Car Moving Company: What to do if there’s a problem?

Most people have positive experience with a car moving company, but sometimes your vehicle does not arrive in the condition it left. In the event of the possibility of such cases, know your rights and understand liability before you ship.

Before You Ship

In order to protect yourself, make sure you understand everything before you ship; ask the auto transport company:

• What type of damages do they assume liability?
• Are certain parts or types of damages excluded?
• Do you need extra insurance?

Also ask, should something happen on the road, how you will be notified.

Odds are your can will arrive in the condition you dropped it off. However, accidents happen even to the top interstate movers. By planning for contingencies beforehand, you will have no surprises should something unfortunate happen.

Also keep in mind that a reputable company will not only offer up information about the possibility of damages, they will take responsibility per your contract.

If you’re in the midst of a long distance move, we recommend checking out FindGoodMovers.com — you can quickly compare rates for long distance moving services and get some great deals!

Documentation

Another safety precaution is to document, with photographs, anything that is wrong with your car beforehand. The company will want to perform their own inspection as well, taking note of any cosmetic damage such as scratches, paint chips and dents; as well as the need for any repairs.

Documentation protects you from the company claiming damages existed prior to the car shipment and protects the company from consumers trying to make dubious claims. A reliable indicator of a trustworthy car moving company is their willingness to be open – answering questions rather evading them, providing free car shipping rates, offering to show their insurance certificate, USDOT or MC number upon request and providing you all details in writing.

Damages

When you pick-up you car and notice damages – a dent, rust, marks from the hoist or securing mechanism – point them out right away. The driver or representative, especially if it’s a reputable company, will want to work with you. The employee should know the exact terms of agreement and discuss options within the contract.

Businesses with well-standing reputations are the ones that can handle smooth transports and are able to deal with problems that arise. With such a company, you should expect the driver or agent to guide you through the process – explaining what is covered, how long it will take to fix and when someone will be in contact with you.

Since not all companies are willing to take responsibility right away, make sure that any damages are documented in writing and, if possible, photographed. When your vehicle is delivered you will be asked to sign a “bill of lading” (BOL). This is a receipt for the services that contain an area where you check off the car is in fine condition or document any changes. Make sure to ask the company for an auto transport quote before shipping your car with them.

The BOL contains information about the pre-inspection and you should not sign it unless you agree with the post-inspection. If you sign the BOL, without documenting known damages, legally the company may not have to reimburse your damages.

Other Steps

Certain companies may try to evade responsibility, act rudely or try to mislead you into signing the BOL without damages documented. If you’ve taken all the proper steps – and refused to sign a BOL without citing damages – regardless of how discourteous they behave, they still have to pay to according to whatever is documented in your contract.

In these situations, you should file a grievance with the company’s management, the Federal Transit Administration (a sub-sect of the Department of Transportation) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Filing formal complaints could prevent others from dealing with the same situation.

Check out the information guide from www.a1autotransport.com for more steps you can take.

Consumer Rights

As the consumer, you pay the car moving company to provide you a service. On rare occasions, accidents happen even with the most reputable car transportation services. However, those of high repute will take responsibility according to your terms or agreement; if the company tries to avoid liability, do not sign the BOL without documenting all damages. Finally, if you feel that a company has wronged you, file formal complaints with the upper management, FTA and BBB – this way the company and consumer watch groups are aware of your experience.