DO NOT USE...EVER! DO NOT TRUST! SCAM! CANCELLED CREDIT CARD! See attached pictures to read their Terms & Conditions & see my text messages with them. I cancelled my credit card due to my extreme lack of trust in the company and their unethical business practices. I needed to guarantee they couldn't charge me anymore money without my explicit approval. I experienced the same problems as so many other reviewers here. And with the latest negative review posted just yesterday (3/24), it's obvious they haven't changed. And because it's a scam, they never will! Last year, I called Smart Carship (SCS) about shipping a car I just purchased. And I asked the representative specific questions based on reviews I read on Trustpilot that mentioned bait and switch and unexpected price increases. One of the questions I asked was if the $225 quote was guaranteed not to change by the time of pick up since it was only in a few days. I was reassured multiple times it would not. So I also asked if they owned the trucks and employed the drivers to confirm that their quote was based on factors they could control such as the scheduling, drivers' available and other logistics, and made sure I was very clear with the pick up and delivery days, times and locations. Again, he assured me the price would not change and confirmed the details. I reviewed the quote and read the Terms & Conditions on the last page. Everything SEEMED straight-forward and fair, so I signed it and paid the deposit. And then on the day of pick-up, SCS informed me it was now going to cost $475 because they couldn't find a driver that would do it for the original quote for $225. [Then how the heck are they able to provide a "guaranteed" quote in the first place?!?!] So I tried to cancel, but they said they would charge a $200 cancellation fee. So rather than fall for the trap and cancel, I postponed / rescheduled the transport, advised the seller not to release the car (in case a transport driver tried to come and pick it up and leave me stuck paying whatever SCS wanted me to pay), cancelled my credit card and told them I would no longer communicate with them by phone because they don't keep their word. I told them everything had to be in writing going forward by text or email. [Note: they're very slick with how their terms and conditions (T & Cs) are written.] Upon 1st glance, they look straight forward, but later I learned they worded them vaguely enough and in a way that actually protected them. For instance, when I called my credit card to dispute the charge, they said they had to abide by the company's cancellation fee, so they couldn't give me a refund. In addition, when there were issues with the price and date/time of transport, they actually encourage you to speak to other transporters. But guess what? They have a clause in their T & Cs, that says they can charge you for speaking to another transport company. "During the selected shipping option period, the client agrees not to engage the services of any other broker or carrier. If the client is found to be working with another broker or carrier during this time, a non-refundable deposit fee may be charged." I later find out they're only a broker - not an actual transport company - so their pricing is based on the availability of independent drivers who own and operate their own trucks. So they are never in a position to guarantee a price because it can change based on the driver's availability. Also, as a common rule of thumb, you should never pay a deposit until your vehicle is actually on the schedule to be picked up and dropped off. But I made the mistake of paying my $50 deposit before it was scheduled and even paid $75 upon request because they tricked me into trusting them. In the end, I stopped corresponding with them by phone - only by text and email because I wanted everything in writing. They use their T & Cs as scare tactics to trick you into paying as much as possible. And it's only when you call them out and make it very clear you're going to dispute all of the charges and give them a hard time, they'll drop the price in the hopes that it gets low enough that you'll give in, pay it and just cut your losses. You're unlikely to have your vehicle transported unless you give in and pay the increased price. For me, I kept fighting and insisting they refund may full $75 deposit because of all the false promises. And I made them explicitly state in the text that I'll only accept any kind of refund if they agree not to charge me a cancellation fee. Eventually, they refunded me $40 and said they have to keep $35 for admin fees. At the end of the day, they'll say whatever they want to get you to sign paperwork, lie about what they said, and just fall on the Terms & Conditions you signed to get you to pay however much they can get from you. read more

Smart Carship - Terms & Conditions - Vehicle Shipping Near Me - San Francisco, California

Absolute scam. They will tell you anything to get your deposit then jack up the price. I provided exact addresses and an open time window for a car delivery - they gave me a HARD PRICE, in writing, which we agreed upon. I gave a deposit. On the day before delivery, they send driver contact and a payment link for literally 3x what was agreed upon. When I tried to decline, they said I was not able to cancel and my deposit would not be refunded. They then said they were charging me an extra $200 for late cancellation (but they never gave me the info until they day before). Absolute SCAM!! Seriously, I was quoted $585 in writing from their team, then they told me the price was $1,875. Route from Miami FL, to Long Island NY. DO NOT USE THEM - YOU CAN LITERALLY FIND ALL OF THEIR CONTACTS ON USHIP OR OTHER SITES. read more

