WORST EXPERIENCE, DOES NOT HOLD UP THEIR OWN CONTRACT!!! DO NOT HIRE!
WG
Submitted this review about
Universal Transport Services Inc.
Review made Live: 9/21/2013 6:04:00 PM
Businesses like this should somehow be more vulnerable to customer reviews and held to a higher standard. I made the mistake not checking them out before hiring them. It was too late for me and seemingly a lot of others... Don't employ this company, they have no intention of doing what they say, all they want is your money up front and will tell you false promises to get it. Also, check their Yelp ratings as well! ONE STAR. That is the lowest rating you can get on Yelp...
What they do is charge $225 (money you will never see again) up front just to post an ad for you on a website called Central Dispatch. Industry standard is $150 (which is still ridiculous unless they ACTUALLY WORK FOR IT) for this type of brokerage service and believe me, there are much better legit, truthful brokers available. Keep looking. But, the best thing to do is hire a transport driver directly- cheaper, and less hassle, plus better communication, NO WAY OVERPAID MIDDLEMEN. Anyway, UTS's price is high especially considering the extremely poor service and unbelievable customer carelessness they portrayed after getting your money. THEY DO NOT EARN IT AT ALL. If you were able to pay them after they performed what they say they would at the rate they quote you, they would not make a dime. This is without a doubt the WORST experience I've had transporting a vehicle or for that matter with ANY company. I have never been spoken to in my life like they spoke to me nor felt this helpless in a situation that essentially forced me to pay more than what I agreed upon. An agreement we had VERBALLY and PER CONTRACT!!! This practice should be unlawful because they prey upon people's trust, lack of knowledge, and inability to acquire a Central Dispatch account. Also, they bet you won't sue them for a few hundreds of dollars, too much hassle for very little. Furthermore, they lie to you, tell you what you want to hear just to get your money up front. After they get your money, GOOD LUCK TO YOU! BEWARE!!!
Read on if you want the long drawn out story:
Universal Transport Services promised me a delivery date by the sales team member named Lenny at an agreed upon price that he confirmed with his dispatchers Jason and Allen Handis. Lenny said if I raised my price another $20 this would definitely be picked up and delivered by the timeframe. So, I hired them based on that increased rate and timeframe. This rate was the $225 paid over the phone by card and an understanding of paying $370 at time of delivery to the actual driver. Supposedly (which I know is untrue) a portion of the $225 will be given to the driver for "gas money or other expenses." NOT TRUE, they keep all $225 FYI. Just another lie... Anyway, I SIGNED AN "ELECTRONIC CONTRACT." As days passed, I had to call the dispatch member Jason to check on progress who informs me I do not have enough money for him to get the car moved... I may need to increase my amount. I disagreed. Hours later, he told me he finally found a driver that requested $100 more than the what they posted on Central Dispatch. After some debate, I eventually agreed to raising my amount $50 more after they said they would kick in the other $50 for all the promises they made when I first hired them. I signed the new "electronic contract" at a rate of $420 for me to pay the driver when he arrives for a total: $225 (broker fee already paid) + $420 (cash to transport) = $645. I SIGNED THIS "ELECTRONIC CONTRACT" with the AGREED UPON changes at $645, I still have that email. The driver picks up the car, days pass, then calls when he is close. The driver informs me I owe him $520 according to his Central Dispatch print out and he HAS to collect that amount or he will NOT RELEASE THE CAR. I immediately called Universal Transport Services and spoke with yet another man named Richard. He saw the mistake they made in their notes apparently and asked me for the driver's direct phone number. Richard tried to contact the driver to correct their mistake. Richard called me back later and said go ahead and pay the driver the extra $100 which he says is "absurd" so you can go ahead and get your car. Then Richard says call me back “tomorrow, and ask for Richard in verifications, I'll refund you the money… YOU HAVE MY WORD." So at this point, I've paid $225 to UTS and $520 cash to the driver with the understanding by RICHARD I will receive the $100 refund the next day. Well, the next day rolls around, can't get a hold of Richard, leave him a message. Allen the dispatch manager calls back. Allen states what they told me before dispatching to the driver and the CONTRACT I electronically signed with them is incorrect. He says we agreed per phone that I was to pay $100 more and them $100 to the transport too! LIES!!! At delivery, I took a picture of the driver's Central Dispatch sheet stating UTS owes $50 to transport driver after COD is paid. I argued with him as if what the CONTRACT I signed that says $420 and our conversations, the Central Dispatch sheet the driver, AS WELL AS MATH meant nothing... He says he remembers it all differently and hangs up. "You have my word" Richard finally calls later and says “you’re confused" and that "I never even signed their contract", to which I said I did and still have the email!!! Regardless, he explains they go by what THEIR end of the phone conversations were and NOT WHAT THE CONTRACT STATES anyway. He says, they record all their conversations and he'll listen to them and call me back within 48 hours THEN HANGS UP ON ME, YELLING all this by the way... WOW!!! Can you say PRO-FES-SIONAL!!! NOW I'm out $250 above the initial contracted price of $595 to a total of $745!!! Also, they are supposed to pay another $50 to the driver for a GRAND total of $795 to move my vehicle. THAT’S a 34% increase over what they first quoted me! Absolutely ridiculous! THAT ALONE DESERVES A HORRIBLE REVIEW. WORST OF ALL, I WAS LIED TO FROM THE GET GO. THEIR WORD AND CONTRACT MEANS NOTHING TO THEM UNLESS IT BENEFITS THEM!!! AND after all the phone calls, time spent, ALL THEY HAVE TO DO TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT WITH ME, THE CUSTOMER, IS REFUND MY $100 LIKE THEY SAID THEY WOULD. NOW I've been jacked around for two weeks after posting this review. They said they put my $100 refund in the mail, but it has never showed. A company that can’t refund $100, instead will make up lies to cover themselves, is obviously GOING OUT OF BUSINESS. So in conclusion, I REPEAT, DO NOT HIRE THIS COMPANY! If you already have, I'm sorry and hope you don't get SCREWED over like I did.
