They're at it again

Looks like FAMCO/Community Car Service/Late Night Academy/American Sales Academy/A & S Automotive/ A R S Auto Repair/ Car Care Program and whatever the hell they are called a this moment are doing the craigslist thing again. I looked again and at this very moment they are called American Sales Inc.

My mission is to warn people of scams locally and on the internet. I've had some hatemail from FAMCO and their employees about this website and have been accused of lying and or giving biased opinions. I admit, yes, I am biased. I was employed with the company for a short time and eventually quit because every night when I went home some of their practices left a bad taste in my mouth and I felt bad for the shop owners and the customers who had to endure some consequences regarding their decisions. I cant do anything about the past, but what I can do is provide legitimate information. If you have a link praising FAMCO then feel free to post it. However the links I provide you speak for themselves.

I know its been over a year since there has been a post. Things have been quiet and I assumed that the company went out of business after they left their last building but I suppose I was wrong.

While browsing Craigslist today I ran into this ad:

Local Auto Reapir Shop Offering $10 oil changes for 2 years!!!* (More info)

The ad on Craigslist didn't last very long, it appears that the ad has been flagged. The guy who wrote the post is named Sky Grady. In other posts from the past, I talk about how some people in that company have a criminal record. I ran a criminal background check on the guy and get this: I speak the truth. It looks like he had several theft charges in 2008. I am not one to judge but would you want to let this guy who has theft charges in your home? I know I wouldn't. I have blacked out the young man's date of birth.

I also ran a report on Lewis Thayer. AKA Wayne Thayer. I didn't find very much on him just a DUI.

CCS Scams Customer

I have been doing some more digging and found another article regarding CCS (I did not write it just found it:)

http://pub8.bravenet.com/forum/673333768/show/744632


"A little over a year ago, I purchased a "car care program" from a door to door salesman named Darrell. He looked like a wanna-be NASCAR driver, wearing a jacket plastered with different auto part sponsors. Darrell worked for an outfit called Community Car Service (CCS), and told me for $79.95 I would get a card good for 8 oil changes plus a whole bunch of other freebies (tire rotations, engine inspections, 2 DEQ inspections, 2 hours of free labor, etc) from the local shop in my neighborhood. It felt scammy, but I decided to buy it because the risk seemed worth the reward (10 bucks per oil change plus the other stuff), and I was paying cash.

A few days later, I went to my local shop for my first oil change. The owner was great and honored the "car care program" I had purchased from CCS, so I became an instant customer. I went back a second time and got the same service, and paid nothing for my second oil change. I also paid for additional work to be done on my car.

Everything was working out great until this morning. I went in for an oil change to find the shop had been sold to a new owner who no longer honored the "car care program." The new owner said the guy before him lost everything because of CCS and went bankrupt. He also told me that he had tried to contact Community Car Service on more than one occasion for a list of customers who had purchased the "car care program," but that they were on the move (relocating in different places around the area) and wouldn't return his calls or stop by his shop. When I went to look up the CCS website, which worked back when I purchased the program, I was greeted with a notice that their site was "temporarily unavailable."

To make a long story short, I'm not aware of the terms of the agreement the previous owner made when he hopped in the sack with CCS, but it was clearly a poor business decision. He only has himself to blame. But that doesn't change the fact that CCS is sketchy company who sells their "service" and moves on, leaving auto shop owners in the lurch and customers not getting what they paid for. Knowing what I know now, I would NEVER buy anything from them, and neither should you."

A-1 Transmission in Salem SCAMMED by CCS in 9/06

I found an old email that I archived just in case! I am so glad I kept it. This little incident happened in September of 2006. I remember seeing this on the news and thought I would share the article with everybody:

Oil change coupons caused headache for garage

Community Car Service, made the coupons and charged customers $60 for them.

You may have one of these coupons in your wallet right now, but they aren't valid and won't save you any money.

It's a coupon for eight free oil changes at A-1 Transmission in Salem. The problem is, A-1 doesn't do oil changes.

"They had me scheduled to give away $250,000 in oil changes. I may as well lock the door and give them a $250,000 check," said Manager Milt Zemanek.

He said a marketing company, Community Car Service, made the coupons and charged customers $60 for them. Zemanek said he never approved the special offer.

"She said they'd have them ready for me to look at in a couple of days and the next thing I know, they're coming in the door, already printed and they're out selling them."

Community Car Service has agreed to refund money to anyone that purchased a coupon.

http:20daygig.com/

While looking for craigslist I saw this add that I thought sounded familiar. When I clicked on the link I was horrified at what I found. I want to warn everybody-watch out for this company "MSI" aka "First American Marketing Corp" aka "American Guitar Academy" aka "Community Car Service" etc.

I know this company very well and I would like to warn everyone of the harsh truth of the 20 Day Gig. For unsuspecting people looking to start a new life, this video may sound convincing. Hell this guy Wayne is telling you that you can make hundreds of dollars a day and that they will give you a place to live etc.

First American Marketing Corp is owned by "Wayne" Aka "Lewis Thayer", Aka "Jack Lewis", Aka "Screwy Lewie" and the vice president is Michelle Rieche. They are a one trick pony. They try to sell a service other then a good. They don't have any inventory, they do not have any services, all they do is oversell coupons that creates a high toll on the auto shoppe owner that they are so called "promoting." They send in a cute saleswoman in a flashy short dress to talk to them into signing a contract for promotions. Of course at that point the shop owner has no idea what he is getting himself into. All of a sudden BOOM it hits. The shop owner has been PWNED!


