You Read All Those Auto Transport Reviews, Now What?

When you intend to ship your car to or from New York, searching for companies that offer auto transport online might actually seem like the easy bit. After this, you’ll be left with the task of trying to find the best company based on what you found. And while online reviews ought to have offered you some insight into which companies seem to bet better, you’re likely to end up feeling like you simply can’t be sure until you have actually taken a leap and went with a certain company to help you ship your car.

But there are ways for you to distinguish the good auto transporters from the bad, even before ever working with them, by asking the right questions, you’ll be able to work through the companies that made your shortlist after reading through the online reviews.

But First – Don’t Just Use Review Sites

If you only made use of review sites to research your favorite companies, one of the first things you can do is to source more customer feedback on the rest of the internet. Do a search of each company from a search engine and try to find comments by customers on social media. Online review sites don’t always paint a realistic picture of a company’s service. Reviews are often slanted towards the negative by customers who wanted an outlet for complaining, or the reviews aren’t even real, in which case they’re always positive.

Once you’ve seen some customer feedback about an auto transport company on social media, there are other things you can take into consideration before working with them.

How Long Have They Been Working?

Do They Have Insurance?

In most cases when a car is transported, it comes back exactly the same as it was before. But nothing can prevent accidents from happening. Even though a professional company will be mindful of not causing any damage to your car, they’ll still have insurance just in case something unforeseen happens. Companies that don’t have insurance won’t be able to pay for any accidental damage to your car, should it occur.

Do They Use Contracts?

Not all auto transport companies approach contracts in the same way and some might not use contracts at all. But if the company you want to work with uses contracts, you’ll have to actually read through the agreement before signing.

Many companies will protect both your rights and their own, while others will try to fool you into thinking the contract protects your rights when it’s really only giving them permission to be dishonest. There’s no use in choosing a company that has insurance, only to find out you signed a contract that indemnifies them from accepting any responsibility for damages during transportation.

It’s also important to note, companies that don’t make customers sign contracts aren’t always bad. As mentioned before, contracts are only beneficial when customers’ rights are also protected. But if you choose to work with an auto transporter that doesn’t make you sign a contract, it would still be wise to ask about how you’ll know what the exact agreement will be and find out who’ll cover expenses if your car is damaged.

How Much Will They Charge?

This might seem like something you’ll already have settled, but don’t be too confident that what you saw online will be the exact price for shipping your car. Depending on the weight and size of your vehicle it could cost more to have it shipped. Ask for an exact quote of what it would cost to ship your specific car model, but always be sure to check that receiving a quote is obligation free and doesn’t cost anything. Good companies will quote for free at no cost to you.

After this, you have to ask whether the price you were quoted is final, or whether the company ever requests additional payments for unforeseen problems. Unfortunately, if the price you were quoted seemed too good to be true, it probably was.

Some auto transporters like to lure customers in with unrealistically low prices, only to charge them extra later on. While they often use unforeseen expenses as an excuse, the additional payments aren’t unforeseen at all. They simply quoted too low and are making their profit by telling their customers they weren’t expecting the expenses. Customers go in thinking they’ll save money by going for the cheapest auto transporter and often end up paying more than they would’ve if they went for a higher priced service.

Don’t be fooled by this trick, go for a company that quotes you once and won’t charge you more further down the line. While it might seem expensive when the price you’re quoted covers the full cost of shipping your car all at once, it’s more predictable than working with a company that owns themselves the right to ask for more payments later on and will probably end up being cheaper.

At the end of the day you’ll have to go with your gut. If you don’t feel comfortable working with a certain company, move on and find someone you trust. Hopefully you’ll have a positive experience shipping your car. Remember, there are many dishonest auto transporters out there, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a good one. To a large extent, being realistic about pricing and shopping around till you find someone you’re comfortable with will be your first steps in finding the right auto transporter to work with.

Tips For A Successful Job Relocation

Although relocating for a new job can be a very exciting time filled with a promise, it also tends to involve a lot of stress. Unfortunately adapting to your new city and home can be a bit grueling, even when your new job is the one you’ve always wanted.

However, if you’re relocating because you were offered a job that is very attractive to you, the last thing you want is to have what’s supposed to be a wonderful time in your life ruined by the stresses of relocating. Luckily, whatever the reason for your choice to relocate, there are many things you can do to make it a little easier.

Jerry Cane, an actuary who recently relocated from New York City to Nashville, shared his journey and tells more about how he made the job relocation easier for himself and his family.

Ask Your New Employer About Relocation Assistance

After accepting a higher paying, less demanding job from an insurance company, Jerry – who often had to work very late – was forced to find a way to make the move possible in the least amount of time he could spend.

“Exploring options like making use of a company to help me with the move seemed really attractive,” he noted, “one thing that really helped was when I asked my new employer about relocation assistance, they helped me by paying some of the expenses I had for temporary housing that I had to pay for because I moved before the rest of my family so that I could start work in Nashville on the date my employer expected me to. They also helped with traveling expenses for myself and my family. All of that really helped because our living expenses in New York were quite high, we lived in a reasonably up-class neighborhood so just the rent a huge expense then. We were excited about moving to Nashville because we believed it would be a great place to raise the children.”

You might still be able to negotiate for some relocation assistance with your employer if you have a proper budget drawn up listing all your expenses. Even if your new employer isn’t willing to pay for everything, they might be able to take at least a little of the financial burden of a job relocation.

Organize Your Belongings Properly

“Our kids have way too many toys!”, laughed Jerry “If we didn’t put a great deal of effort into being well organized, we might very well have ended up opening a bunch of boxes filled with toys first after settling in at our new home.”

