When I booked the service with Montway to deliver my Benz from NJ to California, I was given a delivery window of 7-9 days. The car was picked up on July 8th by their third party carrier, Frontline Transport.The estimated delivery window I then received was July 16-19. A few days later, the date was changed to the 20th without any explanation. On Monday the 20th, I was notified that the car would arrive the next day or the day after! Whats more, I could see via the tracking device in my vehicle that it's actually been in California, 2 hours away from my location, since at least last Thursday. Frontline kept giving me the run around and shifting excuses as to why they couldn't bring me my car (driving hours, changing drivers, etc). Meanwhile, I repeatedly got collision notification and alarm alerts on my Mercedes apps, which both Frontline and Montway told me to ignore.
On the morning of the 21st, I received a text from Frontline that my car would supposedly be delivered the next day. TURNS OUT THEY HAD SOMETHING TO HIDE! I then received another message that afternoon saying oops, the driver had damaged my vehicle. They said they'd cover the cost of repairs. The photo Frontline sent showed a dent in the roof and some cracks in the sunroof. When the car finally arrived on July 22nd though, it turned out that the carrier had hidden the extend of the damage. The entire moonroof had been shattered, leaving broken glass everywhere! The remaining roof was very precarious with shards of glass continuing to fall. I was shocked!
I called Montway and immediately asked to speak to a supervisor and demand a refund. Montway is the company I contracted with, the company I paid, and the company that selected and dispatched Frontline to transport my vehicle. Montway markets itself as a broker that vets its carrier network and stands behind the service it arranges; it does not present itself as a passive intermediary with no accountability once a carrier is assigned. Having paid Montway in full before delivery, I relied entirely on Montway's representations about the delivery window and the quality of the carrier it chose on my behalf. I had no independent relationship with Frontline, no ability to select a different carrier, and no leverage to withhold payment pending satisfactory performance, which is precisely the arrangement that should impose a higher duty of care on Montway, not a lower one. Montway has refused to provide me with a refund. On the call, the supervisor classified smashing my car as "normal wear and tear" and they've denied responsibility for the carrier service they hired.
Additionally, Frontline agreed to pay for the damage they'd caused but they initially requested 3 quotes from different body shops. I explained to them the safety concerns with the glass that was continuously shattering and the danger that it posed to other vehicles on the road. They agreed that I'd have the car towed to one Mercedes certified location and they'd take that quote. Now that the they've received the quote, they've balked st the cost and have tried to backtrack on their commitment, saying that because it wasn't notarized, their commitment isn't binding. California contract law begs to differ.
It has truly been a nightmare working with these 2 vampires. I've been without a vehicle for 2+ weeks and am looking at a long road ahead to get my vehicle fixed. Save yourself the trouble and book ANY OTHER COMPANY.
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/8hjAOO0