Smart Carship - text where they quoted me $585 -- does not say ANYTHING about an estimated price. - Vehicle Shipping Near Me - San Francisco, California

We just got our truck shipped through them and definitely would not recommend this company to anyone. At first when you call, they seem to be very reassuring and promising. Was very hard to understand any of them, heavy Indian accents. First they promised that there were no hidden fees. Got a quote for $895. Put $300 deposit down. When the time came to get our truck shipped out, they scrambled to find a trucking company driver, and charged us another $500 just for their middleman service to find us a towing truck driver. Our price went from $895 to $1,995. No hidden fees my ass! These guys gave us the wrong name of the towing truck driver also. However, the trucking company that got the job was very professional and we communicated with each other without the shady car shop people. A big thank you to the trucking company that made the effort to assist us and help us get our truck to where it needed to go. As for the Smart Car Ship Co. & the people who work with this company. They have no clue on what they are doing and they should be put out of business. These guys don't deserve to be in business and very unprofessional. This business feels like a scam!! read more

No star needed if I could, total scam and they are trying to intimidate me with a lawsuit for asking my deposit back when they canceled my schedule pick up due to driver issues. I'm reporting them to better business bureau read more

If I could leave zero stars I would. Do not use this company. I used this company and my car was completely damaged and totaled once it was shipped to me. They hired a first timer who ran it into a tree en route to deliver my vehicle. They took no responsibility and the insurance the driver is required to have is as good as nothing. I called asking several times if they could at least provide me with a rental which has fallen on deaf ears. I have been unable to commute to work for over a week. The worst part of this is the initial quote I received was not what I ended up paying the driver. There was over a $120 difference from the price I was quoted when I made the initial deposit and spoke with their agent. A scam of a business. read more

See all

horrible experience- i was lied to every part of the transaction. three days late picking up car five days late delivering fortunately i had the truck driver phone number and he would tell me exactly was going on. they added $500 agent lied every step of the way read more

Smart Carship - LIES FROM THE AGENT - Vehicle Shipping Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

100% SCAM!!! Avoid at all costs. They doubled the quoted price on the day of pickup. They then attempted to change the pickup location saying they couldn't make it to the location. When we told them no, the "driver" then showed up in an Uber at originally scheduled location and wanted to drive away with the car. We told the truck driver we were canceling because of this and the doubled price. The driver then asked how much we were willing to pay and tried to haggle. After we cancelled, the company has called us at least 20 times, each time saying that they talked to the other person when they had not. Hold on, that's them calling again... Lessons learned. 1) this is a scam. 2) if you are smart enough to figure out the scam before they take the car, they will harass you non-stop and continue to try and pull off the scam. DON'T GET SCAMMED, USE ANOTHER COMPANY. read more

Stay away from this company! They offer very competitive price, seems everything OK (date to pickup, price already aligned) but in last minute an Indian Person called you with a lot of explanations and requesting more than a double to pick up your vehicle! They lie all the time saying in the day before that everything is perfect until the last minute! They are now refusing me to reimburse me from what I paid. They will not send you a driver. DO NOT TRUST !! read more

FRAUD! Smart Carship quoted this to me in an email on 12/1/2025. "The total cost to ship your vehicle is $890 all-inclusive with no hidden fees or taxes." On the day of pickup they attempted to EXTORT an additional $1500.00. Multiple calls pressuring to pay an additional $1200.00 to $1500.00 have been made. They REFUSE to return my deposit. They are crooks engaging in illegal bait and switch tactics. read more

Zero Stars. They lie as they attempt to not honor their quoted price. Twice they failed to show to get my vehicle. The first time they asked for an extra $400, then still did not show. The second time they tried once again to screw me out of more money, and I walked away. This is not a car shipping company, it's just a boiler room where scammers take your deposit and then they attempt to keep it. You have been warned. read more