To make moving a bit easier, you’ll have to develop a proper system to sort all the things you pack. One way of doing this could be by numbering boxes and keeping a list for the contents of each box, or by color coding boxes according to the type things in them.

Relocating is already stressful enough as it is, having to search for basic things such as towels once you reach your new home should be avoided at all costs.

Another thing you could do is to get rid of any unnecessary things you know you won’t be using any more. There’s simply no use in packing and moving junk with you. “We got rid of a lot of things while we were packing,” Jerry mentioned while talking about the packing process, “our children had grown out of some of their cloths so we didn’t even bother to take it with us.”

Ship Your Car Instead Of Driving

“My car is pretty new and it’s precious to me, so I didn’t want to add to many miles on my car’s odometer.”, Jerry noted while discussing his job relocation “I also preferred flying to Nashville over driving because it seemed like a safer option for my wife and kids who were only able to join me later.”

If you find yourself in a similar situation where you have to make a big move, then shipping your car with a dependable auto transport company might be a better option for you as well. To find a good company to help you with auto transport, search the internet and ask for quotes from companies that seem trustworthy.

Note that the cheapest option probably won’t be the best and ask any potential candidate whether or not they provide insurance. While your car won’t be harmed in the absolute majority of cases, it’s always better to make use of a service that will accept the expense for damages should there be any.

By doing thorough research and by making use of the options available to them, Jerry and his family were able to make relocating as stress free as possible. “Our children are adapting well in their new schools and I was able to settle in at my new job within the first two weeks. My wife has also taken a new job in Nashville at a local interior design firm so things are going pretty smoothly” Jerry added about the job relocation.

To make your own job relocation as painless as Jerry’s, you’ll have to have a solid plan in place. Whenever possible, you should start planning the move more than a month in advance. But even if you had significantly less time to plan, a good system for organizing everything will still help a lot.

How To Find Dependable Auto Transport

Moving a vehicle is no easy task. Whether moving house, purchasing a vehicle a long distance from home, or simply trying to get a broken-down car to a mechanic, finding a company to help you get there can be complicated. Fortunately, many businesses exist that specialise in auto transport, but the trick is to find auto transport that will be dependable. Many companies won’t treat your car the way you would want, and some are even scams or not fully compliant with the law. Dependable auto transport is vital and neglecting to find a good company might result in serious damage to your car.

Finding Auto Transport Companies Online

Doing an internet search for dependable auto transport is a good place to start. In this modern age of technology more and more well-established companies are building a presence online. Take a look at a few websites of auto transport companies, and once you find one you like, use their online form to request a quote. Be sure to enter your information as accurately as possible, as different costs might apply for different vehicles depending on their weight and size. Also keep in mind that the price might be higher if your vehicle isn’t running. While using multi-quote websites might seem like a good way to find an auto transport company, you’ll likely end up receiving annoying calls and e-mails for months afterwards.

This is your first chance to judge whether the business you’re considering is a dependable auto transport company, be vigilant and take notice of the service you receive to judge whether or not you’re dealing with professionals.

How long do they take to provide a quote? A company that takes too long may not provide timely service. Is the price too good to be true? An extremely low quote might mean the company is cutting costs and putting your car at risk. For example, a company might not maintain their vehicles properly or save money by not having full insurance for their drivers.

Another way to tell a good auto transport company from a bad one, is to find out whether or not they’re willing to talk you through the details of the quote. A dependable auto transport company will know what the job entails, and be willing to discuss it with you, so as to put to rest any fears or questions you may have.

Always ask about insurance. While the protection of your car should be an important priority to any company worth hiring, accidents can happen. A good auto transport company knows this and will do their best to cover expenses in the unlikely case of damage to your car.

What Is The Reputation Of The Company

Once you have received a quote, you can start searching for reviews on the company. Use the name of the company, along with the keyword “complaints” to see what negative feedback other people have given after using the service provided by the company you’re considering.

Note that the existence of negative reviews doesn’t guarantee that the company is a bad choice. Rather, take note of what the complaints are about. Some might be small, or even cases of misunderstandings escalating. Be careful when making use of review websites – the information listed there can be skewed to the negative because of how these websites work.

Remember, even the best company is likely to have some negative feedback somewhere online, as this is an indication that the reviews are real, not just put online by the company staff themselves.

Information online must be considered with great discernment: too little negative feedback could indicate dishonest practice on behalf of a company, but too much negative feedback probably means the service isn’t good.

Take careful note if the complaints are in relation to the dependability of the company. Dependable auto transport companies will take utmost care not to damage your vehicle, to have it where and when you need it, and to reimburse you should anything happen while the vehicle is under their control.

Accepting The Contract

Once you have decided on a company to use, contact them to inform them that you accept their quote. They will likely wish to send you paperwork to sign, make sure that you read the terms and conditions thoroughly before signing. Take note of requirements they may have, such as a maximum amount of fuel in the vehicle, or removal of personal items from the car.

Preparing Your Vehicle For Transport

A dependable auto transport company will require a damage check before loading your vehicle. It is therefore a good idea to wash your car prior to checking it, as this will help in identifying any pre-existing damage, saving you and the company time and hassle. All damage will be listed on a damage report by an employee of the company, which they will then give you to sign. First check the report for yourself, then sign it. Dependable auto transport companies will appreciate the time you take to make the work simpler.

After this, they will hand you a copy of the report to keep until delivery. Once the car is delivered, check it again for any damage not listed on the report. If there is none, then the company was indeed a good choice. If there is damage, immediately report it. A dependable auto transport company will work with you to reimburse you for the damage done.

Your car is a valuable asset, never allow a company you don’t trust to handle it. Even if a company you chose required a non-refundable deposit, don’t follow through with transportation of the vehicle is you suspect dishonest practice.