ABC Car Shipping

I had to ship my new Audi Q7 cross-country & being able to trust the company doing it is an understatement. I called several companies, read reviews, did a lot of research & this is what I learned: you pay a broker who shops the trip to multiple drivers/carriers then you pay the carrier. Sometimes brokers know the carriers or drivers & sometimes they don't. Insurance is always the same no matter what they tell you & no matter who you use. Another thing I learned is that a company can have a AAA+ BBB rating the same on Yelp, Google etc, but you have to look back & see if the company has changed their name in the last 2 years or so, find the old name & look that up. Often carriers will change names time & time again because in truth they royally suck & they want to hide that. Thankfully, I didn't have to deal with ANY of that. Arman, whose company is ABC Auto Shipping, is a consummate professional. Arman took the time to answer every question I had. He gave me helpful tips for preparing my car for shipping (my driver told me that brokers usually don't even tell clients about certain things & that's one way he can tell that the broker is a good one). You have to adhere to poundage limits IF they even allow you to put personal items in the car. Generally 75 pounds max. Carriers are not responsible for your personal items so don't pack stuff that's valuable. Make sure you have a quarter tank of gas & not more than that. Gas adds poundage. Make sure that your car is clean. Make sure that you have at least five date stamped photos of your car and/or a video of the same. Make note of the mileage. Remove all valuables. This is what a good broker will tell you & this is what Arman did. Side-note: After I learned these things I waited for brokers to tell me this information, & if they didn't, I knew I wasn't going to deal with them. Arman did & more. I felt pretty comfortable, but didn't sign with him immediately. I waited to see his terms & conditions, which he sent upon request. Several brokers said they would send that to me prior & they did not. Again, red flag. After that, I comfortably signed a contract & made a partial payment to him, which is reasonable & fair. Stay away from companies that want your credit card number to "keep it on file". Big red flag. So what, I'm going to give you a credit card number for something I don't even know you can deliver? Why don't I just give you my bank account number & my Social Security # too? Seriously. Another massive problem with these brokers is communication. Once you indicate you'll work with them, they won't return your calls, your texts, your emails or even pick up the phone. I chose another broker before working with Arman, who I couldn't get a hold of until I told him that I would not be using him. Then he called me texted, emailed & called nonstop, trying to push me with a low price. Another red flag. Arman's price is right on target with everybody else, don't fall for the undercut. One of the things that I value most about Arman, besides his positive attitude & his patient demeanor, is his continual communication with me. When he put my trip up for bid he let me know. When a driver took the bid he let me know. Arman told me to keep my phone with me and I admit for a minute I failed to do that. I didn't get back to him for about an hour & a bid was already gone. So be sure that you respond ASAP. Arman came back with another hit from a driver soon after, which I grabbed. Arman emailed me with specific instructions on how to deal with the carrier from then on out & that he was available for any issues. You are supposed to wait for the carrier to contact you within 24 hours of or on same day of pick up. This is on you so be ready. Arman was very clear with that. Other brokers may not tell you that & leave you in a bind when your driver calls & says he'll be there in two hours. This is all about picking the right broker & following their instructions. Arman was very thorough. He texted me to give me a heads up reminder the day before to let me know that if I hadn't heard from the carrier to contact him immediately. I didn't have to do that as the driver contacted me straight away & I got probably one of the best drivers out there. On time & constant communication.

What a blessing to have worked with Arman! During the trip, he followed up with me though technically had he passed me to the carrier & did not have to do that. He texted a couple times to touch base & make sure everything was going well & to let me know that he was there if I needed his help with anything. I didn't have any problems at all, but I texted Arman on a weekend once & he got back to me promptly.

My car was on time & perfectly beautiful! No problems whatsoever!

Arman, I adore you and cannot thank you enough! If I could give you 10 stars I would. You are kind, professional, & I will highly recommend you to anyone that is shipping a vehicle.

Peeps, use Arman at ABC Auto Shipping. Hands-down, ABC!

