Customer service the way it should be and a carrier that delivered
Jenn
Submitted this review about
AmeriFreight Car Shipping
Review made Live: 1/19/2021 4:50:00 PM
If you're reading this post, you know that the process of finding an auto transport broker and carrier can be a slog. What's a fair rate? Which company should I trust? Who will keep my car safe? I feel you.
I called around several places, and had planned to go with another transport company which offered a fair rate and a rebate, but after my initial booking, the quality of customer service and communication completely broke down. I spoke with at least eight people from different departments to try and dispatch my vehicle pickup to a carrier.
That's when I went back to AmeriFreight and Samantha Smith. She was the only rep I worked with through the whole process. A previous reviewer called her "a breath of fresh air," and she truly is. Kind and knowledgeable, I also found her to be dependable and trustworthy. She communicated often through phone, email and text as necessary. She even worked late into the evening around her office holiday party to take my call and answer questions (I was working remotely on West Coast time).
I research companies heavily, and was initially skeptical of this company after reading about a 2015 FTC settlement in which they were cited for not disclosing how they had incentivized favorable reviews. But I think they learned their lesson. I was never offered any incentive or pressure to write this. I was given links to leave reviews at my own discretion, but even the language there made clear they don't offer compensation.
Another thing to note if you're shipping a car for the first time: Do your homework. It's the broker's job to find a happy medium between giving carriers financial incentive to take the gig and also make sure the price is within the customer's budget. Also know you'll pay more if you drive an SUV or truck vs. transporting a small or mid-sized sedan. (I shipped a Mazda hatchback.) From any company, I'd say expect a low initial quote but a higher final price. When you get a call back with a final price, likely with a higher price tag, remember, you as the consumer can always say "no" and ask the broker to keep looking. (I did this the first time around with AmeriFreight.) You don't have to settle on that price, but you may have to be more flexible with your pickup and delivery dates to get the price you want. Start negotiating early.
Ultimately the price I paid through AmeriFreight was $100 cheaper than the place that offered the price lock guarantee and a rebate. So basically the same, but with less hassle. My final cost was $1,550, which was higher than some quotes I saw in my research that were in the $1,200 to $1,400 range. It should also be noted that my research yielded quotes, not verified final shipping costs. Because I was shipping my car from a more rural area, across the country, in the winter, just after the holidays, in a pandemic I didn't feel like it was worth it to negotiate lower. I was OK with this.
Bottom line: Samantha booked a carrier for my car in no time flat and close enough to my budget, which I wanted to cap at $1,500. She never stopped working from the quote to delivery. My carrier was West Coast Auto Transport. Initially, I had trouble connecting with them, so I emailed Samantha in the evening. Before 9 a.m. the next morning, the carrier called me and detailed my pickup arrangements. My family had a smooth experience with pickup, and Vlad was nice and communicative about the delivery.
My contract said they would deliver from MA to WA in 7-10 days; it took them 3 days. I was pleasantly surprised! Upon arrival, the driver unloaded it down the trailer ramp like a pro, in the rain, drove it right into my driveway and even put the antennae back on for me. There was no rush for me to sign and pay and he gave me space to give my car a good lookover before I signed off on the bill of lading.
What started off as an anxious search for a reliable auto transport for my car ended with a positive experience with industry professionals who earned my confidence in their ability to deliver.
Thanks, team!
Jenn (order 1501965120-LY)
