Company Response Review Report Review
Awful Service - Did not Deliver "Door to Door," Late Pick-up

Dissatisfied Suncoast Customer Submitted this review about Suncoast Auto Transport Inc.
Review made Live: 12/3/2008 7:59:00 AM
Do NOT use SunCoast Auto Transport. I chose them based on positive Internet reviews, but that was a mistake. I chose them to ship my car from California to Washington DC in November 2008. The initial set-up conversation went well, but almost all else was a nightmare. I was promised a Saturday pick-up, but no one ever called to schedule a time. When we called the driver's company, we were promised a weekend pick-up. Again, no one showed. Then Monday, the car was supposed to be picked up. Again, it did not happen. Finally, on Tuesday, they showed up at 10:30pm (although the driver said he would be there around 5pm). That's irritating.

The big problem? The company apparently does not deliver "door to door" despite their advertisements. The driver called me once he arrived in Washington DC to say that he wasn't able to get into DC with a huge truck. Duh! I would have expected that an auto transport company would know that, and that they would have had alternative arrangments to get the car into DC. Instead - SunCoast auto transport told me I should make arrangements with the driver - not my job, as they are the ones who made the "door to door" promise. Becky claimed that "door to door" really means "we don't drop at a terminal, but we'll get the car as close as we can." One would think that when they saw it was being delivered to Washington, DC, they would have known there might be an issue and advised me that they would just get "as close as we can" so that I wasn't left scrambling for solutions at the last minute. That's right- me, figuring out the problem that they created.

SunCoast's solution? To have me pick up the car ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY!!! The driver was parked on the shoulder. They couldn't even figure out to tell the driver to drive to a rest stop. I did that. On my time and my dime. They took 1.5 hours of discussions with the driver's company to decide that the only solution was to have me pick up the car ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. 1.5 hours. Meanwhile, the driver was sitting on the side of the freeway - he could have driven the car in and been on his way in that time. I then had to drive out 40 minutes to pick up the car. And they wouldn't even provide a partial refund, or agree to cover the cab fare. The driver was very nice, but both SunCoast (the broker) and VIP Transport (who made & broke promises about the car's pick-up time) were a nightmare.
Shipment Details
Origin State:
California
Pickup:
Late
Destination State:
Washington DC
Delivery:
On Time
Customer Service
Honesty:
Knowlegeable:
Promptness:
Customer Service:
Review Details
Quote or Order Id:
John
Quote or Order Cost:
$1000

Car Condition
  • Vehicle was dirty
Company Response
Becky from Suncoast Auto Transport Inc. Submitted this response.
Response Date: 12/3/2008 11:17:00 AM
We did everything we could possibly do to accommodate this customer. We do in fact offer door-to-door service but this particular situation was completely out of our control. The delivery address was in such close proximity to the White House that our driver could not get there. NOT BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT TO, BUT BECAUSE HE WAS TOLD BY THE WASHINGTON D.C. POLICE THAT HE WOULD BE ARRESTED IF HE ATTEMPTED TO GET ANY CLOSER. The customer is correct however, when she states that we spent over an hour and a half on the phone trying to resolve the matter and find a convenient, close location for her to meet the driver that would not result in him getting arrested or losing his license. The customer refused to cooperate and would not even take a moment to speak to the driver and let him know what would work for her. Normally, when the driver is close to the pick up location and the delivery location, he calls the customer directly to arrange the time with them. This eliminates any confusion and tends to be the most logical way to pick up and deliver vehicles promptly without any delays. In this case, the customer refused to speak to the driver and hung up on us several times when we were trying to get her vehicle delivered. We may have spent an hour and a half on the phone trying to work this out with her but our driver on the other hand, spent at least 3 hours trying to find a way to get this customer her vehicle. It was impossible for us to find a meeting point, alternate address, or even a rest area for our driver to meet her at since she would not cooperate or speak to the driver. Once we finally convinced her to do so, the problem was solved within several minutes. When we book and dispatch any vehicles, we make it a point to tell our customers that the driver will be contacting them DIRECTLY prior to pick up and delivery. Also, on our website (www.suncoastautotransport.com) under the Services section, the very first paragraph is Door-to-Door Service. It says that the driver will pick up and deliver at the addresses provided to us without using terminals in between. It also states that in certain instances, the driver may have difficulty getting to the exact address due to very narrow roads, low hanging trees, or (as in this case) if it is inaccessible to the driver due to laws or regulations of that particular location. This is for the safety of the driver as well as the safety of all vehicles involved. If a driver attempts to go onto a road that is too narrow or has low hanging trees, it could result in damage to the vehicles. If a driver attempts to go into a restricted area it could result in the loss of his license and also a huge delay in our customers getting their vehicles.