For as long as consumers are interacting with businesses, there will always be stories you can find on the internet about fraud and poor business practices, and the auto transport industry is no exception. So how does one try to ensure that the auto transport company you are debating using to move your vehicle is reliable and trustworthy? Here are three “checkpoints” to look at when trying to find peace of mind from your choice of auto transporter.
The Three Checkpoints
- Check with the Better Business Bureau – The BBB collects and provides free business reviews on more than 4 million businesses in the US and Canada. While it is not a requirement for auto transport companies to be members of the BBB, consumers can still submit complaints against transporters that they feel have not lived up to their promised service level contracts. This is a great resource to see if the transporter that you are considering has had any complaints issued against them, how frequent these complaints are and how the transporter has responded to the complaints.
- Check Online for the Transporter’s Company Name – One of the most popular uses of the internet for consumers has been to search for reviews and overall reputation statuses of businesses that you are considering working with … in other words “Google” them! Consumers often publish reports of scams, bad business tactics and overall poor experiences that they have encountered when doing business with an auto transporter. Just be careful to make sure that the complaint is viable and not just a consumer blowing off steam or upset about something outside of the control of the transporter. A complaint here or there is not normally a cause for alarm but rather look for an established pattern of complaints and issues that might be throwing up a red flag.
- Check their MC Number – While the BBB does not require auto transporters to be members, the USDOT (US Department of Transportation) does. Auto transporters are required to be licensed with a valid MC number. Ask the auto transporter for their MC number and then check that the provided number is valid and in good standing by visiting the USDOT web site.
If the auto transporter you are considering “checks out” on the points listed above then chances are good that you will be working with a trustworthy company.
