Cargo Expert Corp and Stephanie Bodner Non-Payment for Ocean Freight Plantation Florida

Do not use the services of Cargo Experts Corp. in Plantation, Florida (cargo-experts.net).  And it’s really too bad that I have to say that. 

I contacted Stephanie Bodner at this company in January 2016 to ship an ocean container to the Middle East for us.  She was wonderful in responding promptly, helping with the documents, scheduling the container delivery and pick-up and shipping the container promptly.  But then we found out she never paid the ocean company for the freight. 

We wired the funds to her in January.  Shipment was made in February and delivered in March.  She didn’t even make payment to the ocean company until the end of April when we kept pressing for proof of payment so the goods could be released at the destination.  The day the payment was made, the ocean company generated a “Instruction for the Release of Cargo” confirming that payment had been made.  BUT we shortly found out that the check had bounced and was no good.  So in order for our customer to get the goods released to him, he had to give the agent in the destination country a check to cover the freight for them to hold until payment was made to the ocean company by Cargo Experts. 

From the end of April through the end of July – 3 full months and 6 months since Cargo Experts had received our payment for the freight – all we have received is the run-around.  Multiple promises of “I had no idea about the bounced check; I’m checking on it; I’ve asked my accounting department to expedite; I’ll get it resolved . . . and on and on and on.  And still no payment.  

After searching on-line I found that others had similar experiences – with Stephanie, with Cargo Experts and with her previous company, Global Ocean Freight.  From what I can find on-line, it’s a small company with only 3 or so people and she’s listed as the President.  No way that a President of a tiny company like that would not know about a bounced check!  Wish I’d searched on-line first!