Moving cross country

[Gypsy]

Just flipped out on my mother. She''s excited. My job offer came through. 3 month ''probabation'' period then permanent position at a tech company in San Jose, CA. Pay is fine... most important thing is that if I work in this position for a couple of years, I will have some really good career options to explore.

I''m not in the best of moods today though... and she was trying to talk me into driving my car out there. Forgetting that I lease my cars (I like new cars every couple of years and FI is self employed), the price of gas, etc. So I just requested car transportation companies. Left a message on my mother''s VM appologizing for the pea soup head rotating fit I just had.

And I have time till we completely re-locate... my fiance will be staying here for a few months before coming out. We''re mostly packed anyway. This isn''t a complete surprise. I''ve been interviewing in CA for over a year. Everything ''non-essential'' is packed for the most part.

Of course... there''s a bunch of crap I know I''m forgetting about. What a pain.

Anyway... if you all have transported vehicles cross country... how much did it cost, and how long did it take?

Why is it that now that it looks like we''re moving. I don''t want to? I don''t like it here. Never have.

Could I sound more negative? LOL.

 

[diamondfan]

GET THE ADDITIONAL INSURANCE! I moved two cars east when I moved from California and then a couple years ago sent my car back to California to give to my mother in law. It took FOREVER...over three weeks, when I had told them it had to be there by a certain date and they assured me NO problem. It sat in New Jersey for nearly two weeks before it even got there. I paid for enclosed carrier or top of the carrier and yet it arrived all dinged and had to be repainted, which I had just done prior to pick up (I had had all the dents removed and the car painted, serviced and detailed) plus the mileage was way off, so I think someone drove it while it sat in NJ. When I made the claim to them, they told me since I did not pay to have their extra coverage, I got 150.00 less a deductible. My bill was in the thousands and there was nothing I could do. I did not want to go through my personal insurance only to have them raise my rates going forward. They came highly recommended, move all of the big companies executives...but they sucked. I wrote the most scathing review when they emailed me about the experience. At one point, I kept calling and calling to get a status report. I could NEVER get through, on hold endlessly. I literally put the phone on speaker and went about my business. Longest before I hung up was 90 minutes. I also left countless voicemails and emails that were not returned. Finally gave up on customer service, and got through via the office. They put me through to someone who said that they had NO idea where in the process the car was, it had left Jersey but they had no idea where it was or when it would get there. I flat out said, I expect a call within one hour as to the EXACT whereabouts of my car. If I do not get it, I am calling the police and reporting it stolen. Would you know, in about 15 minutes I had a phone call! Car finally got to Los Angeles, and they were so awful at the drop point. My mother in law noticed all the damage, and refused to initial that the car was fine. She knew I had repaired it all. The guy did not want to leave it, and she called me in a panic. I said, you leave it NOW or I will tell the cops you stole my car. (If they took it with them I knew I would likely not see it again). I told him it was not worth the hassle for a job, leave the car and go about his business. I then made the claim and got NOTHING. Can you tell I think they SUCKED? I was going to reverse the charges on my card, but I had signed the contract saying I did not want their insurance. I was screwed. It almost seems to be better to pay someone to drive it out (college student with good record?), to spare you the hassles, but you still would have gas and mileage. I would research the heck out of it, and ps, this company checked out fine when I did my homework but I cannot say enough things against them.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 8/24/2006 11:17:23 PM
Author:Gypsy

Just flipped out on my mother. She''s excited. My job offer came through. 3 month ''probabation'' period then permanent position at a tech company in San Jose, CA. Pay is fine... most important thing is that if I work in this position for a couple of years, I will have some really good career options to explore.

I''m not in the best of moods today though... and she was trying to talk me into driving my car out there. Forgetting that I lease my cars (I like new cars every couple of years and FI is self employed), the price of gas, etc. So I just requested car transportation companies. Left a message on my mother''s VM appologizing for the pea soup head rotating fit I just had.

And I have time till we completely re-locate... my fiance will be staying here for a few months before coming out. We''re mostly packed anyway. This isn''t a complete surprise. I''ve been interviewing in CA for over a year. Everything ''non-essential'' is packed for the most part.

