Potentially a scam. Recommend you avoid.
Michael E
Submitted this review about
Fast Track Auto Carriers
Review made Live: 10/5/2015 3:03:00 PM
I want to share my costly education in the world of auto shipping so YOU don't have to pay for an experience like this.
TL:DR - don't ever pay a deposit prior to a transporter being assigned - there's no further incentive for brokers like Fast Track to do what they say they will. I do not recommend any business dealings with Fast Track.
On August 18th I got connected with Fast Track while looking for a company to ship my vehicle from LA to Texas. Fast Track's quote was reasonable, not the cheapest nor the most expensive. They sent me paperwork to sign, and billed me a non-refundable $110 'deposit'. From our discussion, the agreement was to move the vehicle by Monday, August 24th, for $600 to the driver ($710 total).
By the next week, after contact initiated only by me, there still was no driver available to move my vehicle. I figured I would give them some more time. Another week passed with no contact. I attempted to contact them again, and after a few calls was finally able to let them know that I was willing to pay $700 to the driver ($810 including their "deposit"/fee). Fast forward to September 9th, and I was already preparing to fly out to LA and drive the vehicle back. I got a call out of the blue from Fast Track, stating they had found a driver! How much? After "looking it up", the price had jumped again, to $800 to the driver. We'd never discussed that number. I let them know at this point I had no trust and no desire to do business with them, as we were weeks later, at a higher cost, and without anything in writing or consistent contact. I thanked them for educating me on how the scam worked. A couple of hours later, I received a call from the driver who was attempting to pick up my vehicle! I firmly and clearly explained that he was being taken advantage of by this broker, and advised him to call them for any further details.
Here's what I learned overall - many of these brokers are the same. The quote they give you initially is likely unrealistic, used to lure you into paying their non-refundable fee which they claim is a deposit. The timeline they quote? You should probably add at least a month, because as Aron from Fast Track told me as I was terminating our business relationship, "This is the logistics industry, there are no guarantees." All these brokers are doing is listing the load (your vehicle or cargo) on an online board for drivers called Central Dispatch. From there, drivers and companies can choose what load to take based upon the posted value. Fast Track makes their money when you pay the fee - from there, they have ZERO incentive to move your property. Good luck!
