Estes Express Lines

Review: [redacted] is a small importer of stone products from Mexico located in [redacted] We had Estes Express transport an altar table for one of our customers in Idaho.

Our problems started with the pickup date, that the truck did not show up. We have to arrange a new date that meant extra cost for our Mexican office as our rep had to travel, again, 3 hours to get to the mine in the State of Hidalgo.

When the truck finally did arrive in [redacted] had agreed to call to confirm the delivery time as this is a 2 ton table which requires special machinery to be offloaded from the truck. They never called and showed up without notice. We needed to again arrange another delivery date so we could get a lift in place.

When we opened the doors, the table was broken not only on two corners but also on the left side top part. How did the top got damage? It is 2 ton piece of solid rock, either it was removed from the truck after the first delivery, or something was set on the top to use the same container to be transported.

When I contact Estes- Express I received a letter from their claims investigator (e-mail I have) [redacted]. I quote “Our records indicated that the commodity upon it was shipped on this pro falls under our “Prohibited List ”of items that we do not haul. ” After sending e-mails and voice message to [redacted] with no response I decided to talk to her supervisor [redacted], during our conversation, offered .85 cents per pound and reimbursement of the transportation charges. When I contacted her agreeing to the offer and mention that the table weights 4000 lbs she sent a note back alleging that the packaging of the table was inappropriate - t she offered .10 cents per pound and transportation charges void.

I have been trying to contact [redacted]r, the Manager for [redacted], by e-mail and left voice message- to date I have received no response from [redacted]Desired Settlement: I will like for Estes - Express to honor the first settlement that [redacted] mention and paid .85 cents per pound and refund of all the transportation charges.

Business

Response:

Please advise the Estes claim # so I can investigate this complaint.Thank you, [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

The claim number requested by [redacted] is [redacted]

Regards,

Business

Response:

As previously stated this freight was improperly packaged. Our maximum liability for improperly packaged freight is .10 cents per lb. Our offer remains open to void the freight charges and reimburse $440.90 for this claim. That is our maximum liability per our tariff. Thank you, [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

[redacted]

How are you proposing voiding the transportation charges, are you going to send me a cheque for the transportation charges paid in advance last year?[redacted]

Review: In September 2013, we employed Estes through a third party logistics company to transport our product (small fiberglass boats) from MN to NY. (Our shipment was sent via Estes under Class 300, [redacted] Code [redacted], [redacted] which clearly indicates that the product can be shipped in a box or crate. Our packaging was more substantial than a box and offered the protection of a crate. It was bolted and strapped to a pallet and constructed with a wooden frame and cross members. The frame was surrounded in triple wall corrugated and was bundle-wrapped) Our product was significantly damaged and it is clear that Estes was negligent in the transport of our product. The BOL and packaging were marked Do Not Stack so that nothing should be placed on top of the carton. It is obvious that something was either placed or dropped on top of our product which constitutes mis-handling.The following was apparent:

- Metal items were dropped on top (with force) of our packaging

- The force with which items were dropped was significant as the pallet itself was crushed

- The pallet was vibrated with enough force to unscrew the screws holding the pallet together

-The hood, or top of the boat, was completely crushed

- The upholstery was burnt/soiled and was destroyed. The top of the hood, or crown, was totaled.

- The panel connecting all of the electrical components as well as the steering was destroyed.

- The canopy and metal motor brace/protector were rendered unusable/irreparable.

- The cooler was cracked and the lid was damaged.

Estes' service was also deficient/unacceptable in the following ways:

- The original shipment was a rush order for us and was to have been delivered to the customer under a deadline - which Estes caused us to miss.

- The shipment was not completed. The NY terminal contacted our customer directly to advise him of the damage without notifying our third party logistics firm or our company of the situation.

- The mis-handling caused the boat to be completely destroyed and unsalvageable.

- The packaging materials were destroyed.

- Estes stacked or dropped something on top of our shipment. When the boat was returned to us, we found 3 steel threaded pipes and some sort of metal fitting inside of our packaging.Desired Settlement: We assert that Estes is liable for the full invoice amount ($6594.29) plus the cost of shipping ($889.29) for a total of $7483.58.

