Incompetent, Ignorant - Unreliable Company!!!

christy Submitted this review about A1 Auto Transport
Review made Live: 8/4/2004 4:54:00 PM
My wife shopped around and got a few quotes online and A1 turned out to be the lowest price, and they said they could deliver our vehicle from WA to PA in 14 - 17 days so we used them.

After 7 days we went online to use their tracker to see how close the car was getting. It said the car was not yet picked up so we called customer service. After an extended holf time, they explained that the warehouse we dropped the car off at did not notify them they had the car, but they would make sure it was picked up that day. I thought this was strange since we had arranged a July 1st drop-off. How could they not know they had our car in their possession???

After another 7 days (14 total) I checked the cars online status and saw it still was not picked up. I called customer service (and was treated very rudely) and they said they overlooked the car and would ship it that day. They promised me it would be 7 to 10 days until I saw the car which would put it about a week late.

After another 4 days, the car being shipped from WA to PA was in CA??? and marked cross docked. I called customer service and they told me they do not ship from WA to PA so they sent it to CA. Nobody ever mentioned this when they quoted me 14-17 day delivery time but they tell me this now. They said the car was definitly leaving CA that day (July 19th) and a manager named Marie promised the car would arrive in 5 days on Friday July 24th.

On July 23rd I called to check my cars status because it has been marked "cross dock" on their website for 2 weeks now. A1 said the car was on a truck in CA headed east and it should be another 7-10 days. I explained my previous issues and the manager (Marie) telling me I would have the car the next day and they had no answer to that.

July 28th rolls around and my car is now 2 weeks late. I call again to see where the car is and now they say it has left CA and is in AZ heading east, wait another 7-10 days.

On July 29th I call again to see how much progress the car has made from AZ and wouldn't you know it, it never made it to AZ, it was still cross docked in CA. They had downright lied to me the day before. They told me the only info we can give you is that your car is on a truck in CA headed east.... note the car had been in CA for 2 full weeks now supposedly headed east, but was still sitting there.

August 2nd. My car is nearly 3 weeks late now and is literally further away then when I dropped it off. I am getting very impatient as my wife can not start a job or drive our handicapped daughter to get the doctor, or to get food and supplies etc... and I travel away from home for work frequently. I push the issue asking to speak to management, dispatchers, the company president.. anybody worth while and get treated very rudely and get no answers. Using A1 Auto Transport is costing lots of money as either my wife can not work, or we have to shell out hundreds of dollars to rent a car.

Throughout this whole ordeal I have been hung up on, not had calls returned, not given straight answers, and down right lied to and talked down to. When I address the issue of the car being nearly a month late they tell me I can file a claim, but their claims dept only takes correspondences through the mail and dont take phone calls. They also said they doubt they would ever refund any of my money for late delivery.

ALL IN ALL THIS COMPANY COULD NEVER ONCE ACCURATELY TELL ME WHERE MY CAR WAS OR WHEN IT WOULD BE DELIVERED. VERY BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR SOMEBODY IN THE AUTO TRANSPORT INDUSTRY!!!!!

Anyway, as of August 4th after 35 days and counting my vehicle is still in California. Mind you I shipped it from Washington to Pennsylvania. The only response I have gotten in nearly 3 weeks is that "the car is on a truck headed east" "It should be there in 7-10 more days" I have gotten this exact quote at least a dozen times on a dozen different days. Had A1 accurately told me up front they would take over a month to deliver the car I would have gone elsewhere.

NEVER EVER EVER USE THIS SERVICE!!!!! They are incompetent, rude, and have no respect for you, your time, your money, or your car. If you ask any service people what their name is for documentation purposes they refuse to give you last names. They never let you speak to any managers or dispatchers. They never return a phone call. Most days they have ONLY ONE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP working, one dispatcher, and one very ignorant lady answering the phones.

DO NOT USE A1 AUTO TRANSPORT FOR ANY REASON !!!!!!!
YOUR CAR WILL BE LATE
YOU WILL BE TREATED RUDELY
YOU WILL REGRET IT, ABSOLUTELY THE WORST COMPANY I HAVE EVER DEALT WITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THEY GET A BIG FAT F- FROM ME!!!!