Newbie & need some shipping advice

[Hessian]

WARNING:  RANT FOLLOWS....


Well, I'm glad a few of you have had luck with Passport Transport.   SO far my experience has been a TOTAL NIGHTMARE..... 

The long and short of it is this:

-Original driver that was supposed to stay with the load, didn't.  Switched off with another driver, neglected to tell the new driver about the security measures on the car (i.e. how to start it, kill switch etc) that was explained by the seller on the day of pick up.
-Original route was CA to east coast... driver detoured thru midwest, ending up in MO (where he lives) for the New Years holiday... Passport home offices are also located there and were closed till Tues the 2nd.  When I called to inquire why the trailer hadn't moved in four days, I was informed the trailer was "broken".  Note the stress on when "I" called....
-Two days later (now a week into the trip) was called by the new driver who says the car's battery must be dead... obviously the orig driver didn't pass the information along.  I called him back, left a voicemail explaining the start up procedures and requested a call back... Suprise!  Never got one. Did he get the car started?  Who knows!
-No one ever called me to say there was a problem, or that the car was going to be swapped out to another trailer... again I had to call and inquire... (theres a pattern forming here)
-No one told me where the car was going to be during the wait... indoors, outdoors, garaged, locked?
-Today I get an email saying that they will know Monday when the car will be put on another trailer.

Gee.... it's a good thing I didn't go with a shipper that uses a terminal where cars just sit waiting for the next available transport... 

So, Monday makes almost two weeks since the car was picked up... and it's been sitting at the company HQ (terminal!) for 10 of those days.

I don't mind that it's taking awhile....I don't even blame the driver for taking some time off to see the family, the drivers spend a lot of time on the road and I'm sure they miss their families.   And the trailer breaking is no ones fault either.   What really pisses me off is the total lack of communication and utter disregard for updates or reassurances....  For example, after the guy called trying to get it started I figured out that they were going to move it off the trailer.  I called the agent to see what the deal was, he hurried me off the phone because he was going to lunch.  Really Sir?  My 2k doesn't buy 30 seconds of your time?  It sure isn't buying reliable transport....  And to date, I have not received ONE SINGLE PHONE CALL from them... I have called them for every update.  And if you're wondering if I'm "that guy" who calls 100 times a day asking stupid questions... I'm not.  I've called 6 times and two of those calls were to set up the shipment.  And if you're wondering if anyone even said 'hey sorry the shipments been interrupted, we're doing everything we can to get it going again'... nope. 

When I emailed asking if my car was in a secure location, indoors or outdoors... I got a one word email reply.  "Yes".  Here is another word... wow. 

To think, I paid for the "Premium Door to Door Service"...  What a joke.  Its costing me 2067.00 to ship this... I thought I was buying piece of mind.  I should have just gone the cheap route if I was going to play the "wait and guess" game. 

Depending on what they say Monday I may just fly out to MO and drive the car the rest of the way myself.  It looks like a 15 hour trip according to mapquest... 

I guess you DONT always 'get what you pay for'...

Break out the clown shoes and red noses.....

Sorry for the rant... off my soapbox. 

[Rolling_Thunder]

Dude -   Navy jump, scuba, and air crew....      Search and Rescue?  

[472 R/T SE]

You know it absolutely pisses me off when I pass along a great experience to someone only to have them shafted by those same people.

I know 3-4 guys local who use PT to move about 200 cars a year.

I'll be emailing/calling them.

Sorry man, I'll do what I can from my end.  

[Dans 68]

You know it absolutely pisses me off when I pass along a great experience to someone only to have them shafted by those same people.

Agreed.    I hope it ends well.

Dan

[Fred]

Oh my God! so sorry to hear about you woes. How awful for you. You must be so stressed. I know how I feel when I get fobbed off making enquiries about a parcel I'm waiting on that seems to be taking the scenic rather than the direct route. And that's just a parcel! And yes, no one ever returns calls, it all falls into your lap.
Where would anything end up I wonder if we didn't take the trouble to track it down ourselves...............would it ever even arrive?
Hope it all turns out well for you in the end. I know you won't be able to relax before you see that trailer pulling up outside.