Went with them because they had the lowest offer. They gauranteed the price multiple times and promise they have a secured driver and everything is set for $375. Then, of course, day of, they tell me they cannot secure a driver and they have no one to take the contract unless they increase the rate to initially $1,000. I sent and call them out on their lies and bait and switch and demand refund. They then call me back and beg me to take their lowest contract offer of $930 with the guy saying (and lying) that they are paying $100 to the driver of their own money, like I am supposed to believe they are taking a loss after their nonsense. I know that the rate I was offered from every other company was $500-600. Due to my need for my car and exhaustion from arguing and haggling, I reluctantly just accept their price of $830 which again is $200-300 over every other company. I know for a fact the driver contract is for $600, so they are just straight lying and pocketing $230. I would NEVER recommend this company to anyone. They are a straight up bait and switch scam company. PLEASE, PLEASE, Listen to the those of us with a negative review. Do yourself a favor and go with a reasonable offer. For shipping and save the money and hassle of being cheated and dealing with this company. read more

Deceptive trade practice Common law fraud Bait and switch These guys quoted me $625. Charged me 150 nonrefundable and then said someone will be by tomorrow to pick up the vehicle. Three days later, my car still hadn't been picked up and allegedly they hadn't found a driver even though they said they had one... On the third day, they said they finally found someone, for $1500. I asked why on earth they think I would pay that and they said well. The average rate is about two dollars a mile. They know exactly how long the trip is, so why on earth are they quoting me $625 when they know my trip is 1000 miles? My car needed to be picked up or it was gonna get impounded so they were trying to pressure me into getting the job done for 1500 which is absolutely outrageous 0/5 stars read more

They were not able to deliver my car and made me pay half of the driver fee and a fee to find me a driver. After paying them, I found out that they were not able to provide me the services I had paid for but are refusing to refund me $1240 for the services that they were NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE. Please stay away from them. THEY ARE SCAMMERS. read more

We contracted with them to pick up our car on the east coast and deliver it to the Rockies. Car was supposed to be picked up on the 23rd. At the last minute they called and said they did not have a driver at the negotiated price. They wanted $450 more dollars to pay the driver. I said no. I would give them $50.00 more. We negotiated and they said they would have some one pick up the car that day. They sent me the name and number of the driver. I called the driver and he said it was not him. The dealership said it had not been picked up. I contacted Smart Car Ship again to ask for the driver. They then gave me another name and number. The dealer indicated it had been picked up. I had read about the scams that other shippers run and thought I had things covered. They said their contract allowed them to charge more. I disagreed and they quoted a paragraph that was irrelevant. I asked the guy when he went to law school, because the paragraph had nothing to do with them being able to raise the rates. My advice to others is to have a clause in the contract that deducts $50 or $100 per day for any delay after the agreed upon delivery date. It took 3 weeks beyond the delivery date to get the car. read more

Worked with Broker Jennifer Wilson good communication was great to work with would recommend and work again

They are scammers. And will hold your vehicles hostage until you pay a different amount. If you use them you will suffer a financial loss.

They gave a car shipping cost very low, then jacked up the price 3 times on the shipping date. What is a scam!

Do not use this company. They quoted me a price to transport my wife's car and my boat, took my deposit and the day they were supposed to be picked up called and wanted to increase the price another $2k. The dispatcher was very hard to understand due to his accent. He kept insisting that on the first page of the contract (in fine print) that there was a clause stating that the initial quote was subject to change. I'm only giving them one star because it won't allow me to give them a zero for services not rendered. read more

They bait you in with a low price and then change after you have paid the deposit. their final price was in line with others but was not happy with the bait and switch they pulled. If you decide to use them do your market research so you know if you are indeed getting a good deal in the end. figure at least one dollar per mile for shipping cars. read more

SCAM SCAM!!!!! They gave me a price of $495.00 I booked it well in advance, they never showed up on the date of scheduled pick-up. The following day they said they had a driver, however the price was now OVER $2,000.00. I was scammed read more

This is a scam company. They are being investigated now for all the fraud they have done. They did pick up the vehicle as promised so when I disputed the charge with my bank the fraud department is investigated also turned them in to fmcsa. This company is not a an accredited company do not use them. You will lose money using them. read more

Jessica Parker was an amazing agent who helped me get my car across state lines at an incredibly unbeatable price!