Of course... there''s a bunch of crap I know I''m forgetting about. What a pain.

Anyway... if you all have transported vehicles cross country... how much did it cost, and how long did it take?

Why is it that now that it looks like we''re moving. I don''t want to? I don''t like it here. Never have.

Could I sound more negative? LOL.

awww gypsy... we moved from NY to the CA bay area back in late 94... I never really fit the east coast but some times I miss the opportunities I had there... the grass is always greener and all that... but congrats on the job!!!! yay!

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 8/25/2006 12:34:00 AM
Author: diamondfan
GET THE ADDITIONAL INSURANCE! I moved two cars east when I moved from California and then a couple years ago sent my car back to California to give to my mother in law. It took FOREVER...over three weeks, when I had told them it had to be there by a certain date and they assured me NO problem. It sat in New Jersey for nearly two weeks before it even got there. I paid for enclosed carrier or top of the carrier and yet it arrived all dinged and had to be repainted, which I had just done prior to pick up (I had had all the dents removed and the car painted, serviced and detailed) plus the mileage was way off, so I think someone drove it while it sat in NJ. When I made the claim to them, they told me since I did not pay to have their extra coverage, I got 150.00 less a deductible. My bill was in the thousands and there was nothing I could do. I did not want to go through my personal insurance only to have them raise my rates going forward. They came highly recommended, move all of the big companies executives...but they sucked. I wrote the most scathing review when they emailed me about the experience. At one point, I kept calling and calling to get a status report. I could NEVER get through, on hold endlessly. I literally put the phone on speaker and went about my business. Longest before I hung up was 90 minutes. I also left countless voicemails and emails that were not returned. Finally gave up on customer service, and got through via the office. They put me through to someone who said that they had NO idea where in the process the car was, it had left Jersey but they had no idea where it was or when it would get there. I flat out said, I expect a call within one hour as to the EXACT whereabouts of my car. If I do not get it, I am calling the police and reporting it stolen. Would you know, in about 15 minutes I had a phone call! Car finally got to Los Angeles, and they were so awful at the drop point. My mother in law noticed all the damage, and refused to initial that the car was fine. She knew I had repaired it all. The guy did not want to leave it, and she called me in a panic. I said, you leave it NOW or I will tell the cops you stole my car. (If they took it with them I knew I would likely not see it again). I told him it was not worth the hassle for a job, leave the car and go about his business. I then made the claim and got NOTHING. Can you tell I think they SUCKED? I was going to reverse the charges on my card, but I had signed the contract saying I did not want their insurance. I was screwed. It almost seems to be better to pay someone to drive it out (college student with good record?), to spare you the hassles, but you still would have gas and mileage. I would research the heck out of it, and ps, this company checked out fine when I did my homework but I cannot say enough things against them.

Um. Crap. Frick. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oy. I have a headache. DF-- you poor thing. I can''t imagine. Or well... I can. Only too well. I valet parked my car in Newark and it came back with dings. Additional insurance. Got it. Oy.

Cehra-- grass is greener. I''ve never fit out here either though. Well, that''s not true. I loved DC... and really felt at home there. But not here in NJ. Still and all. FI is born and raised here... so Cali is going to be a big adjustment for him. Fortunately, he''s very... NOT Jersey. He loved DC too. I guess I was really just hoping for one of the positons out in DC to work out.

 

[Mara]

gypsy, greg moved here from the east coast and he moved some cars...depending on the car i guess, he''s moved 2...one was about $1200 (regular) and one (vintage) was $2500. he said it took about a week.

 

[kcoursolle]

Moving is such a pain, I feel for you! I did the across country move about a year ago from the midwest to LA. Luckily I didn''t own much at the time and I don''t have a car, so I''m not sure how much that costs. Diamondfan, your story sounds awful!! I''m so sorry to hear about that.

One other thing on insurance, depending on how upscale your old/new neighborhood is, you might have to purchase extra car insurance for day to day driving in CA. My fi and I are from the midwest where everyone drives cheap toyotas and fords and there are not as many accidents since the freeways are not congested. When we moved to LA, he increased his coverage from 30k to 200k since people are driving BMWs, Lexus, Porche, etc. out here in LA. We figured it wouldn''t be worth the risk if we hit someone with an expensive car!! Scary thought to be out 100k!!!

