Went from bad to worse

Jeff Submitted this review about National Auto Shipping
Review made Live: 11/22/2010 2:17:00 PM
Here's the full timeline, so you get the whole Picture.
9/14 to 9/16/2010: Get Bids on shipping from Pelican Rapids MN to Punta Gorda FL. Manny Charleston from National Auto emails me back with a quote and calls to tell me the premium service they offer and that he can guarantee a 2 day window pickup because they have their own trucks and therefore have control over them. I choose that service for what amounted to a $150 premium to get the car delivered in a timely manner. The pickup date was to be 10/25 or 26, so with over a month to coordinate there would be no logistics problems.

10/18: Call to make sure everything is still coordinated for 10/25 to 26 pickup. I am assured yes.

10/25: Call twice to see where truck is because I have a trip that came up and want a closer timeline for pickup so I can be back. They say the driver will call and let me know, which didn't happen so I ended up taking two cars on the trip in case I had to return early.

10/26: Call 3 times to find out when the truck would arrive. Each time the person says they will get right back, but don't. Finally on the 3rd call, they say the truck now won't be there until 10/28. At this point, because we are leaving on the 28th early, I line up a new pickup spot in Fargo ND and call National Auto back with the details. They say they'll call when they have more exact details on the pickup and leave a message if I'm in the air.

10/28: I call later that day after not getting a call and they say the car will now be picked up on 11/2. National Auto never called, but my friend at the pickup point confirmed the car was picked up.

11/5: Call to see where the car is in the delivery process and National auto says now it won't be delivered until 11/8 but would call Monday morning with a more precise time.

11/8: After not hearing anything call in the afternoon to see where they are on the delivery and National Auto says it will now be 11/9 and the trucker will call with a more precise time. I ask for the truckers phone number to I can follow up myself (realizing they will not return a phone call) and they give it to me.

11/9 : Call the trucker and he says it will probably be mid afternoon before he gets there. He calls back mid afternoon and says now it will be more like 7pm and he arrives at 8pm. It's dark and the car is quite dirty form road grime (typical for that distance), but looks OK in the dark. Turns out the truck was not one of National Autos like Manny had said, but an independent operator.

10/10: Start washing the car in the morning an notice a couple chips out of the hood like something had been dropped on it. Call National Auto and talk to Hana to report the damage. Hana asked for a couple of pictures which I took and sent to her saying I would be an estimate on the repair and send that as well as soon as I get it.

10/11: Get an estimate from Clune's Auto Body Inc which came to $427.36 stating that there was enough of a dent that it would have to be resurfaced in that area and the whole hood would have to be painted and buffed to make it match. Sent that info to Hana.

11/16: Called Hana after not hearing from her (took two tries) and now the excuses started to surface about how it couldn't have been done by the trucker and that it wasn't marked on the bill of lading. I stated that with the car being delivered that dirty and in the dark of night, it would have been very hard to have spotted at that time. She said she would get back to me.

11/18: After not hearing from Hana I called again and talked with her. She would put me on hold to talk to someone and then get back and say there was nothing she could do and that I should call the trucker directly. I stated my agreement was never with the trucker, but with National Auto. After a few more flimsy excuses and said that she obviously didn't have any authority to handle these kinds of problems and to put the manage on so I could continue the conversation. She claimed he wasn't in (I have a hard time believing that as she was talking to someone when she put me on hold), but that he would call me.

11/19: After not being called by the manager, I call again and the receptionist says she's in, but after asking who's calling, Hana has suddenly gone for the day alone with the manager who I finally got a name and is apparently "Avi".

11/22: Talk to Hana at 12:45 and ask why her manager has not called. She says Jose will call in 1/2 hour when he's back from lunch.

11/22: Talked to Avi (I researched them with the BBB to find out he is the owner) He chose to renege on his obligation to repair my car, claiming that since I signed for the car, even though it was delivered in the dark of night and too dirty to see the damage, he would not except my claim.

Company Response
Manny from National Auto Shipping Submitted this response.
Response Date: 11/23/2010 12:40:00 PM
Hi. this is a reply back to Jeff regarding false statements about his auto transport. TRANSPORTREVIEWS.COM has proof that vehicle was delivered in good condition and signed BY JEFF ( indicating that he received the car in good condidion ) Customer is triying to extort money from National Auto Shipping by posting review. This review is completely false.