Review Report Review
Pretty Good Experience

T Blount Submitted this review about Ship a Car Direct
Review made Live: 6/28/2020 9:54:00 AM
I am reviewing the whole experience - including the broker and the carrier. This was my first time shipping a vehicle. I'm cheap, so initially I wanted to use a different broker who quoted $600. Then I read and learned how this industry works. Basically the brokers quote a price. When a customer agrees, the broker lists the opportunity and price on a central system that is monitored by carriers. The carriers may or may not elect to call the broker and agree to the terms. A carrier is not going to pick up a car for $xx if they can pick up a car an hour away for $200-$300 more. So basically, if you want your car shipped in a reasonable amount of time you need to be willing to pay a bit more. After learning this, I decided to go with shipacardirect. They quoted $875 which was way more than $600. But I had a couple other quotes for $975 and $1050 so I figured I wasn't paying top dollar. 36 hours after I agreed to $875, the the broker (shipacardirect) emailed that they had the pickup arranged, but the carrier wanted $100 more than planned. So I could either pay $975 total, or I could cancel the pickup and wait for another carrier. I elected to suck it up and pay the $975. At that point I was a little miffed that the price was raised so easily. And I felt like I was pretty much paying top dollar. The pickup went fine. Carrier had good communication, and he was on time. Communication was as good on the receiving end. We needed to arrange work schedules for the receiver. The night before scheduled arrival we called the carrier but did not get an answer. The broker (shipacardirect) didn't have any more luck getting the driver on the phone than I did. The driver called the receiver two hours before arrival - which luckily was after work hours. The car arrived safely without a scratch so that was a plus. Note we were asked to pay cash or cashier's check on the receiving end. That seemed a little weird to me. If you've ever used a locksmith or tow service, they all have mobile credit card scanners. But it seems like car carriers are a little more independent and a little less organized. Shipacardirect told me that's just the way carriers work so that's fine. On the subject of the carrier... Being a first timer, I was expecting a semi. The carrier had a large, maybe 7-8 year old dually Dodge and a trailer that might fit four smallish cars. It wasn't a big deal because the guy was very professional and strapped the car down well. Just be aware if you're a first timer that the actual truck might vary. On the plus side, he was able to pull the rig right down into my tight culdesac for the pickup. Overall I'd use shipacardirect again. Just know this isn't something you are going to 'save a buck' on unless you are patient and stubborn.
Shipment Details
Origin State:
Tennessee
Pickup:
On Time
Destination State:
Colorado
Delivery:
On Time
Customer Service
Honesty:
Knowlegeable:
Promptness:
Customer Service:
Review Details
Quote or Order Id:
828090
Quote or Order Cost:
$975