Those of you that have used Uship before

[Hilltop Hillbilly]

You're starting to sound like you work for uShip.

No, I don't work for uShip. I'm just an old American guy who likes to see free markets at work. My value philosophy applies to everyone not just uShip, but I do like the way they've gone about trying to "mine" for value. Seems like an elegant free market that should result in best value to me.

Regardless, where you see value, I see risk. If I give uShip my money, I lose all control, then if something goes wrong, uShip decides what to do, not me. The bottom line is that uShip smells too much like PayPal for my liking, and that's an experience that I'd rather not repeat.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. However, if experience tells you to stay away, then I certainly respect your decision.


HH

 

[MasseyWV]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I venture, they gain, or at least that's what they're hoping for. Been there, done that.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I use Uship and was happy with the results. I needed my tractor picked up in Virginia, implements picked up in Iowa, and delivered to Washington State.

Uship is a way for guys to bid on loads. Some truckers hate it, they have had to reduce their prices, others love it as they have volume which keeps the trucks on the road and making money.

For me the price was 1/3 of what the dealer wanted. Downside is that the load was a shared load (He did other stops) one that did not go well for him so he was late getting to me.

As I remember there is some security with Uship (if something goes bad they will negotiate) but I did not need it so have no experience if it actually works.

Carl

 

[rockshaft]

I've used uShip for two boat hauls over 5000miles. uShip works really slick- but you need to be fairly specific about your load parameters, and be cautious of who you select. It's nice to be able to let the haulers do the work for you with regard to bidding- no more tracking down a few regional haulers and seeking out quotes... They come to you and you have competition which drives down cost.
In my case the hauler required 25%deposit, and the balance at pick-up.

 

[JamiuShip]

I saw a reality TV show about contract haulers that bid online for freight of all types. One guy bid on a metal horse that would not fit through the door of the building it was in and he had to get busy with tools and lay it on its side, remove the tail and head, build a shipping frame and move it out to his truck. another guy bid some freight for less than the fuel cost and another guy couldn't get the freight (some fiberglass figuires) in his van and lost the load.

Is this uship brokering freight??

also several contractors got their loads and delivered on time and undamaged to satisfied customers.

kneedeep,

No, uShip is not a broker - we're an online, neutral venue where shipping customers and transportation service providers can meet. The main difference between uShip and a broker is that uShip does not assign a driver or truck. Instead, the customer chooses a carrier or broker through the site.

The show, Shipping Wars, features uShip, but they use creative license in how our processes are presented.

Best,
Jami

 

[JamiuShip]

Receive alerts, from where? I see companies responding to forum posts and commentary all the time, but it's usually in response to negative feedback. In other words, damage control.

I have never used it before, but uShip sounds a lot like eBay/PayPal, where they control the money. I'm sorry, but I like to manage my own transactions by paying for services AFTER they have been rendered to MY satisfaction.

MasseyWV,

Google provides this service. Sure, we respond to negative feedback, but we also reach out to consumers who are looking for a better understanding of the site.

uShip is similar to eBay, and we understand our business model doesn't work for everyone. However, I would still invite you to give it a try!

Jami

 

[MasseyWV]

Google provides this service.

That's what I thought, but I must admit that Google is rather effective. Here is a small sample of what came up when I Googled the phrase "uShip Scam". Other phrases such as "uShip complaints" and "uShip ripoff" yeilded similar results.

Uship is a scam "PERIOD"

uship | Ripoff Report | Complaints Reviews Scams Lawsuits Frauds Reported

uShip Complaints, Reviews - SCAMS & MISLEADING

uShip Scam

Should I trust this site called Uship.com? It says it's eBay trusted, - Ask Community

While gathering the links shown above, I also discovered that uShip appears to accept PayPal, which also happens to also be an escrow "service" similar to uShip. How does that work, especially when something goes wrong? Does uShip and PayPal take turns screwing each other, before the consumer gets screwed?

uShip Payments: PayPal Planned Site Outage - April 19th

uShip is similar to eBay, and we understand our business model doesn't work for everyone. However, I would still invite you to give it a try!

What's to understand? uShip is just another escrow "service" that happens to specialize in shipping.

 

[JamiuShip]

@Massey - in all but one of these instances, the issue was with the transporter, not our site. The other is a disgruntled, fraudulent provider who we have removed from our site. Clearly, you are not a fan of our business model, and do not intend to use the site. My intention was to assist the original poster as he was seeking information about the site, not to upset someone who has never used the site.

At this point, it doesn't appear that we are going to have a very productive conversation, as it seems as though your intentions are merely to post negative comments about a service you have never tried.

Happy to answer any questions you might have.

Best,
Jami

 

[MasseyWV]

@Massey - in all but one of these instances, the issue was with the transporter, not our site. The other is a disgruntled, fraudulent provider who we have removed from our site.

Ok, so you removed one, but what about the rest? As a consumer, if I were using your website to locate a shipper, and that shipper turned out to be fraudulent, your website would also hold some responsibility because you should ensure that they are legitimate before allowing them to advertise. At least that's how I see it.

My intention was to assist the original poster as he was seeking information about the site, not to upset someone who has never used the site.

From my perspective, you intention appears to be self-promotion and damage control.

At this point, it doesn't appear that we are going to have a very productive conversation, as it seems as though your intentions are merely to post negative comments about a service you have never tried.

My intention is to post the truth, whatever that truth might be.

Granted, I did inject a little humor at your expense, but that doesn't change a thing. And if you think I'm picking on uShip, think again. Simply have a look at the following TBN thread, especially page 3, where I recently challenged the "DR Power Grader Man" to put up or shut up.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/90415-dr-power-grader.html

 

[rockshaft]

Like eBay, you *do* expose yourself to some level of risk if you choose to do business with a provider who has limited and/or questionable transaction history. I tend to be very selective, and even then, you still have to cross your t's and dot your i's with regard to verification of insurance/bonding.
I don't like dealing in cash if I can help it. Using paypal, and preferably with a credit card, you have a decent amount of built-in fraud protection. I like the fact uShip opens up my choices to a much wider list of providers.