[soupy]

Here's my story on my recent experience with an auto transpot company...

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dependable Auto Shippers" <DasMonitor>
To: <davidlt>
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 4:22 PM
Subject: Your Opinion Matters!

Thank you for your recent business with Dependable Auto Shippers (DAS)!
For 50 years DAS has worked hard to become the largest and most respected international auto relocation company. Listening and responding to the needs of our customer has been essential to this growth.
At DAS we value not only your business, but your opinion. As a customer, your honest feedback helps DAS to ensure that our standards of quality and value are being met.
By answering a brief questionnaire about your experience with DAS, you'll be providing us with information vital to maintaining our legacy of Quality, Value and Integrity.
We appreciate your business, your feedback and your time. At DAS your opinion really does matter! Click on the link to go to the survey!


-----Original Message-----
From: David Szczublewski[SMTP:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 5:33:13 AM
To: Dependable Auto Shippers
Subject: Re: Your Opinion Matters! DAS ORDER# 2904087
Auto forwarded by a Rule

I picked up my car this afternoon from the DAS terminal in Delray Beach.
Although it was dirty from the long ride, even after they ran it through a quick wash, it appeared to be in pretty good shape. That was until I got the car home and gave it a real wash. What I thought was bird droppings on the
passenger side of the hood, turned out to be some other type of damage.
The hood decal has some strange discoloration in a few areas and there are two small scrapes just above the decal, near the windshield. I don't recall seeing anything like this during my visit to Boise, nor does this show
up in any of the pictures I took of the hood.
I am asking DAS to review this to see if I have any recourse, since I didn't point it out during the delivery inspection.
I am hoping that DAS will assist on the hood damage, but if not, I'll just have to chalk it up to stupidity on my part and the excitement of finally getting the car delivered to Florida.
All in all, I am still very happy with the way DAS moved the car across country and very excited about showing the car off here in South Florida. It has been a real pleasure dealing with DAS and I would recommend your company to anyone looking to relocate their car.
Thanks for everything!
David


----- Original Message -----
From: "D. Van Leer" <dvanleer>
To: <DAVIDLT>
Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 6:46 PM
Subject: RE: Your Opinion Matters! DAS ORDER# 2904087

Good afternoon David,
Please contact our claims department immediately so that we may issue a claim for your automobile. We apologize for the damage to your vehicle.
Thank you for choosing Dependable Auto Shippers. We again apologize for the inconvenience that you have experienced.
1-800-826-1083 - Please listen to the prompts to be connected to the claims department.
Thank you Sir.


----- Original Message -----
From: Jana Knowles
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006 3:09 PM
Subject: DAS 2904087, CLAIM 550471, SZCZUBLEWSKI

Hello Mr. SZCZUBLEWSKI,
I have had the opportunity to review the claim for damage to your vehicle and appreciate your patience throughout the process.
Based upon my review of your file, I must regretfully deny your claim. All damage must be documented at destination on the Bill of Lading when taking possession of your vehicle and unfortunately damage was not documented.
If you have any questions about the decision on your claim, or feel there is additional information relative to your claim that I am unaware of, please feel free to contact me.
Kindest regards,
Jana Knowles
Service Recovery Adjuster – Corporate Division
Dependable Auto Shippers, Inc.
Voice (877) 327-2524 ext 5127
Fax (972) 289-5566
[email protected]



-----Original Message-----
From: David Szczublewski [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006 4:53 PM
To: Jana Knowles
Subject: Re: DAS 2904087, CLAIM 550471, SZCZUBLEWSKI

Jana,
Please review the emails below. I reported the damage to DAS the day I picked the car up, and I would really appreciate it if DAS would reconsider my claim. I have attached a couple of pictures of the hood that were taken while I was in Boise prior to the car being shipped. The appraiser that was here said that without a doubt that the damage was caused by a corrosive like battery acid that dripped on the hood of my car, from the car above. I take very, very good care of my vehicles and you will notice that this damage was not listed on the drop off inspection done in Boise. I admit that I was ill prepared to examine the car completely upon delivery in Delray Beach, but I was so excited about it finally arriving that I was looking through rose colored glasses. I saw what looked like bird droppings on the decal and just figured I would wash this off when I returned home and gave the car a good bath.
Please take some time to think about your decision and let me know, in good conscience, that DAS is going to deny this claim after all the great things I have had to say to others here in South Florida about your company and the fine job they did transporting the car across the country.
Sincerely,
David Szczublewski


----- Original Message -----
From: Jana Knowles
To: David Szczublewski
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 9:43 AM
Subject: RE: DAS 2904087, CLAIM 550471, SZCZUBLEWSKI

Hello Mr. Szczublewski,
I have had the opportunity to re-review your claim with my manager and appreciate your patience throughout the
process.
Based upon our second review of your file, I must regretfully stand on the denial of your claim. You did not indicate any damages when the vehicle was delivered to you and we have no indication of the type of damage you are claiming on any of the inspection reports pertaining to your vehicle during transit.
Kindest regards,
Jana Knowles
Service Recovery Adjuster – Corporate Division
Dependable Auto Shippers, Inc.
Voice (877) 327-2524 ext 5127
Fax (972) 289-5566
[email protected]


