Beware of the Auto Transport Quote Rip-off

• Beware of the ultra-low auto transport quote and things that sound to good to be true. Dishonest companies will do anything to get their hands on your credit card numbers and you could face big problems. Ask yourself, would I haul somebody’s car for $0.25/mile? Not unless you are desperate! Good transports don’t need to work for low pay, but poor quality transports will take almost anything they can get their hands on and if you go with ultra-low quotes, that is who will be carrying your car. BAD BAD news.

• So you call for a quote and the price is just so low. You’re liking the offer and eager to book your car at that price and then comes the contract. Yes, the dreaded contract must be signed, so they say. Yes they do need it signed and returned, but not for the reasons you think. Many of those auto shipping companies use contracts to protect themselves, not you OR your car.Take a very very close look at the terms you are agreeing to as well. Often times the contracts are written in a way for the dishonest transport to keep your credit card deposit. Their car shipping quote suddenly needs “priority” upgrading or other nonsense which forces you to spend more money. Or you cancel with them and they get to keep your deposit. Then you decide to hire a lawyer to get some fair treatment and the lawyer informs you all disputes must be held in their local court system forcing you to travel.These are just a few tricks they use to get your money. They can’t wait for you to just go away and not bother them about moving your car. Many people actually do. They give up. Some even go to the next company and cross their fingers it doesn’t happen again. One way to find honest brokers and dispatchers is to visit the Better Business Bureau. Avoid the online transport reviews websites. Most are surviving by accepting advertising money from transport companies. Does that tell you anything? The information they offer is custom tailored and often tainted to hurt the transport companies that DON’T give them ad dollars.

• We’re coming by to deliver your car. You owe a balance of $500. $500? That’s NOT what the price is supposed to be. Well if you have a good broker that put the deal together they will straighten that situation out immediately. Simple as that, not all transport drivers are honest. A good broker in your corner can pressure the bad truck right out of business. A good broker has the power to blacklist any truck that treats his customers unfairly, it happens everyday.

• Promises, promises…nearly everyday we get a call or two from someone who’s contracted with another company to ship a car. The car has been sitting for three weeks with no truck in sight. They will call and share the details of the deal and most of the time they are desperately in need of help. They are frustrated and fed up. Yes, they paid a deposit too and come to find out it’s non-refundable.Their car is NOT going to move. Why? It won’t move because that unscrupulous company they made their deal with has the car listed with the national dispatch and that locks out any good company from getting involved unless the customer calls, emails, or faxes a cancellation. These companies deal with this everyday. They know 90% of the transports out there will never accept the car at the price they are offering it at and the other 10% will, most likely, either be extremely late picking up or delivering, or worse yet damage the car.This is why any time you talk to a prospective auto transport company be wary of the promises they make. There are people in this industry (like many other industries) that operate without any sense of moral code. They are just plain greedy and will take advantage of an opportunity if it presents itself. Making promises they can’t keep is who they are and it is how they make their money. Sad but true. Don’t let anyone tell you an exact pick-up date or delivery date when it comes to your car.In the real world that is not the way it works. Transports can make approximate schedule time estimates but predicting the exact hour and day of delivery a week out is impossible without a crystal ball. If any company is making promises and guarantees that seem too good to be true…they probably are. There are so many variables that come into play in this industry and the key to safely shipping your car on time and for a fair price is finding a trustworthy company that doesn’t fabricate promises just to get your money.Those are just a few samples of things that happen in the industry. Having a good broker working with you can make your vehicle move nearly effortless. That’s the key…find an honest company that makes your move a priority.