I had to ship my new Audi Q7 cross-country & being able to trust the company doing it is an understatement. I called several companies, read reviews, did a lot of research & this is what I learned: you pay a broker who shops the trip to multiple drivers/carriers then you pay the carrier. Sometimes brokers know the carriers or drivers & sometimes they don't. Insurance is always the same no matter what they tell you & no matter who you use. Another thing I learned is that a company can have a AAA+ BBB rating the same on Yelp, Google etc, but you have to look back & see if the company has changed their name in the last 2 years or so, find the old name & look that up. Often carriers will change names time & time again because in truth they royally suck & they want to hide that. Thankfully, I didn't have to deal with ANY of that. Arman, whose company is ABC Auto Shipping, is a consummate professional. Arman took the time to answer every question I had. He gave me helpful tips for preparing my car for shipping (my driver told me that brokers usually don't even tell clients about certain things & that's one way he can tell that the broker is a good one). You have to adhere to poundage limits IF they even allow you to put personal items in the car. Generally 75 pounds max. Carriers are not responsible for your personal items so don't pack stuff that's valuable. Make sure you have a quarter tank of gas & not more than that. Gas adds poundage. Make sure that your car is clean. Make sure that you have at least five date stamped photos of your car and/or a video of the same. Make note of the mileage. Remove all valuables. This is what a good broker will tell you & this is what Arman did. Side-note: After I learned these things I waited for brokers to tell me this information, & if they didn't, I knew I wasn't going to deal with them. Arman did & more. I felt pretty comfortable, but didn't sign with him immediately. I waited to see his terms & conditions, which he sent upon request. Several brokers said they would send that to me prior & they did not. Again, red flag. After that, I comfortably signed a contract & made a partial payment to him, which is reasonable & fair. Stay away from companies that want your credit card number to "keep it on file". Big red flag. So what, I'm going to give you a credit card number for something I don't even know you can deliver? Why don't I just give you my bank account number & my Social Security # too? Seriously. Another massive problem with these brokers is communication. Once you indicate you'll work with them, they won't return your calls, your texts, your emails or even pick up the phone. I chose another broker before working with Arman, who I couldn't get a hold of until I told him that I would not be using him. Then he called me texted, emailed & called nonstop, trying to push me with a low price. Another red flag. Arman's price is right on target with everybody else, don't fall for the undercut. One of the things that I value most about Arman, besides his positive attitude & his patient demeanor, is his continual communication with me. When he put my trip up for bid he let me know. When a driver took the bid he let me know. Arman told me to keep my phone with me and I admit for a minute I failed to do that. I didn't get back to him for about an hour & a bid was already gone. So be sure that you respond ASAP. Arman came back with another hit from a driver soon after, which I grabbed. Arman emailed me with specific instructions on how to deal with the carrier from then on out & that he was available for any issues. You are supposed to wait for the carrier to contact you within 24 hours of or on same day of pick up. This is on you so be ready. Arman was very clear with that. Other brokers may not tell you that & leave you in a bind when your driver calls & says he'll be there in two hours. This is all about picking the right broker & following their instructions. Arman was very thorough. He texted me to give me a heads up reminder the day before to let me know that if I hadn't heard from the carrier to contact him immediately. I didn't have to do that as the driver contacted me straight away & I got probably one of the best drivers out there. On time & constant communication.

What a blessing to have worked with Arman! During the trip, he followed up with me though technically had he passed me to the carrier & did not have to do that. He texted a couple times to touch base & make sure everything was going well & to let me know that he was there if I needed his help with anything. I didn't have any problems at all, but I texted Arman on a weekend once & he got back to me promptly.

My car was on time & perfectly beautiful! No problems whatsoever!

Arman, I adore you and cannot thank you enough! If I could give you 10 stars I would. You are kind, professional, & I will highly recommend you to anyone that is shipping a vehicle.

Peeps, use Arman at ABC Auto Shipping. Hands-down, ABC!

I highly recommend this service. I had my car shipped last year during a busy period, and Arman was extremely accommodating and patient with me as I learn about the process. This turned out to be the most painless part of my long distance move. I will be using the service again If I need to.

I highly recommend this service. I had my car shipped last year during a busy period, and Arman was extremely accommodating and patient with me as I learn about the process. This turned out to be the most painless part of my long distance move. I will be using the service again If I need to.

