Review Report Review
Classic Car Transport Coast to Coast

Steve Young Submitted this review about AAAll States Auto Transport
Review made Live: 10/31/2008 11:54:00 AM
This was an educational experience in which I really appreciated the up front information from PJ. It was borne out throughout the process. Several key elements anyone should look for in a transaction of this sort are 1. no deposit until pick up is confirmed as with this company, 2. watch for the lower quotes by checking the review site for the broker's rating (I received a several hundred dollars less quote by a 2 star broker involved), 3. obtain the insurance certificate of the transport company (PJ had a copy ready to fax), 4. try both e-mail and phone contact for broker before signing any agreements (PJ was tops in both departments), 5. get the name and cell number of the driver (this did not work at all for me. I was never able to reach the driver at any point with several attempts. I always had to call the dispatcher. this may vary by transport company and driver. Just my experience), 6. get the name, phone number and address of the transport company. (Without this, I would have had no way to contact them during the transport. PJ's company was immediately forthcoming with the information as soon as the car was actually loaded. Having a good relationship with the person on the loading end helps a lot, also. My seller was top notch.)

The carrier, Car Star Transporters, was a day later picking up than first estimated. They claimed an unavoidable delay with the truck. This was not a problem in my situation, fortunately, but could be for someone else with a more time sensitive move.

Communication during the transport with Car Star was marginal but was not a real issue for me. There was a weather delay due to early snows that caused issues. I also learned about making sure the vehicle is prepared for the possible weather conditions of the the trip even a closed carrier cannot control, such as temperature. There was no anti-freeze in my vehicle and the temperatures could have been a problem in October.

My classic had special needs in terms of keeping the battery charged and the instructions were not followed resulting in a dead, but rechargeable, battery at delivery which required another tow to get it the short distance home. Road-side assistance was invaluable for this. The service was to be door-to-door, but roadway limitations did now allow this which was no fault of the Car Star.

The actual delivery process went fairly well other than the battery issue. Again, the communication anticipated from Car Star was not the best. The delivery call was received the morning of the delivery rather than a day before call then one an hour or two before the delivery. It left a shorter than expected window to prepare to receive the car.

I would certainly recommend having another person at both loading and delivery points with you. In my case, we were able to push the car from the transport truck and avoid the disabled vehicle fee that would have resulted otherwise.

In summary, PJ and his crew were on top of the entire process. Car Star Transport could use a little work but they did come through with an undamaged delivery that was within the 7-10 day time frame given in spite of a weather delay. All financial transactions were handled as promised.
Shipment Details
Origin State:
California
Pickup:
On Time
Destination State:
Maryland
Delivery:
On Time
Customer Service
Honesty:
Knowlegeable:
Promptness:
Customer Service:
Review Details
Quote or Order Id:
87257
Quote or Order Cost:
$1500