Almost Criminal
Jay G
Submitted this review about
OK Auto Carrier
Review made Live: 9/30/2015 2:18:00 PM
OK Auto Carrier doesn't just provide poor service; they are a completely unethical business that operates outside of the law. After picking up the car, Dan (he wouldn't provide a last name), said that the cost actually should be $3,000 instead of the quoted and contracted $1,900.
They also refused to accept a credit card (though that was the originally agreed-upon method of payment) and demanded a money order or cash.
Once the car arrived, they then refused to deliver the vehicle to the given address (downtown Seattle, as agreed in the contract) or an alternate that I provided in Bellevue. Instead, Dan demanded that I come down to their lot in Federal Way immediately, and if I didn't, they would store the car at a cost of $125/day. Knowing that I worked full-time in Bellevue and would have difficulty leaving during the day on such short notice, they guaranteed themselves many hundreds of extra dollars in additional revenue from this last trick.
Be careful playing hardball with these guys. If you don't pay up, they can claim that the car is abandoned and then sell it, and some of these organizations have relationships with corrupt DMV employees who will print titles for them (search for the CNN article "Confessions of a Tow Truck Driver," which I came across while I was doing research into my options after Dan threatened to, in effect, steal my car- -see next paragraph for the nature of that threat). Selling "abandoned" cars can actually be a huge part of the business model for companies like this.
Movers who change the price after picking up goods technically are in violation of 49 CFR 375.213, but that didn't do anything to stop these guys. I even cited the law to them (specifically, that it provides for a fine of $10,000 per day for movers who change the price by more than 10%). Dan's response was, verbatim: "your car is mine now. You signed the bill of lading; I own it. If you want it back, you need to pay me." Notwithstanding the obvious lie that he "owned" my car, there really is not much you can do when someone else has physical possession of your goods. You can try to get the Attorney General's Office to open an investigation, but it'll be years before you get your car back through that route, if ever.
You could try a civil suit, but you'd spend tens of thousands of dollars on lawyers just to make the attempt. Dan mentioned that the company has five lawyers on staff, and I actually believe that. He also mentioned that they record all of their calls (that's also illegal without two-party consent in Washington for those of you keeping score), so they're very, very well-practiced in how to scam and would probably outspend you in litigation.
Do not, under any circumstances, allow this company to touch anything you own. I'll file a complaint with the State Attorney General as well as the BBB, but the AG gets thousands of complaints every week; they can only act on ones with a lot of volume.
Also, to the prior reviewer's point: I was the victim of the third-party contracting game as well. I had no idea that this company would even be involved; I checked out the logistics company but not the carrier. Lesson learned: DO YOUR DILIGENCE ON THE CARRIER AS WELL; they're the guys who ultimately can rake you over the coals, because your car is locked up in their lot.
Ultimately, my story has a "happy" ending, but I'm very, very lucky. I was shipping out an "extra" car that I didn't really need, and I had legal resources on my end. I spoke with attorneys, did my research, spent literally hours on the phone negotiating, and didn't bow to their outrageous demands. The logistics contractor also got nervous and helped negotiate on my behalf. For someone without any legal budget and in desperate need of their car to get to work or take care of their kids, though, this would be devastating. These criminals can make thousands and thousands of extra dollars per shipment with this game (and potentially tens of thousands if you can't afford to pay the scam rates, and they sell your car), and most people have no choice but to pay up.
