4 Biggest Mistakes When Choosing a Car Transport Company

By Zack - March 08, 2014

1. Believing the cheapest auto shipping quote is the best

There are many corrupt or non trustworthy companies in the car transport industry. The car transport industry as a whole has got a bad reputation from these companies. Many of these non-reputable car transporters will “low ball” auto shipping quotes in order to get a customer’s business. The customer will see these quotes as the best value for their dollar. However, the customer is unaware that these types of car transport companies have no real intention of shipping their vehicle at the stated price. They now have bid the vehicle too low to get it moved in a timely fashion. After the vehicle has not moved for an extended period of time, they will call the customer back with some excuse (fuel prices have went up, driver is asking for more money, we made a mistake on the bid, etc.). They will tell the customer they need more money to move the vehicle. This is called back ending the customer. This is the same method that bad construction contractors use on clients. They bid the job low and then tell the client there have been some unexpected expenses, which raises the cost. Using car transport companies like this will usually end up costing you more than a reliable company that had a higher starting quote.

2. Signing a contract with an auto transport company

Most customers do not realize the best car transporters do not use contracts. Yes, you heard correctly. In the car transport industry, contracts are used to protect the company, not the customer. The primary purpose of a contract in this industry is to excuse the company of any damage to vehicles and to allow them to keep a customers deposit even if the car is never shipped. Yes, they want to keep your money even if they did not ship your car. This problem can be avoided by understanding the deposit process described in mistake number three.

3. Giving a deposit when you place your vehicle shipping order

In most cases, if a car transport company is asking for a deposit when you place your order, they are not a good company. These same companies will ask you to sign a contract with them. In the fine print of the contract, it will say the deposit you have just given them is non refundable even if your vehicle is never moved. However, there are exceptions to the rule. There are reputable car transport companies that collect the full vehicle shipping price, not a deposit, when a customer places an order. Another acceptable method is to collect a deposit, not when the automobile transport order is placed, but when a pickup date has been scheduled.

4. Selecting a car transport company without doing research

The easiest way to not waste time or money when choosing a car transport company is to do some research. If you have a friend or family member that has shipped cars before, ask them for a referral. If you are buying a car from a dealer, they will most likely have a car transporter they use on a regular basis. If you are moving your home, ask your home movers who they use for vehicle shipping. All of these referral sources are good methods to find a reputable car transport company. The Better Business Bureau also is a good place to find a solid company. There are a couple of automobile transport review sites on the web that allow customers to rate their experiences with car transport companies. These websites are often owned by companies that have a vested interest in other for profit auto transport industries. The best external, non partial review site is the BBB.

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