"Dude, Where's My Car?" or "Incompetence is the first sign of evil"
As the more diligent among you may recall, I bought a 1991 Spider Veloce on eBay on 5/25/05ish. After going up and looking at the car and all that, I exchanged $ for title and flew back home (the very same day!). I then contacted the shipping company that had delivered both of my previous out-of-state Alfas (from OH and AZ, respectively).
What a nightmare THAT was. The Cliffs Notes of this mess are that the car, due to the seller's heavy travel schedule, would be available for pickup on 6/19, two days after I faxed in the order. A week after faxing in the order (6/22) I called to check the status of the thing. My then-account rep told me it had been picked up on 6/20 and should be in my driveway by 6/25. On 6/27 I called wondering about the
delay. I got put on near-endless hold every time I called between 6/27 and 6/30, only to be told they couldn't reach the dispatcher. On 6/31 they told me my account rep (who was always mysteriously unavailable) was "no longer with the company." I was given the number of the dispatcher and told to call myself. What service!
The dispatcher told me they had no idea who I was, what I was calling about and they had never heard of my car and they did not have a signed order to pick up my car. Two minutes later they called to tell me, by the way, they had been pestered by my shipping company and spoken to rather abusively. They told me they would no longer do business with this shipping company.
I got a new rep (I was wandering rep-less all this time) and he told me that "Ooops. The car was never picked up," and since his explanation was also plausible, I let him skate. I then spoke with the seller who was leaving on vacation for the
Independence Day weekend and the car MUST BE PICKED UP by Friday, 7/1/05 at 3pm. I called back--my new rep was gone for the day--and left them specific instructions to that effect. I was told to contact the dispatcher directly. Conveniently, the contact at the dispatcher was already gone for the day, so my details were taken down (you could just HEAR them writing "A-l-p-h-a...R-o-m-e-r-o") and I was told they'd call back. I'm still waiting.
At 1:30pm, the seller leaves me a voice mail to say he hasn't been contacted by ANYONE. At 2pm I call my rep and ask him what the status of this order is. He says
my car has been picked up. Yay!
But, having been turned from a naif to a hard-bitten cynic in the space of 5 weeks, I call the seller and he says (and I quote) "What are they? On crack?" and explained the car was a foot away from him. Call the rep back, who says "Well, they TOLD me it was picked up." I impress upon him the mandatory nature of picking the car up BY THREE PM. He puts me on hold and, upon returning, tells me the driver is around the
corner and will be contacting the seller.
At 3:45pm, a very exasperated seller calls me to find out what's what. He explains to me nobody has called him to arrange anything. Back yet again with the shipping company and back after that with seller, who informs me that the trucker called, saying he (the trucker) had just gotten the order and he'd pick up the car on Saturday. Seller says no, since he will be out. Trucker suggests seller leave car outside with keys under the mat. Seller, using vigorous and frank language not unheard of in NJ, declines to do so. Seller relays all this to me, and I apologize for pushing his vacation departure into the meat of a 3-day Weekend's rush hour and that under no circumstances is he to have the car picked up without his presence.
I then call the rep again (rep is out) to cancel the order. I get some other minion who questions why I am doing this. I explain all of the above to which he replies: "But the car is ready to be picked up tomorrow." I remind him the deadline--now well past--was 3pm Friday AND that his company had been told this AND my rep had been specifically told this AND so had the dispatcher. He then, with enviable calm and gall, informs me there is a $50 cancellation fee.
With the greatest self-control I could muster I respond with a parting "Yeah, well,
good luck with that."
Yes, I am livid, and my 2nd car is STILL in NJ.
What a nightmare THAT was. The Cliffs Notes of this mess are that the car, due to the seller's heavy travel schedule, would be available for pickup on 6/19, two days after I faxed in the order. A week after faxing in the order (6/22) I called to check the status of the thing. My then-account rep told me it had been picked up on 6/20 and should be in my driveway by 6/25. On 6/27 I called wondering about the
delay. I got put on near-endless hold every time I called between 6/27 and 6/30, only to be told they couldn't reach the dispatcher. On 6/31 they told me my account rep (who was always mysteriously unavailable) was "no longer with the company." I was given the number of the dispatcher and told to call myself. What service!
The dispatcher told me they had no idea who I was, what I was calling about and they had never heard of my car and they did not have a signed order to pick up my car. Two minutes later they called to tell me, by the way, they had been pestered by my shipping company and spoken to rather abusively. They told me they would no longer do business with this shipping company.
I got a new rep (I was wandering rep-less all this time) and he told me that "Ooops. The car was never picked up," and since his explanation was also plausible, I let him skate. I then spoke with the seller who was leaving on vacation for the
Independence Day weekend and the car MUST BE PICKED UP by Friday, 7/1/05 at 3pm. I called back--my new rep was gone for the day--and left them specific instructions to that effect. I was told to contact the dispatcher directly. Conveniently, the contact at the dispatcher was already gone for the day, so my details were taken down (you could just HEAR them writing "A-l-p-h-a...R-o-m-e-r-o") and I was told they'd call back. I'm still waiting.
At 1:30pm, the seller leaves me a voice mail to say he hasn't been contacted by ANYONE. At 2pm I call my rep and ask him what the status of this order is. He says
my car has been picked up. Yay!
But, having been turned from a naif to a hard-bitten cynic in the space of 5 weeks, I call the seller and he says (and I quote) "What are they? On crack?" and explained the car was a foot away from him. Call the rep back, who says "Well, they TOLD me it was picked up." I impress upon him the mandatory nature of picking the car up BY THREE PM. He puts me on hold and, upon returning, tells me the driver is around the
corner and will be contacting the seller.
At 3:45pm, a very exasperated seller calls me to find out what's what. He explains to me nobody has called him to arrange anything. Back yet again with the shipping company and back after that with seller, who informs me that the trucker called, saying he (the trucker) had just gotten the order and he'd pick up the car on Saturday. Seller says no, since he will be out. Trucker suggests seller leave car outside with keys under the mat. Seller, using vigorous and frank language not unheard of in NJ, declines to do so. Seller relays all this to me, and I apologize for pushing his vacation departure into the meat of a 3-day Weekend's rush hour and that under no circumstances is he to have the car picked up without his presence.
I then call the rep again (rep is out) to cancel the order. I get some other minion who questions why I am doing this. I explain all of the above to which he replies: "But the car is ready to be picked up tomorrow." I remind him the deadline--now well past--was 3pm Friday AND that his company had been told this AND my rep had been specifically told this AND so had the dispatcher. He then, with enviable calm and gall, informs me there is a $50 cancellation fee.
With the greatest self-control I could muster I respond with a parting "Yeah, well,
good luck with that."
Yes, I am livid, and my 2nd car is STILL in NJ.
Comments
I need a drink now.
There are times when, like the Rabbit in the Pooh films, I am compelled to look heavenwards and ask "Why me? Why does everything always happen to me?"
If I were a Brit, I'd say it Hoovers.