Fleet United had given me the lowest quote on transporting my Subaru from Florida to Oregon, so I booked the service in March 2005 and sent a deposit check to Fleet United for $150 to transport it. Their ad had said 1-8 days to deliver. I was told that they couldn't do it at the original quote of $900, because the gas prices had shot up and they couldn't find a carrier, so they tried searching at an $80 increase. The advertised time still passed, and the person who sold me the car on eBay was moving and wanted the car to be taken ASAP, so I decided to go with another company.
I called Fleet United to cancel the service and not cash my deposit check. I was assured that it wouldn't be deposited, so even though I had considered putting a stop payment on the check, I decided to trust them. Later, I noticed the $150 was charged to my account. I told Fleet United about this, and they denied cashing it. So I had my credit card company (since it was a convenience check) send me a copy of the cancelled check, and I both emailed and faxed it to Fleet United. Fleet United then apologized and one of their employees even emailed me that he remembered seeing the check. I was told that it was inadvertently deposited and that my refund was on its way.
According to their own deposit stamp on the back of the check, it was deposited on April 9, 2005. I never received the refund! They told me it was their bank's incompetence (It was Suntrust Bank on the deposit stamp on the back of the check.), for not verifying the deposit took place. But this never would have happened, if Fleet United hadn't cashed it in the first place. I sent them the proof of the deposit, and they admitted having the check, which they no longer have.
In the beginning, I was told that it wouldn't be deposited; and then, for several months, I was told that my refund was on its way. I kept giving them the benefit of the doubt for several months. I even asked them by email to give me the phone number of the bank, so that I could contact the employee there about this situation. I received no number. I then called the owner of Fleet United directly and asked him to get me the number. He said that he would, but he never gave it to me.
On May 18, I received the following email from Antwan at Fleet United, which was copied directly from my email archive: First and foremost, my sincerest apologies on this matter. As far as I knew, the check was never cashed until I got ahold of the accountant's records. The check was cashed by mistake in a batch of checks that were sent to the bank. This has never happened before, and we have taken steps to insure that it doesn't happen in the future with any of our customers. I have spoken with the owner, so he can remedy the situation. Once again, I apologize for the mis-information and confusion (end of email)
On August 8, I received the following email from him: I agree it has taken way too long to have this rectified. But the representative at the bank couldn't understand that you sent in an actual check, not information for us to do a bank draft. So he basically was looking for something that didn't exist. We notified him of this beforehand, so such confusion could be avoided. There is no reason for alarm. If the situation was completely in our hands, you would have had your refund by now. I personally saw the check you sent in from Capital One, so I know firsthand what's going on. I apologize on his behalf for this fiasco. I have spoken to the owner, and your refund is on its way (end of email)
Even after these admissions, I still received no refund. In a nutshell, they had advertised that they would get the car transported within 8 business days. They didn't, so I told them that I was cancelling and going with another company. I told them not to deposit the check, but they ended up doing that anyway (something I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt as a mistake). They promised a refund, but they never gave one.
After seven months without a refund, I decided to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. The owner responded by claiming that they kept my deposit for the work they did! He then claimed that a particular hurricane that struck their area delayed how they dealt with my refund! That particular hurricane happened in the fall of 2005, but I had been told in April of that year that my refund was coming! Unless it takes that many months to write a check for a refund, he was telling a lie. I only tried this company in the first place both because of the advertised 1-8 business days and because a search of prices had them with the lowest quote.
I suspect that Fleet United probably just gives the lowest quote to hook you, and then, they doesn't necessarily follow through on what they advertise. Supposedly, they are just "consultants," and not the actual carriers who transport the cars, meaning, that all they do is find actual carriers for you. However, if they don't follow through on their advertised timeline, shouldn't that entitle you to a refund when no carrier was found?
I can understand something happening for a company to not be able to meet a timeline--that can happen to anyone. But when they don't refund you for the unmet advertised expectation, that part I don't understand. The Better Business Bureau of Southeast Florida rates them with an F. Even though getting my refund back would be nice, I'm only writing this to warn others so that they are aware.
