Bait & Switch Scam
Londo
Submitted this review about
SGT Auto Transport
Review made Live: 9/9/2022 2:44:00 AM
So I previously wrote a positive review of SGT Auto Transport that I am trying to have removed/altered. This company is an absolute fraud. My second time shipping a car with them. First time was not all that terrible, though they did bait & switch me a bit then too (hence the 4 star 'honesty' rating), but I was too generous. I should add that I was solicited and compensated for the first review - I was told I would be given $100 off my next shipment for writing a review.
When I shipped my first car, they quoted me a price of $829 to send my second car down. At the time, I made clear to the guy that I wouldn't be sending the car for "about a month", and at least I was under the impression that this was OK. 1 month and 1 day later, I called to confirm the shipment, but was told the price was no longer valid, as quotes are only good for a week. Well alright. They re-quote me for $875, which they claim is also inclusive of the $100 discount. In other words, they're claiming that the price increased $146 in the 32 days since I was previously quoted. I just really need my car at this point, so I book it for that and they tell me it'll be picked up within 5 days.
After 8 days with near zero communication I call to find out what's up. They tell me that there is a queue of 200+ cars for this route and no transporters are moving cars for less than $1,100. Well good thing we have a signed contract for $875, right? ...right?
Nope. SGT doesn't give a damn about their contractual obligation to you, the customer. I tell them there is no shot I will pay $1100. They try to reason that they can raise prices due to "unforeseen circumstances" substantially increasing the cost of transport. But this is all happening in mid-August, on a route from NY to South Florida. All the snowbirds ship their cars this time of year ahead of their arrival for fall/winter. Then they say that they'll do it "at cost" for $1,000. I said that was still absurd, and that they would still owe me the $100 discount anyway. I offer to pay just $900 flat - the $1,000 "at cost" price with the $100 discount - more than reasonable considering we had a signed contract for less.
They say that will be ok, but then send me a contract for $950! Oh, and did I mention that want to take a $75 deposit!? Nonsense. Another bait & switch. On top of that, when the driver made contact with me, I asked him how much money his company was charging SGT to transport the car, and he said $950. So I was lied to by SGT, again, about them doing it for me "at cost".
At some point in the negotiation, they also rug-pulled me on the $100 discount. They would not take it off the price, but instead insisted that they would be giving me a $100 gift code to restaurants.com. What. A. Joke. Countless conversations about how I was promised a $100 shipping discount and not a stupid gift card were just a waste of time. These guys are an absolute scam.
At the end of the whole ordeal, they try to say to me "well, you could've still shipped the car for the original $875". What they don't tell you is that it would take probably two months for the shippers to take the car for that low again. I couldn't wait around of that, and they knew this, and also didn't care about our contract terms.
