People tend to use interstate car transport companies because they provide a simple and relatively inexpensive means of shipping vehicles large distances. While you might expect this to be a fairly straightforward process, for one reason or another, things can go wrong. Some customers have experienced car transport nightmares with interstate vehicle shipping. There are all sorts of horror stories on the internet.
Probably one of the most common complaints centers around cars turning up with various degrees of damage. From annoying scratches and scrapes to full-on accident damage, lots of customers have arrived to collect their car to find that it’s nothing looks nothing like the last time they saw it. What can make these situations worse is that if the shipping company isn’t one of the more reputable organizations, they could even try to hide the damage, claim they’re not responsible, or tie the customer up in months of paperwork, in the hope they will stop asking for compensation.
Another issue that a lot of customers have to deal with is delayed delivery. Shipping companies don’t guarantee their delivery dates because there are so many factors that can cause delays while they’re moving your car from one side of the country to the other. But some less reliable firms seem to take advantage of that. Once they have your car and your money, they seem to be fairly laid back about delivering your car as expected, and some customers have experienced significant delays accompanied by a variety of poor excuses.
Other interstate car transport horror stories from owners who chose unreliable companies include:
• Trucks refusing to deliver the car to the specified delivery location
• Property going missing from inside the car
• Surprise surcharges not mentioned in the car shipping quote
• Cars arriving with a lot more miles on the clock than when they left
Of course, with a lot of these tales, you only get to hear one side of the story, and while some customers do have problems with their shipping company, it needs to be kept in perspective. There are hundreds of companies shipping many thousands of cars across the country every year. Things will go wrong from time to time, but the majority of shipping companies provide a reliable service and offer great value for money.
How to Avoid Your Own Car Transport Nightmare
Choose a reputable company – All car shipping companies need to be registered with the Department of Transport and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Ask your mover for their registration details and make sure you check them out.
See what other clients say – Ask for references to see if their previous customers would recommend them. It’s also worth checking out multiple auto transport companies to see what others are saying about them.
Get everything in writing – However reliable and trustworthy they seem, don’t rely on any verbal promises or agreements. From your car transport quote to details about your insurance cover, always make sure you get everything in writing. So if there is a problem it’s not just your word against theirs.
Make sure you’re covered – Shipping companies’ standard insurance may not provide adequate cover, or could prove very difficult to deal with if you need to make a claim. Ask about increasing the amount of cover for your vehicle, or speak to your own broker to see if your current policy covers car shipping or there is some additional insurance they might recommend.
Choosing a car shipping company that you can rely on to deliver your car safely and on time shouldn’t be hard. Following these simple steps will help make sure you choose the right one.
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