Company Response Review Report Review
Excellent broker, but disappointing transporter

Elvis Submitted this review about Ship a Car Direct
Review made Live: 4/29/2013 8:28:00 AM
This was my first time shipping a car and Tim at Safe Direct was excellent in guiding me through the process. I (admittedly) was anxious about the company that would actually transport my car and asked a number of background questions about potential transporters. Tim gave this information without hesitation and offered insight into what various issues could mean. My only critique of Tim's service would be that he should have managed my expectations a bit more about what to expect from the transport company.

The service from the company doing the transport (PK Line) was disappointing.

The pick-up was fine, but it turned out that my car lingered in their warehouse for about a week before it was actually shipped. The driver, during drop-off, said that they were just waiting to get enough cars together for the trip - somewhat understandable for the shipper, but not great for the person shipping their vehicle. This explains why they were late delivering my car - PK Line estimated delivery in 10 days, but it took 12 (the actual trip from LA to DC was 5 days, as PK Line's driver later told me).

PK Line's communication was also sub-par.

I was promised communication from the driver when he was en route; this did not happen. A week after pick-up, I reached out to Tim for a shipping update and he suggested I contact PK Line. I tried to contact them, but was unsuccessful (message left - never returned); Tim later told me that Safe Direct's dispatch ended up contacting PK Line and they estimated my delivery around Day 10-11. Not hearing anything else, I reached out to PK Line again - I finally spoke to someone there on Day 9 and was given the driver's cell phone number. I called and texted the driver; no response. On the morning of Day 10, I got the driver on the phone who informed me that it wouldn't be until Day 12 that he would deliver my car.

The location for drop-off of my car was not convenient. PK Line's driver was adamant that a K-Mart parking lot in Annandale, VA was the closest he could park his truck to DC. This entailed about a 30 minute (and $40) cab ride from downtown DC around rush hour to pick up my car. Tim and I had discussed the issue of a VA drop-off (since I had seen it on other posts from people shipping their cars to DC) and he had assured me that this would be a topic I could discuss with PK Line to arrange a mutually convenient drop-off location. In reality, there was no discussion.

On the bright side, I received the car without damage. Shipping my car was a long process and at the end of the day, I was just happy to get my car. Although I have my critiques, I would nevertheless recommend Tim and Safe Direct as a shipping broker to help customers navigate this process/industry.
Shipment Details
Origin State:
California
Pickup:
On Time
Destination State:
Washington DC
Delivery:
Late
Customer Service
Honesty:
Knowlegeable:
Promptness:
Customer Service:
Review Details
Quote or Order Id:
290026-OU
Quote or Order Cost:
$795

Company Response
Michael Strickland from Ship a Car Direct Submitted this response.
Response Date: 4/30/2013 1:30:00 AM
Thanks for your feedback, Elvis. You bring up a good point - most of DC is inaccessable to trucks for security reasons, so there aren't a lot of options carriers can accommodate for you. I am sorry it was not convenient for you.