NOT THERE WHEN IT COUNTS MOST
Kenneth Lau
Submitted this review about
Big Brothers Auto Transport
Review made Live: 9/1/2009 4:55:00 PM
THE OVERVIEW:
Experience is friendly and prompt until your credit card is charged and you hit a snag with the transport company then you can say Good Bye to any help/communication/cooperation from Big Brothers Auto Transport!!
THE GOOD:
* Friendly
* Quick Response time (scheduled pick up of car the next day)
* Managed to find cheap rate (you get what you pay for, read below)
THE BAD:
* Will side with Transport Carrier if problem arises (AFTER your credit card is charged the fee)
* Non Responsive to requests (Still waiting for insurance paperwork to file claim, 3+ weeks and counting)
* Once problem arises, all communication stops (she waits for you to tire and go away - FRUSTRATING!!!)
* Horrible "middle man". Will arrange pick up, charge you her fee up front, wipe hands and walk away. If I wanted to pay money for extreme frustration and disappointment, I would have gone to see a Lindsay Lohan movie. It certainly would have been cheaper.
THE STORY:
I have a performance vehicle with a (sensitive) sports clutch. I love this car. I pamper this car. I service it regularly. I did not want to put the miles and the wear & tear on my car to drive it across the country so I decided to call Cathy with Big Brothers Auto Transport based on good reviews from a friend.
My experience began pleasantly: Cathy was friendly and responsive, managed to find a transporter to pick up the next day, and found a very attractive rate ($750 shipping cost + $185 broker fee to ship from SF to CHI). I was extremely pleased and gladly read Cathy my credit card info - I mean, for service this great, why wouldn't I pay?? But alas, with all things too good to be true, they turn out to bite you in the ass big time and cause you to grind your teeth at night over the injustice of it all and manner in which you're being treated. Or maybe that's just Big Brothers Auto Transport.
Problems began with the pick up of my car the following morning. I hate waking up early but arranged a 5am pick up to accommodate the transporter's schedule because I'm a nice guy by nature. A red flag for me should have been when the driver got in my car, rolled down the window, and with a troubled look on his face said, "you got a stick shift?". This man drives a transport truck for a living. Those things have, like, 25 gears. I assume (incorrectly) that he knows how to drive my car and I respond "yes". He promptly revs my car up to 5k rms and lightly lets the clutch out (read: LOUD engine noise, minimal movement). Mind you, it is 5am at this point; I can hardly see my feet in the low light and my brain has not started functioning yet. I stand watching, awestruck and in disbelief. Thick grey smoke is POURING from my clutch. Should I have taken a picture? Yes. Did I? No I did not and boo on me for not doing so otherwise I would take both Big Brother Auto Transport and State Wide Transportation to court. This continues for 45 seconds until the driver finally stalls my car and he gets out to have me load the car on to the truck myself. I get in. The clutch is half the firmness it was 5 minutes ago but manage to load the car without issue. I am IRATE.
As soon as I get home, I write an email to Cathy explaining the occurences of the past hour and how concerned and upset I am. I come to find that Cathy has never worked with this company and did not do her homework in making sure that this company was legit WHICH IT WAS NOT. Damage had already been done to my clutch, which by the way cost approx $1,500 to replace, and who knows how much else will be done when they offload and reload my car the countless times while in transit. I want a discount in the transport cost to help cover the replacement cost of my clutch. Reasonable? I think so.
So what does Cathy do for me as my broker who I've already paid? She quickly (incorrectly) explains that she is only responsible for finding me this carrier and does her best to absolve herself of any responsibility in the matter. Everything, according to her, must be done through the carrier's insurance. She will not negotiate with the carrier for me, who by the way will not accept my phone calls. She will not offer any sort of refund on her end despite her disappointing lack of due diligence and irresponsibility noted above. She will not acquiesce to any of my requests for information and insurance paperwork, which I still have not seen after almost an entire month later. She will not help AT ALL. In fact, communication simply stops. I have to call the driver (who I despise because he caused this problem to begin with) directly on the day the car is to be delievered to find that delivery will be delayed 4 days due to questionable and sketchy reasons. Any follow up from Cathy? Nope. Any word from Cathy? Not one peep.
The car arrives. The carrier has washed the outside and upon closer inspection I can see why. The car was so covered in dirt, you literally could not tell what color it was. I had to pay the full amount to get my car back. To argue with the carrier would risk my car being held hostage. Was BBAT any help? I'll give you one guess...
So let's recap: I am left with a severely damaged clutch, the brokers' fee IN FULL which was paid up front, and the transport carrier's fee IN FULL otherwise my car would not be returned to me.
Total damage: $935 broker/transport + $1,500 clutch replacement = $2,435
In the end I ask myself: How is this fair and what was the point in having Big Brother Auto Transport broker my deal at all?
In short, BBAT is USELESS. Please don't follow in my footsteps. Find someone else.
By the way, the Transport Carrier to avoid is STATE WIDE TRANSPORTATION out of Spring Grove, IL. They killed my clutch (manual transmission). They also went through my car's paperwork which they left on my passenger seat. Oh, AND they put 10 miles on my car (I have no idea why).
Good looking out BBAT. $185 well spent.
Note: It has taken all of my being to not swear in this review. It would certainly deserve it. Scarcasm must suffice. =(
