I found a wonderful car, and I didn't even have to visit the dealership to buy. Crazy, cool huh?
Dick's Country Dodge in Portland area Oregon is awesome.
I thought..they gave me a great deal and I'll just have the thing shipped. How hard can shipping a car/truck be, right?
This may turn into a book, I apologize but you need to really understand the process...
You call a broker, or a carrier. The broker acts as a coordinator. This broker has access to a large database, or posting board that truckers look at and decide to pick up the vehicle or not to pick up the vehicle. This is the Central Dispatch (the software company name). A carrier loads your vehicle on a vehicle and takes it somewhere based on postings here.
There is a Web Site called Transport Reviews.com that rates all brokers and carriers. The BBB also rates as well as 5 thousand other sites.
Let me tell you..there are 15 million brokers/carriers. Each eager to prove themselves to you..each telling you how honest they are and that they are the ideal guy. It's a shark tank boys and girls and to the average person...it's a scary process the first time around. The sheer numbers and choices are crazy.
I chose Magic Carpet Transport after reading reviews on both Transport Reviews and the BBB. I started the process on the 12th and the vehicle was to be picked up on the 18th. Something went wrong and they had to re-book now I'm looking at the 23rd which in the scheme of life isn't terrible. What was terrible was a tone of don't call us--we'll call you. You know how well that went over, right? I know the coordinator didn't want to call with no news, but..well..you know me and my project management 9-5 bleeds into my real life too.
About this time, I began to question my choice as our baby is set to arrive soon and I need a vehicle to transport the baby home in...so I sent a request for another quote out..and I was called by 5 thousand more people. I thought if MC can't get it together by X day, I'll just switch.
Each call explained the process a bit more as they spoke with me. I realized how little control each broker really has in the process. They build relationships with truckers and companies but they really have little direct say. You need them though as an intermediary to get on the board (Central Dispatch) and work for you.
Here's where life got interesting today as I was at wits end and checking other quotes in the event Magic Carpet could not get it together as I said before and...a company called me and said my auto was on the board twice..and hung up. I then learned that all brokers can see other brokers job queues essentially...
I thought let me try one more call to Magic Carpet and try and just get an estimate or see if we need to increase money...and they said the same thing..double booked....called Central Dispatch..same thing.
Word is if you are double booked, a trucking company will not pick up your car from anywhere. I called the offending company and was told I has a signed contract on file..to which I said I was going to file a police report. I asked for a call back or an e-copy of the contract and did not get it, so we'll circle back in the morning.
About this time Magic Carpet has secured my dates...with a transport company...
Showtime Auto Transport and I will be in touch in the morning...
What's my point? I guess it's this:
As a consumer you have very, very little control over this process. Once you're engaged, you are really at the mercy of the company so pick wisely.
Once you pick the only way to confirm you're even on the board is to get a screenshot from your company, or to call the software company.
So why the double booking? Was it fraud? Was it a company trying to make me feel a bit of pain because I got irritated at the missed appointment on the 18th? Was it an honest mistake? I may find out in the am..and I may not.
I'm not sure how this will pan out...I am sure I never want to do this again.
Will my car be picked up on the 23rd? It may and it may not.
I did meet a couple of companies today that I really, really liked and I think if I ever do this again I may call them. In the end, I feel sorry for the guys that are out there really busting ass to be honest, on time and not be shady. I think they all have a degree of wanting to do the right thing. I dunno...A few minutes dealing with this stuff and the sheer craziness of the industry makes me really appreciate health care, car sales and telemarketing. This is one industry I want zero part in.
That's it....
www.mimi-zilla.com
No comments:
Post a Comment