Before getting mesmerized by the advantages of  cheap car transport, don’t forget to take the time to learn about its dangers.
So why should you equal cheap with questionable?

As you already know, shipping a car is no cheap effort. It involves a bunch of strangers, one or more carriers and some serious distances. Not exactly a scenario for your coin jar.

When you shop around and stumble upon a company that offers you a quote significantly lower than the others’, you may easily be won over. Still, you would never expect great things from a cheap piece of merchandise. Why would you then expect wonders from some cheap car transport service?

Remember that old saying “you get what you pay for”?  Well a much lower quote usually means very poor services. And since what is at stake is your car (not exactly your cheapest possession), low-quality services may translate into little financial disasters.

Car carriers and brokers are in this business to make money. Then why do they give away their services for so little and what could happen if you don’t think twice about using them? Here are some scenarios of which you should be aware:

1. The car shipping agent that offered you the quote is paying the carriers that he hires to move your car very little money. They will naturally have difficulties in finding one willing to do it for that amount. Wondering why nobody has come to pick-up your car the expected day? Because there is simply nobody willing to do it.

From the broker’s point of view, everything’s fine, since they have already charged you the nonrefundable fee. You take the bait, they effortlessly win. Having learned your lesson, you will find another company that may or may not be able to help you. Instead of saving money, you have wasted a good amount. Which does not even include the losses incurred by your inability to use your car at destination.

2. The quote that is offered to you is a generic one, and you will be later charged hidden fees. This scenario is a very common one. That is why you should always ask your car shipping agent what exactly the quote includes. Door to door fees? Insurance? Next-day pick-up fees? You get the idea.

3. You are quoted for terminal to terminal services. That implies that your car will spend some time at a terminal waiting to be picked up by you or your carrier. However, the terminal will charge you a terminal fee, and sometimes a daily storage fee. Depending on the time that your car spends at the terminal, this amount may exceed the “savings” that you have made, without even including the time/money that you have spent making pick-up arrangements.

You may start thinking that finding a trustworthy car shipping agent may be nothing more than mere gambling.  Not necessarily. Read our article “Ask Before You Hire: The Least You should Know about Your Car Shipping Agent” that will help you avoid the traps and not lose your sleep over the whole process.