Up Scale Auto Transport - Extremely Unprofessional Conduct
David
Submitted this review about
Upscale Auto Transport
Review made Live: 8/13/2026 3:19:00 PM
Extremely Unprofessional Conduct — Then I Looked Into the Company
I contacted Upscale Auto Transport on August 13, 2026 to obtain a quote to transport a 2025 Kia Sorento from Waukesha, Wisconsin to Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
I provided the vehicle, exact pickup and delivery information, and a flexible pickup date.
Derek initially responded with a price of “$1100,” immediately followed by “Probably less though.” He explained that the pickup was in an “odd spot,” that there was no nearby carrier inventory, and that he would have to find someone willing to go there.
That was understandable. Auto-transport pricing can change depending on driver availability.
I thanked Derek and told him I was obtaining several bids that day. I simply asked him to let me know when he had a firm price.
His demeanor then changed.
He responded:
“No price lock... Do your thing... And I’m sure it’ll be a headache at the end... My quote would be pretty damn close.”
He then wrote:
“I don’t do price shopping thanks anyway.”
And:
“Thanks for reaching out... Hopefully the next car we do business with.”
I was genuinely confused. Obtaining several quotes before entrusting a company with a vehicle worth tens of thousands of dollars seemed like normal due diligence, not something that should make the transaction a “headache.”
I called Derek simply to clarify two things: whether the $1,100 was actually a quote, since he had said it might be less, and what he meant when he said my getting competing quotes would make the transaction a “headache.”
During that conversation, Derek hung up on me.
Shortly afterward, he sent me a text message that said:
“Fk off”
I responded:
“Sorry I offended you Derrek. No ill will here, hope you have a good day.”
I did not insult him, threaten him, argue with him, or use profanity. I was a prospective customer asking for clarification about a roughly $1,100 interstate vehicle shipment.
Needless to say, I chose not to do business with the company.
What I found afterward concerned me even more
After this interaction, I researched Upscale Auto Transport rather than relying solely on my experience.
The Better Business Bureau profile for Upscale Auto Transport Corp. states that the company is NOT BBB Accredited and currently carries an F rating. BBB states its reason for that rating is “Failure to have a required competency license.” The BBB profile identifies the company's licensing information as USDOT 2249320 / MC-754634.
I then checked those numbers directly with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
FMCSA identifies USDOT 2249320 as:
Upscale Auto Shippers Corp.
DBA: Upscale Auto Transport
Entity Type: Broker
MC-754634
Most concerning to me, FMCSA's record, current as of August 12, 2026, shows:
Operating Authority Status: NOT AUTHORIZED
FMCSA explains that “NOT AUTHORIZED” means that the entity does not have operating authority and/or is not authorized to engage in interstate for-hire operations. The USDOT number itself is shown as active, but the operating authority is not.
This is particularly relevant because I contacted this company specifically to broker an interstate automobile shipment from Wisconsin to Colorado.
I also discovered previous complaints involving Derek
I then found older reviews on independent auto-transport review sites describing experiences that I found surprisingly similar to mine.
These are other consumers' allegations and I cannot independently verify their individual transactions, but they are publicly available reviews.
Among them:
One reviewer specifically identified Derek at Upscale Auto Transport and alleged that after the quoted price increased and the customer questioned it, Derek yelled at the customer and hung up on him.
Another customer who identified Derek alleged that after she obtained competing transportation quotes, Derek became rude, accused her of dealing with other companies, and disputed returning her deposit.
Another review is specifically titled “Absolutely horrible service (Derek)” and alleges repeated unanswered calls and failure to arrange the promised transportation.
TransportReviews also contains multiple older reviews identifying Derek and describing complaints involving pricing, pickups, communication, or increased transportation costs.
Reading those reports after Derek hung up on me and texted “Fk off” was troubling.
I want to emphasize that my review is based primarily on my own documented interaction, and I have screenshots of the text conversation.
A broker is completely entitled to decline my business. Derek could simply have said:
“We don't compete against multiple quotes, so we're probably not the right company for you.”
I would have respected that and moved on.
But hanging up on a prospective customer who asks for clarification and then sending that person profanity is, in my opinion, extraordinarily unprofessional.
When combined with the current BBB information, the FMCSA operating-authority status, and the existence of older reviews describing similar difficulties involving the same representative, I am very glad this interaction occurred before I entrusted this company with my vehicle or any money.
I would strongly encourage anyone considering Upscale Auto Transport to do their own due diligence and check the company's BBB profile and current FMCSA licensing/operating-authority status before entering into an agreement or providing payment.
