ATL ALL TUNE & LUBE Franchise Complaint
ATL ALL TUNE & LUBE Franchise Complaints: Are you familiar with the ATL All Tune & Lube franchise program?
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(UnhappyFranchisee.Com) There are a number of very disturbing franchise complaints on the Internet regarding the ATL franchise, AKA the All Tune & Lube franchise. Here are excerpts from a recent complaint posted on Rip-off Report, reportedly from a franchisee in Forsyth, GA:
The All Tune and Lube franchise is one of the most despicable… franchises on the face of the earth. I am wondering after reading about all of the people that they have ripped off how they can stay in business and continue to deceive the public. I have only heard of one person who has been able to recoup monies from them and that is a lady called Karen from some part of Texas. Somehow she got the State’s Attorney General involved and they settled with her….
All Tune and Lube deceived me and took my business to the cleaners by overcharging me for advertisement fees, passing me around to their buddies and being totally deceitful about helping me out with my business once it started up. The only thing that they did well was to milk my checking account on a weekly basis and always on schedule.
They sent down an operation manager, Jack Ray, who spent all of his time turning members of my staff against one another by planting discourse between everyone including me. By the time that I noticed what he was doing me and my staff were at odds with one another. Each time that he came it was always a volcanic reaction during or shortly after he left. He spent most of his time smoking cigarettes and arguing with his wife…
I am disgusted by the practice of these people. I am an honest business person. I had a dream that they turned into a nightmare. They totally deceived me and in return they took all of my hard earned retirement money and almost bankrupted me. I am still recovering from the mess that they put me in.
They tell you that $6000 per month is the model for the rent that you need to be successful. They tell you that they are with you 100%. They tell you that their coupons and the way that they advertise is the key to financial freedom but I know now that $6K per month and $685 per week for their coupons campaign is the beginning of the end for any serious business person. They repeatedly sent the same coupons to the same households on a weekly basis. I asked for a $10.90 oil change special to kick off my business and when I got things sort of rolling I asked them to stop but a lady named Lisa Dignan in their advertising department wouldn’t hear of it because in her words, ‘changing your price will dry up your car count.’
I tried to stop the coupons and finally after months of arguing, I finally threatened to close my account so that they couldn’t see it and then they stopped. By that time it was too little too late. I was paying more for oil than I was taking in. They also had these inspections called 30/60/90 preventive maintenance inspections starting at $159. Most of the services in these inspections cost more than the entire package. An inspection like this included a tune-up, radiator service, transmission service, air filter, oil change, tire rotation and brake inspection.
A radiator service and transmission service could run in the upper $150 by themselves. They built these coupons and they put them out. The intent was that you could up-charge for other things. Once a person got through with these services what else was really needed. Eventually, I learned my lesson and stopped these practices but again…..I followed the franchise business model to my own detriment for too long before making the adjustment.
I know that some of you are saying, ‘cry me a river’. My intent is not to cry but to warn others about this predatory franchise. They are bogus and dangerous to people who want to buy a part of the American Dream. These people are what I like to call ‘The American Nightmare’. They are only interested in their own pockets. They make their money up front and then you are on your own.
Most of the All Tune franchises in the greater Atlanta area have failed and all of them tell the same story. I have a good friend who’s marriage is being ruined by the All Tune practices. I know of others who lost everything that they owned and haven’t been heard from since. I pray that they are alright. I left my job of 26 years to build what I thought was a solid business that had a success ratio of over 85%. Believe me, 90% is probably the fail ratio. These people must be stopped. They don’t tell the truth about their role nor all of the hidden costs involved in running one of their businesses. One thing that I do know is that they know that their business model is a fake and a phony but they continue to push it for that up front $32K franchise fee.
Anonymous
Forsyth, Georgia
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE ALL TUNE & LUBE FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY? PLEASE SHARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS – GOOD OR BAD – WITH A COMMENT BELOW.
Carl,
We am sorry to hear you feel bad since the only thing that happened was to help you begin setting up the franchise. We spent weeks with you going over the program and never once did you make any comments about our information or processes that gave you concern.
You were treated with great respect and given as much time as you needed to make your decision.
A deposit stated in the contract is $7500.00. The franchise fee is stated also in the franchise agreement. While the franchise fee wasn’t lowered, it doesn’t have to be paid in full to begin the process.
Also, remember ATL is a Vetfran member giving you a discount (in honor of your military commitment) off of the license which you said you were very happy to be able to use.
