Dependable Auto Shippers ripoff Stole from the trunk of my car several expensive items with centimental values after they assured me that it is ok to put stuff in trunk as long as it is empty from inside Mesquite Texas
The car was shipped from Massachusetts to Texas, before I deliver the car I asked them if its ok to put some stuff in the trunk they said its ok as long as its empty from inside. When I received the car, 3 items were missing: 1- telescope celstron nex-star 102 price $479.00; 2- tent for outside price $150.00; 3-stanless steel hanger $29.00. I called filed a claim. Ida Livar (adjuster) returned my call and sent me a form for Loss and Damage Claim. I filled it out and send it. She called me to tell me that they are not responsible for the items inside the car, they can handle only damage to the car. Please tell me what to do? Thank you.
Alia
katy, Texas
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Joe
Austin,Texas,
U.S.A.
You left WHAT in your car trunk and WHO had the keys?
#4Consumer Comment
Fri, February 23, 2007
Are YOU going to leave a pile of $100 bills in your home and extremely valuable merchandise UNSECURED in your house and let just ANYBODY have the key?
I'm not.
Are you going to leave extremely valuable items IN THE BACK OF A CAR TRUNK and give the key to just anybody and you don't know if they are licensed and bonded and if their employer has insurance????
I'm going to check out the company first!
Any time I can't be where I can keep an eye on MY MEANINGFUL STUFF-- especially valuable and sentimental stuff, it is LOCKED UP at HOME or a SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX in a bonded and Secure FDIC-insured savings institution! ( Forget the storage places for rent, professional crooks can and do break into them and unless you check them every day, you will never know until it is too late!)
Anything I leave in a vehicle IN PLAIN VIEW ESPECIALLY, I will probably lose so I just don't do it. Not even in a locked trunk. Many times when you go to a club, your wife or girl friend will put her purse in the trunk and that is usually one of the first places a car theif will look after they have taken your vehicle out of the immediate area.
Let me play the Devil's advocate for a moment!
Let me say that I am the guy who owns this car shipping company and I have to watch out that I am not getting accused of stealing someone's Rollex watch ( or fill in the blank for any other fabulously expensive luxury item) THAT THE disgrunteled customer NEVER HAD! I would at least have some sort of bond or insurance --- but most of all, I would have to know if you ever owned the items to start with and CAN YOU PROVE IT!
There are two sides to every story, you know. I am NOT saying or even implying that you did this. But I am fairly sure that people in the past may have dones something like that concerning this company and companies like his. I guess you could try to sue and collect damages but then, you would have to prove the existance of the items in the first place. Goood luck with that, unless you had a videotape or still/digital photos that had the date and time stamped on the frames of themerchandise in quesiton ( a good idea, by the way, if you do have extremely valuable and treasured possessions and want proof of them). Save recipets and serial numbers of items with the photos and keep them in another secured location from the actual items.
Depending on what those items were, I have to wonder why you didn't take them with you or rent a U-Haul truck and move yourself --especially when you hear about all of the bad things that moving companies have allegedly done to people.
KEEP YOUR VALUABLE STUFF WITH SENTIMENTAL AND GREAT MONETARY VALUE WITH YOU!
You should know that you can't trust anybody else to watch your stuff like you would.
Not everybody else might have had the same socioeconomic background and all the advantages that you had and the stuff that you take foregranted that everybody has and nobody else would want to steal... well, to some people, the temptation is jsut to irresistable!
Keep your stuff where you can see it or SECURE IT!
I have been a security professional for about 20 years or so and you have to use a little common sense.
Itmes that you value dearly --those of sentimental value --and if there are financial considerations on its worth, then just follow common sense security procedures and keep it secured or locked up and limit access.
It MIGHT be possible to recover some of the items if you can get them listed on NCIC ---National Criminal Information Center --a computerized database.
Contact your local police department, report the theft and ask them to enter the stolen items into NCIC and TCIC. Considering your car was in transit through several states, it might mean the feds MAY have some jurisdiction. Wouldn't hurt to ask the local FBI office.
By the way, good luck.
You are going to need it.
P.S. People tend to steal things that are not secured. In Texas too, so be careful!
Dave
Jacksonville,Florida,
U.S.A.
You're out of luck I'm afraid. You don't leave items in the trunk of a car when you ship, especially expensive stuff...
#4Consumer Comment
Wed, February 21, 2007
I ship cars all over the country, both buying and selling. You don't leave items in the trunk of a car when you ship, especially expensive stuff... What in the heck were you thinking? If it was that important, why didn't you have it sent via FedEx or something?
Never leave anything of importance in a car being shipped. If it's worth more than $20, it's almost a given that it will be stolen. They don't inventory the car's contents when it's shipped. Their insurance only covers damages to your car during transit, not valuables left inside.
A R
Kirkwood,Missouri,
U.S.A.
No claim
#4Consumer Suggestion
Wed, February 21, 2007
You do not have a claim for personal items left in your car and in their contract it stipulates that.
Your vehicle is inspected for any discrepencies ( any pevious damage dents scratches and so on), your vehicle is not inventoried and anything that is not attached to your vehicle permantley is not covered by the motor carrier or the motor carriers insurance.