In today’s digital world getting a quote for car shipping has become easier than ever and a lot more convenient also. Nevertheless, the emergence of online auto transport platforms also gave birth to some fake sites offering car shipping quotes. Often customers fall prey to some sites which offer unbelievably low rates or make unrealistic promises on these sites. To have your vehicle shipped safely and fairly, it’s essential to know how to identify these frauds to protect yourself.
In this blog, we will guide you on spotting fake car shipping quote sites. One of the most common ways scammers trick customers is by sending them fake car shipping quotes. Let’s try to understand that better.
Unbelievably low quotes
One of the most serious warning signs you’ll notice when getting car shipping quotes online is a quote that seems too good to be true. Almost everyone wishes to save money but if a company’s rates are way lower than others, it is definitely a scam.
Reasons it is a Red Flag
Scammers lure you in with a low price that sounds too good to be true. And they may even quote you the price beforehand. But once it’s time to close the deal, they’ll add on hidden fees. Or they may demand a higher amount to close the deal. These websites might collect your payment without actually providing any service.
Be wary of sites that offer a low quote but fail to clarify what’s includ. They may add surprise charges for fuel surcharges, insurance, tolls, etc. later on during the move.
How To Safeguard Yourself
- Obtain quotes from different reputable car shipping companies.
- Find prices that are clear and transparent, breaking down costs along with any additional charges.
- if a quote is much lower than the average, check and verify all details with the company before proceeding.
- You can expect detail-oriented and straight forward quotes, as we don’t believe in hidden fees at Car Shipping Instant Quotes.
Absence of contact details
Reputable car shipping companies often offer a clear contact number, address, and email address of the owner. A site with no contact method or vague/undetectable details is a huge red flag.
What’s a red flag?
Scammer tend not to provide contact details to customers hence if something goes wrong, it is not easy for them to reach.
It can be hard to contact them: These fake sites will often only have an unmonitored e-mail address. Or a generic online form that is seldom checked.
How to safeguard yourself
See if the company has a customer service 800 number where you can speak to a representative.
You can search online for customer testimonials to see whether someone has had trouble getting in touch with them.
At Car Shipping Instant Quotes, we offer direct and responsive customer support with more ways to reach us than ever.
Lack of info on license or accreditation
All reliable car shipping businesses have a license given by the federal government. They are regulated by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Fraudulent automobile transportation websites will frequently ignore this important detail or twist the truth.
Reason for it being a red flag
Unlicensed companies tend to be scammers. They don’t have a license or insurance. This means that if your car gets damaged or lost, you won’t get your money back.
Some phony sites mislead consumers claiming to be accredited by legitimate organizations such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or FMCSA, although they have no official approval.
Ways to safeguard oneself
See whether the company is licensed with the FMCSA. You can quickly confirm this by searching for the company’s MC number or USDOT number on the FMCSA website.
Verify the company is adequately insured
At Car Shipping Instant Quotes we are fully licensed and insured, which gives our customers the peace of mind and confidence that comes from working with a certified company.
Policies and terms are not transparent in shipping
Another sign that a car shipping site is a scam is the absence of obvious shipping policies. A transport company that knows its stuff will always be transparent about the process.
Reasons Why It Is A Red Flag
Shipping Policies: If you can’t find details about their shipping policies in the site’s terms and conditions, they might be hiding information about the hidden charges, cancellation policy, and policies regarding damages.
Fake websites are not likely to give clear details that are easy to understand. This also means you will not be aware of what the quote includes and how shipping will occur.
Here’s how you can stay safe
Check out information about shipping, insurance, delivery and payment details. A legitimate organization will be transparent about its management of each of these factors.
We offer a completely transparent process where the customer can access the terms and conditions on our website before getting their shipment book.
Unusual design and suspicious website
If a website looks poorly designed, has broken links, or lacks any visual professionalism, you could be looking at a fake car shipping quote site. A noteworthy company has an effective and well-functional website to reflect its credibility.
It raises a cause for concern
Fake Sites Are Amateurish: They often have generic content and poor design, which suggests that they want to look legitimate, without really offering anything.
If navigating the site proves to be difficult or the website lacks features like a customer portal or tracking tools, or even the website fails to have SSL which allows for secure browsing, it is a scam.
Stay safe and secured
- Identify a well-designed site with solid branding, customer tools, and a secure connection (look for the “https” in the URL).
- Make sure there are SSL certificates so that the site can conduct financial exchanges.
- Stay away from websites with generic and/or outdated content.
At Car Shipping Instant Quotes , we take pride in our user-friendly, secure, information-rich website which captures all that is vital for a smooth auto shipping experience.
you must be careful and clever when using car shipping quote sites
If you set car shipping quotes site set up, you will easy detection that it is fake or not by spotting some sign. These signs are most important to spot. Before booking any kind of transport services, always do your research. Go for credible, licensed companies with good reviews.
At Car Shipping Instant Quotes we provide fair, accurate and transparent quotes for your vehicle shipping needs. Whether it is from the car loading to unloading and on the road trips, we keep every procedure safe with our car carrier service.
