How To Ship A Car Without Getting Scammed?

What Is A Car Shipping Scam?

Scams are generally fraudulent acts done by the company or by the person, A shipping scam company offers scam schemes and pretends to be the best and most reliable company in the market. But As soon as you hire them, they will ask you for payment in their online payment app.

Once you pay, they do not offer any kind of services in case they are offering the services their services are not trustworthy, and their main purpose is to steal your money and car. So, let us discuss how to avoid spam and protect yourself from being spammed.

How To Find The Scam Shipping Company?

Before hiring a car shipping service, you must find a legitimate shipping company to avoid the scam. The scam includes that you may have provided with a false carrier and company. They target owners who want to relocate and ship their cars from one place to another. They copy the websites of other companies, create their own website, and pretend to be real and genuine companies. So let us discuss the topic that how to find a scam shipping company before you ship a car.

No Reviews And Website

Not Registered Company

Fake company Details

Asking For Payment via Unverified Method

Not Experienced And Verified Driver

Unrealistic Price And Offers

Bond Without Signed Contract

No Reviews And Website

You should check for the company’s website and customer reviews because reviews and the company website matter a lot to a company. If you don't find anything about the company on all the platforms, then it should be a warning sign that the company is not real.

Not Registered Company

Before hiring a car shipping service you should check for the company registration number and check whether they are legit or not in the market.

Fake Company Details

You must check the company details like phone number, email address, and postal code to ensure that they are real, and if you find any suspicious details, then you must contact the exact shipping service provider.

Asking For Payment via Unverified Method

If you are hiring a car shipping service to ship a car to another state, then you should not pay any upfront payment or advance before the service, and if they are asking you for payment from unverified methods. Their main goal is to steal your money.

Not Experienced And Verified Driver:

You should look for an experienced driver for car shipping, so you must verify the driver's license, and if the driver is not verified and experienced, then you must verify it.

Unrealistic Price And Offers:

If the company offers you unrealistic prices and offers to commit you to a false promise, then it should be a warning sign that you may get scammed.

Bond Without Signed Contract:

You should sign a bond and have a written copy of the shipping contract with you to avoid any risk, but if they are not providing you with the signed documents, then you should be aware.

How To Find A Reliable Company?

When you are planning to ship a car to another state, finding a reliable car shipping service is much more important because you are shipping your valuable assets and premium luxury cars. Here are some tips that you should keep in mind.

Registered Website And Reputation In The Market

No Upfront Payment

Customer Reviews And Ratings

Signed Written Documents Paper

Experience And Customer Support

Registered Website And Reputation In The Market

A reliable company has its own company website and reputation in the market. Before hiring a shipping service, you must check the registration number of the company because they are registered or not. 

No Upfront Payment

Companies that are trustworthy and legit they will not ask for any upfront payment. They will charge you after the complete documentation and shipping. So when you are hiring a company, then you should not pay any advance or upfront payment to them.

Customer Reviews And Ratings

For every company, customers are their first priority, so you should check for the customer's reviews about the company, and you may ask for any reference for verification.

Signed Written Documents Paper

The company should provide you with signed paperwork between both parties, and you must carefully read the shipping service methods and payment options.

Experience And Customer Support

You should also check whether the company has an experienced driver and supportive team in case of any emergency or for any update about your car. Then, they should be able to provide you with customer support.

What Are The Types Of Car Shipping Scams?

Car shipping scams are of many types to avoid any type of shipping scam then, you should stay updated with the market news and protect yourself from these scammers. So, let us focus on and discuss the types of car shipping scams.

Fake Car Shipping Company

Fake Quotation And Unrealistic Price

Fake Payment Method And Upfront Payment

Fake Carrier Number

Fake Reviews

Phishing Scam

Fake Car Shipping Company

They copy the website of some other companies and pretend to be their website. So you must cross check and verify their website. Your Car shipping company should be registered and authorized by the government.

Fake Quotation And Unrealistic Price

This type of scam is called a bait and switch scam. In this type of scam, they will give you the quotation at a reasonable price, and once you have signed and deposited the money, they will change the quotation and charge you the additional price before delivering your car. They will offer you an extremely low price and high offer discounts on their price.

Fake Payment Method And Upfront Payment

They will ask you to pay the amount using unverified methods like through the link or some other methods because these payment methods are untraceable. They will also ask you to pay in advance or make an upfront payment for your car shipping.

Fake Carrier Number

It is the most important tip to find a scam company because every government-authorized company must have its carrier number, but if you are unable to find their motor carrier number on their website, then you should understand that they are fake and are scammers

Fake Reviews

You must check the company’s reviews before hiring a car shipping service to ship a car. They will post fake positive customer reviews on their site, and sometimes, they also post fake reviews on the competitor's website to spoil their reputation on the market.

Phishing Scam

This is a type of scam where scammers will send you a text message or email that will appear as a real and legitimate company and may ask you to click on the link and enter your personal information to track your car shipping live location or for delivery notification once you fill in the details they will steal all your personal information.

Tips To Avoid Car Shipping Scam

To find the shipping company’s scams and to avoid being scammed then, you should look for certain details and research the company you are going to hire to ship a car. Let us take some steps to avoid shipping spam and hire a reliable company for your car shipping.

Verify The Company

Check For The Customer’s Reviews

Check the Motor Carrier Number

Experience And Reputation In The Market

Avoid Unrealistic Price Rate

Upfront Payment And Payment Methods

Pay Attention To The Contract

Details About The Driver

Photographic Documentation Case of Any Damage

Verify The Company

When It comes to shipping your car then, before hiring, you must check and verify about the company whether they are genuine and authorized by the government.

Check For The Customer’s Reviews

You must check the customer reviews about the company by surfing through various sites because customer reviews will give you an idea about the company's support and service, but you should be aware of any fake positive reviews.

Check The Motor Carrier Number

Every company’s carrier should have their own motor carrier number, so you should check the carrier number if you are unable to find then you must check the website for the carrier number.

Experience And Reputation In The Market

You should also check for the company’s reputation in the market and how long they are in the business for company experience in car shipping service. Whether they have an experienced team and driver for the shipping services.

Avoid Unrealistic Price Rates

It is most important that you be aware of the price rate of the automobile shipping service if the company is offering you a low price for your shipping service and huge discounts on the actual price, then it may be a scam.

Upfront Payment And Payment Methods

Do not make any upfront payments to the company, and always pay your service charge with the verified payment method. Always pay your payment after the Documentation and Verification. A Reliable company will not ask you for any upfront payment and will always use the verified payment gateway. 

Pay Attention To The Contract

Always pay attention to the contract of the company and carefully read the service charge and the company’s policies. You should always ask for a signed contract between both parties to avoid being scammed.

Details About The Drivers

Before Shipping your car you must always verify the driver's details like driver's license, proof of his experience, and the company’s employment details, etc.

Photographic Documentation in Case of Any Damage

You must be present at the time of inspection, and you should take photographs of your car to claim insurance if any kind of damage or something happens to your car.

What Should You Do If You Have Been Scammed?

Everyone will think of what they should do if they are scammed. If they have been caught, then they should contact a Federal Trade Commission and register a complaint against the company. It will record your complaint and will take strict action against them but it may take time to resolve your problems. If you have proper documents and a record of your payment to the company, you can get help from the police and file a case against them.