[bull]

Yea, I just love it when these "customer service" clowns give you a one-word answer after you ask five questions. People are obviously stressed out enough already, having to trust people to carry their thousands of dollars investment across the country based on an agreed-to set of promises. Then, as if the promises meant zilch, they basically do what they want and don't communicate.

If I were you I'd demand at least a partial refund. And if they refused that I would make sure to warn others through the BBB or some such entity.

Looks like they aren't accredited with the BBB and there's a complaint listed from last May, which to me is a red flag: http://www.bbb.org/southwestern-missouri/business-reviews/auto-transporters-and-drive-away-companies/passport-transport-in-lebanon-mo-37698/complaints

Either way you can still lodge a complaint with the BBB and here: http://www.transportreviews.com/

[Fred]

Seems to be the age we live in. Customer Service is just a front..............you can no longer find the definition of that phrase in the dictionary.  
It's a real catch 22.
You pay up front...............you don't get any service
You don't pay up front.......you don't get any service

[Daytona R/T SE]

Where in Missouri is the car?

Maybe one of the Missouri members here could pay them a visit and check on your car for you? 

[Hessian]

Dude -   Navy jump, scuba, and air crew....      Search and Rescue?  

Hey Rolling Thunder...  
Not Navy or Search & Rescue.  I just retired out of the Marine Corps after 20+ years.  I started out in the "03" infantry MOS, went to Dive and Jump schools.  Fell out of some perfectly good aircraft and locked out of a few subs in the inky blackness... fun times and I miss them.   Then about 1/2 way thru my career, I made the move over to the "dark side" as a officer.  Also had the chance to become a Communications Systems Operator on a VH-3D "Whitehawk" (VH is the designator for Presidential Aircraft... google VH-3D and you'll see).  Funny, it felt different riding around in helos without a parachute  

To everyone else, THANKS for all the positive support.  Hopefully this turns out ok... just the not knowing is about the worst.  Here's the crazy part... the shipping agent actually KNOWS my aunt who lives in the same town (Lebanon MO).  And to boot, my aunt's husband is the Sheriff for Lebanon!!!

I'm going to see how Monday goes...

Would you guys say that this violated the contract?  I certainly feel like it's totally opposite of what was promised to me... I would say at the very least a discount is in order.  Perhaps some of you who ship cars frequently could weigh in with a suggestion of how much discount would be appropriate???

Thanks again to all.

[bull]

If that language is in the contract than it's obviously a breach. If not, if it's just a verbal agreement and you have no recourse other than the threat of bad advertising.

[nvrbdn]

wow,that sucks. id get the aunt and sheriff to pay a visit 

[stripedelete]

I understand completely.  A couple of my high demand times are before Xmas and Easter.   There's only about a 20% chance of receiving a scheduled shipment, via commercial carrier, 3 or 4 days prior to these holidays.  Regardless of promises, my supply spends the holiday in somebody's driveway (or a terminal).    I call it "running for the barn" (like when the horse throws you and heads back).   

Like you, I get the same dispatch lack of communications and excuses; shift change, nobody told me, breakdown, etc.  I don't want anyone to spend the holidays on the road ,and I know dispatch abuses the drivers all year, but, come on.......

Even though it can cost me $3-4k in profit, forget about a discount, this is business as usual near the holidays.

I'm sure you'll get your car, safe and sound, very soon.  But, it's a shame you have to pay the "long dollar" for this kind of service.

[Fred]

wow,that sucks. id get the aunt and sheriff to pay a visit 

And bring the deputies as well!

[472 R/T SE]

Did you receive my PM?

[Hessian]

Did you receive my PM?

I just saw it and replied.  Thanks!

[Cooter]

This is why I have a truck and trailer. That much coin and NOBODY is gonna "Bring it to my door". Only time you get that kind of treatment is from yourself.

