Legal Question in Business Law in Florida

I had a shipment sent from Atlanta, GA to Tema, Ghana. I'm a US citizen who relocated to Ghana at the end of February. I am the shipper and the consignee. I used a Miami Florida based company called Air Parcel Express as the forwarder. Their online system (shipping-worldwide.com and freight-calculator.com) quoted me $2449.82 and said it could change if the weight and amount is different. I was sure to weigh and measure everything and it wasn't over the amount used for the quote but when they got it I was still charged $3673. I paid via my bank debit card on March 18th. Because they had my items I simply decided to not make a big deal out of being overcharged. They said the shipment would reach it's destination in approx. 1.5 months. However it took 4 months because my shipment went from the US to Dubai to Ghana. Of course they didn't tell me it would take such a route. The ship arrived in Ghana on July 3rd and now the agent in Ghana will not release because they need the original bill of lading from Vanguard Logistics who Air Parcel Express used to deliver the cargo. I began calling Air Parcel Express and they initially said they were working on it and then they began ignoring my calls and emails so I called Vanguard Logistics and they informed me that Air Parcel Express has not paid them the shipping fee of $1592.48. What are my options to get my shipment as quickly as possible short of paying Vanguard Logistics the outstanding amount.


Asked on 7/13/16, 9:18 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Philip Duvalsaint Philip A. Duvalsaint, PLLC

You will probably have to file suit against Air Parcel Express. A quick check of the Better Business Bureau shows that this company has had many similar complaints. http://www.bbb.org/south-east-florida/business-reviews/freight-forwarding/air-parcel-express-in-miami-fl-30000889/complaints

I also located 18 cases filed against them in Miami-Dade County. They defaulted on their most recent case, so filing suit and obtaining a judgment could be quick, however then you will need to collect on the judgment. If you have all of your paperwork from them (original contract as well as any additional documents) you should have no trouble. Contact an experienced attorney to review your case and remember that in the future, always research companies before you hire them.

Read more
Answered on 7/13/16, 10:19 am


Related Questions & Answers

More Business Law questions and answers in Florida