Use Shiply and their associated transports at your own risk. In response to this feedback, Shiply will offer their standard apology and the 'it's not our fault or responsibility' canned disclaimer. Take the time to read the one-star reviews on the Shiply and Trustpilot sites.
Be aware, Shiply does not seem to put their transporters through the "rigorous background" they cite. They allowed Gold Shipping, self-reported as Little Rock, AR, to join the site and bid to transport a Jeep Patriot for me.
1. The problem, Gold Shipping doesn't even exist. The accepted address by Shiply, isn't even specific and uses the description "near" followed be a residential address. They also cited that they have completed more than 100 jobs and have more than 100 employees: also not true. Gold Shipping is actually Cars Hauler LLC, with a business license in Florida and they don't seem to own any transporter vehicles.
2. The bigger problem, Cars Hauler LLC is neither a transporter nor operating from Florida. Similar to Shiply, they are a broker, operating from Ukraine. The office in Miami, Florida appears to be a virtual office, and the address for the registered agent is a beachside executive condominium and resort in Miami.
3. Four days into the process Cars Hauler LLC contacted me and "congratulated" me because my "BMW 323" had been picked up and was in transit. Remember, I have a Jeep being transported, not a BMW.
4. An even bigger problem came a day later. Before noon, Cars Hauler LLC contacted me again to tell me the Jeep would be picked up in 1-2 hours. At 4:30 PM that day Cars Hauler LLC called me to say my Jeep had been picked and would arrive in 2 days. They also asked me to pay the remaining balance outside of the Shiply system, plus Cars Hauler LLC had now added additional "brokerage" and "extras" fees.
5. Biggest problem, the Jeep had not been picked up and was not in Transit. In fact, Cars Hauler LLC had contracted with Fox Carriers to transport the vehicle, and they never arrived to pick-up the vehicle. I attempted to call Cars Hauler LLC back after confirming the Jeep had not been picked up, but no one answered. So, by 6:30 PM, I sent an email stating that they had until noon the following day to pick-up the Jeep or consider the transport request voided.
6. Not only did Cars Hauler LLC fail to pick up the Jeep by the deadline, but they also didn't even contact me until after. When they did contact me, I canceled the transport request. Within an hour, in ignorance of the cancelation, they called again and insisted the vehicle was being picked up within the hour. This too wasn't possible, because they had not contacted the person at the shipping location to gain access.
7. In addition to the already cited deceptive business practices Shiply exposed me to, Cars Hauler LLC was trying to get payment from the contact at the shipping location and me; neither of us knew the other was being asked for payment. They even suggested that the contact at the shipping location could pay the driver cash. Fortunately, the contact at the shipping location wasn't responsible for the bill and did not pay.
8. The ridiculous problem occurred midway through the week-long incident when I notified Shiply of the problems. I explained that I was having problems with Cars Hauler LLC, who was advertising falsely on the Shiply website as Gold Shipping. The Shiply support team responded with an offer to put me in touch with Gold Shipping, and even cut-and-pasted the fictitious business contact information into the email. Really?
9. After notifying them of the issue, Shiply eventually suspended the Gold Shipping account. They are also refunding the $116 deposit; their portion of the transaction. However, they were quick to deflect and claim no fault because they are simply an interaction board to connect transporters and customers in need.
Even though Shiply advertises that they complete rigorous background checks to ensure customer safety and trust, I question if they really do. Based on the high-pressure tactics by Cars Hauler LLC, and a list of deceptive statements and lies, I believe there was an attempt to defraud. Had we complied with their requests, we would have double-paid, without any services rendered. Moreover, would I have ever seen it again if they had managed to take possession of the $15k Jeep? I am currently seeking legal representation to address deceptive and fraudulent business practices, as well as an attorney with US DOT federal law experience. read more