Murphy's Law vs. Angels
Chance
Submitted this review about
Angels Moving Autos
Review made Live: 7/2/2009 12:52:00 AM
First, it was a complete fluke that I found this company. I looked into transporting my car so my wife and I wouldn’t have to drive across the country in separate cars with our three young children (all less than six years old). Considering the stress of moving all my worldly possessions with family across the country was a formidable weight to bear. Add to that, as soon as we opened our suit cases in Houston, I had to begin packing to travel to Milwaukee for an eight week training course that began 14 days after the drop day on Monday, June 22 (which should have been plenty of time for delivery I was assured).
It brought me a sense of peace to think that I was dealing with someone from my own home town rather than sorting through (literally) hundreds of email quotes and phone messages to transport my car. I was having enough trouble getting my house packed. In order to save me a few bucks we coordinated a plan for me to deliver my car to the driver in Sacramento on the 8th since I was passing by there on the way to Houston. Everything was planned and scheduled and ready to go on Monday, June 8; except for the small details of finishing the job of packing the transport. This was the first delay, but it was my fault.
Then, on Tuesday the 9th, my dear friend was admitted into the hospital with congestive heart failure. He was only functioning at 15%. It's a miracle of God that he lived. Delay number two. I hold my friend responsible for this delay. Finally, we get out of town late on Tuesday and arrive in Sac by 11:30 PM. There was no way I could justify dropping my car off that late so we grabbed a motel and got the car to the driver by 10:00 AM on Wednesday the 10th. Fortunately the truck was scheduled to leave on Saturday, June 13 and arrive in Houston by Wednesday, June 18 and I’d drive it to Milwaukee by June 21. No problem, right?
Everything went smoothly, except for the drive out of Los Angels where we avoided the evening rush hour traffic by going out Palmdale rather than Palm Springs. We stopped in some dust-bowl town to eat at McDonald's just before crossing the state line. The boys (twins - 3 yrs.) weren't hungry but my 5 year old girl was ravished from skipping lunch as she was too busy playing at the park when we stopped. We decided to turn south on some state highway that was paved back in the 1940's before Caterpillar invented the scraper and roads followed the contour of the land. My five year old is a trooper. She warned me early on that the road was too wavy, but I was sure that it wouldn't last and we'd gotten through the worst of it.
Just as the last ray of light disappeared across the horizon to unfold the black night sky of the California desert, my curly haired 5 year-old angel released three kid's meals of half digested chicken nuggets, complete with three small fries and 3 small blue candy flavored fountain drinks. Did I mention we were in the middle of the dessert? Ever try to clean vomit out of your car with only a container of wet wipes?
We finally arrived in Texas on Saturday evening (the 13th). I got a call the following Tuesday morning from one of the nice ladies at Angel’s, explaining that the transport truck broke down and won’t be able to deliver on time. “No, problem,” I say. “Where is it, maybe if it’s close enough I could meet the driver.” The car hadn’t left Sacramento. Needless to say I was pretty disappointed.
I did my part to maintain professional composure, but I admitted that I was “freakin’ out” a little. I’m already broke from moving and as a result of the truck issue I had to buy an airline ticket for $278 and rent a car for $355 upon arriving in Milwaukee. Given I kept the car for a week. I could have ridden the bus and walked the mile from the bus stop, but it was my first week in training and I didn’t have the need for any more complications.
In order to get the car to Milwaukee it was looking like it was going to cost more money, as the fuel prices in California had gone up (– go figure!), and NO driver would reply to the order at the bid price. I was lost for any feeling or response at the suggestion of having to spend any more money to get my car delivered.
On Thursday, Karyn had an epiphany that she could probably get the car to Chicago pretty easily, but Milwaukee may be a challenge. I wasn’t willing to pay any more money, but I would be willing to take the train to Chicago just so I could have my car. Karyn, had grace and kindness toward my family’s hard circumstances, considering none of this was within any of our realm of control, and offered to pay any differences to have the car shipped the extra distance from Chicago to Milwaukee.
We scheduled the transport on Friday, June 26 and anticipated delivery in seven days, by July 4. My car was picked up Friday or Saturday and delivered on Tuesday, June 30 by 7:30PM. It was a pretty dirty inside and out. I know I dropped it off much cleaner that I got it - especially inside; but it wasn’t a gem to start. Once Lynda found the carrier, everything went very smoothly. I know she put forward every due diligent effort to secure a transport for my car.
Some people I share this story with express the idea that I should have asked Angels to pay for my plane ticked and car rental. I don’t see it that way. We live in a broken world and obstacles are just a fact of the life. Nothing in life is guaranteed except for death (I dropped taxes, because if you’re wealthy enough, there are loopholes for that one). The best that we can hope for is the opportunity to work with people who do everything in their power to find a fair solution to a difficult situation. Linda, Dina, Sarah, thank you for all your time and energy in resolving this case of Murphy’s Law. I recognize that you earned every penny you worked for on this job, and even lost a few dollars in the exchange.
