Woman went into debt for a $3,850 car transmission repair. A month later, the mechanic called with a shocking confession: it was never touched

Jade Hill didn’t come to know that she was duped by a car repair company until a whistleblower mechanic reached out to her months later with a piece of evidence. The $3,850 bill that she thought she had paid for a transmission repair service was actually a sham played out by the company supervisor while the actual repair was never done on her SUV. When she sued the company for misappropriately stealing her money, the company disputed the allegations by questioning the mechanic’s agenda and insisting the news station not broadcast the evidence in public, according to the July 28, 2026 report by Local 10 News.

Eye-opening SUV repair 

The incident happened in November 2025 when Hill’s 2008 Ford Edge suddenly stopped working. It wouldn’t just budge from its spot, so she took it to AAction Better Built Transmissions, at 7685 Pines Boulevard in Pembroke Pines, where a service advisor told her that the car needed a transmission repair. Hill had to take a loan because she couldn’t afford to pay $3,850. “I was bawling,” she told Local 10 News. “I cried.” After the bill was paid, she was told that the repair came with a one-year warranty.

A secret phone call

Everything was going smoothly until months later when she received an unexpected phone call from the same mechanic who had worked on her SUV that day. He revealed to Hill that she was hoodwinked into believing that the transmission work was being carried out. It never was, and so, she ended up losing money on the wrong thing. As proof of his statement, he shared a recording he had made that day of the work he had performed on the car. In the recording, he was narrating, “Jade, there is nothing wrong with your transmission,” followed by “Shift, shift, shift. The transmission is perfect. Transmission shifts beautifully. Does not have to be touched whatsoever.”

'The lady, she called me crying on the phone...'

Little did Hill know that the company had sinister motives playing out behind the scenes. The recording shared by the mechanic also included his conversation with the service advisor he called AJ. AJ can be heard saying, “I basically sold them the unit. I sold the unit, but... the axles are bad?” With a con man's laughter, AJ blurted, “The lady, she called me crying on the phone. I felt bad for her, but $3,850, b----.” Moreover, the invoice included both axle replacements and a transmission overhaul, but industry estimates suggest replacing two front CV axles alone typically costs far less than the nearly $4,000 Hill was charged.

The video evidence

From the very moment Hill realized the deception, she approached Fort Lauderdale attorney Michael Salazar. Salazar drafted a demand letter for the company, alleging that Hill was fraudulently charged thousands of dollars for work that was never performed. “The videotape speaks for itself,” he asserted. In response, the company owner, Luis Merchan, countersued with the help of attorney Alejandro Velez. Velez sent a three-page letter negating Hill’s allegations and counterquestioning the mechanic’s credibility. He argued that the mechanic provided the recording as part of revenge after he was terminated for abusive language and misconduct. Velez further pointed out that the recording was made illegally with wearable Meta Glasses, disrespecting the privacy of an employees-only area.

Customer service to customer frustration

A poor repair experience is often enough to drive customers away permanently. A Zendesk report found that around 80% of customers would rather do business with a competitor than reach out to a business that provided poor service more than once. 27% of Americans reported that ineffective service is their number one customer service frustration. Financial losses from deceptive business practices can also be substantial. The Federal Trade Commission estimated that consumer fraud caused roughly $195.9 billion in losses in 2024 after accounting for underreporting. Hill said she wanted her experience made public so others could avoid similar situations.

Mechanic gained good karma

Her experience also unlocked another fear in viewers’ minds. Many of them praised the mechanic for being a straight shooter. @justinhamill1931 commented, “I have been a mechanic for 25 years it's not the mechanics you need to worry about it's the service advisors and the dealer they're the crooks as you can see!” @gerardotxarte said, “This goes on everywhere in America.” @evangelion543 remarked, “That shop will never be trusted ever again.” While preparing its report, Local 10 News learned the parties had reached a settlement, although neither side disclosed the terms.

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