ShipACar was very responsive...
Monnie
Submitted this review about
Ship a Car Direct
Review made Live: 7/11/2016 11:24:00 AM
...even though my experience with the actual transporter themselves was not good.
TL:DR - contact with ShipACar was excellent, dealing with the transport company was very problematic and troublesome, but at the end of the day the car arrived safely.
Caveat - I had very strict pickup and dropoff timing requirements, and could only get pickup and dropoff after certain dates.
Mr Bruce himself responded to all of my increasingly anxious emails promptly, discussed the pricing and such very frankly, and when I started to run into trouble was very good about calling me and talking to the appropriate people in the company to try and get the problems solved. The only criticism I have for ShipACar was that their contact numbers for the transporter dispatch were inaccurate.
So even though my experience in general was not good, my experience with ShipACar themselves was excellent. They say they are working on getting the transporter below off their list of approved people now.
The transporter (MK Transportation)
1) I was assured they would contact me to arrange pickup time and date. They never did.
2) I contact them 2 weeks before pickup because my previous estimate date (Thursday) doesn't work. They tell me no problem, and arrange for Friday before noon.
3) On Thursday I start getting multiple phone calls at work stating that the driver is on the way. When I tell them that like we had previously arranged, I will NOT be there, they ask if I can leave work and come home so they can pick up the car. (My response- no, I cannot!) They agree on the prearranged time on Friday.
2) Friday comes. They do not arrive. Late on Friday I get a call saying never mind, it will be Saturday between 10 and 12.
3) Saturday comes. They arrive two hours early. The pickup people are very professional. I confirm with them that I will only be available for dropoff after the 27th. They agree and note it down on their papers.
4) On the 23rd I get a call saying that my car is being dropped off on the 24th. I tell them that- like we agreed- I will not be available until after the 27th. They tell me that oh, they forgot. They ask- again- if I can come early and receive the car. (My answer- no, I cannot.) Then they tell me that the car will be stored in their depot, and that if I can't be home for this dropoff date, I should come and get it then. This depot is six hours drive away from the agreed dropoff location. I let them know that this is unreasonable, and furthermore I HAVE NO CAR to get there. They agree to the previous dropoff date (the 27th) and say that someone will contact me the day before or the morning of for dropoff.
5) The 26th and the 27th come and go. No call. I attempt to call them and the previously working numbers now don't work. I finally get in touch with the driver who picked up my vehicle originally. He tells me it will be the 29th and gives me a number for the driver who supposedly is driving my vehicle. It goes straight to voicemail. No-one ever calls back.
6) I email Bruce to let him know all this is happening. He promptly calls me back and puts his transport department on it. Then he calls me back and lets me know that the company will contact me.
5) The 29th comes and goes. No call, no contact from the company, no nothing. I contact Bruce again and he again puts his people on it. I finally get a call from company- they say it might be the 30th but it might be the 1st and tell me I should just wait and be available. I tell them this is not acceptable- I just need a date so I know when I should have people available for the dropoff. They tell me it will be the 30th between 10 and 12.
6) Driver arrives promptly at 11 on the 30th and is very professional. Car is in just the condition that it was picked up in, no extra dirt, no damage, no problems.
So all's well that ends well- but it took hours of trying to run down the company, and three unnecessary days off work (Friday, Monday, and Wednesday) when the transporter never showed.
