[s-cars] Car transport

[Dan Simoes]

You can check movingscam.com for reviews of movers, including auto  
companies.
I used a company called Autolog which I reviewed here (you may need to  
register to read so I will paste below):

http://www.movingscam.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4917&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

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I used Autolog to ship a car from NY to CA last month (terminal to  
terminal, Newburgh to Hayward).

The price charged was much less than anyone else I found. On top of  
the price shown on the website, there are other small fees, which add  
up. The cost for my car was around $830.

The car arrived a few days late, but I knew this because I was  
checking in every few days.

When the car arrived at Hayward, it was dirty but looked fine. I  
learned the next day that my pedal covers were missing (it's a VW and  
had Audi TT pedal covers, a common upgrade). Autolog said that these  
are "personal items" and would not be covered, since it was not  
standard equipment. I told them I had another car to ship and they  
should come back with a better answer.
When pressed, they offered $50 credit towards another shipment.

Last week, I shipped our second vehicle, this time directly from  
Linden. I thought the price would be the same, but it was higher,  
because our SUV is considered a "jeep" (it's a suzuki XL7, a very  
small SUV). OK, fine, there was nothing I could do at that point. The  
tab for this one is over $1000.

We left some personal items in the trunk (drycleaning, etc) and I hope  
nothing is touched this time around. My sense is that if things were  
taken on every shipment, they would not be in business, and likely the  
thief noticed something he could grab quickly, that the owner would  
not notice for a while.
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Our second vehicle arrived, mostly on time.

Like the first vehicle, this one arrived extremely dirty (as in so  
dirty that you have to clean the windshield before leaving).

I did a quick walkaround and verified condition. They may have bumped  
the front right corner of the bumper but I can't confirm that as  
certain.
What I did notice was that the glovebox contents had been emptied out  
on the front seat and passenger side floor.

I complained to the guy when I went back in, and he said "What do you  
expect? 10 different people touch this car as it goes through, it's  
impossible to watch it."

So, my autolog experience:

Pro:
- priced less or the same as everyone else
- offers pickup as an option
- offers same day drop off. This is a misnomer as you have to PAY  
before you can drop off, which means faxing a credit card form over  
(and paying a CC surcharge) or mailing a certified check. You cannot  
pay on site.
- delivered mostly on time
- delivered without major damage

Con:
- cars arrived filthy. This may be normal but it wouldnt take much to  
hose the cars off when they arrive.
- 1st car missing custom pedals (stolen). 2nd car had glovebox  
contents emptied out on floor.
- pricing somewhat deceptive. The quote price from their website is a  
base price, which goes up if you charge it on a card, ship a truck or  
SUV (even a small one!), etc.

Recommendation: if you use them, take everything out of your glovebox  
and don't leave anything you would want in the car. If you have a  
customized car, these items are considered "personal effects" and not  
covered if stolen, if they didn't come with the car from the factory.
I recommend taking digital pictures of the car inside and out when you  
drop it off.