With the harsh economy we are going through today, you will find yourself with hundreds of aggressive salesmen that will push as much as they can in order to get your business. They will promise and offer impossible things to sweet talk you into saying yes and signing an agreement. Once they have your agreement, you’re trapped and usually placed in the back burner while they move on to the next one. If not placed in the backburner, they will offer lousy service that will usually incur in extra fees, and great amount of hassle.
First of all you have to understand that car transport is a service that is not meant to be cheap; it is an expensive service, especially if it is long distances and if you’re transporting a big car. You might find very cost-effective prices, however don’t go for an unreasonable low price. Think also that the carrier that is taking the car needs gas in order to move from one point to the other. If the amount you are offered wouldn’t even cover the gas required for the trip, don’t even think about asking him another questions, walk away immediately.
Besides gas prices, drivers need to also watch for road fees such as tolls along the way. One thing is to pass a mid-size sedan through a toll for a couple dollars than an 18 wheeler with 11 cars mounted. Tolls are much more expensive for these carriers and this fee is something that needs to be covered by the customer. Low prices might work for your budget, but it is almost guaranteed that will cause you extra fees and very poor service.
Another thing you need to be aware of is providing your information to a leads company. There a lot of companies online that offers to give 10 instant quotes to ship your car. Once you submit your information, these companies sell your information to many different companies, next thing you know, you’ll have hundreds of calls and e-mails with these pushy salesmen that will not stop until you scream, and maybe not even then. Make sure that the website you’re dealing with has a contact number in case you need customer service. It is better to deal directly with a person than through a website.
When you are speaking with several agents from different companies, always ask for their certificate of insurance and license numbers. This information is to be provided to a customer no questions asked. If when you ask you start to get the runaround, don’t even consider giving your car to them, not even if it is worst case scenario, you rather drive your car than hand it to them. Insurance has to be up to date, and provided, therefore, if anything happens along the way, you know you are dealing with a responsible carrier that will respond for all damages in the case any occur. Mishaps and unforeseen incidents will happen regardless of how professional and experienced you are, therefore, insurance is an important must have when choosing a car transport company.
Another important thing you must check before choosing a company is how the payment arrangement works. Companies that request an upfront deposit in order to start working on your case usually cause a lot of headaches and at the end of the day have nothing to give except problems and excuses. Deposits are required in every company, what you have to keep in mind is when you pay that deposit. Usually deposits need to be done only once the agent confirms a driver for you, this way you make the agent work for your business. Remaining balances are to be given to the driver upon delivery. Try not to pay upfront all the amount as once all payment is given, drivers tend to not put as much attention to your car as money is already in their pocket, and no matter what happens along the road, that amount is non-refundable, however if paid upon delivery, drivers strive to give the best to make sure they earn their payment.
These are some of the most important things you need to watch out for when choosing a car transport company. The success in your shipment highly depends on who you deal with so make sure you take your time to check up on all the possible companies and chose the one that will best serve your needs with no excuses or headaches.