Express Air Freight Unlimited, Inc.

3/*/2016 at 12:16pm:[redacted] made contact with our Houston office to ship three motorcycles from Panama City to Dallas. We gave him an ESTIMATE of charges based on the information provided by him. We never saw the motorcycles, since they were in Panama City. Our agent picked up the motorcycles...

and crated them for shipping as requested by [redacted] advised the motorcycles weighed 230 kilos each. Once crated the weight and size increased as expected when you crate motorcycles. [redacted] was advised numerous times of the weight and size of the motorcycles. Once the motorcycles arrived in Houston [redacted] advised he didn't have all the money to pay the full charges right now (USD $9166.42) could he pay the original estimate and the additional costs at a later date. We advised him that all charges were due before he picked up the motorcycles. [redacted] paid us with two personal checks one for USD $ 6750.00 the original ESTIMATE provided and one for $2716.42 the additional charges due to the increased size and weight, crating, insurance and import fee! Once he took possession of the three Motorcycles he stopped payment on the check for USD $2716.42. [redacted] motorcycles were handled with professional care and he received his motorcycles in excellent condition. I contacted [redacted] and he advised that he intended to stop payment on the check all along. He gave us a check he never intended to honor! We have been in business for 25 years and our reputation speaks for itself. We kept [redacted] informed all the way throughout the process of shipping these motorcycles. [redacted] wants to pay for only the weight of the motorcycles and not the weight of the crates. You cannot ship motorcycles without the proper crating. [redacted] also mentioned to me that he has had problems with previous freight forwarders and also did not want to pay their charges. We picked up, crated, insured and shipped THREE MOTORCYCLES exactly as requested. We expect to be paid for these services. [redacted] gave us a bad check that he never intended to honor. We would appreciate your assistance in dismissing this complaint as an attempt to defraud us of charges that are legally due! We have also contacted the local authorities to issue a judgment against him to collect the funds which is currently in progress. I hope that I have given you sufficient information to resolve this matter. [redacted] owes EXPRESS AIR FREIGHT USD $2716.42 plus the return check fee of USD $35.00 for a total of USD $ 2751.42. Please feel free to call me with any other questions you may have.

Review: I would like to address a recent transaction ([redacted]) in which the final invoice was excessively higher than the original quote. On November *, 2015, I requested a quote to ship three motorcycles from Panama City to Dallas, Texas (Attachment 1). Having shipped motorcycles in the past and wanting to remove the risk of prices increasing after receiving an estimate, I used the heaviest motorcycle’s weight and dimensions. The quote received was for $6,450 (Attachment 2), and I was told via phone that this quote included all costs, to include those associated with crating. Because these are “estimated” costs, they could increase a small amount but not substantially. On January **, I received a final invoice for $9,166.42 (Attachment 3). Note, after removing the cost of agreed upon insurance ($320), this is still a price increase of $2,396.42. That is 37.2% higher than the estimate.

The reason for the increased price, I was told, was because the motorcycles were significantly larger and heavier than previously indicated. Before shipping, the bikes were emptied of fuel to meet hazardous material requirements and parts were taken off the bikes to give them the smallest profile possible. The original quote was based upon a dry weight of 230kg per motorcycle. The dry weight of the three motorcycles are 229.1kg (Attachment 4, page 2), 191.0kg (Attachment 5, page 2), and 203.0kg (Attachment 6, page 2). That total weight is 623.2kgs—a 9.7% reduction from the quoted weight. This allows for an additional 66.8kg (147.2lbs) for clothing, tools, or luggage to be shipped with the bikes, if needed. All resulting weight increases incurred from crating should have been calculated into the weight. If volumetric weight is more critical, I can provide pictures of the motorcycles in a smaller profile than quoted after we stripped them of windshields and other parts to make them smaller.

When the bikes arrived at their destination, I was forced to pay the entire invoice (Attachments 7 and 8) to receive the property in the face of high cargo storage costs. Draft checks for the original quote and excess costs were shipped promptly from [redacted] via [redacted] to arrive in Jamaica, New York, no later than January **. However, after speaking to another shipping agent, FedEx personnel, and my bank about the situation, I placed a payment hold on the check for excess costs until I can gain a better understanding of why the final invoice increased by more than one-third. Recognizing such cargo shipment is a high-cost venture for an individual to undertake, I also recognize the need for accurate estimates, as they will determine decisions regarding selecting freight forwarding companies, choosing a means of shipment, and ultimately deciding whether or not to execute the shipment at all. Holding a cost increase of nearly 40% over the head of a customer in order for them to receive their property after the services have been rendered is not the proper way to conduct business. Because the services provided throughout the process were friendly, timely, and of high quality, they meet expectations for the agreed upon fee, but this does not resolve the remaining cost increase.Desired Settlement: I would like the business to relieve me of the additional charges of $2,396.42 because they were at fault for the incorrect quote.

Business

Response:

3/*/2016 at 12:16pm:[redacted] made contact with our Houston office to ship three motorcycles from Panama City to Dallas. We gave him an ESTIMATE of charges based on the information provided by him. We never saw the motorcycles, since they were in Panama City. Our agent picked up the motorcycles and crated them for shipping as requested by [redacted] advised the motorcycles weighed 230 kilos each. Once crated the weight and size increased as expected when you crate motorcycles. [redacted] was advised numerous times of the weight and size of the motorcycles. Once the motorcycles arrived in Houston [redacted] advised he didn't have all the money to pay the full charges right now (USD $9166.42) could he pay the original estimate and the additional costs at a later date. We advised him that all charges were due before he picked up the motorcycles. [redacted] paid us with two personal checks one for USD $ 6750.00 the original ESTIMATE provided and one for $2716.42 the additional charges due to the increased size and weight, crating, insurance and import fee! Once he took possession of the three Motorcycles he stopped payment on the check for USD $2716.42. [redacted] motorcycles were handled with professional care and he received his motorcycles in excellent condition. I contacted [redacted] and he advised that he intended to stop payment on the check all along. He gave us a check he never intended to honor! We have been in business for 25 years and our reputation speaks for itself. We kept [redacted] informed all the way throughout the process of shipping these motorcycles. [redacted] wants to pay for only the weight of the motorcycles and not the weight of the crates. You cannot ship motorcycles without the proper crating. [redacted] also mentioned to me that he has had problems with previous freight forwarders and also did not want to pay their charges. We picked up, crated, insured and shipped THREE MOTORCYCLES exactly as requested. We expect to be paid for these services. [redacted] gave us a bad check that he never intended to honor. We would appreciate your assistance in dismissing this complaint as an attempt to defraud us of charges that are legally due! We have also contacted the local authorities to issue a judgment against him to collect the funds which is currently in progress. I hope that I have given you sufficient information to resolve this matter. [redacted] owes EXPRESS AIR FREIGHT USD $2716.42 plus the return check fee of USD $35.00 for a total of USD $ 2751.42. Please feel free to call me with any other questions you may have.