Avoid These 4 Car Shipping Mistakes!

Shipping your car overseas is by no means something you should take lightly. If you do, you might end up with a damaged car or in the worst case, lose your car to a scam. That is why you should make sure that you do your research before hiring a company to get your car across to another continent.

If you want to auction your car overseas and need to ship it to the UK or are moving to another continent because of business, you want to be sure that you are dealing with a respectable and experienced company like Ship Overseas.

Here are 4 common mistakes you should avoid when shipping your car:

Going for the Cheapest Solution

When choosing a shipping company, remember that if the price seems too good to be true, it most likely is. Some companies will offer ridiculously low quotes to ship your car, which could end up with nothing short of a disaster. There is a reason car shipping costs as much as it does and if a company is offering to ship your car for $500, you can be sure that something’s definitely off.

Price is naturally an important part of your choice, but don’t let it be the only one. Make sure you ask for a list of recent shipments, look up the company’s reviews online and ask if they have all the appropriate licenses, insurance policies, and bonds.

Not Preparing Your Car for the Trip

One of the most important steps in car shipping is preparing your vehicle for the trip. This helps ensure your car is safe during the process. An experienced shipping company will brief you on all the requirements that have to be met before the vehicle is loaded, so be sure to follow them.

The requirements depend on the shipping method. For example, for RoRo shipping the car has to be completely empty. That includes anything you may be keeping in your trunk and even your glove compartment. Apart from that, you have to check the car for leaks and keep the gas tank full to a quarter.

Not Insuring Your Car

All licensed car shipping companies need to have proper insurance policies included in the quote. Going back to the first item on the list, if you choose an inexperienced company offering a cheaper price the price may be cheaper because of a poor insurance plan. Some accidents cannot be foreseen or prevented, and not having a good insurance plan could lead to serious consequences. You can read more about why having a good insurance plan is important for car shipping at this link: https://www.shipoverseas.com/blog/transit-cargo-insurance-roro-shipping/

Withholding Payment at Delivery

Keeping with the subject of the previous entry, many clients who hire a shady company to ship their car were faced an unpleasant situation where their car was delivered to them damaged. They usually refuse to pay for the delivery due to the obvious damage to the vehicle. However, the U.S. Federal Law requires them to make the payment regardless of the condition of the vehicle. That is where insurance usually comes in.

Additionally, if you don’t pay the shipping costs you may not be able to file a claim. The right way to address this situation is to mark any damage your car may have sustained on the Bill of Lading, keep a copy for yourself, pay any additional fees to the delivery service and then seek an insurance claim.