[s-cars] Car transport

[mtgadbois at aol.com]

 Ted,

If you're looking for the best I would recommend Intercity Lines, Inc. (www.intercitylines.com).
When I moved my 993tt from California to Chicago I went with them.? The service was door to
door and their truck transport is enclosed.? They are not cheap and it took a few weeks for the
car to be picked up. Delivery after that was fast, probably faster than what I would have done if
I flew out and drove it back.? Why did I pick them?? Recommendations from fellow PCAers who
show their cars at the Porsche Parade.? My 993tt fellow traveling companions were Porsches and
Ferraris. Needless to say my car arrived in perfect condition, the driver and his wife were courteous
and I would definitely use them again.

Mark near Chicago
?



Date: Mon, 10 Aug 2009 01:53:32 -0700 (PDT)
From: Theodore Chen <tedebearp at yahoo.com>
Subject: [s-cars] Car transport
To: s-car-list at audifans.com
Message-ID: <178891.67676.qm at web54502.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii


I need to get a car moved from Louisiana to California.  I went to a website 
(forgot which), entered some information, and got
quotes from a bunch of companies.  Some were much lower than others,
which made me nervous.

I've gotten a quote from Dependable Auto Shippers, which is eBay's recommended 
auto shipper, for $850.  This quote appears not to include any insurance, and it 
is terminal to terminal.  Extra cost for pickup or delivery at my specified 
location  The reviews on epinions.com aren't all that good - 2.5 stars out of 5.  
www.transportreviews.com gives them 3 out of 5.

Is there a reliable source of reviews of auto transport companies?  I went to 
www.transportreviews.com and it appears to be legit, but I wonder how many of 
the reviews are shills.  Right now I'm looking at a quote from AA Automovers, 
which seems to check out using the transportreviews.com, DOT, and BBB websites.  
The quote was for $725, and they say it includes 2 forms of auto insurance at no 
cost.  It's door to door.

I think a lot of problems arise around timing of pickup and delivery in 
conjunction with a relocation.  That doesn't apply in this case.  The timing is 
not critical, though I don't want to have weeks of delay.  Getting the car 
delivered without damage is more important.

Any thoughts or recommendations?

Below is an email I got from AAA Discount Auto & Truck Transporters, which 
quoted $799 door to door with insurance included:

"Before you consider any company, check to see how long they have been in 
business. Ask them for their MC# and go to http://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/pkg_carrquery.prc_carrlist. 
Enter their MC# (our's is 425579) in the field that says DOCKET NUMBER and click 
SEARCH. On the next screen click on HTML, then at the bottom of the page click 
on AUTHORITY HISTORY. You will see the date they started business. Is it a 
company with less than a couple of years experience? If so, they don't have the 
expertise to properly quote, let alone get your car moved. They typically quote 
low prices, not knowing what it takes to get your vehicle moved.
Also check their rating with the Better Business Bureau. Here is the link for 
our rating http://www.labbb.org/BusinessReport.aspx?CompanyID=13178590
...
Here are a few important  things you need to know about shipping your vehicle.

1.  DON'T PAY ANY MONEY UNTIL A TRUCK IS ASSIGNED.  DON'T LET THE BROKER CHARGE 
A SERVICE CHARGE FOR USING A CREDIT CARD.  DON'T PAY A NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT.  
MAKE SURE YOU CAN CANCEL AT ANY TIME WITHOUT PENALTY.
Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover regulations states to the 
merchant that they are not permitted to charge a card until the service has been 
performed.
We don't charge your credit card for the deposit until a truck commits to 
picking up your vehicle.
If the company is charging an additional fee disguised as a service charge for 
using a credit card, that is also against merchant regulations. THEY CAN'T 
LEGALLY CHARGE YOU EXTRA FOR USING A CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD.

2.  Is the broker offering you different levels of service?  Why are they 
charging you a higher deposit for each level?  They are keeping the extra money.
If you want your vehicle to ship faster, make sure the broker is offering ALL of 
the extra money to the truck.  More money to the truck is the key.

3.  Is the broker or trucking company promising you a specific pick up or 
delivery date?  If they are, be careful.  It is obvious that a specific day or 
time is impossible to promise due to the nature of the business, i.e., road  
conditions, delays with other pickups or deliveries, detours, driver illness or 
mechanical problems.  If someone is making a promise or guarantee to you, have 
them put it in writing!

4.  The trucking company carries the insurance, not the broker.  All of our 
truckers are licensed, fully insured and have a ZERO DEDUCTIBLE to the customer.

5.  If you get a rate lower than ours, or the rate is the same but the deposit 
is higher, be careful.  A higher the deposit leaves LESS money for the truck.  A 
truck must get a certain amount of money per mile.  Some brokers quote prices 
that are way below the amount a truck needs.  They hope for a trucker that is in 
need of one last car   to complete his load.    Trucks will rarely accept a car 
that is priced too low.  That means your car just sits.  The key is HOW MUCH IS 
GOING TO THE TRUCK!  DON'T EVER, PAY THE FULL AMOUNT TO THE BROKER.

We don't charge your credit card for the deposit until we have dispatched your 
order.."