Business

Response:

This complaint is in regards to claim #[redacted]. We have settled this claim with payment to our claimant, [redacted].

Thank you,

Claims Supervisor

Estes Express Lines

Review: I ordered a [redacted] treadmill from [redacted] on Jan 31. Contacted Level 2 Logistics via email around February 15, they replied that the treadmill had just reached their terminal and we would receive a phone call on the 17th to set up delivery. It is now March 5, and I have not heard back from them. I contacted [redacted] today and they told me that their shipping shows the treadmill has been sitting at the West Chester terminal since February 6. I don't appreciate being lied too.Desired Settlement: I have cancelled the order with [redacted] ([redacted]) and I will be refunded my money as soon as the treadmill makes it back to them. I would like for Estes to make sure as soon as they get the return order from [redacted] that they get the treadmill back to them ASAP! So that I can have my money returned.

Business

Response:

We are sorry for any problems with your delivery. Please advise the pro number (tracking number) and I will advise on the return to [redacted].

Thank you,

Consumer

Response:

[redacted]

Business

Response:

This order has been cancelled and will be returned to [redacted]. Once returned [redacted] will issue a refund/replacement.

Thank you,

Estes Express Lines

Review: I ordered a [redacted] treadmill around October 2013. [redacted] used Estes to ship the product to me and came damaged. I worked with [redacted] to have a the old one picked up and a new one delivered. They entrusted Estes to perform this service.

I have tried repeatedly to set up a time for the delivery, and have spoken with the company about 10 times; however I have gotten the runaround for over two months. I have even taken days off of work expecting a delivery only to have them not show up with my replacement product. This happened most recently on December 27th on which date Estes was supposed to deliver between 8-12.

I don't know what game this company is playing but they are holding $1700 piece of equipment that is not theirs. Esteshas no right to keep this merchandise.Desired Settlement: At this point, I am fed up with Estes and and do not want to ever deal with this company again. They need to return the product they are holding to [redacted] and provide me with compensation for my time, shipping costs paid to them, and deminished value of the merchandise I have to keep because of their failure to deliver the replacement product.

Business

Response:

Please advise the Estes pro number for review.

Thank you,

Claims Supervisor

Estes Express Lines

Review: When I initially contracted service with Estes I had requested a morning pick-up of the trailer containing my goods from [redacted], [redacted]. I then spoke with them and they had advised that if I was worried about my goods being unattended that I should purchase my own lock for the trailer and that I could then provide them with the code to unlock it should we not be there when it was picked up. I called later to update the pick-up of the trailer to between 3 and 5pm in the afternoon. We wanted to be there when the trailer was picked up but when the truck had still not arrived by 6pm we were forced to leave. There had been no number provided to reach anyone local and the general numbers for the company were all closed by that time. When I initially called the company the next day I was first told that the truck was picked up that morning and then that it had been picked up at 7pm prior. I spoke to a 'manager' about these issues and he assured me that it was really picked up at 7pm so I dropped the issue. I called while in transit to confirm how delivery would work. At that point I was advised that my shipment would be held at their transit station, where it could be stored for a week at no additional cost, until I called them and let them know when to drop it at my destination. I was therefore very surprised when the truck showed up in front of my new home at 8:30AM. The first thing the driver said was "Woops, looks like I drove all the way here with the door open". When asked about my lock the driver had no idea what I was talking about. Once we took down the partition we discovered that the [redacted] had at some point must have started to slide out and been thrown back in because it had gone through a box in such a way that it is the only viable option. Fortunately the computer monitor that was in that box was not damaged. When I called to ask that the trailer be picked up I inquired about my lock and was advised that I bought it at my own risk. I had of course not bee told this and so asked why it wasn't returned by being put behind the partition or transported in some way and it was repeated that it is not policy to do that. I then asked why I wasn't advised of these policies when the previous service person had advised about purchasing my own lock and again advised it wasn't policy, the person I was talking to didn't care about my concerns or the bad experience. Upon going through this list of things he still didn't seem to care and still refused to refund the $20.00 paid for the lock. I paid this company almost $1200.00 to safely transport my things, they didn't pick the trailer up when scheduled, provided no updates when late, show up unexpected or announced with the door open and my things exposed to the elements and they kept my lock without notification that this would be done. I was willing to overlook most of these things individually but overall this was a very bad and disappointing experience.Desired Settlement: There are several reasons for this report: Firstly to provide information to the Revdex.com to adjust the rating of this business as their customer service and the service itself is lacking. Secondly, I would like for the company to either adjust their policy to: Provide locks for trailers during loading and unloading Return locks to customers and/or reimbursement Or Advise customers that they will need to purchase two locks; one for loading and one for unloading as the first will not be returned. Lastly, I would like to be refunded all amounts exceeding $1,000.00 that were charged to my card for this very poor service and experience.