Jana,
I am very disappointed with your decision and that of DAS. I just sold my Gold '78 Trans Am to a couple in Minnesota and highly recommended DAS to them for the transport of the car from Ft Lauderdale to Minneapolis, as a matter of fact, I am delivering the car to the terminal on Saturday, based on what I thought was going to be honesty and integrity of DAS as a company. I have been very honest with you and DAS and I feel that I am getting the short end of the stick here. The appraiser that you sent to my home to view the damage was quite specific that the damage to the hood and the eagle decal was caused by a leakage of some corrosive from the car that was located above my car on the transport truck. This was your appraiser, not mine. I don't have a copy of his actual report as one was not left for my files. I take very good care of my cars and would not ever consider damaging one intentionally just to file a claim. I really thought that DAS was going to take responsibility for this damage and do the right thing and have it repaired.
They say hindsight is 20/20 and in this case, the rinsing of the car by the terminal staff prior to my review did more to conceal the damage than it did to make it apparent. I realized this more and more after rinsing my car off a few days ago, the damage on the hood virtually disappears when the water beads up and the sun is shining on the car. As you stated, I did not indicate any damage during delivery, and as I have said, I was just so excited about getting delivery of the car I did not do the right thing and go over the car as I should have. I just wanted to get on the road and get it home.
I have learned a valuable lesson, one that I will be passing along to everyone in the five car clubs I belong to, as well as anyone asking my opinion as to what company I would recommend for car transport. There is no doubt that DAS is one of the largest, and maybe one unhappy customer means little to you, but I will be sure to advise anyone and everyone of my experience and advise them to go over their cars with a fine tooth comb before signing off on any paperwork, even if the terminal guys are trying to move them along so they can go home for the day.
Sincerely,
David Szczublewski
Not a satisfied customer

[Jerry H.]

A quick search on Ebay Motors 'motors forum' would have told you of the many horrors of using DAS. Even though they are recomended by Ebay, they do not seem to be a very reliable shipper at all. Sorry you had you problem. I guess we all live and learn.

[rexus31]

IMHO, Intercity Lines is the best.

[Jack Gifford]

What about your own insurance coverage on the vehicle?

[nedorama]

Or at least getting a car cover for the vehicle - that way paint, trim, etc. aren't exposed to the elements or worse. Even a tarp would be good.

[TA-dave]

Dave, I know exactly what your going through.I understand the carriers claim also. Even with a covered carrier your car can be damaged.I don't understand why they don't cover cars on bottom. When I shipped my Viper from Florida it was on a open carrier and they atleast put it on top at the front. It had no damage but was dirty.If I ever ship again I will pay someone who knows cars in that city to document any damage or no damage.Even if you would've pointed this out at delivery I doubt they would fix it without docks at departure.

[Heybuck]

You guys may not believe this but mid way through last year a mate of mine bought a Desoto Ambassador (not running) from some guy in Idaho. Bought it off eBay.

So he pays the guy and arranges DAS to collect the car and ship it to Longbeach to go in a container and out here to Oz. About 4 weeks go past and he starts asking questions why the car hasn't arrived in Longbeach. Turns out the car wasn't collected. DAS say it WAS collected & delivered despite the seller saying WHEN are you going get this car??

Big trouble but finally get DAS get the car. It then simply dissappeared. No-one wanted to know. No-one would assist. MUCH more trouble and they finally admitted the car was off loaded at some depot in Nevada. That took about 5 weeks to find the car then ANOTHER 2 weeks before they uplifted it. Thereafter it was quickly delivered but would you use them again..... NO WAY

Did they say sorry???? NO WAY.

[GTO Noob]

Well reading these posts makes me nervous. I am in the process of shipping my car from Scottsdale AZ to Grand Forks ND. Thankfully I did not use DAS I used A AAAdvantage. I hope they provide better service than DAS. I will get the seller to take some detailed pics of the car once it's loaded and then CAREFULLY inspect the car once it's delivered.

[baron_]

Able Auto has done well for me

they use individual auto transporters and sublet the work out - so they don't deal with a fleet of trucks or anything


the individual guys usually take better care of the vehicle than the big corporations, so they seem to do well

[tom s]

my 69 T/A was bottem loaded and brake fluid ate a part of the hood paint.NO ONE would accept the blame,NO ONE.Who ever you use have them guarantee top load!Tom

[kaysersuzuki]

i used choice carriers to haul the ta,it was an open trailer and he could only haul 3 at a time and no stacking,and was also cheaper and faster than most

[jstackem]

Soupy, I'm an insurance claims adjuster and I've seen this type of claim before. For any insurance company to accept liability for an incident, there must be some type of proof that the damage occurred while in their control. Unfortunately, you released them from all damages when you signed off and took delivery. There's no way for them to be certain that this damage didn't happen in the time that you had it and that's all they need to deny your claim.

You may still have some hope of atleast a partial recovery. First, get all of your stuff together. Try to get ahold of the appraiser and possibly something in writing as to what their findings were. Try to back up anything you have with documentation. Call the adjuster and insist on speaking with their supervisor. Explain the situation. Explain why you didn't notice it on delivery. Mention the possible cause of the damage. Be calm and rational. Ask for a percentage of the damages if they won't pay everything. Offer to sign a full and final release. But get someone on the phone. It's easy to deny someone in email. A little tougher on the phone when you've had a chance to show some personality.

[mike nixon]

Originally Posted by jstackem

Soupy, I'm an insurance claims adjuster and I've seen this type of claim before. For any insurance company to accept liability for an incident, there must be some type of proof that the damage occurred while in their control. Unfortunately, you released them from all damages when you signed off and took delivery. There's no way for them to be certain that this damage didn't happen in the time that you had it and that's all they need to deny your claim.

jstackem, drop me an email or a pm. i have a ? you may be able to answer and don't want to hijack this thread.

thanks, mike