Auto Shipping FAQ: Do Shippers Have Terms and Conditions?
Just like any company in any industry, auto transporters have what are known as terms and conditions that you have to abide by when using their services. But terms and conditions are much more than a simple contract – it explains to you how that company operates, what their legal bindings are, how to go about getting problems taken care of. They’re an important aspect to your shipment and should not be taken lightly, which is something a lot of people tend to do. One of the first things that you should do before you actually book your shipment is request a copy of your prospective shippers’ terms and conditions and privacy policy, if it isn’t included with the terms. Most companies will put their terms and conditions on their website – you can read ours here – and most of the time they’ll be somewhere easy to find.
Most of the time, a shipper’s terms and conditions will spell out what you can expect when you book an order with them. It should explain a bit about how their process works – with a broker, their terms will explain how they find carriers for your shipment, why they do what they do, and what you should be aware of – things that the representative may not necessarily mention. For instance, pickup and delivery windows. Auto transport representatives are trained to sell and manage orders, but only experience in the industry can really prepare you for the things that come up when shipping. For instance, timetables: a new rep will say that they can get your vehicle picked up by your ship date, without really understanding how it works. a veteran rep will tell you straight up how it will work – and if you’re unsure which one your reprsentative is, their pickup and transit time policies will most likely be in their terms and conditions.
Terms and conditions are also important because they will explain how your information is handled and what they do with it. For instance, with us, you can rest assured that your information is never sold illegally or without your knowledge; we tell you up-front exactly how we use your information (and you can read more about that in the closing paragraph below) and what you can expect when using our services. Shippers are the same way – their terms will explicitly tell you how they use your information. Most of the time they won’t do anything with it, and will only use it to contact you, but there’s been some…less than scrupulous companies in the past, so reading the terms before you book is always a great idea.
The terms and conditions will also explain how their refunds work, and this is something you really should keep in mind before choosing a company to book with. Different companies have different payment and refund conditions, and while every company will give you a refund, some make you wait to get it and others may charge fees and the like that will net you less than what you paid. Is it shady? Yes. Is it in their terms and conditions? You betcha. This is yet another reason why you should always – ALWAYS – read a company’s terms and conditions and cancellation policies and refund policies and any other policies they may have before you book – it’s just super important, takes only a few minutes (even less if you’re fluent in Legalese) and gives you a lot of peace of mind.
If you’re interested in getting a free auto transport quote to ship your vehicle, take a minute to fill out our free online auto transport quote request form. If you do, you’ll receive a free quote right away direct from us. You can learn more about our practices and services at the link provided in the first paragraph, and you can also contact us toll-free at 800-930-7417 to speak to one of our live agents if you’d like more information about our services or if you need some help getting your quote.
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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