Business

Response:

[redacted] never filed an official claim with us. She is more than welcome to do so and we will take a very close look at the situation and bring the issue to a resolution that both parties can agree on. We were just unaware there was an issue. Our manager of SureMove division will be in touch with [redacted].

Thank you,

[redacted] Claims Supervisor Estes Express Lines

Reading all the other negative reviews was like déjà vu. Horribly ridiculous delivery company. Why one of the largest retailers would use this company is unbelievable to me. I ordered a pool on 7/7. According to shipper it arrived in Seattle 7/9. I was supposed to receive an email to choose a delivery day. After a week I started poking around in the details of my info and found a link to schedule through. Closest day 7/17. That day came and went. Called, it was somewhere at the warehouse... could I pick it up? Yes. Called warehouse, can't pick it up its loaded on truck for delivery. WHAT? call tomorrow. Called next day... they can't find it. Maybe it was transferred to our sister company because they were so backed from 4th of July weekend. Called sister company they didn't have it either. Maybe its in transit. Online chatted with the retailer. They'd refund me if it didn't show up or 10% off if it did. They had problems reaching them as well, didn't get any more info than I got. I called shipper back next day, they had it. Throughout this whole time I was told at least 5 times someone would call me. No one ever did. Finally received 7/23 3 hours past the 4 hour window. The first warehouse pool arrived at was 20 miles from my home. They transferred it to another shipper 95 miles away. The delivery guy was very nice though and took the pool down a steep dirt hill right to where we wanted it. I thought having a 150lb pool delivered would be easier than picking up in store. WRONG! I'm so happy shipping was free and pool was half price. I will stick with my prime membership from now on.

Review: Ordered a transmission from [redacted] in Canada (Good Company) but the shipping Company Estes was unable to deliver my transmission PRO [redacted] to my house due to losing the shipment at Greensboro NC, not sure how a transmission goes missing but that is what the company is saying. Now I have to fill out a claim and I am certain that this is going to take a while because the transmission was $3564.00. I'm filling a claim at this time.Desired Settlement: I would like to get my $3564.00 back or my transmission ASAP. Filling claim at this time.

Business

Response:

Please file your claim and we will investigate it asap. You can get a claim form online or you can email [redacted] and we will provide one for you. Thank you,[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and I have submitted claim to claims department with [redacted] of the Greensboro, NC OSND department. I am currently awaiting to see results from investigation.

Regards,

Review: My store product order from [redacted] arrived at the Destination Terminal: [redacted] friday june 26th. I called to see what day they would be delivering it to my store. I spoke to a lady and she said they only come to the area ([redacted]) Tuesdays and Thursdays so it wont be until Tuesday the 30th. I rearranged my childrens doctor appointments so I could be here and asked a friend to come help me as I do not have employees in my little store. On Tuesday the 30th, about 10 30am I called to find out an ETA. I spoke to cust service ([redacted]), who said they only come tues and thurs to the area and it would be here thursday july 2nd. I said on friday you guys told me today (tuesday the 26th). she said oh, it was misplaced and they found it this morning so it didnt get put on the truck so will have to be thursday. I said it wasnt acceptable and she said she would put me through to the dock supervisor although there wasnt much he could do. Twice I was put on hold and disconnected. I called back again and another person (maybe [redacted]) put me on hold to find him. she then said he was in a meeting and took my name and number to have him call me back. With the limited days they come to my area as it is, it is NOT ok for my order to be further delayed due to someones error. I pay for shipping and expect to be receiving my order in a timely fashion. This is not the first problem I have had with delivery receipt from this company but it is my first Revdex.com complaint.Desired Settlement: I want my order delivered to me immediately. Regardless of the days they come to my area, they need to get this order to my store as I am not the one who messed things up and shouldnt be penalized! I want a refund of my delivery charge as it is not my problem that someone 'misplaced' my order and didnt find it until after the truck was loaded and gone!

