Amerifreight - good suspension on a bumpy road
Daniel Smith
Submitted this review about
AmeriFreight Car Shipping
Review made Live: 3/13/2013 2:06:00 AM
I was always surprised at how quickly Bob at Amerifreight responded to both emails and phone calls - from my initial inquiry to check-ups along the way. I had a few bumps in the road and a couple of gripes, but I want to say first off that overall it was a great experience and I would use Amerifreight again. My broker, Bob, was very nice to deal with and very professional as well, and always acted very quickly to resolve any issues, answer questions, and email me the necessary documents & contracts. My car was delivered in good condition in a reasonable amount of time.
I needed to move a Jeep Grand Cherokee from my parents' house in Los Angeles to my home in New Orleans. I had never shipped a vehicle before but I did a bit of research and decided upon Amerifreight based on both reviews and price quotes.
I was not in a hurry so I went with Bob's suggestion to start with a low bid price of $450 (plus Bob's Broker fee of $250) and wait for a driver who would need to fill the last spot on his truck. When the first offer came in, it was for $650. I didn't think I would get $450 anyways and I was getting anxious to get the car moved so I agreed. Then I was told that the price would go up another $50 because my Jeep was a "Grand" Cherokee and weighs more than a regular Cherokee. I was not happy. But Bob offered to take $50 off his broker fee. I agreed and a pickup date was set. Total price = $900. (I suspect he offers everyone $50 back, its hard to say NO to.)
A FEW "BUMPS" IN THE ROAD:
1) The original trucker got into a bar fight and had to cancel the pickup - and we were only informed after my mom called the trucking company on the morning of intended pickup. So my parents made other plans for that day thinking they would not have to be home to meet the driver. When I was told this, I immediately called Bob and told him I wanted to start from scratch and try again for a lower bid because I knew I was overpaying for a very common and desirable route. But he had already contracted with another driver who was picking up that same day. Apparently the original trucking co notified Amerifreight in advance, but nobody told ME about it or asked me what I wanted to do.
I was pretty bummed about this, because not only was I stuck at the same price but now my parents had to scramble to re-arrange their day so they could once again be free to meet the new trucker. Bob did admit to a screw-up in communication and apologized, and acted very quickly to confirm things and also make sure that the driver (who was very rude to me on the phone) made contact with my parents and gave them enough advance warning about his arrival time.
Mistakes happen and I think Bob handled it quickly and professionally, but he should have contacted me before contracting with another driver and asked me how I wanted to proceed. I was really pissed off that I did not have the opportunity to seek a lower bid, as I had time to reflect and research and realized that I was overpaying for an extremely common and desirable route!!!
2) Amerifrieght tells you that you'll get $30 back after leaving a review on three websites. I have no problem with that. Except that they then send you an email the day after you receive your car telling you that you must leave the reviews within 48 hours, AND if you dont give all 5-star reviews you must contact them before leaving the reviews so they can work up a rebuttal. Or you dont get your $30. "If you leave us a review with less than five stars and did not contact us first by email or in writing you will forfeit your rebate."
AND, in this email, they have the nerve to tell you that YOU ARE NOT BEING PAID TO LEAVE A REVIEW. Really?????
I liked everything about Amerifreight - despite the pickup fiasco - especially Bob's attitude and promptness. I did not feel scared that I was getting ripped off and there did not appear to be any hidden costs, and my car arrived safe and sound. I would use them again and recommend them to friends. But I dont think they should be offering money for reviews. I am leaving this review because I learned a lot from reading all the other people's reviews. Now I question the honesty of those reviews. I did not tell Amerifreight that I would be leaving some negative comments. They'll have to read the reviews to find out.
Company Response
AmeriFreight from
AmeriFreight Car Shipping Submitted this response.
Response Date: 3/13/2013 9:12:00 AM
Google us - BBB top rated Car Shipping. Discount Rates, Best protection (Bob 714-408-4422)