They are a scam. I should not have fallen for the lowball price. As stated by another poster, they call you the day of pickup and claim the driver has mechanical issues. They the called and stated due to 'market conditions', driver pay, drivers need vacations etc the price was nearly three times higher. I refused and canceled the contract. They kept calling offering $100 off but no way. Then a driver actually showed up at the shop to pick up the car in a non covered truck, which is what I contracted for. He was turned away. No way was I going to let this company have a 100k project car, only for it to disappear for ransom. Speaking to Indians should be your first warning read more

THIS COMPANY IS A SCAM OF A COMPANY. spoke to Mitchell A James from Smart car ship from San Francisco, CA to transport from a running 2006 Kia from North Carolina to New Jersey by July 14. The initial amount agreed was $325. They sent me a final quote for $325 that included transportation, door to door, $1 million insurance and they requested a $150 deposit with $175 due to the driver upon delivery. When I asked Mitchel A James are you a transporter with your own drivers or are you a broker. He responded I am a transporter. On July 14 around 11 am , he call me to tell me that they are trying to secure a driver which means he is a broker. Then I get an email "Thankfully, we've now found the most affordable driver available, and here is the proposed price breakdown: Total Cost: $1,150 Reservation Paid: $150 Additional Reservation Required: $500 Upon Delivery: $500 We truly appreciate your patience and understanding. Please let me know if you'd like to proceed so I can send you the carrier and dispatch details right away. This is the best option available at the moment, and we're ready to move forward as soon as you are. Thanks! Best, Mitchell A. James Senior Logistics Coordinator || Smart Carship LLC" After arguing with Mitchell I asked him to cancel the contract and refund my $150 deposit, He then told me that in order to return the $150 I would need to pay $200 for a cancelation fee. After continuing to get frustrated and angry I received another email to transport the car for $595 including the $150 deposit. After the driver was secured with a transporter called Lazo Transporter LLC that I highly recommend. When he picked up the car I showed him that he would get $445 upon delivery of the car and he agreed after seeing the email sent to me from Mitchel A James that showed that I would give the driver $445. The following day I get another email that the driver needs to get $550 to deliver the car. When the car was received the driver/owner being a professional agreed to receive $445. I would recommend to use Lazo Transporter LLC without using a scam company like Smartcam Ship From San Francisco. They will be reported to the BBB for being a scam company. read more

If i could give 0 stars I would. Huge liars, big scam. They'll continue to lie about the price and won't refund you a cent when you go to cancel. read more

I was given a super low price to transport my inoperable truck, When they located a transport company my price went up slightly which was still better then any other quote I received . Crystal kept in contact with me during the process the guys that delivered my truck went above and beyond to help get my truck to my house out here in the mountains. read more

Absolute scammers. Quoted $795, then after my deposit they had to "find a driver" and their "estimated" quote changed to $2750. They said they could not find a driver that would do the job for less than $1.66 per mile. I found several reputable companies for 0.66 per mile. So I gave them an ultimatum, a minimum price of $1000. If they could do that, I would do the deal, if not I would NOT give them the contract and I put that in writing. They came back with $1450 (still twice as much as their quote) and I said no. So I decided to fly to the dealer and drive the car home (they were in another state), and during the last leg of my flight I called the dealer to tell them I would be there in two hours. The dealer told me my car was on a trailer about to be hauled away!!! Smart Carship was stealing my car! They had no permission to do so, and they would have shipped it to my house, then held my car hostage for whatever stupid amount they decided on. I told the dealer don't give them that car, I did not have an agreement with them. Thankfully, the dealer understands a criminal when they see one. I ended up driving the car home, no incident. They still have my $200 deposit. DO NOT TRUST THESE PEOPLE, ALL THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS HERE ABOUT THEIR SCAMMING PROCESS ARE TRUE! My next step on Monday is to contact the BBB. Mitchell James was the dispatcher who lied to me, Tom Ellis is the sales guy who lied through his teeth to me. I don't even trust that these are their real names, but stay away from these people! They even put in their terms and conditions that you will not try to do any charge-backs on your credit card. Why do you suppose they do that? I think it's because so many people get scammed and try to get their money back, so they actually put it in their terms that you can't! Run, don't walk away from Smart Carship. read more