How do I Handle an Auto Transport Damage Claim?
When you ship a car the last thing that you want to have happen is your vehicle to be damaged during transport. Most of the time, damage during transport is rare indeed; it happens on only a handful of shipments, and many times damage happens due to circumstance rather than negligence.
However, damage is something that can happen, which is why it’s important to know what an auto transport damage claim is and how to go about filing one and making sure that you are adequately compensated for repairs and the like. So read on to learn more about how to handle the situation when damage happens during transport.
The most important thing that you need to do is something that happens before the vehicle is even loaded. When your carrier arrives to pick your vehicle up you and the driver will do an initial inspection to check for pre-existing damage. A thorough inspection is important, as it will be what you compare against at delivery.
You and the driver both need to sign the inspection report and certify that the information is true. Once that’s out of the way, the next time you’ll see your car is at delivery, where another inspection will need to take place. This is where any new damage will be found and reported, as you have to do another inspection at delivery, with the driver that you did the initial inspection with.
So you’ve found some damage. What next? The most important step is to tell your representative right away. An auto transport damage claim has to be made within thirty days of delivery – after that and you’re S.O.L. When you contact your agent you’ll need your order number and other identifying information, naturally, and from there you’ll need to explain what happened.
After that, it’s mostly out of your hands, as the carrier’s insurance will likely have to pay for repairs. Your representative is trained to deal with damage claims and they’ll be able to answer questions, guide you through the process and advise you. That’s really all there is to it – mostly it relies on you being prompt in identifying new damage and getting the claim started, as the longer you wait the less chance you have of seeing compensation for repairs.
If you are interested in shipping a vehicle, though, you can get a free quote right away via our online quote request form. Once you have your price you can even book your shipment right there! Or, you can contact one of our representatives any time at 800-930-7417. They can answer questions, give you advice on dealing with damage, give you a quote, book an order, and more.
Since 2007 Dave has written all the content and blogs for American Auto Shipping and during this time added the duties of customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his three kids and their mom and cat. A fan of Marvel movies and good stories, when not shipping cars Dave can be found working on his novel, enjoying a good book or playing some tournament HALO.
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