If you have never had a car shipped before it can often be confusing to know exactly what should be included in the quote the shipping agent provides you with. You need to know that you have all of the information necessary in order to compare rates and amenities with other companies. You also need to know that everything necessary for preparation of shipping is included in the quote as well as detailed explanations of what is included in the fine print.
The following are some guidelines to let you know what should typically be included in your vehicle shipping quote.
The Necessities
The following are items that should be included in all vehicle shipping quotes:
- Location of where the car is shipping from
- Location where the car is shipping to
- The make, model and year of your vehicle and if it is a car, truck, SUV, van, motorcyle, boat or other type of motor vehicle
- Information that states whether the vehicle is drivable or not
- The type of transport equipment that will be used during delivery
- If insurance coverage is included it needs to be listed in the quote.
The Supplements
Always make sure that you read your quote in its entirety before you agree to sign it. When you receive a vehicle shipping quote you will have the basic necessary items listed on the quote but there will often be other supplemental items that may be listed as well as items that you need to pay particular attention to before you sign:
- You need to see what the fee to cancel the shipment is. Often in life we come across situations that require us to change our plans and if you will need to halt shipping you need to know how much the fee, if there is a fee at all, to cancel will be. You will also find that sometimes if it is near the shipping date you will not be eligible for a full refund, so you will want to see what the cancellation date will be for a refund if you are eligible. Some companies will give a full refund regardless of the date, while others will have varied refund policies based on date as well as whether a transport driver has already been assigned to transport your vehicle.
- You will want to know if there are any discounts that can be applied to your vehicle shipment. Some shipping companies will offer discounts for early booking or using cash to pay for the shipment. You will need to speak to your shipping agent to determine if a discount is available and if so, make sure you have it in writing.
- Your quote should include pick-up and delivery if it will be necessary. It should also state where the vehicle will be delivered. Some companies will deliver to your location while other companies will have the vehicle delivered to a shipping location or a vehicle storage facility. You will definitely want to have the information on delivery included so there will be no confusion when the vehicle is delivered.
- You need to make sure that information is listed in the fine print of the quote that states who is responsible for damage that may incur during shipment. If the quote states that you are responsible for damages on your own you need to be aware of that just as if the quote states the company is responsible. You should always make sure that you read the fine print of all documents that you sign including the shipping quote.
- A very important thing to make sure you see in your shipping quote are the responsibilities that you will have yourself with preparing your vehicle for shipment, paying fees, and making sure that you are physically present at the pick-up or delivery of the vehicle. For many methods of transport vehicles must be thoroughly cleaned prior to being shipped and not having the details taken care of in advance can often delay the vehicle from being shipped and cause loss of time due to having to make corrections at the last minute.
Shipping a vehicle for the first time can often seem like a daunting experience. When you make sure that you are prepared by checking your quote and learning as much as possible about the way that vehicle shipping works, it can help the entire shipping process seem very simple to you. You made an investment when you purchased your vehicle and you need to make sure that the shipping company you choose will handle your car with the same care that you yourself handle it with. Advanced Auto Ship has the experience with car shipping to be able to take care of all of your shipping needs with a trustworthiness that you will not find anywhere else. Your shipping agent will go over each detail of your quote with you personally. If you have any questions be sure to ask them and our agents will provide you with the details you need. When it’s time to ship your car from one state to another or even overseas, you can rely on the dedication of Advanced Auto Ship to transport your car safely and efficiently.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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