My experience with this car shipping is not pleasant overall. To summarize three points:
1. my car was essentially covered in a layer of dirt (due to snow) upon delivery, which hindered delivery inspection.
2. the final price was higher than the original quote by > 50%, which made the original quote value like a fraud.
3. the pick-up time was ultimately outside the originally quoted pick-up window, which messed up my schedule a little bit.
However, considering that some factors are not really under the control of AmeriFreight, which is a broker but not a carrier, and that the agent Erica Hudson was always there to help and address my concerns in a timely manner, I give a 4-star rating. But honestly, if you have a tight schedule and want peace of mind, I believe there are better options.
The following is my long story. My original pick-up window spanned across New Year's Eve. Trying to mitigate all possible uncertainty, I started searching for car shipping a month earlier. I chose AmeriFreight because of the quoted price and polite customer service (Erica). However, I did not receive any final quote even one week before the pick-up time. I started to contact Erica multiple times, and she did respond promptly and then actively help me look for a potential carrier. The final price was > 50% higher (I had to get my car shipped), and the pick-up time was outside the originally specified window. These two factors essentially left me with a negative impression overall, despite I really appreciated Erica's excellent customer service. Both factors were kind of expected. The final price (50% higher) was more aligned with the quoted prices from other brokers. However, if the original price was not accurate, why should I choose this broker? Second, since the original pick-up window spanned across New Year's Eve, I wondered whether any carrier would like to ship my car unless the price was right for them. However, AmeriFreight should be more familiar with these subtle issues than a first-time customer does, but they still gave an original quote that eventually could not be fulfilled. Finally, the car was delivered to me at some middle ground with no car wash nearby, and my car was covered in a layer of dirt due to snow. It is okay to be slightly dirty, but how could I inspect my car like that? (After all, we, customers, are all asked to clean our cars before pickup for the inspection!) There is no way I could see new scratches or damages before I was forced to sign the bill of lading. If I did not purchase extra insurance, I would be left unprotected. Luckily, I did not have to use the insurance. The lesson was not to buy extra insurance but to choose a broker/carrier that delivers your car clean enough for a truthful inspection. (BTW, I do not like the carrier. The carrier did not actively contact me. Also, the driver did not want to sign the bill of lading for noting the car was dirty. Only after I was going to note down his/her unwillingness to sign after he/she talked to the manager or dispatcher, the driver signed the bill... I am not an easy or friendly customer when these sorts of things happen, so we ended up giving each other a hard time. ) Maybe I did not do my work enough. Maybe all these issues would not be there if I were to ship my car at a different time. Anyway, the whole process is not pleasant for me. Hope this would not happen to you.
