AWFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE

Jerry Submitted this review about Auto Shipping Group LLC
Review made Live: 4/23/2014 11:14:00 PM
We arranged to ship a car cross-country with Magic Carpet (part of Auto Shipping Group), based on prior reviews. Our plan, communicated to our Magic Carpet agent (Stephanie Hamilton), was that we were going to be away on a short vacation while the car was in transit. We requested that delivery not be made while we were away. Stephanie even changed the estimated delivery date to the day after we were to return. Unfortunately, delivery was attempted the morning of the day we were returning home. Since we were not there, the trucker took our car back to their location. We needed to have them deliver it a few days later via flatbed truck, which cost an additional $150.

Everyone at Magic Carpet covered their butts by reminding me that the estimated delivery date is just an estimate and that all delivery-related information is in the fine print of the “agreement”, which is true. But is it unreasonable to expect that your CUSTOMER SERVICE representative would notify you – send up a red flag – if she felt that your delivery date could fall during your absence? For all of the training and experience the executives at Magic Carpet claim their employees have, this seems like a no-brainer (plain old common sense) that they should have told me that delivery may possibly be made before we get home. I could have easily made other arrangements and saved all the aggravation and the extra $150. Not one person at Magic Carpet took even the slightest bit of responsibility for any of this. I communicated with several people in Customer Service, a Vice President (Greg), and the even President himself (Terry). I would have been satisfied if just one person had admitted that Stephanie should have alerted me about the potential delivery conflict.

It’s important to note that Magic Carpet is only a broker – not the actual shipper. They arrange for another company to ship the car. Every time I tried to get Stephanie to help, she merely had the trucker return the call. She would not help – and actually told us so! I strongly recommend that you DO NOT use Magic Carpet and only use a company that actually ships the car themselves.

Company Response
Terry Williams from Auto Shipping Group LLC Submitted this response.
Response Date: 4/24/2014 11:19:00 AM
Auto Shipping Group 360-834-2900 Jerry, You were given numerous emails with the estimated dates for pick up and delivery. You electronically signed one of the emails confirming that you had read the information including our terms and conditions. So in NO way are we at fault I am sorry. You were told multiple times that dates are estimates. Our terms state: 1. Auto Shipping Group Inc. agrees to have vehicle(s) described on quotation shipped on or about the dates requested. Auto Shipping Group Inc. will find a licensed Carrier (agent) to fulfill the terms and conditions of this agreement. Auto Shipping Group Inc. does not guarantee a specific pickup or delivery date. The normal pick up time frame is 1 to 10 business days. 5. Unlike numerous other shippers, we do not require any money from you until your vehicle is loaded on to the carrier. At the time you place your order, a credit card or check is provided to be kept on file. When your vehicle is physically loaded on to the carrier, we will process that payment for the deposit. The balance is due at delivery with cash or cashier check directly to the carrier. If shipper or his agent does not have proper funds or is unavailable to receive delivery, vehicle(s) will be taken to and left at the nearest terminal at the discretion of the carrier, where shipper will have to retrieve and pay for storage or redelivery fees. As for no one helping you. Stephanie tried to help you, I myself (Kimberly) tried to help you. You were getting on a plane and were traveling when you finally called back after we had tried to get a hold of you all day to schedule the delivery of your vehicle. So we had a limited amount of time before you boarded your next plane to get this taken care of for you, so for me to remember that means that we did try to help you the best we could. By the time you did call us back, the driver was already 2 hours away from the delivery location, so you then had to pay for their time to bring your vehicle back because no one was there to pay him or receive the vehicle. Stephanie did advise you of the delivery date because she talked to you on the phone, emailed you the carriers information including the price and estimated dates. You signed a document confirming that, so you were well informed. It is your responsibility to get someone to receive the vehicle and pay the carrier if you are going to be out of town, it is not our responsibility. You had finally found someone but no way to pay them, but by that time the carrier was already 2 hours away. We never hide the fact that we are a broker. It states it right on Transport Reviews. We are here to help facilitate your move. On a side note, you worked with Auto Shipping Group not Magic Carpet. We wish you well, but we did everything we could to help you with the estimated delivery. We couldn't reach you because you were traveling and you had no back up contact. By the time you called us back it was already too late.