Hey Guys and Gals,

I'm a newbie on the forum and the proud owner of my first HD . It's a 2005 Sportster 883 and I can't be more excited to ride. I am currently having my bike shipped from Florida to Texas and would like your advice.

I bought the bike in Jacksonville, Florida and am having it shipped to San Antonio, Texas where I plan to pick up the bike and bring it back down to Corpus using a uhaul motorcycle trailer. For shipping I went with uship.com because I have used them in the past with good results.

The shipment ended up costing me about 600 bucks, but since it was bid as an enclosed trailer transport and could be done in a relative short period of time, I figured what the hell, at least I know the bike will be well secured from the road and weather on the shipment. This was over a month ago.

So I just got off the phone with my old man and he tells me the shipper loaded the bike in the back of his pickup truck without any type of enclosure to protect the bike from the elements. The enclosed trailer that I thought he was going to use for my bike, he ended up using for another shipment he picked up. So the trailer is full of furniture instead.

What do you guys think I should do? On one hand I figure to just suck it up and be happy the bike is finally on the way and to just wash it and get it back lookin purty when it gets here. I already checked the radar and it doesn't look like he will hit much rain, which was my main concern. He did mention he may have another shipment to make to Louisiana, so he may put my bike in the trailer once he empties the furniture at that drop off.

But on the other hand I am a little frustrated because I am not exactly getting what I paid for. When I spoke to the shipper yesterday, I confirmed that he was using an enclosed trailer and then today he tells my dad that he didn't bid the shipment as an enclosed transport (not true).

The bad part is when the shipment arrives I have to give him a payment code for the full amount of the bid, which I already paid to uship. The only way for me to get any kind of money back for the whole ordeal is to negotiate with the shipper.

Thanks in advance,

Drew

 

If you have any proof he bid it enclosed I would contact USHIP. They probably have some type of mediation process that could net you a couple bucks. I wouldn't start the process till you've taken possession of your new scoot. Maybe you can show your proof to the driver and see if he wants to settle with you and keep his good name intact.

Rain wouldn't scare me, I ride in it all the time.

 

I too have had bad and good experiences with UShip...kind of a gamble with that outfit. I now use HaulBikes for no hassle shipping...a little more expensive, but without any grief.

 

If you had agreed to the "back of a pickup" method in the first place would it have been less? If so then I'd be upset that you payed more for a real trailer and that's not what you got. Tell uship that you've used them before with no problems but this is your first. A reasonable customer gets further than an over the top angry one.

 

dispute the charge with your credit card company and say they did not deliver the services you paid for.

 

It probably isn't going to matter what anyone said, more important is, what do you have in writing?

 

What's really important is that you get it in your hands without any shipping damage. It might be worth your time to try to get some $ back, but at this point you aren't out any extra money, you are paying what you expected.

Some things aren't worth the stress.

 

Thanks for the responses everybody. I have decided to not stir the pot until the bike arrives. If it arrives without damage and in good condition then I will just let it go and consider it a learning experience even though I have written proof of the bid being submitted as an enclosed trailer transport.

I agree that the most important part is the bike arriving without damage. Last night I was having nightmares thinking about the possibilities...

I am heading to San Antonio right after work to get the bike. I will let you guys know how it goes and get some photos of the new scoot to share.

Thanks Again,

Drew

 

Take pictures of it in the back of his truck.

 

If it hasn't arrived yet, you have no hard evidence that it has been shipped in an open pickup. If you also have no written evidence that the agreement was as you claim, then there is not a lot more we can say. Most important of all is the condition of the bike when you receive it.