ComplaintsforMerchants Fleet

• Initial Complaint

  12/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Today (12/6/2023) around 4:15pm the individual driving truck number ****** FL license plate no ****** attempted to run me off the road traveling southbound on ********* Blvd in **********, CO. I then watched as he attempted to run a second person off the road in front of me after getting away from him, all while blaring on his horn. This driver is an extreme threat to the safety of those around him and should NOT be driving your trucks - or any vehicle for that matter.

  Business response

  12/08/2023

  Thank you for bringing this situation to our attention as we want to ensure all drivers on the road get to where they need to be in a safe manner. The vehicle that you saw is part of our Commercial Rental Fleet, meaning we rent these vehicles to other businesses for long term rentals (typically 3-9 months). We have been able to identify the client who rented this vehicle and will relay the message and photograph to them so they can address the matter with their driver.  Thank you again for bring this to our attention and we wish you safe travels. 

• Initial Complaint

  09/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Merchants Fleet partnered with Amazon Logistics (AMZL) as a fleet provider to AMZL partners of the DSP program. AMZL steered DSP's toward partnering from Value-Added Service partners in good faith of quality service and fair-market rates. On October 15, 2021, Archway Logistics, LLC. requested 13 cargo vans to rent from Merchants Fleet for Peak Season '21. The quoted rate was $1300.00USD per vehicle/per month. The vehicles were rented by Archway Logistics, LLC. on October 15, 2021 - returning the vehicles on January 5, 2022. TRAVIS B******** oversees rentals and customer satisfaction. Below are the debited totals from Archway Logistics' business account by MERCHANTS FLEET: October 27, 2021 - -$12,015.11 November 24, 2021 - -$14,401.85 December 29, 2021 - -$29,170.92 July 29, 2022 - -$19,553.23 The total amount debited from our account to date is $75,141.11. However, our utilization of their fleet only produced a total of half of the stated amount. On Friday, August 26, 2022 at 1:30PM EST, Travis B******** & Tyler J***** organized a call to speak on this issue - denying bank records and the misappropriation of billing by Merchants Fleet. We'd like to file a formal complaint of Unethical Business Practices against this company. We are also in pursuit of $38,975.00USD owed to our company by Merchants Fleet.

  Business response

  09/27/2022

  It is always our intention to work with our clients to reasonably and privately resolve any billing concerns.   Upon receiving the above message we again reached out to try and rectify any confusion with this specific DSP as well as Amazon.  Merchants stands behind the accuracy of the current billing status and the payments that were pulled for this DSP.  After speaking with Amazon, all confusion around these billing matters are now resolved.  It is our understanding that the DSP and Amazon are working to retract the above comments.

  Customer response

  09/28/2022

  
  Complaint: 18048719
  
  I do not accept the business's response as a resolution to my complaint because the billing and debit totals from Archway Logistics' accounts do not parallel the fleet rented before and/or during peak season 2021.  This company has not made an attempt to contact me directly despite 27 attempted phone calls, emails and/or messages.  However, they have communicated with my AMZL Business Coach - who is not the direct client to this matter.
  

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ********

  Business response

  10/04/2022

  This client’s response is inaccurate, Merchants has properly billed and received payments for the number of vans and the duration they were used by this DSP.  Vehicle tracking data as well as payments accepted by Archway Logistics from Amazon Corporate for these vans is evidence to support this position.   
  
  Regarding communications, while the vehicles were at the operating station, we made weekly outreaches to try to resolve the issue as the balance continued to mount and our vehicles remained in the possession of the client. We eventually had to involve upper management at Amazon as our outreaches were not reciprocated. After several weeks and multiple attempts, Merchants had to repossess the vehicles from the operating station.  This repossession was done through a third party and thus documented and paid for by Merchants, this is even further evidence of the vehicles being in the possession of this DSP. This particular client did not personally inject themselves into their business to ensure that the proper procedures were being followed and that asset inventories were accurate. 
  
  Merchants has worked with thousands of third-party logistics companies and in almost all instances have been a valued resource and partner with these business owners.  Unfortunately, this operator is not grounded in fact or sound business practices, is not fully aware of his own business operations, and is unwilling to accept the reality of the situation.  With the invoices settled, we will make a final attempt to resolve this through the Amazon Business Coach, as standard procedure to do so with any DSP not following sound business practices.  If this outreach does not result in having a respectful and productive conversation with our team, we will be closing out this case.

  Customer response

  10/04/2022

  
  Complaint: 18048719
  
  I do not accept the business's response as a resolution to my complaint because of false-statements regarding the owner's involvement in day-to-day operations versus documented billing that doesn't support statements made by the company.  Further, AMZL's business coach provided direct contact information to MERCH and we've yet to receive communication.  MERCH has been responsive to only third-parties of ARCH since billing disputes began in January 2022. 

