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Car transport “mystery” fees

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Home  |  Car Transport   |   Car transport “mystery” fees

There are lots of “horror stories” on the internet about how car transport companies surprise unsuspecting customers with mystery fees.  But there are legitimate reasons why your driver may require extra fees on top of the basic quoted transport costs. Let us take away the mystery and give you some tips to avoid additional car transport fees.

Your car transport quote is for a fully operational vehicle. Standard car carriers are not the same as tow trucks, your vehicle must be driven on and off the truck under its own power. The battery must be good, the vehicle must start up and stay running, and all tires must be inflated. Some car carriers cannot accommodate non-operative vehicles, and for those equipped with winches additional charges will accrue for additional labor required. Make sure your vehicle is in good running order before the carrier arrives.

Your car transport quote is for an empty vehicle. If you leave personal items in the vehicle, there may be an additional weight fee. We recommend leaving your car empty and shipping your household goods separately.

Your car transport quote is for a basic stock model. Extensions, lifts, and other add-ons that increase the height, width, or weight of a vehicle will affect the cost of your transport. Inform your representative of any modifications for an adjusted quote, and forwarding pictures can be helpful too.

Your car transport quote is priced for COD (Cash on Delivery). Most carriers will not accept credit card payments, most only accept jobs for cash on delivery. In rare instances where credit is the only option, the final charge will include a transaction processing fee.

Your car transport quote is for transport only, with direct person-to-person delivery. Storage for pick-up at your convenience is not automatic with this service, you or a contact must meet the carrier when the truck arrives in your area. If you aren’t available to accept delivery when your carrier arrives, you may be responsible for storage fees and/or re-delivery fees.

No driver wants to surprise a customer with mystery fees on delivery. Talk to your representative in advance about what exactly is included in the service. If you have any questions about car transport fees, please give us a call: 866-221-1664.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to Your Car Moving Questions

The hardest thing for people researching car moving companies to understand is that the prices they are getting are not hard and fast gaurantees, but rather ESTIMATES of what one company thinks it will take to get a vehicle moved promptly versus another company's opinion of what it will take. Don't be fooled, there are not carriers committed to take your vehicle at these quoted prices, the company you choose will still have to get to work getting a carrier to commit to move it at the price they quote you.

Your total price breaks down into two parts, the broker's fee (or 'deposit' as everyone calls it) and the carriers fee (your COD amount) Make no mistake about this, EVERYONE YOU ARE GETTING SALES CALLS FROM IS GOING TO BROKER YOUR MOVE. In this industry, there are brokers who try to fool you into thinking that they are the actual carriers and there are an equal amount of carriers who sell themselves on the fact that they have a truck or two but are not being honest about the fact that they broker out 90% of the orders they book. Here is a quick easy way to tell, if a company takes an up front fee, whether they call it a deposit or any other name, they are a broker. Carriers do not take any payment until the vehicle is delivered.

In our opinion, you are crazy to do so. Have you ever been paid up front for the work that you perform for your employer? Why would you pay a fee up front when there are reliable and trustworthy companies like ours that won't ask for it until we provide you with your carriers details?

The average transit time from pick up to delivery on any vehicle going coast to coast will be between one and two weeks. From there you can figure your transit time based on how far your vehicle is traveling, i.e. from either coast to the Midwest might average 3-7 days.

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