Jeff McNeal wrote:
>
> Happy New Year, one and all! I just thought I would post this alert for the
> benefit of my friends on the list who are contemplating buying a car long
> distance over the Internet and using an auto transport company to bring the
> car home to them. My hope is that you can benefit from my recent
> experience.
>
> In early December, I purchased a Spitfire located in central California. I
> live in the southernmost part of the same state. Prior to the purchase, I
> had conducted a search on the Internet and selected A AAAdvantage Auto
> Transport Inc. after being assured by their sales rep that:
>
> 1. They use all their own drivers and company owned vehicles.
> 2. My car would be placed on top of the carrier so other vehicles couldn't
> leak fluid onto my convertible.
> 3. They would be carrying the primary insurance against any damage to the
> vehicle enroute.
> 4. They would ensure a pickup of the vehicle I purchased within 5-7 days of
> sending in the contract (but that it would likely be just 3-5 days).
All the above is true, and is current practice in a lot of the industry.
Another one which I've found to behave similarly is All-States, also
located in CA (these people frustrated the bejesus out of me last
April). Truth is, most of the auto movers advertised are brokers, and
the fees are higher because the brokers in this industry typically take
a larger fee than most full-load shipping brokers. They continue to
flourish because so much auto-moving is done by people changing jobs
whose companies are paying for the relocation costs.
The most important thing here is to shop around. Any auto mover which
says, "we can only lock in this rate if you send us a deposit right
away," is to be avoided. That down payment is usually equal to about
80-100% of their brokerage fee, so they've got their money right away.
The other thing to do, if one has any reservations about the terms, is
to ask for the physical address (many operate through 800 numbers, and
don't advertise where their offices are located except on the contract
supplied after a deposit is made) and then call their local Better
Business Bureau. That BBB will have a complaint file on them if they
have provided late service or poor service.
Cheers.
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