Drivers say Warner Robins auto shop charged them, kept cars for months before repairs

Houston Automotive & Transmission Center is facing scrutiny after several complaints filed by customers in the past year have been left unanswered.

The local Better Business Bureau (BBB) received at least eight complaints against the Warner Robins business in the past year.

Customers say Houston Automotive & Transmission Center charged them thousands of dollars up front and kept their cars for months before completing repairs. The complaints say management kept pushing back the date their repairs would be finished and repeatedly failed to respond to calls and texts.

One customer said they paid $3,500 up front and another stated the business had their car for nine months.

Kelvin Collins, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Serving the Fall Line Corridor, said he reported the car repair shop to the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division since the complaints were not addressed for months.

“When we get a company with a sudden increase of complaints and a pattern, or we’re not getting responses, it’s just our normal practice to pass that along so that everyone’s on the same page,” Collins said. “[The Consumer Protection Division] will go in and do their investigation and touch base with the company. The overall goal is to get an assurance of voluntary compliance and verify that the company is following through.”

Houston Automotive & Transmission Center owner Logan Simmons told the Telegraph Wednesday that he is giving a customer who complained a full refund and returning their car the same day. Simmons said he is working on responding to all of the BBB complaints soon.

Collins gave recommendations for drivers to follow when choosing a car repair shop.

“Always check with the Better Business Bureau to find out how a company has handled complaints in the past before you take your car, because automobile repairs could get costly,” he said. “Another thing I always suggest is know who you’re going to use before you ever need them.

“If your transmission goes out and you need someone quickly, you’re possibly going to make a snap decision that you might regret … Many people use the dealership or the repair shop where they have their oil changed and things like that where they’re comfortable, but you don’t have a transmission go out every month. So, that’s a specialty that you might want to do some research on and know who you would use ahead of time.”