Direct Express Auto Transport Responds To Bad Reviews By Posting Reviewers' Personal Information Online
We write often about companies' sleazy approaches to online reviews. Some companies bribe users for positive feedback. Others sue over negative reviews. Direct Express Auto Transport, however, is the first company we've seen that responds to bad reviews by sharing users' personal information.
On an auto transporters review site, Direct Express Auto Transport took to the threads to answer negative reviews, providing the customer's full name (even when the person used an alias in the forum), the car he wanted to ship, and where it was going, topped off with sarcasm and rudeness. Here's one example:
Customer Nithin Johnson, who calls himself Nate, wanted to ship his Audi A4 1.8T Quattro Sedan from Hop Bottom, Pennsylvania to New Albany, Ohio. Ever hear of Hop Bottom? There is a reason for that - it is in the middle of nowhere in upstate PA.
It even seems they're sharing the personal information on purpose. Responding to a review by "april," (no other info provided) which complains of the company's "bullsh#t service," the company writes:
Her choice of words in which to express herself should tell you plenty, which fortunately is now captured on the internet with her full name and town.
For a company that posts a picture of its (all young female) customer service staff on its front page, we would hope they'd be a little better at it.
(Photo: the idealist)Thanks, Ed!
Post a comment
Comments:
Goddamn. Obviously these people can't take a bit of criticism.
This is on their "about us" page.
"Direct Express Auto Transport ships over 21,000 vehicles annually, making us one of the largest auto transporters in America. Nobody knows for sure, but with over $17 million dollars in orders, we probably rank among the three largest auto transporters in the country. "
"We probably" :\ If nobody knows for sure, maybe they are 99th in the country.
This sounds so unprofessional, having seen this alone I would pick a different company if I was shipping my car.
They are obviously clueless if they thought ripping on bad reviewers and posting their private information was going to gain them any customers. Now their nasty behavior has been captured on the internet for every potential customer to see.
Seems like they would rather spend the time and effort bashing their unsatisfied customers than improving their services and customer satisfaction. Strange way to run a business in this economy.
these guys seem to be as bad as autotrail transporters/a eastern connection. same ol' scammy stuff. fake info on website & take advantage of folks esp. after they have their cars "hostage"
My company has to ship cars all the time and I've never heard of these clowns. Now I have, and I certainly won't be using them! Maybe we should look up the names, addresses, and phone numbers of THEIR employees and post that online? Wonder if they'd like that!
You've got to admit, this is an industry noted more for their slack-jawed yokels then for their college educated professionals.
@Taed: I like this excerpt from their privacy policy: "If you feel that we are not abiding by this privacy policy, you should contact us immediately via telephone at 800-600-3750 or via email."
Remember, you can call 800-600-3750 to complain or contact via email at info@autotransportdirect.com
Additional contact info:
toll-free phone: 800-600-3750
local phone: 415-482-2870
fax: 415-482-9911
Their server IP is 208.106.251.172
More from whois: [whois.domaintools.com]
@Taed: I'll go one step further. The owner's name is Mike Rupers and their business phone is (415) 482-2870 and their fax is (415) 482-9911.
I can't help but think that these clowns - by intentionally posting personal information of their customers on the internet - have violated one of the new federal laws (and possibly some state statutes as well), regarding the MANDATED PROTECTION of consumers' personal information.
This opens them up to possible major litigation in more than one courtroom.
could be very costly, having to hire multiple lawyers to explain to a couple of judges (and maybe a couple of juries, too), how posting such information blithely on the internet - in what can only be seen as retaliation - is in accordance to these laws.
Who knows? They might be outta business by the end of the year if the consumers involved band together - or even separately...at least one lawyer required for EACH 'victim'...lotsa money being burned an hour!
it's almost as if their customer service department is run by a bunch of catty high school girls.
wait...
@ecwis: It doesn't make sense to me why anyone would post customer's information online when their own personal information (home address, phone number, wife's name and age) is available for anyone to see.
@ecwis: It's late... they're probably closed.