Business

Response:

I show this freight has delivered. Any request for reimbursement of the freight charges would need to come from the paying party to Estes, [redacted]Thank you, [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.] Yes my order was finally delivered after many phone calls and yelling to get it to me. The operations manager had someone drive it down to me however the liftgate on the truck was then broken and we had to unload the pallets in the truck and take it into my store piece by piece which was a HUGE inconvenience as I had to CLOSE MY STORE customers then losing business while unloading the 3 pallets. I PAID for the shipping, which included a charge for a liftgate therefore I need refunded IMMEDIATELY. The charge is on MY credit card which sits there collecting interest.

Regards,

This company was a nightmare to deal with because of their poor communication. I was promised delivery three times, promised a call to give me a specific delivery time and promised numerous return phone calls, none of which I received. I have had to call them over and over, and currently my item is lost on a truck or at their warehouse. They cannot locate it and therefore cannot give me a delivery time. This is my second day to be sitting at home waiting for it. I am dealing with the Fort Worth terminal and am trying to contact corporate...have been on hold for several minutes.

Review: When subcontracted through Pro SelfMoving, Estes Express sent an "over the road" driver to attempt a residential delivery at my home. Although given permission to turn the tractor trailer around in order to drop the trailer on our property, the driver came down our drive, crossing approximately 35 yards of space, with a width of approximately 25 yards, and drove the tractor trailer directly to the front door of our home, becoming stuck in our lawn in the process. The driver then attempted to get out of the yard by jamming 6" x 6" wood beams and other pieces of wood under the wheels and trying to back out, causing extensive damage to our lawn. Then a semi wrecker was called in, causing further damage. The tracks in the yard clearly indicate that no attempt was made by the driver to turn the vehicle around. We literally had to go around the nose of the truck, which was less than two feet from the home to enter our house. We have taken numerous photos and would be happy to share those photos. The damage includes 12" deep ruts in our yard at the entrance to our home, destroyed sod and numerous tracks and ruts throughout our yard. The driver freely admitted (and this was confirmed by a second driver) that she had no residential delivery experience.Desired Settlement: to repair ruts and replace destroyed sod

Business

Response:

Please contact Estes SureMove Department at [redacted]. They will help resolve your complaint.Thank you,[redacted]Claim Supervisor Estes Express Lines

Review: This company does poor business as it relates to delivery. I ordered furniture from [redacted], they chose this company to ship it. I scheduled with the company three days in advance to receive the shipment between 3 and 6 oclock. That way I could go to work and come and receive the shipment. They called me at 12:00 saying they wanted to deliver it. Needless to say, I could not make that. I had to reschedule. the next day. The next day I waited for hours between 3 and 6. The called me at 8:00 saying we are coming or we can deliver tomorrow. I was frustrated, I told them to send it back. I then came to my senses and said tell me when you can deliver. They picked the day and still did not deliver. I waited all day. No one called, so I called them. They told me to wait. Finally them told me it never left the terminal. They flat out lied to me. I still do not have my furniture as of yet. Its been seven days.

Product_Or_Service: FurnitureDesired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

I just want my furniture delivered.

Business

Response:

I will need the pro number (freight bill number) to investigate this complaint.

Thank you,

[redacted]

Estes Express Lines

I am presently stuck in Concordia, MO due to a defective trailer axle assembly. A replacement was shipped via Estes Express from Utah on 2 day ground. It is now 3+ days. Just to be clear, there is the service economy and the lip-service economy. Estes Express conforms to the latter.

