Complaint Review: Enterprise Auto Transport

At the beginning of March 2018 I filled out a request on Uship, a  3rd party website for a quote on transporting a vehicle from California to Illinois. Almost instantly I started receiving text messages, phone calls and email quotes. One of them came from Rena Anders at Enterprise Auto Transport.  It was followed by a lengthy email purporting Rena's Christian roots and business practices. Interestingly most of the quotes oscillated within the same ballpark of a cost of transportation. As a result of further research it turned out that all of those quotes were  perfect examples of "bait and switch" scheme widely practiced by these underregulated and unethical Transportation brokers. Another email from Rena followed with a "lesson on transportation industry" paragraph.  As I would soon find out this lesson was also devoid of crucial and important details revealing how truly this industry functions. 

After initial quote was provided from Enterprise on 3/7/18 I decided to book transportation on 3/14/18 with planned pick up of a car on 3/26 in California. After calling Rena I requested Covered Transportation from California to Illinois, which was going to cost $400 extra. The initial quote was for $745-open transport so $1145 was supposed to be the final cost for the Covered Transport. After gathering personal information she immediately charged my credit card a $200 broker fee. I continued contacting her for several days for the Dispatch information. On 3/20 she responded that Dispatch info would be emailed as soon as she gets in the office. When I received the Dispatch sheet she has changed the Type of transport from Covered to OPEN and still charged $1145 for the entire transaction. When I contacted her to correct the issue, she claimed that I did not even have a driver assigned yet 1 week before an agreed pick up time. I reluctantly agreed to transport the car in an OPEN trailer specifying that changes in pricing that occurred to that point were not discussed or authorized, and additionally the change in type of transportation was also unauthorized. She attempted to cancel the transaction at that point.

I strongly advise anyone utilizing a broker to maintain an email documentation and minimize any telephone communication. As evidenced by many consumer experiences scams are rampant and this one was no different. The industry is monitored by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and you can contact them with any reports or complaints. Better Business Bureau is another avenue in addition to the State Attorney's Office and finally a legal counsel is an option to pursue any claims.  Continuing to 3/26, my car was picked up 1 day  late and delivered 2 days late. Luckily there was no damage to the vehicle albeit time of pick up and delivery can't be counted on at all. It can't be overemphasized how important the research is prior to committing to a middle man transportation broker, who fleeces both ends of the transaction- the consumer and the freight company. It's advisable to deal with Transportation company directly without involvement of any brokers. Lesson learned and advise given: Stay away from Transportation Brokers including Rena Anders and Enterprise Auto Transport!!!