Review Report Review
SMS FL to CA

Stan Lewis Submitted this review about Specialty Mobile Systems
Review made Live: 8/11/2008 4:04:00 PM
This was my first experience shipping a vehicle with a trucking company and I was nervous after reading some horror stories on the web. I decided to go with SMS since they seemed to have a good reputation and the BBB had very few complaints considering their volume and all were resolved. Overall my experience was good, but I had a few unexpected issues I want mention for others as they consider or plan their own shipment. First, I did not deal much with SMS. As a broker, once they coordinated with the trucking company that would actually perform the move, in this case Jay Phillips Transport Services, that was who I dealt with. Second, despite my best efforts to communicate to J Phillips my desires on pick-up and delivery, I ended up changing my plans to accommodate them. Specifically, they called me 2 days early and asked if they could pick up my vehicle within 2 hours so they could put my vehicle on a truck headed to my delivery location outside Los Angeles. Then they called me 3 days early for delivery after I specifically told them I was driving across the country myself and the date I would arrive in CA. Although I appreciate the early pick-up and delivery, this only worked because I bent over backwards to accommodate. Third, the guy who picked up my vehicle did not give me a good first impression. My vehicle is a 2006 with only 15K miles and is garaged....so it is in nearly immaculate condition. However, the pick-up guy went over my vehicle in great detail marking every nick and scratch which is ok with me, but then he put a question mark besides "spare tire" and didn't acknowledge the alloy wheels. Now this is on a Jeep with a plainly visible outside mounted spare. Then, despite the fact the vehicle was clean, he marked, "Vehicle dirty or inspected at night or in the rain! Could have hidden scratches or dents!" It was clear to me the company was trying to cover for potential damage or theft during shipment. In the end, my vehicle arrived extremely dirty on the outside, but otherwise unscathed. I'm sure this is the same result for most folks, but this process can keep you up at night as you worry about your automobile during shipment.
Shipment Details
Origin State:
Florida
Pickup:
Early
Destination State:
California
Delivery:
Early
Customer Service
Honesty:
Knowlegeable:
Promptness:
Customer Service:
Review Details
Quote or Order Id:
0806250145
Quote or Order Cost:
$1400

Car Condition
  • Vehicle was dirty