I ordered a package through [redacted]s on the 9 August, they shipped it to me via Estes on 10 August. I contacted Estes on the 17 August to find out where my package is as there is no information listed on the "track my package" link I was sent and based on the shipping method I selected, I should've gotten it by now. They told me "Oh, it just got to the residential dock yesterday in Denver. They will call you by the end of business today to schedule your delivery."
So on the 18th, I hadn't gotten a call, and I called again. I was told, "Oh it just got to the residential dock, they should call you by the end of business tomorrow to deliver it."
Here we are on 19 August. I JUST got my call, they are coming to deliver it tomorrow, because "It just got to the residential dock".
I'm so disappointed. I should've received my package on the 17th AT THE LATEST, and everytime I've called, I've been lied to.

Review: Driver delivered a bathtub to our new residence and it was delivered with a crack down the middle of the top of it that goes all the way through. There was a slit in the box right above where the damage was. At delivery the top of the box (the damaged side) was put against the wall still attached to the pallet so the damage could not be seen.My husband was asked to sign a screen at delivery and then the guy left in a hurry. My husband did not have a chance to inspect.The company that sold us the bathtub said it was our responsibility because we signed for it. They filed a claim and Estes - Express asked us to file a claim as well. After a few days I called to follow up and I got an automated message saying that our claim was denied. I left a voicemail with someone at the company after being transferred 3 days ago but I have not heard back.Desired Settlement: I am disputing the charge with the company but we still have the matter of the bathtub in our living room. I would like for Estes - Express to come and pick it up and send it back to the company, I don't feel we should have to pay to have it hauled away.

Business

Response:

Our contract with the shipper [redacted] stipulates that they must file a claim with Estes.

Mr. [redacted] should contact them for reimbursement or replacement and they in turn will file claim with Estes.

Thank you,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]

Regards,

They have told us they will not pay to have the tub removed. We disputed with credit card and have a temporary credit and the company has not responded to us.

Estes is the one who did the damage so I think that Estes should pay to have it removed.

Received a compressor today from [redacted] using Estes as a freight carrier. Scheduled delivery was set up by Estes. Driver (Robert I believe) called ahead stating when he would be arriving and was on time. He was very courteous and placed the compressor where I wanted it. I was a bit concerned because of other reviews but my experience has been nothing but positive.

Review: On May 24, 2013 at around 10:45 am I spoke with [redacted] who handles shipment delivery about having my shipment of two vending machines delivered on Monday, however, that upcoming Monday was Memorial Day. After she brought it to my attention that it was a holiday I asked if she would deliver them on the following Monday June 2, 2013; she agreed. That same day the delivery driver called and informed me that he was on his way to my house. Once he arrived he could not get the machine to my back shed because his fork cliff would not move on the grass of my property and therefore he had to leave to get to another call he had to make before the business closed. My complaint is that I have been trying to get in touch with [redacted] ( because she handles deliveries) to set a date and time that will work for both of us, however, she has not return any of my phone calls...I left several messages. The last message on May 30, 2013 I told her that I would be contacting the Revdex.com.Desired Settlement: I want my vending machines delivered on a date and time that she and I can agree on.

Business

Response:

I will need the pro number to investigate this complaint.

Thank you,

Claim Supervisor

Estes Express Lines

Estes Express Lines Truck, Tennesse [redacted] RICHMOND, VA - [redacted] broke my windshield on 08/27/2015. This company is very irresponsible they did not take responsibility to pay for the damage and/or replace it.

Review: This complaint contains two complaints in one. A late delivery of products as well as a potentially criminal act.

I placed an order through [redacted] an online furniture retailer and because of the nature of the order the products needed to be shipped via freight carrier rather than a more traditional route ([redacted] etc). Inmod then contracted with Estes to deliver the furniture to me.

After receiving email communication from [redacted] about the details of shipment as well as a phone call from Estes confirming the shipping and drop off details I was told, by Estes, that I should be at home to receive the shipment between the hours of 12:00pm and 5:00 pm. I remained at home during those hours and waited an additional 1.5 hours until 6:30pm when I received a phone call from the driver of the Estes delivery truck indicating that he would be at least another 45 minutes to an hour before he would make my delivery. At that time he also suggested that I reschedule the delivery which made no sense. Why would I reschedule a delivery after I had waited 7 hours? I had waited that long and it only made sense to keep waiting. I didn't want to waste another day waiting on the delivery.

