Happy New Year, one and all! I just thought I would post this alert for the
benefit of my friends on the list who are contemplating buying a car long
distance over the Internet and using an auto transport company to bring the
car home to them. My hope is that you can benefit from my recent
experience.
In early December, I purchased a Spitfire located in central California. I
live in the southernmost part of the same state. Prior to the purchase, I
had conducted a search on the Internet and selected A AAAdvantage Auto
Transport Inc. after being assured by their sales rep that:
1. They use all their own drivers and company owned vehicles.
2. My car would be placed on top of the carrier so other vehicles couldn't
leak fluid onto my convertible.
3. They would be carrying the primary insurance against any damage to the
vehicle enroute.
4. They would ensure a pickup of the vehicle I purchased within 5-7 days of
sending in the contract (but that it would likely be just 3-5 days).
Although I wasn't crazy about the $200 deposit that was required (with the
balance due in cash on arrival), I went ahead and faxed in my authorization
form with credit card info. I had already made two serious mistakes: The
first was to not read the fine print and believing what the rep had told me.
Reading over the contract after the fact (after receiving a warning about
the company from someone on this list), I immediately discovered that items
1 and 3 were untrue. The representative had not only mislead about the
drivers/trucks and insurance, he out and out lied about it.
With each passing day, my concern grew as I was told "your vehicle hasn't
been assigned to a carrier yet". This struck me as ludicrous, considering
that the I-5 corridor is among the most heavily traveled commerce route in
the state. Finally, after the seventh business day of not having the
vehicle assigned for pickup (which would then create an additional 3-day
"window" for actual pickup), I had my "out" and demanded a refund of my
deposit for their failure to perform in accordance with the contract. I
spoke to my rep, the accounting dept and a supervisor, who assured me that
my deposit would be returned within "five business days". I asked him why
they could charge the debit in one day, but would take five to issue a
refund. He had no suitable response.
Well, that was December 15, 1999 -- over two weeks ago -- and I'm still
waiting for the refund. I have since contacted my bank to dispute the
charge and will follow up with a complaint to the Better Business Bureau on
Monday. I would discourage anyone I know from doing business with A
AAAdvantage based on my own personal experience.
I ended up finding a very small carrier company in central CA that delivered
the car to me within 24 HOURS of my calling them. They required NO deposit
up front, just the address for pickup and delivery -- and they provided
outstanding, personal, attentive service. When purchasing another vehicle
out of state, I asked THEM for recommendations since their business is
confined to California. This was the best thing I could have done.
They gave me several carriers whom they do business with and trust. I
called several of them and discovered that most didn't travel the route I
needed. Finally one of them, Wildwood Transport out of Minnesota, said that
they could deliver the Triumph from Chicago to San Diego and that they still
had an opening left on a run that began the week of December 27th (the week
following my first contact with them). Like the folks who recommended them,
C.A.R.S. Towing in CA, the folks at Wildwood have been courteous,
professional and extremely easy to deal with. They also did not require ANY
advance funds and moreover, didn't even require me to sign any kind of work
order for them to drive to Chicago to pick up my new car! We are working
together in a very old fashioned way based on honesty, mutual trust and
goodwill. My car was picked up as promised, two days ago (on the 30th) and
is enroute. I suppose I shouldn't be providing any real endorsement for
Wildwood before the car actually arrives (and in good shape), but so far,
the experience has been absolutely phenomenal when compared with A
AAAdvantage.
The moral of the story?
1. Don't search for a carrier by going down the list alphabetically.
2. Never give a transport company your money before they deliver the
vehicle. If they expect a large deposit in advance, run, don't walk. There
are plenty of companies that will deliver the car before expecting to be
paid a penny for it. While most prefer cash on delivery, some will even
take personal checks or credit cards.
3. Bigger isn't always "better". Many larger transport companies simply
broker out the jobs to independent truckers who must carry their own
insurance. The lowest bidder gets the gig. If there's a problem when the
car arrives, don't expect anything but hassles.
4. Ask for recommendations from people (even other carriers) that you know
and trust. If you have to sign a contract, read it carefully to confirm
that the verbal information you received from the sales rep is backed in
writing.
5. Find out what the transporters' policy is on inclimate weather.
Wildwood will not transport vehicles through hailstorms, etc., and will seek
protection for the vehicles until the weather is safe for both their drivers
and their freight.
6. Only use companies that employ their OWN fleet of COMPANY OWNED trucks
and company employed drivers. These folks seem to have a better grasp on
customer service excellence because their very existence depends on it.
They are also then LIABLE for the safe delivery of the vehicle.
7. Use this list, and other gathering spots on the Internet, to share your
experiences with auto transport companies, both good and bad. The Internet
is a powerful new tool for consumers. The more knowledge you can obtain
before deciding on a carrier, the better.
Best of luck.
Jeff in San Diego
(soon to arrive) '67 RHD Spitfire Mk3
http://www.ohms.com/spitfire/spitfire.shtml
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