Why You Should Think Twice About Using the Government Option for Your POV
Several months ago, the US government awarded a new contract to a company for its handling of military member’s POV’s. The contract was taken away from American Auto Logistics (AAL) and awarded to International Auto Logistics (IAL).
There are many details within this story. AAL initiated many appeals and fights claiming that IAL did not have the capacity to deal with the sheer volume of cars of which the military requires shipment and storage. Considering IAL was a small business with yearly sales figured substantially lower than ours and the same number of employees, I would say that this was a very genuine concern. In fact, I would go so far as to say there was foul play involved in the selection, bid, and award process concerning this contract.
IAL’s contract take over date was May 1, 2014 (two years after the contract was awarded). Since then, thousands of service men and women have been complaining about their service. An investigation by the head of TRANSCOM, Air Force General Paul Selva was announced earlier this month. A class action lawsuit on behalf of six military members was also recently filed to the tune of $5 million dollars.
It has become such a fiasco that we have even received vehicles from service personnel because they are so uncomfortable with the way the transition process has been handled. The car shown above is a beautiful 1955 Chevy Bel Air. Here is a brief laundry list of issues found on the car after the customer took delivery of the vehicle in San Diego:
1. Car was dirty and in some places filthy. (These look fresh within the week while being at Santee VPC)
2. Driver side door bottom, deep scratch in paint.
3. Driver side quarter panel above wheel, black marks. (These look fresh within the week while being at Santee VPC)
4. All four tires are filthy. (These look fresh within the week while being at Santee VPC)
5. Car was left outside in the rain and wasn’t cleaned. The hood, roof, and trunk has heavy water stains. (These look fresh within the week while being at Santee VPC)
6. Hood Chevy sign is pushed in and frame brackets look bent and some are broken.
7. Heavy damage on the steering wheel’s paint.
8. Driver side door scratches around the key lock. (These look fresh within the week while being at Santee VPC)
9. Passenger quarter panel white paint scratched on moldings. (These look fresh within the week while being at Santee VPC)
10. Missing box and car cover.
My POV is currently located at AAAA car storage in San Diego.
The bottom line here is this: INVESTIGATE YOUR PRIVATE OPTIONS FOR GOVERNMENT REIMBURSABLE POV STORAGE. It may save you time and headaches later.
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