I'd like to start off by saying Arman was fantastic. My husband and I moved from Los Angeles to New York, and we needed our cars moved for us. Arman walked me through every step and took the stress out of a stressful situation. The price was very reasonable. He always kept us informed and happily answered all of my many questions. The driver who actually drove our cars was also extremely friendly. Our cars made it to New York in perfect condition. I highly recommend Arman and ABC Auto Shipping.

Arman was a pleasure to deal with as I had my car shipped from WA to CA. Responded immediately to any and all of my questions/concerns. Kept me updated throughout the whole process. Would definitely use ABC Auto Shipping again!

Prompt and professional.Communication was excellent. The vehicle was delivered as promised. The cost was precise, the time window was clear, and effort was made to accommodate our special needs. We wouldn't hesitate to use this service again

I highly recommend this service. I had my car shipped last year during a busy period, and Arman was extremely accommodating and patient with me as I learn about the process. This turned out to be the most painless part of my long distance move. I will be using the service again If I need to.

I had a great experience with Arman! I need to ship my damaged car from Monrovia to San Jose and He helped me find a carrier within 24 hours. During the process he's transparent with me regarding the price, very responsive, always reply my message immediately and keep me posted regarding the progress. I also tried other transportation company, but the sales person from other companies just wanted me to pay, they didn't answer my questions but just keep sending me auto-generated emails asking me to pay which was very annoying.

I highly recommend ABC Auto shipping if you need transportion service!

I typically don't bother writing reviews, but I've been solicited four times to write one by the company's automated emails. So alas, here we go. We had a number of issues with delivery, from the pick up being four hours after the scheduled window to not knowing when the car will arrive at its destination. With each issue, we called Arman who deferred any questions to the shipping company. The problem was, I paid ABC not the shipping company and with that the onus, imho, should be on ABC to address any issues. Now if you need a shipping company that will place urgency on getting paid, these guys are on top of it.

BEWARE OF THIS VENDOR!
This is a broker, bidding your transport for way too low a cost to gain your business.
Then, they are unable to find a transport for your vehicle!
Save yourself both frantic scrambling to find a last minute transport (that was my personal experience) as they called me the day of the move to inform me of the above situation.
Use a reputable transport, you will pay more, but, thhe last minute transport will really cost!

In short, you pay the shipping company $350 to make phone calls and send a few text messages to automotive carriers that may transport your vehicle. I am by no means not against a business making money--especially a small business--,but I have an issue when a business portrays an image that is inaccurate. The company conveys a "we have your back if anything happens; your car will be insured" facade. However, if something goes wrong, ABC Auto shipping is likely to claim zero responsibility and excuse itself as only a broker of the transaction, regardless of whatever happens to your vehicle.

ABC Auto Shipping offered me $90 as a courtesy for $180 in storage fees I paid because the carrier that was going to pick up my car arrived three days late. I suppose the business hoped the refund would make me remove this review; however, I refused to agree to a quid-pro-quo arrangement. In the end, ABC Auto Shipping back-pedaled on the $90 and cited the service contract as the reason--not a problem.

I have been calm, reasonable and cooperative throughout my interactions with a representative of the business and the delay in communication, which is true, was due to a misunderstanding on my end. ABC Auto Shipping keeps updating its response to this review for reasons that I do not understand.

I declined booking with ABC because I don't appreciate the classic bait and switch Arman tried to pull with pricing. On 5/29/20 I was quoted $1100 & knowing that I wanted to pack extra things in the trunk, I'd personally budgeted $1200 so booked with ABC that same day.

3 weeks later, Arman reached out with a new quote of $1200- $1300 which I pushed back on since that wasn't what he quoted me and the price was my max budget, not including potential fees. Arman said the increase was due to peak season and COVID-19 which I partially understood but I don't see how he had no idea about peak season pricing if this is his profession? After some back and forth he agreed to keep looking for a carrier closer to my budget then reached out a few days later with a new quote of $1350, higher than any amount we previously spoke about.

