Denver to Minneapolis
Aaron Shenkin
Submitted this review about
Ship a Car Direct
Review made Live: 9/6/2016 4:02:00 PM
I looked at a dozen different companies on YELP and BBB. I chose Ship A Car Direct because they were A+ on BBB and, after reading their responses to disputes, appreciated what they had to say. They were also quick to respond to my quote inquiry. They were in the middle of the quotes I did receive (not the cheapest, not the most expensive).
My contact at Ship A Car Direct was Eric. While I did have some reluctance in using a broker vs. a company with their own trucks, my initial phone conversation with Eric set that at ease. I had a ton of questions, given my online research into car transportation and conversations with people I knew who recently transported a car (all disaster stories). I was blunt with my questions and I felt he was frank with his answers. I was left with confidence in their ability to ensure they used pre-screened vendors and drivers, and requesting honest feedback at the end of the transaction to help improve the business was also a plus to me (yes, there is $30 in it for you if you do, but they want the feedback whether positive or negative).
After agreeing to use Ship A Car Direct, a few days later I get an email from Eric indicating my transportation had been sold to North-Import USA. I was given the number for this company to dial in the pick up and drop off times. I was also assured while I did have this contact # Eric would also be available to me throughout this process. At no time was I handed off and Ship A Car Direct dropped out.
I contacted North Import and they told me who my driver was going (Oleg) to be and that he would call me directly as he was on his way to Denver. We discussed a specific pickup time and he indicated he would call when he was an hour out. I got the call on the target day (encouraged by the fact it was a MInneapolis cell #... guess he lives there) that he was 45 mins away and he showed up on time. We discussed a target drop off time in Minneapolis (as I would not be there when he got there, I had a friend there receive it). His truck was clean, the driver was friendly, and he was cautious loading the car onto his transporter. It was a 3 car transport trailer attached to the bed of a 1-ton pickup. The side windows of the pickup had the company name and licensure information clearly displayed. The only weird thing on this end was instead of getting a copy of the bill of lading, he had me take a picture of it with my phone after we were done. He called me later that night to tell me he was making good time and based on his other dropoffs he would drop it off in the morning rather in the evening as previously discussed. He also contacted our friend to ensure he knew this information too.
On drop off day, we were contacted by our friend Oleg made it there at the arranged time, and contacted him within the hour of planned drop off. The drive took 2 days. I had arranged for our friend to have a cashier's check in hand, and the transaction was completed. Upon inspection, our car was exactly as we gave it to Oleg. No additional scratches on the outside, no grease stains or (additional) dirt on the inside.
Overall, this was a great experience, especially given some of the horror stories I heard from other friends and read online. While this is a service, and as the customer we should expect good service, it was clear to me in my research that as a customer, I did have obligations to ensure this transaction went as smooth as possible: clear communication with your contact and the driver as to your time expectations, answer your phone even if you do not recognize the number, be ready when the driver arrives (they are on a schedule), have your payment ready, if you are having a surrogate on site for load or unload be sure they are clear as to their responsibilities, inspect your car before and after for any damage, and be honest with the Ship A Car Direct agent during the process. They have incentive to provide good service and if one of their agents is less than stellar, then it is a reflection on them and they should know about it.
My suggestion for Ship A Car Direct is to provide a copy of the receipt as part of the communication process rather than needing to ask for it. A lot of times these transports are part of reimbursable relocation budgets.
My suggestion for North-Import USA is to have the ability to provide a copy of the bill of ladle on each side of the transaction, rather than expecting the client to take a picture of the document.
Overall this was a positive experience and reasonably priced.