  These practices and similar, as noted by individual renters and DSP's across the IDG network support, confirm my position.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ********

  Customer response

  10/04/2022

  Complaint: 18048719
  
  I do not accept the business's response as a resolution to my complaint because of false-statements regarding the owner's involvement in day-to-day operations versus documented billing that doesn't support statements made by the company.  Further, AMZL's business coach provided direct contact information to MERCH and we've yet to receive communication.  MERCH has been responsive to only third-parties of ARCH since billing disputes began in January 2022. 
  
  These practices and similar, as noted by individual renters and DSP's across the IDG network support, confirm my position.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ********

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Purchased Van 4/22/2022 with Cashiers check of $38,000 for down payment 4/22/22. Van was delivered May 3, 2022 with Temp Plates from NH that expired at the end of May. Continued to call and email salesman and sales manager to get paperwork so that IN plates could be purchased. Since this has started, we have had to rent a Van for my husband to do his out of town work at the cost of $400/week. Paperwork was sent, then we were told it was the wrong paperwork. New paperwork was sent and returned to dealership (UPS tracking) 6/11/2022. Calls and emails have been sent again and as usual, no reply. There is a late fee for IN plates if a vehicle is not plated within 30 days of purchase. We have also contacted lien holder and they have not received anything from the dealership about the plates. Car payments have been made already be made totaling $2,00.00, and along with insurance on a VAN we cant drive. This has gone on for over 2 months now with no satisfactory response/results.

  Business response

  06/28/2022

  To Whom It May Concern,

  We are working to get this situation handled fully though the customers unfortunately still do not have their vehicle registration from Merchants and Reg USA. In the meantime, the customers were able to connect with Timothy R*******, Director of Retail Sales at Merchants Auto. He assured them that Merchants Auto will cover their first months payment and the rental costs they had to pay after the plate expired. Merchants Auto takes responsibility for lack of communication as the retail associate the customers were working with had been out of office for some time and his incoming calls were not being closely monitored. Moving forward, Tim will be their direct point of contact.

  Customer response

  06/29/2022

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********* * ***** ********

• Initial Complaint

  01/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In June this year we placed a reservation for 5 rental vans for our peak business period for one month commencing Thanksgiving weekend. In late October, the salesman Pablo, called us and told us we were obliged to take the vans from the first of November, and start paying for them from that date. He said the contract was for a minimum of 3 months. I told him that the contract that was sent to us in June clearly stated that the rental period was for one month. He eventually conceded. However, no vehicles arrived and we had to make numerous phone calls to try to get them delivered. Two arrived 11/26/21, one on 12/1/21, and the last two `12/3/21, one week after they were due. One of the last two arrived damaged and unusable. I called multiple people multiple times to try to get this resolved, but not until the end of the day did the salesman finally return my call only to say I was "harassing him". When we had completed the rental period on 12/26, we submitted videos of the vehicles the morning of 12/27 as requested. We were told by the account manager, Semir, that once submitted the videos would end the billing period. However, yesterday, 12/28 we received an emailed invoice charging us for all 5 vehicles thru to 12/31/21. They also charged for vehicles from 12/1, but that were not delivered until 12/3. I calculated the correct invoice and returned it to Semir showing an over charge of approximately $1,000.00. Unfortunately, we had previously supplied a direct debit facility to the company as they required so they could help themselves to our account for charging. Semir was unconcerned, and said that their system was backed up. I told him if they took extra money, when I had demonstrated the correct amount, that represented theft and fraud. Despite my implicit instructions to Semir not to debit our account for the excess money, he went ahead and did so anyway this morning. So we have now been over charged by $1,000.00.

  Business response

  01/11/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/01/04) */ Merchants Fleet takes any and all service concerns seriously for all of our clients and is dedicated to running an ethical business that allows the many other smaller business that depend on us to prosper. Due to the nature of our billing cycle being a once a month payment on a pre-scheduled date and contracts being written for monthly charges as outlined in our contracts, it is sometimes possible for clients to return their vehicles on the same day that their payments are run. This can lead to potential credits being accrued for on the following monthly bill. Although we were notified the same day that this client was returning their vehicles, the billing had already been submitted leaving no option to make additional adjustments over and above the ones that this client had requested earlier in the week. Merchants has agreed to expedite the overpayment and refund the remaining days of December that the client was charged for and not wait until the following billing cycle. Merchants Fleet takes our client feedback very seriously and we are disappointed to hear that our service did not live up to expectation for this client and will take this incident into consideration as we continue to grow our program and create a more user friendly experience for everyone. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/01/05) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