Try him at home: (415) 455-8765
Or, send him a postcard:
Michael Rupers
141 Crescent Rd
San Anselmo, CA 94960-2746
Privacy notice aside, all their reviews seem good. The bad ones sound like incredibly stupid people pissed about the open ended delivery dates or not being able to get a driver over christmas.
Michelle Malkin would be proud. No doubt the asshats in question are fans of hers.
Whatever happened to saying, "What can we do to resolve this and make you happy enough to remove the negative review?"
It seems doing what the customer paid you to do isn't enough anymore.
@Taed: It says:
We are the sole owners of the information collected on this site. We only have access to/collect information that you voluntarily give us via email or other direct contact from you. We will not sell or rent this information to anyone.
I don't see anything saying that they won't give it away. That must be why the morons felt this was acceptable.
To be fair, they are posting the originating and destination towns for a reason, to highlight why a one day transportation is unreasonable (then again, noone needs transportation for a car if it would only take one day, most likely). The full name and car type, really uncalled for though.
@P_Smith: addendum:
Here's their email address if you feel inclined to tell them what you think.
info@autotransportdirect.com
@ecwis: More info on Mike:
He donated $1,250 to the Obama Campaign under Mike Rupers
He donated an additional $350 as Michael Rupers
[fundrace.huffingtonpost.com]
Classy company headquarters: [maps.google.com]
Also, whitepages.com lists this as his home number and adress:
[www.whitepages.com]
Michael J Rupers
home
141 Crescent Rd
San Anselmo, CA 94960-2746
(415) 455-8765
@Corporate_guy: Which is precisely why the company should have just let it go in the first place. Now, they're going to be humiliated on the interwebs and probably sued.
@Xerloq: More info:
Ebay store: [cgi.ebay.com]
Transcript of a court case that named Mr. Rupers as defendant (home addresses match): [www.myfaircredit.com]
@Mr_Human: After reading this, if I needed to ship a car I would use them. Again, their answers are justified snd entertaining. The name issue could get them sued. But I am sorry, the internet should be siding with the business.
@P_Smith:
EXACTLY - perfect phrase to use, it's baffling that any company out there would resort to such childish tacky behavior against their customers. I read a lot of unbelievable stuff on Consumerist, but this one really takes the cake.
@Xerloq: Ha did you read that court case? It has a lot of personal information. It looks like he had to partake in a very thorough deposition.
@ecwis: Thanks for pointing that out. I saw that, and was about to update. One was the Victory for America organization and the other is the Obama for America org.
If I recall correctly, $2,300 is the limit for an individual contribution.
@Canino: If you look at their reviews, there isn't much negative about them. I give them a plus for their remarks. It seems they only made fun of those who didn't want help. The customers who deserved it.
the chubby one must be the owners daughter.
@ecwis: I did read it. I won't post the names of his kids, his siblings or parents or their addresses, etc. It's sad that's on Google.
@Xerloq: Yeah, what is more interesting is that he illegally obtained a credit report for his sister because "she felt she was being taken advantage of in some fashion." Seems that he's not very good at respecting privacy laws.
@Onion_Volcano:
Don't know the one on the left, but the others are Lindsey, Margo, Melissa, (unknown), Natalie, and Renee.
What do you expect from a bunch of girls working in a office with a deadbeat boss?
@trixrabbit: The company is a broker who sets you up with independent drivers. No way a driver is going to hold a car on their behalf for no reason. The company gets a flat 150.
@Corporate_guy: I smell a rat.
No serious human being would use this company. While they may or may not have been justified in posting the towns (as another commenter hear mentioned). They are in no way justified in posting names vehicle types OR MAKING RUDE COMMENTS ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS OR WHERE THEY LIVE.
Having experienced a company like this recently, the open ended dates are solely for their convenience and their inability to get their act together. My vehicle sat at the originating terminal until a week past the estimated time of arrival. According to the company, this was due to the price of gas...
has anyone else realized that Direct Express Auto Transport Headquarters anagrammatically presented is D.E.A.T.H? kinda gloomy.
Their BBB info is here: [reports.hurdmanivr.com]
Just got to show that just bc a business is BBB accredited doesnt mean its any good.
