Additional top-loading charge

Mary Submitted this review about Montway Auto Transport
Review made Live: 9/16/2017 2:32:00 PM
Montway Auto Transport did a fine job getting our car transported from upstate New York to Southern California. The car was picked up on time, delivered on the date promised, and, other than some grime, arrived in good shape.
I do have a complaint, however, about the $75 additional fee which I paid for top-loading on the auto transport trailer. It turned out that our car was transported by train across the country so there was no need for it to be protected from road hazards! I did not learn this from Montway, however, but from the shipper. Had I known the car would be transported by train, I would not have paid the additional fee. When I asked Montway for a refund, they refused.
It turned out that this was $75 down the drain for another reason as well. The top-loading which the customer pays for ONLY APPLIES TO THE MAIN SHIPPER NOT TO THE LOCAL TRANSPORT, something Montway is not forthright about on their website. Montway also neglected to inform us that they have a very expansive understanding of “local transport.” The terminal from which the cross-country train left was in Kearny, New Jersey – 150 miles from Albany, New York where we met the local driver. (I learned this information from the shipper not from Montway who gave me a number of evasive and/or incorrect answers during several discussions.) Our car was placed on the lower level on the small auto transport trailer even though it had an upper deck for one car and we had paid for top-loading.
To make a long story short, on the 150 miles out of the 3000 plus mile trip when top-loading would have been useful, our car didn’t get it even though we had paid for this option. A complete waste of money!




Company Response
Montway from Montway Auto Transport Submitted this response.
Response Date: 9/18/2017 5:55:00 PM
Hello, Mary! Thank you for posting the same review on many sites! We will do the same so that we can properly inform you of the actual situation and that, Montway, as a broker, did abide by the guaranteed top load that you requested. We would like to touch base on your statement about your vehicle being transported by train. Per line 11 of our terms and conditions, it states, "...Montway, Inc., and Carrier reserve the right to use multiple modes of transportation, including but not limited to truck, rail, and ship." We are transparent with this particular fact as well as listing all of our terms and conditions publically available at https://www.montway.com/terms-and-conditions. These are also linked into the written order confirmation and dispatch notifications you received. With the being said, there are two levels on a rail carrier. Not only was your vehicle loaded on the top, which still prevented any elements from other vehicles landing on your car, but this instance also provided your vehicle with an enclosed transport service, at no extra charge. Please review the assigned carrier’s website in regards to how the vehicles are loaded and hauled. It will show you that there are, in fact, two different levels. Top loaded ensures that there will be no vehicle above yours, which was completed for you through both means of transport. We understand that shipping a vehicle is not common for most, so we understand your frustrations and apologize for any inconveniences you experienced. However, please understand that your review provides incorrect and false information. We take such matters very seriously and are prepared to defend our name and brand. We kindly ask that you update your review for accuracy. Thank you