The delivery driver pulls into my neighborhood around 8:30pm and when he drives down my street his truck severely damages a neighbor's tree. His truck completely knocked a fairly large branch (20 feet long and about 6-8 inches in diameter) out of the tree and that branch fell between the cab of his truck and the trailer. He was lucky that the branch didn't damage his break or hydraulic lines. He gets out of his truck and pulls the limb from between his cab and trailer and drags it into the my cul de sac. After he's completed this task he walks to my door to let me know he's here and ready for me to sign for the delivery.

I had watched the entire incident from a window and the delivery driver was going to act like it never happened until I said "so, what are you going to do about that tree?" His response, "nothing, but I can see what my manager wants me to do." I was obviously very surprised by this response as he had damaged a neighbor's property and was going to drive off like nothing had ever happened and at the same time leaving a significantly large tree limb in the middle of the cul de sac. I put some pressure on him by stating, "I'm not signing for my delivery until you deal with this tree." His response, "well, that's fine, I'll just load them back on the truck." Here, again, he's completely ignoring the fact that he's damaged property and that he, as the responsible party, needs to take care of what's happened.

He eventually agrees to call his boss who then calls his/her boss. He states on the phone to his boss' boss, "I have a customer who has some questions for you." He hands me his phone and I begin to speak to this person. I tell her that I don't really have any questions but rather a request that the delivery driver take care of the damages that he's cause. Her response was that the driver must fill out an accident report form and that it would be at least 2 weeks before anyone from "corporate" would review the incident. Surprised I was again at the complete lack of service-orientedness from a company whose business it is to serve. The 'boss' boss' spoke with a "I can't be bothered with this nonsense" tone and I also found that very off-putting. Needless to say I didn't speak to her very long before I said goodbye and handed the phone back to the driver. I wasn't getting anywhere with her and all she could tell me was that it was going to be a while before they would do anything about the damage the driver had caused.

Eventually, the driver stated that there was nothing else he could do. I asked him if he could provide a copy of his accident report and he said that could not. Again, this is troubling because I have no record of this incident happening. He's damaged a neighbor's property, his company provided him no guidance or support in dealing with the situation, and the mid-level manager I spoke to had no clue how to deal with a disgruntled customer.Desired Settlement: My desired outcome would be that the company acknowledges that its internal polices of dealing with accidents is very insufficient. What would have happened if the driver had knocked over someone's mailbox or something more serious, would he have just driven off like nothing had happened? The sheer and complete lack of competence in dealing with this accident is an indication that this company lacks the required minimum level of internal communication that would serve as the basis for a culture of customer service. This company was more worried about disclaiming responsibility for both a VERY late delivery as well as an accident. Further desired outcomes include a reprimand to both the driver and his manager's boss (the woman with whom I spoke on the phone) as well as improved training and polices for this company so that all of its employees can competently deal with issues that arise during the normal course of business. An apology from the woman with whom I spoke on the phone would also be welcomed.

Business

Response:

Please advise the Estes pro number (freight bill number) so I can let our safety department know of your complaint.

Thank you,

Estes Express Lines

Consumer

Response:

The Estes pro number is [redacted]

Business

Response:

I have sent his information over to my Safety Dept and they will be in touch with the customer.

Thank you,

Estes Express Lines

Review: On the 24th of July [redacted] sent a request to [redacted] to schedule a pick up date with me. I was told by [redacted] that I should receive a call within 48 hours. My first contact with [redacted] was on Monday the 28th. I was told that they 1-2 business days behind schedule and that someone will call me no later than the 30th to schedule the pick up. I called back on the 31st of July and was asked for my information and was told someone will get back to me shortly. I called again on the 4th of August at that time I was told that they didn't see a pick up request for me. I was aked for my information again including my email address and was told someone will call me to schedule a pick up. Please note that the [redacted] is in my garage since it weighs 260 lbs I was not able to move it. Also I am not able to use my garage due to the fact that it in the space. I called [redacted] on the 8th of August to figure out why does it take over 15 days to schedule a pick up. I was finally put through to [redacted] who stated the notes on my account stated that they were waiting for me to call them back. She also explained that they were about a week and a half behind schedule due to people being on vacation. No one told me this. The lack of follow up and professionalism from [redacted] is unacceptable. Especially since they are holding up the process of me getting a refund due to this lag in time to pick up the shipment.Desired Settlement: [redacted] needs to set better expectations with their customers. To continually get told that you will get a call back or that there are only three people that work in the department as a reason for the delay is unacceptable. Their customer service really needs an upgrade.