I declined, then he tried two different times to give me a "better deal" ($1300 then $1250!), even telling me he suggests I take it like he's doing me a favor which upset me even more because clearly my time was wasted in an attempt to price gouge. Looking at Ronni's review from 1/2019 this seems to be a common practice so I'll gladly pay more money to a different company that's honest upfront. Screenshots attached.

**UPDATE**: After I posted this, Arman texted me saying I was evil and was still typing but I blocked his number (text attached). Please don't give your business to someone who acts this way.

**Response to Arman's reply**: In the very second line of my review I acknowledged wanting to put extra weight in the car so I budgeted an extra $100 for it. And no, my car is not mid size. The literal Acura website lists it as: Acura ILX premium *compact* sports sedan. A simple Google search will show you that the ILX is listed as a luxury small car. You want consideration for being a small business, yet I told you I was presently unemployed and you still tried to charge me $1350 when you were capable of doing it for $1250. I'm done replying to this but future customers should know what they're dealing with here.

I had a decent experience with ABC Auto Shipping itself. It was my first time ever shipping a car, and Arman broke the process down for me and made sure I understood every step. He was able to get my car on a transporter in the timeframe I requested, and I had a great experience with the actual driver of my vehicle. Overall, the process was very smooth.

My only complaint is that I was originally quoted $1,200 and up to $100 more per vehicle. My understanding was that I could be liable for up to $1,300 for this shipment. The day before pickup I was notified by Arman that a transporter could do it for $1,400. I told him that that was $100 more than I was quoted, and he stated that I was confused about what I had been quoted and that the quote some how meant up to $1,400 total. I was frustrated, but I needed a transporter. So I expressed my concerns to Arman, and he was able to drop it to $1,350 (still $50 more than I anticipated).

My car made it safely to my destination and in the same condition they loaded it up in. I would just make sure to clarify with them and make sure of what they are quoting you because I ended up paying more than I thought I was going to have to.

**Addition**
I was contacted by Arman and asked to update my review to "reflect the facts," so I am attaching screenshots of our text messages along with a screenshot of the email quote. I also took the time to respond to Arman and ask him to provide me proof that I was ever quoted anything other than "$1,200 & up to $100 more per vehicle." Until then, my review will not change.

I also just want to state that I am a very thorough person and read everything in his emails he sent me. I am lowering the review from four stars to three stars because Arman clearly needs to work on his business practice and how he acts professionally with his customers.

The car reached the destination safely. Arman was very responsive and communicative during the entire process.

I chose ABC over other companies (and paid 30% more than competition) because they promised the car will reach the destination by August 20th, but was actually delivered on 22nd.. Other companies lost their business because they were upfront and had promised delivery on 22nd. I had to scramble to receive delivery since I was out traveling. Minus one star for that.

Once the car was handed over to the actual transporter/driver, the level of service was "commodity" level - there is no differentiation. The driver promised to meet at 8 pm to receive the car...was a no show till 9 pm. Similarly, he fixed a 9 pm meeting with my friend for delivery and was a no show till 10 pm. Be careful during these transactions, as they happen at remote locations such as farms and empty parking lots...make sure you have cell reception there and phone battery is charged, and avoid bringing your family there.

Updated review. After the manager reaching out. Just want to clarify. It's nothing against ABC. It's just that your third party pick up company was not the best. ABC was great again as I said on my review no communication on where my car was at al times.

Thank you

We did not experience the great reviews that other customers have. I worked with Arman who was fast to respond to emails but slow to find a carrier (it was a difficult route though). My biggest complaint is the terrible communication between the carrier and us (my boyfriend and I). We went three days without hearing a word from him (apparently his phone was stolen..but three days with no word is very concerning as a customer and is not acceptable). The driver was inconsiderate and disrupted our days as we tried to schedule around his often changing arrival times. It was very annoying to have to change our schedules around especially when we have daily jobs where people depend on us to be there. We understand that delays occur (our transporter's trailer broke down) but the poor communication was too much too handle and caused a great headache in our lives. We felt Arman should be held accountable for the driver disrupting our lives because of the driver's poor communication because Arman appointed him. Arman at times was forceful and condescending in his emails. which was not appreciated.

