Your car is one of your prized possessions. The sad reality is, there are many car transport scams out there that range from taking your money with no service to holding your car hostage until you pay more.
Scary as these scams may sound, there are always ways to avoid them. One is to hire All American Trucking & Transport to do the delivery for you.
To shed more light on the subject, here are tips on how to avoid auto transport scams.
Understand the Process
Learning more about the process of shipping your car helps you detect scams when they’re present. For a complete guide on transporting your car, check out this blog we wrote.
For now, here’s a rundown of some important points in the process: vehicle size/type, transport distance, and seasons are all factors that affect the cost of shipping your car.
- Open Car Transport is cheaper compared to Enclosed Transport because the trucks can ship more at the same time. Enclosed Transport offers more security because the car is not exposed to the elements.
- Reputable companies will note down every scratch and dent of your car before transporting it. This is an important step that we never skip.
- Good transporters also don’t require deposits. We only take payment after the car is delivered and the service is complete.
- A comprehensive timeframe should be given by the transporter once the details have been laid out. We guarantee delivery within 16 days.
Understand the Options
Another good way to avoid car shipping scams is to get to know the legitimate options for you out there. Here are some of the telltale signs that you are dealing with a trustworthy car transport company.
- Genuine Client Reviews – Go through their track record. Legitimate companies, like us, will have a list of client reviews saying how much they enjoyed reliable and prompt service.
- Adhering to Regulations – Established car shipping companies will have at least two things – a license and insurance. This will further be elaborated below. An important thing to note: good companies are keen on letting you know that they have both.
- Knowledgeable and Experienced – Since you’re entrusting your precious vehicle to these transport companies, it’s important that when you talk to their representatives, they can give you an educated and clear rundown of their process and their policies. Ask a few probing questions. Legitimate and established companies will have no issues answering any of them.
- Customer Service – Some clients are understandably nervous when having their car shipped. Good companies will be able to handle all the inquiries including asking for updates on the location and the status of your car.
Understand the Scams
There are many ways scammers can take advantage of you when you enlist their transport services.
- Deposit with no service – Some scammers will take your deposit but never actually show up to take your car to its destination. This also happens to people who think they’re buying cars from legitimate sellers only to find out they won’t be getting their vehicle after paying. In most cases, if the cost of transporting seems too good to be true, it probably is.
- No insurance – The car is taken and delivered but you notice a couple of new scratches. The transporting company doesn’t have insurance to cover the damages. These scammers may even claim that the scratches have always been there.
- Hidden Charges – The low prices on their impressive website appealed to you. They take your car after you’ve paid. You get a call saying that you need to pay more because of various reasons, and they won’t release your car until you do. This is particularly troubling since it can happen even with legitimate transporters.
Understand the Regulations
Another way is by educating yourself with the regulations that govern vehicle shipping.
- License – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration or FMCSA regulates auto shipping companies. Ask for the company’s Motor Carrier number with them. Ours is 325231.
- Insurance – there are different insurance requirements, but all auto shipping companies are required to have insurance. All our carriers have at least $100,000 of coverage.
Don’t fall victim to scams by carefully choosing your provider. If you want to have it easier, book our car transport service in California. Our delivery dates are guaranteed and you don’t have to pay a deposit. For us, you and your needs are number one. Call us today.
