I'm shipping my car from the East coast to the West coast. Total of $1045 and I only paid a $125 deposit to the broker, with the remainder to be paid to driver after shipment.
I scheduled a car shipment to occur on May 13th and even paid an extra $100 to get it within a day or two of the exact date that I wanted. I won't get to the West coast until May 19th so I didn't want to ship my car too early. I explained my situation to the broker and he agreed that we should ship it around or after May 13th. I also warned him that the car cannot come before May 19th because no one will be there to pick it up.
This was booked about two months in advance. I signed a contract with a broker and the date of shipment (or first available date) on the contract was May 13th.
Two months later, broker emails me on May 8th saying, "driver will be contacting you soon to schedule pickup." No dates or times listed. I thought cool...we are getting closer to the date so makes sense that the driver will call me and confirm the May 13th date. I had some wiggle room for a day or two before or after that. I literally only replied "Thanks!"
May 9th I'm out of town for my boyfriends graduation. I get a voicemail and missed call from a driver. Decided I will call him back after the graduation festivities. A hour later he calls again and I pick up. "Can I pick up the car in about an hour?" "Uh...I actually scheduled it for May 13th." "I will only be in town today." "I can do it earlier than the 13th but I need a heads up. I can't make it there in an hour." Driver gets pissed and said he has been trying to call me since yesterday. "I have no voicemail or missed calls from you on yesterday. Only today. Plus I am out of town anyway." Driver said I need to tell broker to rebook me with someone else. I happily agree.
5 mins later broker and the dispatcher for the driver call me, pissed. Broker said that he emailed me the day before and I agreed to a pickup today. Angrily I said, "I did not agree to this. Your email said nothing about May 9th. Not to mention we signed the contract for May 13th." "Well, you have to be on the west coast by the 21st " (wrong date buddy) "so we need to ship the car early." That's bullshit because if you ship it this early I won't be there to pick it up.
I then ask him to look at the email he sent me. There was a very long pause and he couldn't find the email. He said he is on his phone so he has to wait until he is at a computer. I told him that I am flexible but a few hours notice is not enough time for me and he needs to send a driver who can accommodate the date I agreed to.
After the call I follow up with an email to both the broker and the dispatcher. Dispatcher just confirmed that the driver can't do it after today. Haven't heard anything from the broker yet.
Should I just cancel? Is this typical of a car shipment company? Why would the broker think it is OK to book me 4 days before the agreed contract date when we agreed on May 13th and I paid an extra fee for this date? I am fed up and just want to book with another company. But I paid $125 for this incompetent broker and might lose my deposit. Contract says I lose the deposit after driver has been dispatched. Advice?
Edit: just want to add that I am somewhat flexible and told both broker and dispatcher I can do anyday May 11th onwards but May 9th and 10th is too early for me.
Submitted May 10, 2019 at 06:42AM by djrainbowpixie http://bit.ly/2VX2nJ4
