Avoiding Auto Transport Company Scams

While there are many good auto transport companies on the market, there are some that have little desire to actually do the job that you've requested. There are a number of scams in the auto transport world that could cost you hundreds of dollars. Therefore, it is important to know what you're up against when deciding what auto shipper to use so that you aren't caught in a scam.

Most auto transport scams arise from the desire of many customers to find the absolute lowest price for auto shipping. People who know a little bit about auto shipping know that the nature of the industry makes this a nearly impossible feat, but for most auto shipping novices, it just seems like a good deal. Some auto transport companies exploit naïve customers so that they provide some form of upfront payment yet never receive a service.

It is important for customers to be able to recognize this kind of scam and avoid it, and American Auto Transport can help you do so. One of the easiest ways to recognize a scam is to be reasonable. When you apply online to receive quotes, you should wind up with somewhere between 6-12 prices. While these prices will most likely differ quite a bit, the average price should be represented in 4 or 5 of these quotes. You can easily eliminate scam companies by eliminating the outliers. So take the lowest 3 or 4 quotes and ignore them.

Now, this advice may not be totally convincing to all of our customers, and we know this. So if you are still interested in moving your vehicle with one of the lower quotes, you should be aware of how low-ball scams work. What is likely to happen is that you'll call one of the companies offering the low quotes, they'll give you some confidence that they can transport the vehicle at that price, and you'll book the order with them. They'll ask you for a credit card deposit to reserve a spot on their truck, and they'll run the card right away. What auto transport companies do to make money is to find a driver to transport your vehicle and charge you a fee for finding this vehicle. Ideally, the fee should not be charged until after the service is provided. However, less honest companies will take this fee right away and then make you wait for them to perform the service. Once they have your deposit, they can essentially either hold it hostage until they transport your vehicle, or make you forfeit it after you decide to cancel your order. If you are in fact underpriced, you'll either have to wait for auto shipping to go down or pay more to the driver to meet the market rates, so what initially seemed to be a good deal could easily turn into a nightmare.

American Auto Transport wants you to be aware of this kind of scam so that you do not fall prey to companies who refuse to their job correctly. Our philosophy is to provide our customers with the realities of auto shipping, rather than what one might want to hear. So if you're interested in having your vehicle transported correctly the first time around with a legitimate, open, and honest company, then use American Auto Transport! Call us today at (866) 327-7863 and make your auto shipping reservations with the best right away!