Shipping your car to a new location can be daunting. You might have more questions than you have answers and the thought of sending your car off with a stranger might make you feel even more worried. Thankfully, there are some easy ways to make sure that you do not make an error and get involved with a shipping company that you do not want to work with.
While scams are common these days, they are often easy to detect. Using these tips and tricks can help you to avoid scams and struggles that might make shipping your car a very stressful process. If you are worried about moving your car to your new location, you can stop worrying once you learn these tips and tricks.
If you are ready to learn more about the common mistakes to avoid when shipping your car, read on!
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Shipping Your Car
1. Not Getting a Written Contract
The written contract is the only line of defence that you have when you are working with a shipping company. You should always be offered a contract that shows all of the details of the job, from the delivery date to the pickup date, and the insurance and other company information of the shipper. Any company that will not give you a signed and written contract should be avoided at all costs
Without a signed contract, you cannot verify any of the details of the shipping agreement that you made with this company. You should also be concerned about this kind of handshake deal because you will not have any information about what the company’s intended driving route is, when your car will be delivered, or anything else relevant to the job.
2. Not Asking to See Insurance
You should always ask to see insurance documentation from any shipping company that you are planning to work with. This is a crucial part of the process of opening one of these businesses and the insurance that they have for their work is critical in the rare event that something happens to your car while it is being moved to your new home.
You might also want to ask to see the licensing and bonding information for the company when you ask for insurance documentation. This can be the biggest key factor in detecting scams and you might need to have this information in the case that something goes wrong during the time that the company has your car.
3. Not Verifying How Delivery Works
Many people just assume that the company that is shipping your car will bring it right to your home. This might not always be the case and if you live in a small cul-de-sac or another area that is hard to bring a big truck and trailer into, you might not be able to have your car dropped off at your door. Make sure that you ask what the delivery process will be so that you can be prepared to get your car if you need to meet the shipper somewhere.
You might need to line up a friend to help you out with this process or you might even find out that the company does not deliver to your local area at all. You should never assume that your car will be delivered right to your door without asking for this information specifically.
4. Not Shopping Around
You should always shop around to car shipping companies to make sure that you are getting the best deal for your needs and the right price. Cheaper is not always better for your needs and most companies will have their own perks and benefits that you can leverage. It might matter to you to have a fully enclosed car trailer move your car as well, and you will need to talk to a few companies before you can find something like this in most cases.
You should make sure that you do not just sign a contract with the first company you talk to. There are many companies out there that provide these services and you should be sure that you are getting the right fit for your needs. Looking into reviews and getting bids from various companies is a good rule of thumb to help avoid scams and to rule out companies that are not a good fit for your needs overall.
5. Not Getting a Bill of Lading
When your car is delivered to you, you should always be offered the bill of lading. This is the document that proves that the car was delivered and it should detail all of the information about the condition that your car was in when it was dropped off. You should not sign this bill of lading until you have examined your vehicle and made sure that it is in the same condition that it was in when the company took it from you.
You can use the bill of lading to contest the quality of the shipping job that was done and the information needed to open a claim should be on this bill as well. This is the proof that you have that the car was delivered and if there are any questions about the quality of the work done, the bill of lading is necessary to successfully open a claim for any damages that have been done.
Avoiding Common Mistakes is Easy When Shipping Your Car
Using this list of tips and tricks, you can avoid the common problems that make people hate or dread the shipping process. You will be able to pick the right company for your needs and experience a great shipping process if you take the time to look into the companies that you are thinking of working with. Some research is usually all that is required to find the perfect shipping company for your needs and you will be glad that you took this time when the job is done perfectly the first time.
