express Auto transportation - Bait and switch

[Lou Earle]

Here is what I sent E bay about one of their prefered transporteers- checked the next one dead onthe money

Just beware

Lou

I recently purchased a car in Vermont- to be delivered in

GA.

Express auto transport quoted me a figure of $810 to ship to me .

When I called them they did a bait and switch and notified me that the cost would be over 1100 because it was so far north. I questioned there excuse- poor computer- since my old computer could figure the distance 1200 miles just fine- I declined them and said I was going to start a complaint about them

this is it.

the next bidder united set price at the quoted one on the net.

I personally think this is a rip-off by express auto.

Please let me know what action you are taking-

thanks - if you do anything at all

Lou Earle

[Plymouthy Adams]

Lou..that is not at allunusual or uncommon the transprt business...then they have the "running clause" and even a dead batttery excuse by them is cause for an additional 200.00 loading/unloading fee....even if they flood the car and not start instantly the fee will be applied...however most haulers I know winch the cars on slowly and carefully so this really is not a valid fee..

I bought a vehicle in Texas..looked to get it shipped...went to a truckers web site where you post you load and pickup dropoff for bids..got no reply..howver the site had an option to search truckers by category..I clicked on auto haulers..got 6 truckers local to the car...sent out about 5 request for qjuote..got an immediate answer..man came in with excellent price and service..have used him since for a car out of California

[PatS....]

One trucker I spoke to a while back told me that many car haulers will "interline" a car. They'll pick it up in their home territory, take it to a central "hub yard" and drop it off...usually unlocked, in an unlocked, unguarded lot...and it sits there until another trucker going that way picks it up.

Could be a few hours or a few weeks.

Problem is that while it sits there, it's in limbo. The first guy has dropped it off and is on to other things and doesn't think about it anymore and the next guy doesn't know it exists yet, so nobody is really keeping an eye on it.

I have no problem with a guy making money, I do have a problem with my car sitting in a yard who-knows-where unguarded. They won't tell you about interlining unless you ask.

ASK...nobody likes surprises!

If a car will be "interlined", then the fee will go up so each truck makes money on the haul.

Maybe that's where the higher price on your quote came from. The first quote was for a direct trip, the second was an interline quote.

[PatS....]

Freight is different, the interline agreements have the shared revenue built in.

Car shippers generally have no interline agreements. Each car is different and they are not always interlined. There are no rate schedules, each shipment is priced individually by the originating shipper. If they think they will take it straight through, the rate will be different than if they have to share the revenue. If they discover it will need to be interlined AFTER giving a straight through quote, it MAY account for the "bait and switch"

It may not and it actually might really BE a bait n switch.

Also, a truck will take many freight shipments whereas a car carrier can only take 7 or 8 vehicles. There is a volume advantage for the freight companies.

Also beware of the bait and switch upon arrival where they say there is an extra amount to be paid BEFORE they will unload the car.

Do the research when you ship a car to know what's happening is all I'm saying.