<TABLE style="TABLE-LAYOUT: fixed" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="85%" height="100%">Ok, so I know this topic has been done to death, but it has finally happened to me and I don't know where else to turn or who else to ask. My pride and joy has been damaged, severely by a shipping company. It's a complicated situation, but here's the info. I just recently sold the best car I owned to a gentle man oversea's. It needed to be shipped from the east coast to the west coast in order to be put on a boat to go overseas's. He was having some difficulties arranging the cross country transport, although he has the ocean shipping part arranged. Being the nice guy I am I tried to help in order to make this go smoothly. I called a shipping broker that I had used before and trusted, and they arranged the cross country shipping. I meet the truck, driver, watched it get loaded ect, did what I could to ensure it was looked after. Well, the car has made it to the west coast, but was severely damaged along the way, apparently by the truck driver. This is just in the " early " stages " of being sorted out. I know I have read enough other threads on here to know that allot of people on this site have had thier cars damaged before as well. I was hoping someone could offer me a few tips based on their experiences on how I am going to get a fair and resonable settlement out of the shipping company. The one major problem I see is that the car is now on the west coast, basically at the docks waiting to be shipping out of country and oversea's. Both myself and the purchaser feel like we are a million miles away from the car, and have to rely on pictures and other people's descriptions, help, ect. Has anyone experienced anything like this, or have any tips and what I should be saying or doing to get the insurance company to repair, or give us a check to pay for the repairs to the car once it has arrived at it's final desination ? Thanks PS - I cancelled my insurance on the car. Does any one know of a 3rd parts adjuster or estimater around Carson, CA, which is in the Los Angeles area </TD></TR><TR><TD class=smalltext vAlign=bottom width="85%"><TABLE style="TABLE-LAYOUT: fixed" width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=smalltext width="100%" colSpan=2></TD></TR><TR><TD class=smalltext id=modified_157381 vAlign=bottom></TD><TD class=smalltext vAlign=bottom align=right> Logged </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Maybe you could find someone on this site who for expenses might go look at your car and give you a eye ball opinion.
I am assuming you were paid for the car before it was loaded? The new owner should have insured it. His insurance company should take the lead and pursue damages with the shipper. The insurance company should pay for repairs or total the car and pay the new owner. After that, they would subbrogate against the shipper or his insurance company.
I had to call the guy who bought my Buick and E mail him the pics of it wedged on the hauler. The haulers don't seem to care too much.
I deal with shipping companies all the time at work. The only thing that you could have done differently was to purchase insurance on your shipment and shipping it with a declared value. Most of the time the shipping company will only pay you a nominal fee of about $2-5 per pound up to a predetermined maximum ($1000?). Also, if you had pictures of the car before shipment, that could help your case. Hopefully you are dealing with a reputable company - If you don't find satisfaction, let everyone who you were dealing with so others won't have to go through the same thing with the same company. Sometimes bad publicity can help to remedy a situation!
Whatever the damage, unless you purchased VALUATION with the shipping company, you won't get much. If the company is reputable (and NOT an Internet paper pusher) they will honor a reasonable repair/replacement up to the valuation purchased. If you shipped the car with only the standard carriers liability, then figure on a few pennies on the dollar. What ever insurance the carrier has will not pay a single cent more than the valuation purchased or the carriers liability whichever is the greatest. (All of the lawyers in the USA and Canada won't change this) All of that info will be in place on the order for service and/or the bill of lading provided to you by the carrier.
once the car is loaded it's insured by the shipping company, and the broker that you used if he has insurance. you are not liable for the car once you have payment in hand. it's up to the buyer to arange a shipping company and insurance coverage, it's kinda cold to say but it's not your problem it's the buyers. i just bought a car 1800 miles away and had to make all the arangements, get insurance , and prey it made it safe,that's why you insure it above what you pay for it. the only thing that can realy be done in for the buyer to complete the shipping to it's destination,then let his insurance company fight it out. i know it sucks but that is just how it is. there's no use in you getting upset about it because it's not your problem it's the buyers, that's the risk they take when having to ship them. all i can say is i hope you were paid before it was loaded.