First off check them out here with the better business bureau:


http://alaskaoregonwesternwashington.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site=114&bbb=1296&firm=22010697 \

Notice how this company is listed under Community Car Service and not MSI or FAMCO? Well this should be the first clue to shadiness. They are not doing business under their legal entity because look at their complaints and feedback.


Community Car Service has a bad rep because of: "General consumer complaints (other than Lemon Law/Auto Warranty) which includes, among others, misleading advertising, improper selling practices, and non-delivery of goods or services, complaints about nonprofit/charitable organizations and complaints about the misuse of personally identifiable information"

#1. Misleading Advertising- It was one former employees point of view that the tickets were misleading because the customer thought that they could redeem those goods and services at anytime, whereas the shoppes point of view is that these goods and services needed a prior appointment of 2 weeks in order to juggle their paying customers alongside FAMCO's promotional customers. Some areas would be oversold buy the hundreds thus creating an influx of non paying customers in their shoppe. This of course would put a hostile enviromnent between the shoppes and the promotional customers. Therefore the customers felt like they could not receive the services paid for.

#2. Improper Selling Practices- This is so common with this company. You have no idea.
This company represents themselves as a christian organization which is complete BULLISH! They post ad's on craigslist targeting those who are homeless or have drug addictions promising these folks that if they work for FAMCO, their whole life could change for the better. FAMCO does offer temporary housing which is called the "Barracks" that they charge like $12.50 a night for. Pretty much what it is is empty office space where some of the employees live. Mind you that these employees are only allowed to have FAMCO APPROVED reading materials and videos. They have a curfew. Almost every aspect of their life is controlled by Wayne and Michelle. I would compare it to living in a run down homeless shelter without the porn. They think that they can teach these drug addicts and bums to make an honest living knocking on doors and selling their crappy marketed material.
Now, you would think that a good, honest company would teach their employees how to sell honestly. WRONG! As with any kind of business sometimes the sale of an item is fabricated. There are laws that must be followed if you are selling something door to door. Like one example that if you are selling a product door to door $25.00 or more you MUST provide a phone number or contact information just in case the consumer changes their mind. CCS did not feel that they had to follow those regulations because if they did, they would be digging their own graves once the customer found out that they had to wait at least 2 weeks to redeem the coupons.

#3. Nondelivery of goods or Services- Businesses complained that they only discovered that the company had sold more vouchers than was agreed upon when large numbers of consumers arrived with coupons that the businesses couldn't afford to redeem. The shops also complained that the coupons featured services that they didn't provide such as oil changes. So how can the shop honor them when they don't have the means to do so?

#4. Complaints about nonprofit orgs- Let me empathize this...they claim to be a Christian Organization. They ARE NOT A NONPROFIT! They boast about how they help people who are coming off the streets and drugs it is not true!

#5. Complaints about the misuse of identifiable information- Well CCS is hiring bums and drug addicts off the streets. Its pretty common to have your credit card information stolen by one of the employees. Your credit card info is not protected!

Make sure you check with the District Attorney:

http://www.doj.state.or.us/releases/2007/rel051807a.shtml

"Not only did this company ignore an official CID from the Oregon Department of Justice but it also ignored a court order to appear and explain itself,” Myers said. “Additionally, in the name of cooperation, we granted them two extensions only to be chastised for supposedly ‘wasting valuable company resources’ with the request. In light of this obstinance, we can only conclude that they have something to hide.”

Myers’ Financial Fraud/Consumer Protection Section received 17 complaints against the company alleging misleading promotion of a coupon book published and marketed by FAMC in conjunction with several Oregon repair shops. For $79.95, consumers purchased a “Community Car Service Car Care Program” voucher that was good for “free” services such as eight oil changes and various other services including a transmission performance analysis and brake adjustment and inspection.

In the complaints, consumers alleged that the salespersons misled them about the hours the service shops were open and the nature of the services. The company also failed to comply with both state and federal laws requiring them to give consumers written notice of the right to a three-day rescission period for goods purchased at their homes for more than $25.00."


Now tell me, do you really want to work for these people who claim to be "Christians?" I advise the community to do your research before you take on a job with them.

Helpful links:

http://www.doj.state.or.us/releases/2008/rel012908.shtml

"It is important that Oregonians who did business with this company and filed complaints against it understand that in order for the company to resume operations, it must comply with a long list of requirements," Myers said. "FAMC must pay restitution to some complainants, make changes in its operational procedures and comply with both state and federal laws. We intend to monitor future Oregon activities of this company to make sure it complies with all aspects of the agreement."

Known by most complaining consumers and businesses as Community Car Service, the company sold "car care program" vouchers, door-to-door to consumers, for $79.95. The vouchers were redeemable at specific auto repair shops and included a certain number of "free" oil changes and various other "free services" including a transmission performance analysis and brake adjustment and inspection. The auto repair shops featured on the vouchers were told by FAMC that its product was an effective marketing tool. Instead of receiving a portion of the voucher sales, the shops provided the "free" services and hoped the vouchers would generate future business.

Voucher purchasers complained that during the sales pitch, FAMC employees represented that they were from the repair shop when they were not and misled consumers about the services the shop would provide and during what hours. The salesperson's also failed to explain the consumers' rights to a three-day rescission period if they later decided they did not want the vouchers. Information on the three-day right of rescission, required under both state and federal law, was also not included in the voucher's written materials.