Hey, give the guy a break! He needs to work hard to pay the $12,859 in property taxes last year! Plus, he needs to pay to finish up the fence on the side of that $765,000 house he bought on 05/16/1995. It's a pretty nice looking house! [maps.google.com]
@P_Smith:
Michelle Malkin would be proud. No doubt the asshats in question are fans of hers
Doubtful, considering that it appears the company's owner gave ~$4k to Obama and related PAC's.
News flash - there are people of all political persuasions who are dicks.
@Corporate_guy:
Sounds like they make promises, take peoples money and then don't do anything during the holidays! (Or the 2 months after...November, December, January, February)... A hell of a vacation!
So the rest of the year, they are great, just don't do business or expect your car or any type of service during this time?
@silver-bolt:
you haven't read all the complaints. That is only one case. The person he said wanted it in one day (Pay someone to drive it there, Phoenix to Texas... heck..)
What about the dozens of others, drop off a car working, then get it delivered late and inoperable, No one is responsible.... I'd complain as well. why does he need to post the persons name and the city he lives in for this one? he basically agrees with the guy, but is an ass to him and tells him he won't get shit from him.
No matter what the complaint, he will post your name and city you live in and everyone else is wrong, he replies to ALL complaints in this matter, read a few of them and you'll be angry as well!
@Xerloq:Ebay store: [cgi.ebay.com]
So let me get this straight, you spend $25.00 on His buy it now auction, he will send you a "Certificate" for $25 good for shipping your car at his company? Why would anyone purchase this, there is no discount or anything. I can walk in and give them $25 that is good for $25 in goods, the good part is I can keep that $25 when I find out it is going to cost $350+. If you purchase his "Certificate" and find out how much more you have to pay, you are probably stuck with a $25 piece of paper worth NOTHING! You'd have to be a moron to buy his eBay certificate!
I can't believe they're knowingly allowing their staff to respond in a public forum like this.
BEST-case scenario, by doing so, they've gone out of their way to obviously and intentionally retaliate against one of their customers in an extremely childish and immature manner. That's reason enough not to do business with them under any circumstances.
But worst-case scenario, they would have violated their own privacy policy, which is a breach of contract. They'd have also committed libel, by making false or unprovable written statements about where the customer is shipping his property and why. This could have serious consequences to that customer's reputation, could affect their current job or future employment prospects, or their ability to sell the vehicle now or in the future if those statements lead potential buyers to believe something untrue about the customer or vehicle, which could prompt a lawsuit under tort law. Furthermore, the company could be opening themselves up to criminal liability by creating a potentially dangerous situation for the customer they're retaliating against. For example, what if that customer, posting under perceived anonymity, happens to be under threat from another individual, such as a stalker ex-boyfriend, bully or other nefarious party? As far as they knew, even if the company responds in the forum they'd posted in, they would still be anonymous. But now that person's real name and location are publicly available and searchable, and their anonymity is gone. That individual now has to worry about whoever or whatever was after them. This is obviously an unlikely scenario, but not out of the realm of possibility. By breaking their own terms of service (and possibly state/federal law), the company makes this scenario a real possibility.
Do I think it's really going to end up that serious? No. Would I allow that to happen if I was a part of the company? ABSOLUTELY NOT. If those responsible kept their jobs at all, they'd be placed in a position where they couldn't damage the company's reputation any more than they already have.
And as a potential customer, I'd stay the hell away from any company who thinks it's appropriate to broadcast confidential, personally-identifiable information about me in a public forum just because they disagree with me. Only one other organization currently in existence comes to mind that thinks such behavior is appropriate. Scientologists.
If this post is accurate, the company is disgusting at best, and frightening at worst. Stay the hell away.
@Corporate_guy: Guess car shipping businesses are out of business then?
Sorry you can't post the names of the people who give you negative reviews anymore.
And even if you aren't related to Direct Express, which I suspect you are, car shipping is a legitimate business. And no one "deserves" to have a contract violated for being lazy. That's just ignorant.
I can't believe that Direct Express Auto Transport, 332 San Anselmo Avenue, San Anselmo, California 94960 would do that! That's just rude.
Furthermore, they're not abiding by their posted Privacy Notice ([www.autotransportdirect.com]).