This is only the second time I've used an auto transport service, and I suspect the last time. I'm sure I will not be using one that requires a home pick-up and delivery, and not a broker system (as opposed to personally owned trucks.) You are held in limbo on both ends. I chose Specialty Mobile for one reason--their top rating in this review service. Now, I'm wondering if they don't pad the results and really push those successful clients while not mentioning this review site to the others. I had discussed with the initial sales person at Specialty Mobile, the acceptable pick-up time, from Sept. 24 to the 28th, and we were leaving town on the 29th. I also had to have the delivery after Sept. 29th, since no-one would be at our Florida address to receive the car. NO PROBLEM! I decided to pay more to this company since they had so many positive reviews on this site.
It sounded so easy. I got the first date from them--Sept. 27th. Perfect...I thought. Then that slipped a few days later to Sept. 28th, and the dispather would call me 24 hours ahead of time to confirm. Oh yes, I was asked in our preliminary conversation that in case of an emergency, would there be someone else that could hold the car to be picked up at a later date. Emergency--the driver gets shot, or his truck is wrecked, or a death in the family. I expressed my lack of enthusiasm for this, and how inconvenient it would be, but it seemed to be something that rarely happened. Especially since I gave a 4-day window for pick-up. Yes, guess what? September 28th, and no call. I called Specialty Mobile to get status, and I was told the truck was still in Florida. In haste, I arranged to take the car to my son's house, for a Saturday pick-up (sometime between 10 and 2.) My son had an appointment after 2, so he waited--no truck, and had to leave. The truck did come around 3:00 O'clock, no-one there to deliver, and when they contacted my son the Driver could not wait for his return in a few hours, but had to leave. He said he would come back on Monday morning. Again, a huge problem for my "working" son to stick around waiting for this pick-up, but he did stay around and made delivery. Our confidence had already been eroded, but finally on October 1st, one week after the first day the car was available, and 3 days after the last acceptable day, the car was picked up.
We received the car--in good condition, from the very nice truck driver, who in his on words said, Don't ask me about that, I just drive the truck. But the car was received on October 3rd. The delivery was not the problem, it was the mis-conception that the odds were high the car would be picked up before Sept. 29th, and the lack of communication.
I tried to cancel the entire thing on Sept. 28th when no-one showed or called. I talked to two people--a "status" person at Specialty Mobile who quickly told me they would not refund their part of the deal--around $200 which had already been processed through my AMEX card. And Dee, the other contact--very nice lady that is very conversant but not sure how good she listens--told me the same thing. She was quick to say they already had their "full load" (I think that means a full load of my money) She did her best--to her credit--to get me in touch with the Trucking company's dispatcher, and from that point on I handled it. By the way, I didn't charge them for my services.
I was surprised yesterday, with all my grumbling and the late and inconvenient pick-up, Dee really stressed I should write a review. I'm not sure why, but she must have felt like it would be a favorable review.
I'm through!! I paid premium prices to Specialty Mobile (they were the second highest after a little negotiation got them down lower than the other highest) to help ensure quality, and got incovenience instead. I will either get that Trucker from Wisconsin that was so responsible and on time last year--they have all their own trucks, or I will find a company that has a holding yard in which I can "check in" my car at the appointed time, or I will drive it myself. No more Specialty Mobile, and no more dependency on this review service.
