5 Tips to Ensure that your Auto Transport Company is Legit?
Posted on Fri, Dec 03, 2010
Is your Auto Transport Company Legit?
The Internet has enabled a great many new markets. Auto Transport is one.
Unfortunately, there a number of unscrupulous companies in the Auto Transport Industry that are exploiting uneducated customers. These "bad" compaines can cost consumers hundreds of dollars and may hours wasted time.
With thousands of companies to choose from it can be a lot of work for consumers to sort out the good companies in the industry.
So what is a consumer to do to lower the risk; Make sure you are dealing with a reputable and legit Auto Transport Company. Here are 5 simple tips to help determine if your Auto Transport Company is legit or not.
1.) Check Your Auto Transporter’s Better Business Bureau Rating
This is the best way to check on your company's legitimacy. If your company doesn’t belong to the Better Business Bureau, then you should definitely begin asking yourself, “why not?”
Choose a company that has been accredited by the BBB and has a rating of A or better. Also make sure the company resolves any complaints they have received. All Companies will get complaints. The better companies will make sure those complaints are resolved.
2.) Check Transport Reviews
Transport Reviews is the industries leading customer review site for Auto Transport Companies. Check the company's rating and read some of the reviews. Also be careful of companies that pay to have reviews posted. Often, these companies refund a portion of the transport fee if the customer will write a review, but only if it is a good one. Instead look for companies that don't pay their customers to post reviews. You will get a much more balanced view of the company.
If they don't have a 5 STAR rating then it might not be best to work with that company.
3.) No Upfront Deposits
Many auto transport companies will require you to pay either the Deposit or the entire transport fee upfront before they will work on moving your vehicle. Very often this leads to a loss of time or worst your hard earned funds. Unfortunately this little habit of bad Auto Transport companies is really putting a smear across the industry.
Generally, It would make sense for a company to ask for money upfront to arrange vehicle transport. It can take a fair amount of work to find a driver for some routes and some vehicles. But some companies are using this as a scheme to get money before providing service, then ignoring you.
The best auto transport companies are confident they can move your vehicle and will invest the effort upfront to find you a driver before they collect the deposit. A reputable company won't get paid unless they can move your vehicle.
4.) Hidden Fees
Fees can become a problem so make sure you know what is included / not included in the price and what events can trigger an extra fee. As an example some companies, especially those that take an upfront deposit, many not refund the entire deposit if you cancel the order even if they never found you a driver. Reputable, companies will be upfront about these fees so ask.
5.) Pressure Tactics
“If you don’t do this now you’ll lose out on a great deal!” or "We have a truck standing by to pickup your vehicle but you have to act now!"; Are common phrases among Auto Transport companies that will do whatever it takes to get your money, and deliver as little as possible.
Honest companies will be patient and understanding with customers and give them the time they need to make a decision. There’s a difference between informing you that there is a truck in your neighborhood that can pick up your vehicle after you've placed an order and pressuring you into making a decision before you have placed your order. Reputable companies know that you will come back after you have done your research. They won't need to pressure you into a decision.