Complaint Review: COUNTRYWIDE TRANSPORT INC.

This report is to inform other folks what kind of crap company Countrywide Transport, Inc. is and warn others to make the same mistake I did.

I had to move from California to Germany and I my car was part of the goods I had to ship. I started to look around to get prices. One offer came from Countrwide Transport. Pete Bilson sent me an offer saying that Countrywide Transport will ship my car from the port of Long Beach to Bremerhaven for $1,695.00 plus insurance. First he said that insurance would be 2.5% of declared value of the car.
In the meantime other companies sent me offers but Countrywide still was the best in terms of money. So, I decided to chose them.

I paid a deposit of $500 and then, after I calculated the value of my car, he said that shipping insurance now is 3.5% of declared value. That was the first suspicious issue. I asked why the insurance rate has been raised. There was no clear answer only the statement that this is the rate.

Then I received the information where I had to drop off my car. I contacted this company in Paramount, CA. At least here was everything ok. I drove down to the LA area and left my car over there and toke my flight to Germany.
In the meantime Countrywide sent me the final bill with the amount I still had to pay. I asked again regarding the insurance and I also asked them to send me a insurance policy or something like that. I never got it. Pete Bilson only sent me useless forms and statements that everything is ok. Then another guy, name is Daniel, sent me an email asking me why I am so suspicious. After a few emails back and forth I gave up.

Since I had to wire the money from Germany I asked them to give me some details that are necessary for international money transfer. They only kept sending me "details" I was not asking for and always saying that I have enough information to wire the money. They have no idea what BIC, SWIFT and IBAN is. After some research done by myself I wired the money end of January and I never heard anything back that they haven't received it. I assumed everything is ok.

End of February I got the message from the shipping comapny in Germany that my car has been arrived but it is still on hold. After some emails and phone calls it turned out that some money is still not paid. I called the shipping company in Paramount and the guy over there told me that I need to contact another comapy in San Diego. What? Another company?

Now 3 different comapnies in the US are involved. What a ridiculous chain. The lesson I learnt so far: Countrywide Transport is a neither a shipping nor a transport company. This company is only a middle man sucking money.
Well, then I called this 3rd company in San Diego and they lady on the phone told me that they are waiting for a payment from Countrwide Transport and therefore they can not give the final OK to have my car released. I sent an email to Countrywide asking for clarification. Bilson answered that everything has been paid and I should be able to pick up my car.

I went back to this San Diego campany and told them what the answer was. I also started to have all 3 involved comapnies in the email header. Then Bilson sent me an email back that this San Diego campny is holding back a payment. Then the lady from San Diego answered that this is not thru. She also worte that Countrywide always makes late payments and customers have to suffer quite often.
I should mention that this Daniel of Countrywide never answered any email. What a arrogant and ignorant !"$%&%$"!

In the meantime the company in Germany is charging me 8,00 parking fee for every single day. What a pain. I sent a more then clear email to Countrwide Transport and Bilson answered me that my friend Daniel is not at work and he will be back on Monday, 03/02/2009.

He asked me to give them time until Monday. My case will be the first they will work on. Ok, since I am a really nice guy I gave him another couple of days. On Monday I sent 3 emails to Countrywide asking what the status is. My friend Daniel was also in the email. No answer!

Today is Tuesday, 03/03/2009 and I still have no clue what the heck is going on. I only know that 8,00 are leaking out of my pocket every single day. Money for nothing.

Here is the summary: Whenever you have to move something and for some reason you will receive a offer from Countrywide Transport DO NOT take this offer. DO NOT take it even it is the cheapest one.They have NO idea how to treat customers right. They do their best to make it complicate and customers ending up with stupid stress. I really have to hold my self back to type the words that are actually flying around in my head.

Countrwide Transport: If you read this be informed that my next step to nail you down is already in preparation. The next step is to have the US Department of Transportation informed what kind of fraudulent and crap company you are. Be sure that I will be the pain in your butt until this issue has been soved.

Frank
Dresden
Germany