BAD GUY: Dependable Auto Shippers (DAS)
 

DAS is the recommended automobile shipper by eBay. I'm sure it is because they are getting a kickback.

I moved from Pensacola, Fl to the Seattle, WA area.

Usually, I wouldn't complain that something gets delivered ahead of time, but in this case we were driving across the country and taking a vacation at the same time in my wife's Matrix. The car arrived in Lakewood, WA (vice Lynwood where we thought it would be) 10 days early, causing us to shorten our vacation time, or pay a storage fee each day. They give you five free days, but we'd been planning on using those and picking up the car on the 30th or so.

Somewhere en route, either loading my car, or on/off loading other cars, the shipper dropped a ramp (see pictures below) on the roof just above the rear windscreen. It damaged the roof, the plastic rail and the top of the quarter panel. The pressure of the ramp on the roof blew out the glass, showering it all over the interior (and my kid's car seat). They also put heavy curb rash on all of my wheels.

Now, I'm not entirely certain, but this all could have been an intentional "F***you" for not having paid the extra liability insurance. I figure they will mess with 1/6 people's cars and get out of it for $150, and that person will run around screaming "make sure you buy the extra insurance".

My insurance is covering it, and I'm sure that they'll go after DAS for the damages. These are the images they sent me, so sorry for the quality.

The receiving garage on the other end tried to not-so-subtly imply that I should use their facility to repair the damage... yeah, sure buddy, I'll get right on that.

If I'd checked transports.com, I'd have realized that they have a very low rating. Lots of people with major complaints against DAS.

aww man sorry to hear that, there's a shitty thing I'm starting to notice about folks in the automotive service industry, and that's it is staffed by a lot of brainless monkeys who could give 2 crap about anything other than lunch hour and what time they get off of work. My previous car has also gotten messed up by idiots not doing their job, and my current one had the wheels butchered by tire monkeys who weren't careful taking them off/on etc. ugh..makes me sick to see your pics, good luck with everthing.

DAS shows the prices on their website without the insurance (so they look a lot cheaper than other places that already cover it in their price). Then when you order, your price goes up $150. For us that meant $1150 total. Then they tell you that they have a $250 deductible that you have to pay if they damage your vehicle. What??! So, I can pay them $400 if they screw up my car, or I can not buy the insurance, get $150 from them to go towards the $250 deductible I have with my car insurance company. Hmmm....$400 or $100... But then I guess they might not have screwed it up in the first place had we paid that evtra $150, but that was still higher than my deductible would end up. Personally though I will never use DAS again.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I was in the same exact situation last year in winter, contemplating who to trust for my RX-8's safe transport from NJ to CA.

After reading numerous reviews by actual customers as posted on http://www.movingscam.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1470, I ended up choosing Golden Key Express. The cost was higher than DAS, but still reasonable. As a matter of fact, I compiled a spreadsheet for quotes obtained from various transporters. At the end, the car was delivered door-to-door as promised, in the time frame initially given and in the same exact condition when it left. Most importantly, the car was not flooded and was put in the top bunk to avoid spillage from other car's undercarriage.

To summarize, I found the followings to be the recommended transporters:

High-end (enclosed):
Intercity Lines (Barrett Jackson official carrier)
Reliable Carriers

Others:
Coast to Coast (no CA)
Golden Key Express
Moovers Inc (mainly household goods mover, with space left for cars sometimes, so enclosed)
Broadway Express (household goods mover, cars optional with goods moving, so enclosed)

oh man, that sucks! Hopefully they'll have your 8 looking like NEW very soon

I don't have personal experience with car transportation companies but I do know what kind of people are hired to drive semis across the country. If you knew what I know you would not want to be within 100 yards of a semi - or OTR driver - ever again. Not even in a parking lot.

horror-story. I wonder though, would you have a small-claims case in the event your insurance didn't take care of you?

I don't know because my insurance company took care of it. The car is back and it looks better than the day I bought it, it was used after all...

One note on the $150 check from DAS, we can't cash it until the insurance company gives us the OK. If we cash it, we are accepting the terms of the "settlement". Meaning, the $150 is all we and the insurance company can get from DAS.

I hope my ins company takes them for the whole bill... which was about $3800 not counting the wheel damage.