I am sorry if you feel there were misunderstandings but, you are welcome to call and discuss them to your satisfaction with the President or your sales consultant. Nothing was done to hurt you and we would be ready to discuss any of your issues. We have Veterans who are extremely happy to be given the discount along with the help to get started in business that may be worth your time to speak to about the franchise.
Please contact the office to discuss.
ATL Corporate
Well after all of these comments I feel lucky. I am only out $35,000 as I decided to break ties with them after receiving lie after lie and broken promise after broken promise.
I should have ran when they had no litigation against them or a P&L in their FDD. Here is how it all transpired.
1) I was asked to sign quick so they could get me open by Nov. Which I did (big dummy)
2) Real Estate only sent me one place to view which was out of my approved area.
2) Real Estate then told me they would not open me until February due to the holidays and winter months.
3) When asking for details about vendors, I was refused information and told I would get it at the training class.
4) Training class was to be held in October to get me ready for November. Todd Mosher promised me twice in august to get me dates for October. Then would not meet his deadlines.
5) Was handed a lease produced by ATL which I brought to my lawyer (their suggestion). The lawyer stated they should have never been given a lease by them as they do not lease, co lease or claim any responsibility to the property. Had to backtrack and get the lease from the landlord
6) Was told by both Dan Sparby and Todd Mosher that they had to approve the lease. In the Franchise agreement they state they have to approve the sight and review the lease.
7) Wrote a nasty email explaining their failures and finally got responses for the class and vendors.
8) Was told the class had to be in early november or it would not be offered again till February. This violates their Franchise Disclosure Document of 6-8 weeks in between classes.
9) Was told in the FDD the class was up to 9 days, in the FA it says 5 days in the email its 4 days.
10) The FDD explains that the class should happen 14-16 weeks before opening.
11) Wrote an email and certified letter explaining that i would be leaving due to these deceptions and requesting the money back since no part of their promise before opening was upheld or in some cases started.
12) Received a letter from Dan Sparby by email disputing the claims, offering a few accommodations and put all as my fault fault because I did not have a lease and encouraged me to call him.
13) Called him and got in a heated debate as he refused to answer questions when directly quoting the signed agreement. Stating that I can pick apart the FA all I want but he wont refund my money. He told me he would not discuss this with me and i needed to get the lawyer involved. When i tried to clarify the actions taken he hung up on me.
To the person claiming that if we had this we would sue, we are educating the next potential victim. I wish I would have been educated myself.
Feel free to email me and get more information at anytime.
Lenny Saucier
[redacted]
Anyone wanting to open a repair shop NEVER BUY A FRANCHISE!
Buy an independent . If you don’t know how to run it, have the owner stay with you for a couple weeks,
or, stay with him a couple weeks before you purchase! Those ridiculous coupons they bill you for weekly can be had for a fraction of what they charge you! Thousands in monthly franchise fees are outrages. Never allow them to have access to your bank account! Hire a competent manager if you can’t run the place yourself! They will tell you anything to get you to sign that franchise agreement!
Hey. First of all Always review any paperwork! Hire a CPA or lawyer to explain the terms conditions disclosed in the contract. Make a calendar outline include approx. time to open the facility. Realistically speaking at least 6 months. You make it sound like there was a push hurry up methodology scheme to trap you into offering services ahead of deadlines. Naah! You needed to make a business plan at the same time taking into consideration expectations, practicable time lines HQ indicated in writing also verbally to you by your ATL team members.
In my judgement this basic concept of cost reduction using a coupon discount program at a repair shop is great! Customers are led to believe that their decision to select services certain to fix end the mechanical problems instead of accepting the judgement that more expensive services are required to identify instead of repair problems.
Time is money, bub! You your shop mechanics do a good job on repairing doing services the customer requests they’ll come back! Operation costs of $6k/mo is alot for a light repair and maint. business wherever the location.
I would’ve questioned that. When in doubt don’t do it. Know what is expected. Franchisees hold all the cards: money baby and the power of negotiation. A yokel manager don’t have the sense of accounting and day to day operations beyond administrative duty.
I have worked with management at ATL International and they
have helped to eliminate any concerns I previously had. This matter has been resolved on a basis
satisfactory to all parties.
RUN.
I wish I would have done more research on the franchise before I bought in. They are utter chaos and when you catch them not doing what the propmised they get angry. They offer very little support and I lost $200k dealing with these people!