Complaint Review: Ameritrans World Group Inc. Carlos Ospina VP - Miami Florida

Despite a confidence-inspiring web site and no complaints listed on the Rip-Off page, Ameritransworld Group Freight Forwarders are to be avoided not unless you want to be treated disrespectfully by V. P. Carlos Ospina, my account exec. When first contacted, about transporting my container from Miami Port Authority to our new home in Boca Raton, he was, however, professional and solicitous but that's before he had my money.

The problems came when it was time for me take delivery. I called him to ask about some fees that the shipper Lloyd-Haphag were billing me for, ones I thought had been covered by the German shipping company we engaged to get the container from Munich.

Ospina responded by talking over my questions, telling me bluntly and unhelpfully that "he didn't know anything about the fees - but they were my problem, not his." He told me to deal with it, or incur storage charges at the port authority.

This behavior repeated itself when I called on another occasion to inquire about additional fees, such as X-raying by customs. Instead of politely explaining the fees, he yelled at me that if I wanted my container delivered, I'd better make payment into his company's bank account immediately, as they had unwritten the fees.

I made a deposit promptly, without so much as a thank you from Ospina. No more Mr. Nice Guy.

The real problem came when the movers were unloading the container. The container arrived at 9 AM, escorted only by a driver. I called Ospina to learn that the movers,

subcontracted by him, were on their way.

About an hour and half later, I received a garbled cell phone call from Herardo, crew boss, asking me, in negligible English, to confirm my address. He had gotten it wrong on his order sheet from Ospina. Another 45 minutes passed, with more phone calls from Herardo, to discover the address error.

Once the men arrived, they were professional and courteous, and I forgot the delays and blunt demands for payment from Ospina, as finally, my goods were here.

About 45 minutes into the unloading, my wife called me over to show me that the mover on the truck, who we'd loaned our razor blade for opening boxes, had sliced the leather on my wife's antique chair, a family heirloom she'd just paid nearly $1000 to recondition.

I confronted Herardo, after asking for the razor blade and cautioning against his men blindly cutting into the wrapping. In the face of clear evidence -- matching the mover's cut on the wrapping with that of the slice on the chair -- he baldly denied that his man had done it. It must have happened on the German side, he argued, which was ridiculous as my wife witnessed the chair being loaded on the container in Munich in perfect condition, and the container sealed.

I asked about insurance. Herardo told me he had none -- that he was only a subcontractor and couldn't afford it. Call Ospina, he told me, sheepishly.

Now, when I called Ospina, to request an insurance claim on his policy, he accused me of trying to gouge him for previous damages I was trying to pass on to him. He began yelling at me, that it wasn't his problem, passing the buck back to Herardo and the movers. Then he hung up.

I should have called the police and refused to pay the movers their $450 fee for unloading. Now that the ugly facts were out no one was going to take responsibility for the damage they promptly packed up and readied to leave.

They hadn't finished the job, I objected, which included assisting with reconstructing my furniture, promised earlier by Ospina as part of the job. When I called him to complain about the movers leaving early, he yelled some more, insisting that the three hours I had contracted had been spent partly on riding up from Miami, a 45 minute drive at best, and that they were under no obligation to assist any further, their time was done, even though they spent an hour and half of my three hours driving around lost.

When I tried to bring up the issue of the damaged antique chair again, he hung up on me -- for the third time.

I called him back and berated him for hanging up, not at all professional treatment. He told me he didn't need my business -- and, of course, hung upon me.

As it stands, no one is taking responsibility for the damage -- which will cost $750 to repair. I plan to file a complaint with the bureau of better business, and recover the costs.

My advice to other unsuspecting customers? Stay away from Ameritransworld and Mr. Carlos Ospina not unless you want uninsured, un-professionals handling your goods; and abuse instead of courteous, responsible treatment from their contractor, Transworld.

Amis blue

Boca Raton, Florida

U.S.A.

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