FRADULENT BID AND FAILURE TO HONOR CONTRACT

DAN DEBRUIN Submitted this review about Suncoast Auto Transport Inc.
Review made Live: 6/24/2009 8:20:00 PM
I CONTACTED SUNCOAST MORE THAN 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO MOVE DATE. I SPOKE TO JON WHO ASSURED ME THAT CAR WOULD BE PICKED UP PRIOR TO JUNE 14 AS I WAS FLYING OUT ON THAT DATE TO MONTANA AND HE SUGGESTED A DATE OF JUNE 11TH WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW TIME FOR PICKUP. ON JUNE 13TH I CALLED AND KEPT GETTING NOTHING BUT ANSWERING MACHINES TO INQUIRE AS TO WHERE THE PICKUP TRUCK WAS. FINALLY RIGHT BEFORE CLOSING TIME ON THE 13TH I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM HIS ASSISTANT INFORMING ME THAT THE CAR WAS ON THE BULLETIN BOARD, BUT NO INDEPENDENT TRUCKER HAD PICKED IT UP. SHE THEN STATED THAT THEY HAD TAKEN THEIR MONEY AND SWEETENED THE POT AND THAT IF I ADDED SOME THAT I WOULD LIKELY GET THE CAR PICKED UP. I TOLD THEM I EXPECTED THEM TO HONOR THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT

I MADE SEVERAL CALLS THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND ONLY GOT THEIR VOICE MAIL WITH NO RETURNED PHONE CALLS. FINALLY ON JUNE 19TH I CALLED THEM REPEATEDLY AND LEFT MESSAGES THAT I WOULD GET ANOTHER CARRIER. JON FINALLY RETURNED MY PHONE CALL LATE AND THAT DAY AND TOLD ME THE SAME LINE ABOUT PUTTING IN MORE MONEY.

I TOLD HIM I COULD NOT WORK WITH ANY ONE WHO WOULD NOT HONOR THEIR COMMITMENTS.

MEANWHILE I AM OUT OVER $500 OVER RENTAL CAR CHARGES AND NO CAR AT ANY POINT IN THE PROCESS OF BEING MOVED.

Company Response
Becky from Suncoast Auto Transport Inc. Submitted this response.
Response Date: 6/25/2009 10:42:00 AM
We explained exactly how this industry works to this customer, just as we explain to all of our customers. He was trying to get his vehicle to Montana which is not a busy or very common route. Suncoast never guarantees a date, but we do quote the prices based on what will normally get the vehicle transported by the desired dates.The price quote suggested to him was indeed a very good price but unfortunately at the time, there were no trucks doing this route. When it came close to the first available date his vehicle was available for pick up, we ADDED ALL OF OUR MONEY TO THE PRICE OF THE MOVE- WILLING TO DO THE JOB FOR FREE TO GET HIS VEHICLE PICKED UP BY HIS DESIRED DATES. Obviously, in this business, there are many different routes. Some very common with trucks leaving every day or so. Montana is not one of these routes, which was explained to our customer. Suncoast, as a broker posted this job to make it available to every driver in the United States. We do every thing possible to get vehicles picked up within the desired dates but in this case, there were simply no drivers doing that route at this time. Suncoast did everything we could do as a broker to get this vehicle picked up by the desired date. We even added money, willing to do this for free!! There is not another company out there that would even offer to do this. When we asked the customer if he was willing to add more money to intice a driver to pick his vehicle up, he refused. That is of course completely fine but again we explainedthe situation to this customer so he would know exacty what was going on. We never just raise the price and expect a customer to pay more money. We do however, make suggestions to help get the vehicle moving when we know there is a date requirement. Every single one of his phone calls were returned the same business day. As most of our comminications in this business are over the phone, it is simply impossible to pick up every call that comes in. When a message is left, it is answered ASAP. Suncoast is a responsible , reliable business and we make it a point to return every message that same day.