Company Response Review Report Review
Terrible experience - hidden cost, lack of communication, damage

Daniel So Submitted this review about Direct Express Auto Transport
Review made Live: 9/1/2015 8:00:00 PM
I've had my car transported cross country before so this isn't my first experience with this sort of business. The reason for my terrible experience is that the company that picked up my order, Ramaz Trans Inc, had a driver that demanded that the trunk of my car be opened or else he could not transport my car. Understandably, he needed to inspect the contents in my trunk for any dangerous or illegal items.

The problem is that Direct Express Auto Transport never communicated to me that the driver would need to inspect the inside of my trunk. The trunk wasn't accessible to the driver because I had left only the valet key for my friends to give to him, which cannot open the trunk. Also, I had locked the trunk release inside my car (on the floor next to the driver's seat). Why would I make the trunk inaccessible? Because the contract stated that any loss or theft of the items in my car were not the responsibility of the transport company.

So to ensure the safety of my personal belongings, I locked my trunk and the trunk release inside my car as anyone would. However, I was never told that the driver would need to open the trunk to inspect the contents. The driver who said he had 20+ years of experience said that it was protocol for all drivers across the board. I also want to mention that the driver said that I was supposed to keep the trunk empty but in the contract, it clearly stated that I could place items in my trunk up to 100 lbs worth of weight. I don't blame Ramaz Tran Inc (who tried their best to be helpful) so much as I blame Direct Express Auto Transport for not clearly communicating to me the need for my trunk to be accessible to the truck driver. This whole issue cost me extra money as well.

Also, I don't know who to blame for this, except that I know I'm not at fault, but when I received my car, I unlocked the inside trunk lever, but it doesn't lift up to open my trunk. The trunk release is stuck meaning that it doesn't budge at all whether I unlock or lock it (of course, I used my master key to do it).

Another problem I had was that the driver couldn't come to my home address to pick up my car. So my friends had to drive to a local store that had a big enough driveway for his truck. This was something that was unexpected. Direct Express Auto Transport never told me that I might need to meet the driver somewhere else. This caused a headache for me, too, because at first just one of my friends was supposed to meet the driver at my home. But I had to scramble to find two friends so that one could drive my car while the other drove their own car to be able to give a ride to the friend who was dropping off the car in the first place. I also place the blame for this on Direct Express Auto Transport. They should have known that my home street wasn't big enough for a truck and they should have told me ahead of time where an appropriately sized pick up location should be so that I could have planned it instead of scrambling last minute over the phone while I was making my cross country drive.

For the reasons stated above, I will never use Direct Express Auto Transport again.

Take heed and remember to leave the master key for the driver at pick up and keep in mind that you might need to meet the driver at a different location if your street isn't big enough for a car-carrying truck.
Shipment Details
Origin State:
California
Pickup:
On Time
Destination State:
California
Delivery:
On Time
Customer Service
Honesty:
Knowlegeable:
Promptness:
Customer Service:
Review Details
Quote or Order Id:
154361
Quote or Order Cost:
$1004

Car Condition
  • Vehicle was damaged
Company Response
Mike Rupers from Direct Express Auto Transport Submitted this response.
Response Date: 9/2/2015 9:45:00 AM
Hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers speak for itself. We are sorry that customer Daniel So is dissatisfied but this is the first time we have ever had a customer lock his trunk completely. It is assumed and even common sense that no driver would risk transporting a vehicle without knowing if the trunk contained illegal weapons, narcotics, a bomb, a body or was simply packed too heavy. Mr. Daniel So is the first person in over ten years to lock the trunk like that and then he blames us for his lack of forethought and sense. There are no hidden fees. His extra expense (whatever it was) likely came as a result of his not thinking. We wish Daniel So lots of luck in Sliver Spring, Maryland because we have a feeling he is going to need it.