Auto Transport Makes Top 10 Complaints for BBB SE Florida!
So why doesn’t it make Top 10 Inquiries? Every month in the “New Trends @ BBB,” you will see Automobile Transporting Services listed under the “Top Ten Complaints.” Rarely do you see it listed under the “Top Ten Inquiries.” Collectively, we as consumers do a good job of policing industries. For the most part, we can rationalize that a company can’t be 100% perfect, but if a company has multiple complaints over and over, we steer clear! What does it take to get consumers and businesses to check every vendor or company they are about to work with on the BBB first? I can’t answer that question, but I can tell you why you should.
Auto transport has had its share of “bad apples:” brokers who have taken orders to move customer cars but never get the job done, and carriers illegally brokering your transport to a “buddy” who never picks up the car. This can be financially devastating to a person who is moving and doesn’t have a vehicle, maybe starting a new job with no transportation, etc. Also, if you just bought your car from a dealership or an online company, you would like to receive it before you have to make your first payment! There are several ways to check out an auto transport company before you lose:
- CHECK THE BBB! Make sure they have some type of “A” rating; anything lower is not a good sign. They have not been verified as a legitimate company. They don’t respond, resolve, or care about customer complaints, or they just have so many complaints, something is not right!
- Ask for their “MC” number and verify it with www.fmcsa.dot.gov. If they are broker, their broker status should say “Active.” If they are a carrier or a contract carrier, their status should be “Active,” and the truck picking up your car MUST have the same name and MC number on the side as the company you hired. No Exceptions No Excuses, it’s a federal regulation period!
- Google the name of the company! Just like employers Google new hires, you should Google anyone you are about to do business with. Find their reviews, complaints, and kudos all over the internet and make an educated decision. If something makes you uncomfortable, ask them about it. Sometimes the issue was a misunderstanding, but you can judge by the auto transporter’s response.
- Insurance – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration changed in 2011 and NO LONGER REQUIRE CARGO CARRIERS TO HAVE CARGO INSURANCE! Good brokers deal directly with the carriers’ insurance company to avoid fraud. The broker will provide you with an insurance certificate in their name for the carrier dispatched to pick up your car. If you are getting the insurance directly from the carrier, you need to turn around and contact the insurance company and request the information from them directly. Insurance can lapse, and since the FMCSA is no longer requiring cargo (your automobile is considered cargo), you need to be on top of this issue.
When transporting a personally owned vehicle (POV), the toughest part is that consumers are entering into a very commercial transaction. This is not like moving your household goods (which have better consumer protections). Knowing the process is the key! Do your inspections with the carrier when the car is picked up and delivered, and note any transport damage on the final inspection. Understand that you are not reserving an entire truck to yourself, and there may be 2-9 other customers involved in the load. You will have pick-up and delivery windows, and sometimes those change because of delays with cars before you, weather, traffic, weigh stations, DOT stops… you see where this is going, right? The only thing guaranteed in auto transport is that something will change!
Check out any company and understand the auto transport process, and you will have a better and safer experience. It’s a green decision to transport your car. Every carrier you see on the road with 10 cars is 10 less cars on the road. It’s cheaper than driving it yourself, paying for fuel, hotels, tolls, and giving up all of that time out of your wonderful life. Transport just transport smart!
Melissa Carbonell
Marketing Manager
High End Transport, Inc.
[email protected]
