R & L Carriers
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Bait n Switch - Lies - Deception
As a commercial customer, I will admit we have had a good experience with the local LTL team. However (a BIG however) our experience with the international team has us checking into other options for our shipping needs. We periodically order a few pallets at a time from a manufacturer in China. 2024 saw multiple orders over a short period of time. An R&L Rep asked what we were being charged for shipping, and upon hearing our cost remarked that it sounded high & we should give them a shot at quoting our next order. As I spoke to 3 or 4 of these experts, I was VERY CLEAR that our cost was door-to-door service. At every step we were reassured that everything would work out. Our main complaint over the manufacture handling the freight was how long it was taking and the lack of transparency. We were again assured full transparency with their new global tracking systems. Real time tracking of our shipment. R&L reps boasted about this system and that they were soooooo experienced in the port workings that they controlled every aspect of their containers. So much so that their containers cleared customs five days before coming into port! Amazing! No delays at port and right onto a truck. We bought the port bond. No big deal. A couple of $100 for 12 months of this magical service. Saving time & money. Let's do it! Now the reality...Delays at sea. OK, fine. Can't control the weather. Oh, wait, I can see the live freight tracking, right? Not so much. The order has yet to make it to port. Enter the first disappointing email informing us our bill is 2.5Xs the estimate. Excuse me?! Then they have the nerve to demand payment before it hits port. I think not. Order enters port. Right to a truck! Not so fast! Enter 2nd disappointment, new email letting us know that the container including our freight has been flagged for inspection. But no need to worry, because it had nothing to do with our shipment. How long will this take? Should be fast, they say, 3-5 days maybe a week. Weeks later, another email detailing we owe ADDITIONAL FUNDS for the customs stop. Now with a demand for payment of nearly $5,000. Still could not tell me when our freight would be delivered, but new it was still in California. My response? We will not think about paying until we know the shipment is in Chicago, at the very least. More time passes; our shipment appears in Chicago (mind you this amazing live tracking is a joke). After some back and forth about the accuracy of charges and location, we pay and are informed that if we do not schedule immediate delivery there would be additional charges. Are you kidding me?! This email thread was late in the week, and we were offered the following Monday or Tuesday. Great, I will rearrange everything we had scheduled to end this nightmare. Monday comes and goes (I am at my wits end). I call in to be informed that they handed the delivery off to a 3rd party. Who had to go right past us to get there & the real kicker is when I called the 3rd party I was told, "Oh, we don't deliver to your area on Mondays". I of course apologize for letting loose on this poor guy. Whom I am certain called R&L the moment we hung up. Tuesday came and so did our shipment. To be perfectly clear, we sit on a daily R&L route. Let's recap, what was supposed to be faster, cheaper and more transparent ended up 2.5x more in time and money while being as transparent as a rock in a cave. I cced every single person I had come into contact with regarding this absolute failure. How did R&L respond? We did get a call about a week or so later. We are now mid-Feb on a shipment we were scheduled to receive Dec 23rd. How did the call go? Well..... After navigating the timeline for their "Fixer", she apologizes that I would have to relive the experience from months ago. She was clueless that we had only received our goods the previous week. I was called illiterate and stupid along the way. Good Stuff, stay cool. The conclusion? That we were due substantial compensation for our troubles, and if we wouldn't mind holding off on writing this review until she called back. Today is April 15th. Time is up! We have been more that patient & now we go on blast.