Deciding whether or not to have your vehicle shipped is a big decision. There are lots of things to consider from the cost of the shipment to the worry of leaving your vehicle in the hands of strangers as you ship it across the country. Nevertheless, there are times when shipping your vehicle might be necessary. If you do make the decision to ship your vehicle, the good news is most car shipping companies have a cancellation policy. Just as most retail stores will allow you to return merchandise within a certain period of time, the car shipping industry has a cancellation policy of its own.

In general, once you book with an auto transport company, you will have the option to cancel up to a certain point. In most cases, it takes the shipping company a few days to find a carrier that can transport your vehicle. Once they find a carrier, you typically have to wait another 3-5 days before your vehicle can be picked up. Most companies will give you the option to cancel your order up until the time your vehicle is picked up. That said, every company’s cancellation policy is unique and there may be fees and refund policies that differ from one company to another. Here are a few things to keep in mind when cancelling an auto shipment order.

Timing is Everything

You cannot wait until the very last minute or after the carrier has already picked up your vehicle to cancel your order. Unfortunately in these cases, your car will continue through the transport process. Therefore, it’s critical that you cancel your order before your vehicle departs on the carrier. Assuming you cancel in advance, most car shipping companies will honor your request and might not even charge you a cancellation fee. Some companies, however, might have a window in which you must cancel before being charged a fee. It is best to check with the shipping company about their cancellation policy on the front end.

Cancellation Fees and Policies

Every auto transport company is different so you want to ask about cancellation fees upfront. Some companies have no cancellation fee at all and many will even refund your deposit if you cancel by a certain time. Any reputable auto shipment company should be upfront about their cancellation policy and in many cases it is even listed on their website.