How To Find Reliable Auto Shippers
Your car is one of the most expensive possessions you will purchase and when you need to ship it, you need to find a reliable company. Auto shipping is something that people look into when they are moving and there are many companies out there looking for your business. The problem is that there are many scammers or unreliable companies out there and you need to know how to avoid them.
Are They Registered?
The first step that you should take when looking at auto shippers is to determine if they are registered. All auto transport companies, particularly those that transport across state lines, need to be registered with the Department of Transportation. If the company does not have an MC Docket number, you should reconsider using them as they will not be registered. Of course, it is important to note that if you are shipping your car within a single state, the company may not have to legally have this number.
Look At Online Reviews
A good way to determine if a company is reputable and reliable is to look at what other people have to say. Online reviews will provide you with a rating as well as some information about the service the company offers. Review websites like Transport Reviews should be considered as the reviews on the company’s website will generally be the good ones only.
While looking at online reviews, you should also consider checking the Better Business Bureau. The BBB provides a rating for the company and you will be able to see if there are any outstanding complaints against the company. You should not work with an auto shipping company that is not a member of the BBB or that has a bad rating.
Look At The Estimate
When you are looking into auto shippers, you will need to get estimates from a number of them. You can then compare the estimates which will help you determine which are reputable and which are not. Very low estimates will generally come from the less reputable companies. These companies might be offering low estimates to get your business and then increase the invoice price. They might also be uninsured which is something that you need to avoid.
Of course, this does not mean that the most reliable companies will always be the most expensive. The mid-range estimates will generally be from reliable and reputable companies. These companies will know what it costs to transport vehicles and will be open about their costs.
Contacting The Company
There is only so much information that you can get from the company website and reviews. This is why you need to contact the company and ask some questions. This will also enable you to see what the company’s customer service is like. If you have a hard time getting through to the company via telephone or they take a long time to reply to emails, you might want to reconsider using them. Poor customer service is a good sign that the company is not the most reliable.