[Hessian]

I understand completely.  A couple of my high demand times are before Xmas and Easter.   There's only about a 20% chance of receiving a scheduled shipment, via commercial carrier, 3 or 4 days prior to these holidays.  Regardless of promises, my supply spends the holiday in somebody's driveway (or a terminal).    I call it "running for the barn" (like when the horse throws you and heads back).   

Like you, I get the same dispatch lack of communications and excuses; shift change, nobody told me, breakdown, etc.  I don't want anyone to spend the holidays on the road ,and I know dispatch abuses the drivers all year, but, come on.......

Even though it can cost me $3-4k in profit, forget about a discount, this is business as usual near the holidays.

I'm sure you'll get your car, safe and sound, very soon.  But, it's a shame you have to pay the "long dollar" for this kind of service.

Its frustrating to be sure...  Like I said, I get that the drivers need time off too.  Just sucks that they wouldnt be honest and up front, instead leading me to believe that it was going straight across country. 

I hope it will arrive safe and sound... but the treatment thus far is far from confidence inspiring.... 

[Aussie R/T]

How amazing is it that these company's forget the dollars you have invested in your car.I swear to god a slap in the face with a wet mullet would not wake them up to the fact that you have thousands of dollars invested in your car.The clown that bought my car up hear called himself treasured transport and when it turns up not covered at all and the hos truck he was driving was dropping oil all over the road out front of my house wet all my spare parts and charged me 3 grand on top.I'm still pi55ed over it and that was 3 years ago.grrrr

[nvrbdn]

 i do understand the ease of buying a car and just waiting for it to come to the door. but for 2000.00 you could have bought a decent used car trailer and drove out to get the car. plus at the end of it the car trailer becomes your "happy meal" prize. then it also takes time to make that drive too. and i understand that not everyone has the time to run across the country to pick up a car. i hope the car arrives soon,(new years was a week ago,enough family time already) and un mared being that they swapped trailers.  good luck.

[Daytona R/T SE]

Ya know...

I have a 3/4 ton Cummins Turbo Diesel truck and an 18 ft open trailer...

Maybe, I should start hauling cars on the weekends to raise money for my projects... 

[elacruze]

Sorry you're being ignored.

Please, when the car does arrive, be sure not to sign for it, or let the driver out of your sight until you go over the car with a fine-toothed comb-and not just the skin, but get underneath to be sure they didn't tear holes in the frame with tie-downs, or rip the park brake cables off, or bend a shock etc. If the battery is dead, make note of it and if it doesn't come back to life, make them buy a new one. A friend used to drive an auto transport, and he would often switch out batteries for ones he and friends (not me) had which were weak or failed.

[nvrbdn]

Ya know...

I have a 3/4 ton Cummins Turbo Diesel truck and an 18 ft open trailer...

Maybe, I should start hauling cars on the weekends to raise money for my projects... 

i agree, know a guy with a degree and a job that quit to haul cars. has a 3 car trailer and says he averages 1800 a week. but he does have a couple dealerships hooked in with him also. he's also home every weekend. says his life is more peaceful without the stress of the job.

[Hessian]

WOW... guess what... today makes TWO WEEKS my car has been with "Passport Transport"... out of two weeks, TWO DAYS have involved movement.  The rest of the time it's been sitting at their Headquarters in Lebanon MO (read: car terminal)

I sent an email listing my grievances, requesting an actual phone call to discuss options.... which was replied with AN EMAIL... saying it "might" be here on Saturday, but, they wont know till Thursday... Really?  

These guys are complete ASS HATS.   You'd be better off asking a magician to "miracle" your car someplace.  

Just can't imagine this getting much worse.  But I'm sure they'll think of a way.  

Hard to believe that my individual experience has been this bad when others seem to really trust these guys....  It just seems like no one at Passport cares enough to even take/make a phone call to address this.   Unreal.  

Although, I'm sure they will want that check when the car gets here... if it ever does.

Maybe I need to call the authorities about a stolen car.  

[nvrbdn]

 

[Fred]

I really feel for you and hope it all comes to an (good) end real soon.