A Unique Transport

Joyce Submitted this review about A Unique Transport
Review made Live: 1/4/2009 7:30:00 PM
I had a terrible experience with "A Unique Transport" located in Glendale, California. My car suffered over $1400 worth of damage when it was shipped from Los Angeles to Boca Raton, Florida. There were deep chips and dents to the hood.

Although I contacted "A Unique Transport" to determine how to proceed, they did not respond to my repeated calls and faxes. Finally, after many days, I spoke with "Leo" who seemed like a decent guy. He asked me to submit "before & after" photos of the car, along with two local estimates for the repair, and the bill of lading with my comments about the damage. I submitted this information promptly; however no one responded to my claim.

Finally, I reached "Craig" who shouted at me and accused me of trying to make money on the claim. He refused to honor the estimates submitted($1,200) and insisted that I deal with the driver. This is not how the system works. My cashier's check/contract was with "A Unique Transport" and had nothing to do with the driver. I didn't even know his name. At that point, I called my insurance company (21 Century/AIG) which handled the claim from there.

As it turned out, the actual cost of the repairs authorized by 21 Century/AIG exceeded the estimates originally submitted, proving that the cost of the repairs were on the up and up. The insurance company efficiently and effectively handled my claim. I don't know what I would have done without them, as "A Unique Transport" proved to be completely unprofessional. Importantly, I also submitted my letters of complaint to the broker (A to Z Auto Shipping), but they were of no help. They didn't even call me about my troubled move.

Company Response
Mike from A Unique Transport Submitted this response.
Response Date: 1/7/2009 10:42:00 AM
To begin with, the customer wants over $1,540 dollars for “repairs” on a fourteen (14) year old Camry. The customer claims that there is a big dent and scratches that cannot be filled in. We are a open carrier, and anyone with common sense has to realize that rock chips are highly possible regardless of the carrier, driver, or the car. Just like all open car carriers, we do not honor small scratches, dings, or dents due to act of nature. For example, if a car is being transported and a small rock hits the car, there is nothing the driver and especially the carrier can do. By investigating the pictures, it was obvious that the damage was from rocks because the vehicle was on head rack which is located on the top front of the truck. It is more vulnerable to small dents or chips due to nature conditions. We were willing to send her $400 for the inconvenience which is much more than what it costs to fix a small dent and a couple of tiny scratches. We are so confident that this small damage is not worth over $1,500 that we even offered to take the car at our certified body shop and return her vehicle free of charge. Because she refused, we are left with the impression that she just wants to make some extra money, which is illegal.