Exploited vulnerable customer
It all started promising. I needed my car transported from Portugal back to UK as friend has left me in a pickle. I have explained all to the owner, Gary and that it was very urgent for me to get the car back on UK soil to be sold. I essentially bought the car for my friend as help and it backfired and unfortunately the car ended up in Portugal and I’m no driver, otherwise I would have driven it back myself. So I needed help in terms of road transport. Cars Go Transport came back to me 1st with a quote and me not knowing anything how these businesses work, I put my trust in them. I was asked for a deposit of £100 and as I was desperate and after pouring my heart out about what happened to me to the owner, I was told not to worry that it will be taken care of.I was in distress, but was assured that car will be picked up and taken to me. As I didn’t know how this all works I needed over communication to be kept updated with what is going on. After paying £100 deposit and “reserving a place” I was told estimates when my car would be picked up but assured it would be in the last week of July/Aug. Once I’ve paid the money, the communication was less frequent and eventually it looked like it would take infinite time until this task would be completed. No dates, vague responses or no responses. So I had to find an alternative as it was time sensitive which I explained from the outset.I did found alternative and opted to take their services as I was told exactly what will be done and when (no deposit required from them)I have written back to Gary that I have found an alternative since he didn’t have answers for me. At this point I was met with one sentence response announcing that there is no deposit return if I chose the other option.I would have expected update then but was met with defensive responses. I have raised a point the quote or the website does not talk about retention of deposit in case you opt out.The other company never asked for a deposit nor did a few other companies offering same services. I was overly stressed and this wasn’t helping and requested my money back several times explaining my distress and not understanding the way these transport services work. All I needed was help. I have politely gone back several times for my £100 back as I was already losing loads of money with the car situation itself. It kept falling on deaf ears and I kept getting same response that I have taken someone else’s spot when I was explained by the other companies and I’ve checked that no one would lose a spot as you always wait until the trailer is full. So there was no need to keep that deposit for no service. I was very vulnerable and felt used since the owner knew the story and kept the money keeping me further out of pocket. Shame….01/09/24 - Thanks for your reply Gary, yes, I told you I will go with an alternative if you could not confirm your pick up day on the week of collection. You’ve changed your tune just to justify keeping the money which I wouldn’t mind you keeping it under different circumstances if I was messing with you. But I wasn’t messing with you and your replies were very vague as it was getting closer to the “agreed” pick up date which actually become infinite and only when I said I cannot wait and am considering alternatives, your only reply to me at that point was I am keeping the money if you do that (you have cornered me knowing I’m under pressure so preyed on my desperate situation). Also, it’s here say, as I have no proof that you would have had picked up my car that week or that your truck was miraculously on its way back to UK just one day after I asked my money back. I was texting you wanting to know which day the car will be picked up (you’ve stopped replying and I didn’t know what was going on as I said above I do not know how this business works) as I was losing money whichever way and you knew that and still you kept it. You have taken advantage of me, which added to my distress of trying to solve task which I have never done before. Integrity goes long way, and from your side, there was lack of it. When you transact business with someone, you buy the person, you put your trust in them. Very disappointed how this was handled. Jana