Business

Response:

Please advise the EFW pro number (freight bill number) so I can let them know your complaint.

Thank you,

Claims Supervisor

Estes Express Lines

Review: We entered a service agreement with Estes ([redacted]) to have one water heater tank and one smaller 40 lb. box with burner and controls to be shipped from a factory in Madison, Wi, to our customer in Oxford, PA. Shipment arrived short the smaller box. Driver advised our customer that the smaller box was likely inside the bigger water heater box. Customer requested to open the water heater box to make sure the water heater was OK and the other box was inside it (as the driver led her to believe), but the driver said that it was not required. He instructed the customer to sign the freight bill # [redacted]) "Subject to inspection", and if there were any issues to call Estes after she opened the water heater box. The customer's heating contractor was also present at the time and witnessed the instructions the drivers gave to the customer.

The customer opened the box immediately after the driver left, and the second box was not inside the first box. Over the next month, I called Estes three times, talked to three different reps, was promised three times that they would talk to the driver and investigate, and was promised three times that they would get back with me after their investigation. None of the three called to let me know what the driver said, if the box had ever been located, etc.

Finally, we filed Estes Freight Claim [redacted] for our cost for the contents of the missing burner and controls box. Estes denied the claim because they said the exemption signed on the freight bill was too vague. Despite very detailed information provided to Estes by myself and our customer, no one at Estes would take responsibility that if "Subject to Inspection" is not a suitable exemption, then the driver should not have instructed the customer to sign the freight bill that way. No one at Estes has given any sort of testimony from the driver that conflicts with what the customer and her licensed heating contractor have given over the events of this delivery.Desired Settlement: Estes eventually offered to pay for 1/3 of the claim. We are requesting full payment of claim [redacted]. Common sense and facts indicate that there is little doubt that the burner and controls did not arrive with the shipment. Hence, the customer, in good faith, signed the freight bill as she was instructed by the driver. As a representative of Estes, the driver has a responsibility to instruct the customer how to properly note a problem with a delivery. Homeowners and the general population are note trained in proper transportation terminology and how freight bills and claims work. They rely on the driver, the representative of the company, in good faith, to lead them to do the right thing when there is a problem with a shipment. It is clear that the customer was given poor instructions by the driver on how to note the problem with the shipment. It is up to Estes to take responsibility for the training and actions of their employee and honor this freight claim.

Business

Response:

This complaint is in regards to Estes claim #[redacted]. This delivery receipt was signed for clear. Subject to inspection is never a valid damage/shortage exception. Carrier liability is established by notations on the delivery receipt at time of delivery. The customer always has a right to inspect their packages and if they feel necessary, they can refuse the delivery. We have offered 1/3 as a good faith compromise settlement offer and I will agree to offer 1/2 to settle this matter amicably. Thank you,

[redacted]Claims Supervisor Estes Express Lines

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by Estes in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and we will accept the offer of 1/2 the original claim to be paid. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I will get back to you at: [email protected] is clear their company representative, the driver, mislead the customer when accepting the shipment and gave her bad information on how to note the exemption. More than likely, there is a box sitting somewhere in one of their facilities that belongs to our company. If or when it has been found, we would like to be notified and the matter be made entirely right. Until then, we will accept the offer of 1/2 the price of the claim to help offset our losses from this matter.We have used Estes for over 10 years and have not had this sort of problem with them in the past. We were extremely loyal to them and oftentimes used their services even though we had lower quotes from their competitors. This experience has indicated to us that we will use different criteria in choosing LTL services in the future. Please note that since this issue, many LTL jobs have been awarded to Estes' competitors that they normally would have earned if this situation had not occurred. Perhaps the trust can be built up again in the future.

Regards,