Most people tend to go with the cheapest option when carrying out any activity, including shipping their vehicles. Up front, it may look cost-effective, but overly cutting costs when shipping your vehicle will expose you to the hidden dangers of cheap car shipping quotes. In this article, we will give you all the need-to-know information on the dangers of low shipping quotes. Hopefully, it will help you make a better decision when you next need to ship your vehicle.
The main reason people go with the lowest possible price is to save as much as possible on costs. This is why shady brokers lower their quotes to make unsuspecting customers fall into their trap. Now that the customer thinks they have found a good car shipper, they might call off their search for good shipping companies. When there is little time left for the actual shipping, the shady broker significantly increases the low shipping quote. Most customers end up going with the increased quote because trying to find another vehicle shipper at the last minute can be quite difficult. And even if they do find one, they can be charged a lot more due to expedited or on-time shipping.
Another common scenario is when brokers only tell the customer about the amount they need to pay in deposit, purposely leaving out the remaining fees that need to be paid in cash after their vehicle is delivered successfully. First off, no legitimate shipping broker will require you to make a complete upfront payment. If you do actually meet a broker who requests an initial deposit before shipping, make sure to clearly go through the terms of the agreement before paying. Scammers will use low deposit fees to trick the customer and sometimes even make away with the money without shipping your car. Even if they ship the car, they will refuse to release your vehicle until the additional fees have been paid.
The quotes offered by shipping companies and brokers depend on many factors, including the type of vehicle you want to ship, the distance to your destination, the shipping options you opt in for, other additional parameters, and, most especially, the quality of their service. Reputable shipping companies usually charge more for their shipping services since they are confident in the quality of their services and usually have enough experience to show it. This also applies to inexperienced shipping companies, which will use lower quotes to incentivize customers to engage their services. However, in order for them to provide services at such a low cost, they will cut costs in a lot of crucial places, such as insurance. This poor service usually results in your vehicle being poorly handled and giving you an unsatisfactory shipping experience.
When shipping your vehicle, provide essential details like make, model, location, and preferred carrier. Request quotes from multiple companies, focusing on mid-range options. Ensure the selected quote aligns with the total cost, including potential fees. However, if you still need to cut down on the cost of shipping, rather than go for the lowest quotes you can find, you can try out any of the tips and options below.
- Book your shipping way ahead of time.
- Choose the open-air shipping method.
- Opt for terminal-to-terminal shipping.
- Reduce the overall weight of your vehicle by emptying it out.
- Avoid high-demand seasons like summer.
If you ever come across car shipping quotes that seem too good to be true, then there is a high chance that they actually are. While you might be tempted to choose these low quotes, you should also be aware of the dangers that come with them, including last-minute price increases, additional charges, and subpar services. In order to avoid this, you need to choose a company like Ship A Car, which will stop at nothing to make sure their customers get the best quality of service for their investment.
At Ship A Car, we only engage the services of carriers with a 95% or above ranking for each of the cars dispatched. We also make sure to thoroughly check that the insurance is active and that there are no open issues before handing your vehicle over to them. You can get a quote by filling out the form on our website, or contact us at (866) 821-4555 to get an obligation-free quote.