He did not hold himself accountable when he said: "I also Apologize for this and will refund you $100 even if transporter does not" The transporter did refund us 100 but per Arman's statement we were expected 100 from him as well. He took his statement to mean that either him or the transporter will refund us - but I dont understand how that statement could be interpreted that way. The first part of the statement is very clear - he will refund us 100 - and the second part of the statement is ambiguous. He never said nor implied: I will refund you 100 unless the transporter does - or I will refund you 100 or the transporter will - but that is how he acted after we asked him about the 100 he said he would refund us from his end. He never made it clear about what he meant and he made us, the customers, pay for it. At the time of writing this the last thing he said to us was "End of conversation." which we thought was rude to actually end the conversation. We think Arman needs to learn to hold himself more accountable for the things he says and develop a stronger sense and concern for explicitly stating what he means so that there is not future confusion between the customer and him when things are not "hassle free" (like the claim the process will be).

I understand a lot of people have had great experiences with this company but I am sad to say that, unfortunately, we did not. We will not use the company again.

***To reiterate - because we had to many times when emailing Arman - we understand that delays occur. Our issue was NOT with the delay but with the very poor communication between the driver and us, (which we hold Arman partially accountable for because he appointed him) which disrupted our lives.***

I used ABC Shipping to get my car from Los Angeles to New Jersey -$1,005. Price was in range, but still kinda pricey for us. Royal was prompt in responding to emails and phone calls! Love that! He answered my many many questions and did his OBVIOUS best to set my mind at ease. Also there were no hidden costs/fees that I could discern! Awesome!

He assigned carriers quickly with short notice. The car was picked up and dropped off from my provided addresses and I feel it was delivered within a good time frame - but I'll be honest to the wise or wary -- the transport company (Lego Transportation) did not exactly adhere to or deliver it by the date/time that the driver stated he would. The driver was a nice, honest man though, fairly responsive and none of my things shipped in the trunk were touched or out of order upon arrival. I really appreciated this very much! Thank you Lego and Alik!

The reason it's not 5 stars, is that Administrative cons were the kind I had with ABC. This was important to me. It seemed like they didn't pay a ton of attention to detail on the contract (getting my name wrong, the contact person wrong etc. These pieces are VERY IMPORTANT to have correct since the names and correct contact numbers are the main way for me to retrieve my car!) they use form letters for their order form and I had to request changes more than once due to different areas on the order form.

Though they didn't admit to any mistakes, a nice balance was they did make the corrections easily as I requested and I finally after the third request I ended up with a contract I could sign off on or defend if needed be. :)

Another con (with 1st the transporter they were going to use) is that they don't really know anything from the customers perspective about the carrier, only as shippers reviews. The first shipper/carrier had TERRIBLE customer/yelp reviews! I requested another company to be carrier and another was found for me, gratefully!

Another small but important service con was that I didn't really hear from Royal/them after I had paid the deposit. Not even to check on the arrival of the car etc. days later etc. Not really a good feeling.

My carrier con was that the driver during the drop off part, had spoken to me the previous day and before & agreed to meet next day in morning. Then it was the next afternoon, then it was midday instead...

He did not provide really any "notice" and I had to be the one to keep confirming the time and it changed twice on me (I was coming from NY), then he said he was 10 minutes away and asked if I was on my way?!

A great thing and totally nice about Lego and thier driver was that the car was very dirty, and the driver was cleaning off oil as I arrived. I had also wanted to inspect my car for dents/scratches and the contents of the trunk, the driver let me do so and then leave to go get the payment.

Apart from minor flaws (oil was also leaking from another car & was all over mine!) Overall, it was a good experience with ABC and them using Lego so therefore the stars.

At the end of the day, I was just glad to have my baby and it not arrive in pieces or in / of lots of broken off things or anything stolen.

Legal FYI- If you don't use ABC as your broker AND your carrier/transporter, they ARE NOT responsible for anything that happens to your car. NEITHER IS THE CARRIER they find for you. Mine had extra chipped off paint and new scratches.

But even through these points, in my opinion, they delivered the car with a good attitude, a decent price, and an attempt at giving service! :)