Brian@VersaMil
Stainless
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2001
- Location
- Gaston, Oregon USA
I've bought a pretty fair amount of machines and had them shipped in the last 12 years, but this week, I've experienced
a pretty bewildering problem. I bought an Oliver Shaper from an Ebay seller located in Detroit last week. Their ad said local pickup, which to me, means
THEY're NOT going to get involved in arranging shipping. So I call a broker that's been bugging me to ship machines and have him run some quotes just using the zip code,
NO ADDRESS. But the zip code locates the machine somewhere in Detroit So he comes back at $530.00 and I say FINE let's get it picked up. On Monday I informed the seller that I would
pay to get the machine palletized, because that would be cheaper than to send it on a flatbed. I receive a bill of Lading on Tuesday, and send it to the seller on Wednesday. They inform me that the machine
had already been picked up on Monday, and NOT by the trucking company that I agreed to. Fact it was picked up before I even sent my broker the address. Appears the trucking company shows up and says they're there to pick up a 3000 pound shipment. The same weight that was sent out for a quote. Since this warehouse KNEW I was going to get the machine shipped, they FIGURED this was MY company , wrote out a Bill of Lading and shipped it. so it arrives in Portland , Oregon today, and I'm informed the shipping is COD for $4600.00. Now I Don't have an account with this trucking company, I NEVER contacted them to move the machine, my BROKER never contacted them to move the machine, but they took it upon themselves to go move it. Because the ebay company warehouse released it to them, and signed their bill of lading, then they figure they're now my trucking company.
My broker informed me that since the sellers released the machine to them, then it's either their problem or my problem. Despite the fact they were NEVER told to go pick up the machine. So This is just a warning. Never take anything for granted, keep in constant communication with sellers of machines, and keep them informed. After the weekend I'm going to continue to deal with this. It's like trucking companies all of a sudden have become ambulance chasers. But the really scary thing is, this trucking company could have been ANYONE with a truck, and right now they could have my machine. With the internet Trucking Load boards, and most brokers not KNOWING the truckers, losing loads I think is a REAL possiblilty. Getting hosed on shipping is one thing, but this load could have just as easily disappeared.
a pretty bewildering problem. I bought an Oliver Shaper from an Ebay seller located in Detroit last week. Their ad said local pickup, which to me, means
THEY're NOT going to get involved in arranging shipping. So I call a broker that's been bugging me to ship machines and have him run some quotes just using the zip code,
NO ADDRESS. But the zip code locates the machine somewhere in Detroit So he comes back at $530.00 and I say FINE let's get it picked up. On Monday I informed the seller that I would
pay to get the machine palletized, because that would be cheaper than to send it on a flatbed. I receive a bill of Lading on Tuesday, and send it to the seller on Wednesday. They inform me that the machine
had already been picked up on Monday, and NOT by the trucking company that I agreed to. Fact it was picked up before I even sent my broker the address. Appears the trucking company shows up and says they're there to pick up a 3000 pound shipment. The same weight that was sent out for a quote. Since this warehouse KNEW I was going to get the machine shipped, they FIGURED this was MY company , wrote out a Bill of Lading and shipped it. so it arrives in Portland , Oregon today, and I'm informed the shipping is COD for $4600.00. Now I Don't have an account with this trucking company, I NEVER contacted them to move the machine, my BROKER never contacted them to move the machine, but they took it upon themselves to go move it. Because the ebay company warehouse released it to them, and signed their bill of lading, then they figure they're now my trucking company.
My broker informed me that since the sellers released the machine to them, then it's either their problem or my problem. Despite the fact they were NEVER told to go pick up the machine. So This is just a warning. Never take anything for granted, keep in constant communication with sellers of machines, and keep them informed. After the weekend I'm going to continue to deal with this. It's like trucking companies all of a sudden have become ambulance chasers. But the really scary thing is, this trucking company could have been ANYONE with a truck, and right now they could have my machine. With the internet Trucking Load boards, and most brokers not KNOWING the truckers, losing loads I think is a REAL possiblilty. Getting hosed on shipping is one thing, but this load could have just as easily disappeared.