Complaint Review: Berthoud Fair Deal Auto's - Loveland Colorado

According to FMCSA Enforcement office (Tel No. 202-382-2355), as long as the pick up was not from a car dealership, even though it was a car got shipped, it still belongs to House Hold Goods. Berthoud did not offer me any documents except the Bill of lading with NO Number, NO Insurance company's information, No showing whose copy it is/how many copies totally. It's a set up for the whole scam later and it can still occur everyday now if they are using the same illegal BOL. More traps are later...   The sole carrier, shipped my Honda Accord 2001 V6(VIN# 1HGCG16521A018059) from TX to WA. When I received my car on Oct 1st , 2009, I immediately noticed 3 new damages which were not there before. I was also instructed by driver to mark the 3 damages on the chart and initialized beside them (I only realized later why he asked me to do it). and I noted them down on BOL  in the presence of the truck driver :1.New Gap found between left rear fender & bumper. 2.New Scratches found on a new rear bumper. 3. New Scratches found on the front right fender above the tire. I took photos of car in front of the driver and my witness. Before I paid the driver, I asked him to call his boss, Robert Gabielson. He told me there will be no problem and just go estimate the damages and fax to him, they will claim from their insurance company later. (But the broker, Patricia East at Atlas Auto Shipping, delayed for over a week to give me the insurance information. In the end, misled me intentionally by writing me the insurance company is Timberline Insurance Agency. The scam was followed up by the insurance agent, Diane E. Martin later, finding all the possible excuses to decline my claim, as if she is an adjustor and even supported the carrier to falsify against me later).

After I drove my car back to Canada on the same day, Oct 1st, 2009 I called the broker and told to get at least 2 estimates. I went to get 3 the next day and fax the 2 low ones (CAD$1038 & CAD$1163) to Berthoud. Oct 8th, over the phone, Robert denied scratches above the right front to compensate much less.  He only offered US$280 for the bumper scratches and Maybe the 80 dollars for the gap, then immediately challenged me: Or sue me in court. The broker also emailed me that Berthoud said I added something to the estimates, which was untrue. The broker also asked me both verbally and in writing why specific parts and jobs are on the estimates. I never knew I needed to know everything on the estimates. I thought there is a misunderstanding because those body shops did not specify those jobs listed are for those 3 damages only. So I faxed Berthoud the highest estimate which sort the jobs according to the 3 damages, along with the BOL signed by the driver before writing the amount I paid him. Suddenly and ridiculously, Robert called to accuse me of fraud furiously, for adding more items to the BOL after signing at WA, which I never did.

In an attempt to release their unnecessary anger on this highest estimate, I went back to the body shop that offered me the lowest estimate and asked them to re-examine the estimate. They specified on their estimate the same three damages they estimated the first time and I sent it back to the carrier and the broker again to prove the body shop did not estimate anything else but those 3 damages. But they kept on ignoring me. It took me long time to realize why I have an extra copy of  BOL -- the driver left his own copy with me after signing in WA on purpose, so that they could say I added something later. It was pure preparation for their falsifying later. Berthoud has never compensated me anything.    The Scam-- use the illegal BOL with no # (very easy to duplicate a false one by tracing the signature), no insurance companys info, no whose copy it is (leave the shipper with the carriers copy intentionally), ask shippers to note the damage at delivery and turn the table on the victim saying they added more after signing at the delivery. Worse, the broker and the insurance agent are colluded together with the carrier, their client.  Anybody out there who has similar experience/frustration to deal with any of these 3 businesses and need help, please feel free to write complaints to Federal Trade commission at www.ftc.gov, BBB, and the federal level of Dept.of Transportation at www.protectiveyourmove.gov (rememeber to mark it as HHG-HouseHoldGoods, otherwise there is not enough personnel to get in charge of auto shipping) and State Attorney General. If you need more detailed information or some other help, please write to me at (((email redacted))) to me. I will be more than willing to assist you or be your testimony if you are going to sue this business like I have to. 

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.