Hi friends, 

Within 24 hours of returning from a spiritual conference, my car’s transmission went out while driving with my son Phoenix on the interstate toward the beach. We were stranded on the side of the road in a rural area, and AAA sent a local subcontractor tow driver. I had a shop in mind, but the tow driver said they were expensive and suggested his own mechanic—someone who worked on his tow trucks and he supposedly had a compatible transmission that he could swap out with mine. 

Feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed with figuring out where Phoenix and I would stay and what our next steps should be, I agreed to be taken to this mechanics shop. The mechanic seemed personable, had signage on his building, and told us he could finish the job in a day. 

 My dad, who’s been a mechanic for over 35 years, said that was a red flag but I think in his emotional height of worry for both me and his grandson, sent over the deposit. 

I went along with his quick decision despite his initial read on this situation as I was still processing everything and thinking through the bigger picture.

 By the next morning, I had a strong feeling something was off. After checking, I found no legitimate business registration for the mechanic’s name, phone number, or address. 

 Later that day, after breaking down again with the same issue just an hour and a half after taking off again, it was confirmed by a certified mechanic shop in the next town over that I had managed to get my car to that the VIN number on transmission matched the vin number on my car. Meaning, it had never been replaced—it was the same one. The repair was never done. In other words, it was a scam. 

 I’ve since reported the tow driver’s recommendation and the mechanic to AAA, and I’m working on filing a police report to pursue this as fraud. 

 Unfortunately, this leaves me back at square one: without a working car, a drained bank account, an unreliable car, needing to rent a car, or find a reliable, fairly priced used car to replace mine. This situation has been overwhelming, but I’m doing my best to stay steady and grounded in it all and figure out the next right steps. Which I feel like I’ve done, which I’m grateful. 

Any support you can give—whether financial contributions, sharing this fundraiser, or offering advice/resources—means so much to Phoenix and me right now.

Thank you for standing with us,

Summer & Phoenix