRECISION TUNE FRANCHISE OWNER OR FORMER FRANCHISEE? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE PRECISION TUNE FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY? PLEASE SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
Tags: Precision Tune, Precision Tune franchise, Precision Tune Auto Care, Precision Tune complaints, automotive franchise, franchise, franchise failure rate, auto franchise, worst franchise, franchise information, unhappy franchisee
COTTMAN TRANSMISSION Franchise Complaints
July 11, 2012
Cottman Transmission was acquired by AAMCO Transmission in 2006, and new Cottman Transmission franchises are no longer available.
Are you familiar with the Cottman Transmission franchise opportunity? Please share a comment below.
That may be a good thing, since the Small Business Administration reports that between 2001 and 2011, 52% of SBA-backed Cottman Transmission franchise loans ended up in default.
Cottman Transmission franchise owners defaulted on 52% of their SBA-backed franchise loans
And while new Cottman Transmission franchises aren’t available, AAMCO-owned Cottman is promoting the sale of a number of existing franchise locations. Here’s the list as of 7/11/12:
Cottman Transmission Franchise Opportunities
Owning a Cottman franchise can offer the financial freedom and lifestyle that comes from being your own boss.
CaliforniaUkiah $150,000
Chico $150,000
Coalinga $150,000
Livermore $150,000
Franklin $150,000
North Carolina
Mooresville $150,000New Jersey
Willingboro $125,000
Nevada
Las Vegas (Jones Blvd) $125,000
Ohio
Cincinnati $210,000
Pennsylvania
Greensburg $230,000
South Carolina
Florence $150,000
Tennessee
Johnson City $150,000
Virginia
Woodbridge $180,000
Wisconsin
Kenosha, WI $180,000
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE COTTMAN TRANSMISSION FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
Tags: Cottman Transmission, Cottman Transmission franchise, Cottman Transmission complaints, AAMCO transmission, automotive franchise, transmission franchise, franchise failure rate, auto franchise, worst franchise, franchise information, unhappy franchisee
MR. TRANSMISSION Franchise Complaints
July 11, 2012
The Mr. Transmission franchise has an alarmingly high SBA loan default rate of 65%
Are you familiar with the Mr. Transmission franchise opportunity? Please share a comment below.
That means that Mr. Transmission franchise owners, some of whom may have collateralized their franchise loan with their house or other personal assets, were unable to repay their loans 56% of the time.
In addition, Entrepreneur reports that the total number of Mr. Transmission franchises has declined from 136 in 2008 to 102 in 2012, a decline of 25%.
The Mr. Transmission Franchise has an alarmingly high failure rate of 65% for SBA-backed franchise loans
Are you familiar with the Mr. Transmission franchise opportunity?
What do you think accounts for the high SBA loan failure rates of Mr. Transmission franchise owners?
What steps should Mr. Transmission be taking to stop further franchise failures?
Please share a comment, opinion or insight below.
ARE YOU AN MR. TRANSMISSION FRANCHISE OWNER OR FRANCHISEE? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE MR. TRANSMISSION FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
Tags: Tags: Mr. Transmission, Mr. Transmission franchise, Mr. Transmission complaints, automotive franchise, transmission franchise, franchise failure rate, auto franchise, worst franchise, franchise information, unhappy franchisee