When the car leaves my hands it is the buyers problem. Because I have been paid in full and the buyer has arranged for his transport company to pick it up.Years ago I sold a chopper to a guy on the west coast the driver dropped it on the ground when unloading it I felt bad but not really my problem. Just my 2 cents
Confused by your post Was shipping done in the states or in Canada? Did you contract for the shipping or did the Buyer? A few lessons here can be learned: Sellers - never arrange transport for Buyers Buyers - do not expect the Seller to arrange transport If the Seller contracted for the shipment, he is on the hook for the damage in the long run You are right - you will find thousands of threads on dozens of websites about customer dissatisfaction to some degree with bulk transport of vehicles If I told people up front that there was a 60 to 70 percent satisfaction rate for the transport service I provide they would hang up the phone laughing .... If you gamble by using a Broker for transport then sometimes the dice don't roll in your favor At this point if you DID NOT contract for the transport stay the hell out of it before it gets even worse If you DID contract for the transport be prepared for a long drawn out battle that you will ultimately be on the losing end of Jim
having read endless "shippers damaged my car" threads i would really have to speak to somebody in depth before i had anything shipped. if it was a parts car of low value that would be different.
I just looked over the bill of lading and I don't see anything about a dollar amount limit for damage. Am I missing something ? Because there is nothing on there about that.
I learned a lesson abour brokers. No damage to my car, but they give you the run around and rarely keep there word. I finally got trulyvinatge to ship my car and he did it right. Lesson for me was always look on the HAMB for a fellow car guy to ship it. They really care about the cars. In my opinion, that shyster shipping company you used should have insurance and pay the new owner for the damages. I woud say that once he paid for it and you signed the title... it's his car and his issue.
Wonder if it was same truck driver that damaged my Dodge--Shipping to texas from Cali, I now have two dents on the top from the trailer it was hauled on---
im still waiting to find out if he was paid first, I'm guessing yes and if he is actually liable because he arrainged the transport to the dock?
Generally with freight (or cars) there is a limited amount a company is responsible for, unless you perchase additional insurance. That is usually based on a $1000 increment. I owned a 3rd party logistics company we CLEARLY stated on the bill of lading that we would only pay $250.00 for loss or damage maximum unless additional insurance is purchased. This is very common. Otherwise anybody could ship anything of value, get it to destination, and claim it is damaged just to get paid (an easy way to sell something you don't want). You would know if you bought the insurance and if you didn't, then my suggestion would be to get someone from HAMB on the west coast to to get some pictures ON TRANSPORTERS YARD/PROPERTY, put them with the pictures you have of it being loaded or in your driveway, and get ready for a battle. You will probably need a lawyer if the transport company doesn't have a stitch of integrity. You may want to post their name on here so no one else on here calls them to use - unless they end up being a stand up company.
<TABLE style="TABLE-LAYOUT: fixed" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="85%" height="100%"> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=smalltext vAlign=bottom width="85%"><TABLE style="TABLE-LAYOUT: fixed" width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=smalltext width="100%" colSpan=2> I'm confused by those statements. If you canceled the insurance then you're outta luck. </TD></TR><TR><TD class=smalltext id=modified_157381 vAlign=bottom></TD><TD class=smalltext vAlign=bottom align=right></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Have done this a number of times, and it is the responsibility of the buyer or his broker to arrange shipping. The buyer is supposed to have it insured when it leaves your hands. I always take pictures from all angles when it is sitting on the trailer tailgate just before it rolls into the trailer in case there are any problems so it doesn't roll down hill to me. I also always get a signed sheet detailing any damage (scratchs, dents, etc) if there are any. That puts all the blame on the carrier if there is damage. I'm so picky I tell the buyer it ain't leaving my shop unless it's in an enclosed trailer. I'm gonna minimize the damage by not transporting on an open trailer. I keep the insurance on it for about 2 weeks after it is shipped then cancel it. Only had one damaged, a deuce pu that someone stepped in the middle of the hood between NY and London.
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