Good luck with the move and congrats on your job!

 

[diamondfan]

Gypsy, I am sure you will find someone decent to do it. It costs about 1500.00 and I would make sure it is in an enclosed carrier or at least on the top level to lessen dings from crap flying up on it. Also, write down the mileage when you drop it or when they come and get the car. Check references and get the extra coverage and I am sure it will go well...grasshopper, learn from my hell! But seriously, I was soooo pissed, because here I was, sending my mother in law my old car, which was only 18 months old and a very nice car, because I wanted a new car and she needed one, so instead of trading in or selling privately, and having to buy her a car which I knew my dh would end up doing, I think, hey, she loves my car, I will clean it and fix the dings and voila, we are both happy! Turned out to be SUCH a nightmare I cannot imagine ever doing it again, but people do it all the time and I assume, even with a percentage of bad companies or bad stories out these, it mostly goes well. But boy did it give me grief for three weeks...won''t get that time back, either! Just be a smart consumer as I am sure you are already, and I think you will be just fine.

 

[decodelighted]

If you have something like EZPASS ... make sure you take it OUT of the car before you have it transported. My car was trucked up from the South when it broke down over X-mas ... we left the EZPASS in and it registered every toll along the entire eastern seaboard FROM INSIDE THE BACK OF A TRUCK. We fought it & won, with the help of the proof of truck transport - but still... Yeesh.

On the job/move ... nothing is irreversable. Maybe if you take it like "We''ll try it out ...if it sucks, we''ll move somewhere else" it won''t seem sooooooo daunting.

My Sweetie loved the San Jose area & he is from Upstate NY. He''d move back in a flash if I wasn''t so tied to the NYC job market.

 

[tdiddy]

Gypsy,

My aunt and uncle moved South from Ohio and took a leased car with them (not shipped) - but when the lease was up they had to return it to the dealership they bought it from in Ohio and had to pay someone to drive it back (the other option was shipping but driving was cheaper).

I don''t know if that holds true for your lease, but it might be good to look into before you ship it out there and possibly have to ship it back in the end. This was like 5 years ago so the same rules might not apply and obviously you are in another state so probably different laws there in general.

I also have a friend that bought an old Volvo off of eBay and paid $700 to ship it E to W Coast - but the car was only worth about twice that. She didn''t have any problems but it took like 6 weeks.

 

[Gypsy]

THAT''S what I forgot! I forgot to check where I have to return the car! But well... I''m not sure if that''s a huge deal as we just got the car... so we''d have to ship it back a few years from now. Thanks for the reminder.

Okay... so I got some qoutes in... didn''t really do anything with them. But I looked at the prices and they''re right where you all said it would be.

Extra insurance.

Take EZ Pass out.

As for permanence.. yeah. Well... our long term plan is to move to Oregon from CA anyway. I''m hoping for two years about in CA... then up to Oregon for permanent settlement. Cost of living is good, it''s beautiful, and it''s in the Pacific Northwest... and if I do stay in the tech industry... well Oregon''s got that too. CA, as much as I love, is just crazy in terms of real estate prices. For the price of our house here... we can afford a condo there. So we just aren''t going to do it. Rent this place out for the time being... it''s right next to FMIL so she''ll watch over it. Plus one of FI neices and his nephew might rent it from us... so we''ll just keep it, figure out where we are going to settle... then sell it and buy something else later.

Okay.. thanks all!

 

[FireGoddess]

I hate those car transport services. We shipped mine from NJ to TX and it took a month. The car wouldn''t start when I finally got it.

So from TX to CA, I drove. With the cat. And I''d do it again. However, we rented a 15 foot truck and towed the car on the back, so the car didn''t register any mileage on the drive.

 

[Mara]

there are good transport services out there...greg got a special one to take his ''baby'' the power wagon which is why it was sooo expensive, but they took fab care of it.

how random re: the ezpass!!! good to know, like that odd factoid tidbit.

 

[ladykemma]

my parents had this ancient cadillac coupe de ville they didn''t want to part with. the moving company just put it on the moving van!. the gas tank had to be empty, though. that move took three huge trucks. from california to houston.