Early Signs You’re Dealing with a Questionable Car Transport Provider
If you want to avoid dealing with a questionable car transport provider or an unpleasant vehicle transport experience, the best thing to do is to read the signs – as soon as possible.
There are usually enough of them to tell you that working with a certain company may be problematic.
Here are some you should watch for:
1. Too Many Complaints Listed on Review websites
This may look like a no-brainer, but it is important to mention since many overlook this important step.
Doing a check on review sites like ProductReview.com.au is extremely easy and takes only a couple of minutes.
The number of complaints, the way the company responded (or not) to these complaints and the rating offered by the review site are good hints to the company’s quality.
Consider what former customers have had to say. They will provide you with a real-life check on the company.
It is not uncommon for large, trustworthy companies that have been operating for many years to have some complaints on review sites. Unfortunate events happen and the Internet and social media does have a tendency to amplify bad reviews.
However, there is a big difference between 2 negative reviews and 20. Also the timing of those complaints may be telling you more about issues the company might be experiencing.
If you find complaints being posted in more recent weeks, you can be pretty certain the company is experiencing some challenges right now.
If there are a large number of complaints consistently posted across a longer timeframe, you can bet the problem has more to do with operational practices and how the company is being run and unrelated to short-term issues.
Also important is how prompt the company responded to a complaint. Do they even respond?
If they are genuinely interested in resolving the dispute, they should at least be given some credit.
If you cannot even find the company listed on a review site, our advice is simple: don’t even think about it.
2. Too Cheap or Too Expensive
If you receive a quote that is “out of whack” compared with what other car transport companies are offering, it’s likely a sign that, sooner or later, the carrier will let you down.
The cost that carriers charge for their services certainly can vary.
If you’ve requested quotes from multiple car shipping companies and one of them stands out as “substantially cheaper”, you should know there are three main reasons a car shipping company will offer such attractive quotes:
- There could be hidden fees and conditions;
- They are offering a depot-to-depot service only; or
- The real time to transport the vehicle may be extraordinarily high.
Read more about the dangers of super cheap car transport services.
Similarly, more expensive quotes should be treated with caution as well.
As a rule, anything that deviates too much from average should be regarded with caution.
Receive multiple vehicle transport quotes with one request and compare and contrast what the most popular transport service providers are offering right now.
3. Low-quality customer service
You can get a pretty good idea about the quality of a company’s service by talking to them over the phone.
Do they take the time to really explain their services?
Do they sound like they would rather be do something else besides answering your questions?
Are they genuinely interested in delivery a great service or just trying to sell you?
All of these are fairly good indicators for how you might be treated later.
4. Making Fairy-tale Promises
Promises that sound too good to be true, usually are.
Beware of companies that offer extremely cheap, next-day services.
Companies that have been in the business long enough know that shipping a car is subject to a large number of variables and that every booking is unique, as is every attempt to respond to it.
That doesn’t mean you’ll be receiving empty promises. It means should consider running some checks on the company and see how consistently they’re failing to deliver on their promise.
5. Unreliable Estimates and Quotes
Many companies offer instant online estimates.
An estimate might not take into consideration extra fees like door to door services, insurances, depot fees, whether the vehicle is drivable and any extra conditions the carrier may have in place.
Always ask for a customised quote, that considers only your particular situation and read the fine print.
Most vehicle transport companies will have an easy system that allows you to request such a quote.
Spend some minutes playing with the instant quote system.
If you ask what it would cost to move a car 5 kms and you get estimates that don’t make a whole lot of sense, you can be pretty confident the system is unreliable.
You should spend some extra time asking questions, rather than relying exclusively on what the online system tells you.
The point is, when companies don’t pay attention to what their customers are looking for and, instead, only exhibit self-interest through a fancy website, it may be good indicator as to how they really view “quality” and how much of that you’ll get.
Car Transport Services – Serving You Best
Car Transport Services connects shippers like you with auto transport companies.
If you need to transport a vehicle to any part of the country, it’s easier than you think and probably more affordable too. Find out and get quotes online today.
