What happens when nothing goes right

Joseph S. Submitted this review about AutoGo Transport
Review made Live: 11/8/2013 9:23:00 AM
I contracted AutoGo to ship both of my cars from Chicago to Tucson. They in turn contracted a trucking company out of Missouri to do the actual hauling. The price was fair and everything was on schedule. I was present when my cars were loaded. 2 days later, I recieved a call that the transport truck was involved in an accident and one of my cars sustained some pretty bad damage. Come to find out, both of them did. The trucking comapny was not truthfull about my 2nd car. Both of my cars were taken the trucking company's yard in Missouri. They were unable to offload them because of damage to the trailor's hydraulics. Eventually I got them delivered to AZ. Both were damaged. I'll skip ahead in this process and get to the crux of the matter. Come to find out neither one of my cars were insured by the trucking company or AutoGo because they were more than 25 years old. NOBODY knew this. They do know though. I asked AutoGo for either a refund of my $1850 or at least a discount. I was given the option of a total refund, but my cars would remain stranded in Missouri. Not much of an option. This whole process was a total mess. My insurance company had to step up and take care of this matter. Damage to my cars so far is over $10,000. AutoGo ran my credit card, collected their 1850.00 and I haven't heard from them since. Meanwhile, this entire mess was dumped in my lap. I recommend to everyone shipping classic or antique cars to make damn sure they're insured. AutoGo assumed absolutely no liability in this matter whatsoever. They were unaware that the trucking company did NOT have liability insurance on my cars. Really doesn't matter though since I contracted AutoGo to deliver my cars in a timely fashion and undamaged. They failed on both, but got their money anyway. Shame on me I guess. The true measure of a company's character is measured when nothing goes right. Buyer beware is the lesson here.

Company Response
Michelle Mesa from AutoGo Transport Submitted this response.
Response Date: 11/12/2013 4:38:00 PM
This is Charles Bavier. I am the owner of AutoGo. Joseph's posting caught me completely by surprise. This incident, which occurred in August of this year, began when the transporter swerved to avoid an accident, went off the road and down an embankment. Joseph's cars and others were damaged in the process. Joseph's two cars were a mid-70s MG and a mid-70s Corvette. During the first couple of days after the accident the owner of the transporter was incredibly stressed over what had happened. He had 10 different car owners and their insurance adjusters calling him and he was understandably worried that this would be the end of his business. His communications were not always the clearest which aggravated the situation and was understandably frustrating to Joseph. Transporters are required to be bonded and carry liability and cargo insurance. As a broker, AutoGo verifies that this insurance is in place during the time a car is being transported. We obtain a certificate of coverage from the insurance carrier that includes the limits and exclusions of the policy. When the transporter's insurer in this case was initially contacted, they indicated they would not cover these cars because of their age. This exclusion was not stated on the certificate and frankly, this would not be the first time an insurer denied a claim just to see what would happen, especially with a claim that involved 10 vehicles. As with all insurance, there is a deductible and in most cases, this ranges from $5,000 to $10,000. In the case of Joseph's cars, and most cars more than 25 years old, any damage, up to totaling the car, would be less than the deductible. So, policy exclusions aside, these cars would not be covered by insurance. But that doesn't mean that Joseph has been out-of-pocket any expense. AutoGo made sure that the transporter agreed to cover any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Joseph. That's what we do as a broker. Contrary to Joseph's statement 'AutoGo ran my credit card, collected their 1850.00 and I haven't heard from them since', I have spoken to Joseph several times. With our last call, Joseph had filed a claim with his insurer, the transporter had agreed to cover any out-of-pocket expenses, the cars were being delivered and Joseph indicated that, under the circumstances, he was satisfied. He had my cell phone number and email address. I would have expected that if anything changed, he would contact me. I take strong exception to Joseph's last comment. 'The true measure of a company's character is measured when nothing goes right. Buyer beware is the lesson here.' AutoGo has been in business for 15 years. We have always stood behind our customers when something has gone wrong in the transport process, including paying out of our own pocket when we can't get satisfaction from the transporter. There is however a process to follow which includes claims forms and adjusters and sometimes frustration but there is only so much control we can have over these obstacles. In the end, we do business on the Internet, we know how easy it is for our customers to post their frustrations, so if for no other reason than self-preservation, we want our customers happy. Joseph, you have my number, I've left you a voicemail. I would love to talk to you and understand what has happened since our last conversation.