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How to Document the Condition of Your Car Before Shipping it to a Buyer

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Home  |  Car Transport   |   How to Document the Condition of Your Car Before Shipping it to a Buyer


Shipping a car can be a convenient way to get it from one place to another but there are several things to consider before turning your car over to a third party. In the process of washing the car, removing valuables, and taking care of insurance, it’s easy to overlook one very important part of your car’s preparation. You may forget to look over your car and document it’s condition prior to handing it over to the shipping company. This is an extremely important step because it could lead to major expenses if your car appears damaged when it arrives with the new buyer. Here are a few things you can do to avoid any confusion upon the delivery of your vehicle. 

Wash Your Car Thoroughly

It is absolutely necessary to give your car a good clean inside and out before shipping it. This will allow you to clearly see any dings, dents, or scratches that might be on your vehicle. Make sure you clean the inside just as well by shampooing carpets and cleaning inside every crevice. This will help to remove any stains and will ensure your car’s interior is in tip-top shape. 

Take Photographs of Your Vehicle

Prior to handing your car over to the shipping company, you should take photographs of every part of your vehicle. Should damage occur during transport, these photographs will serve as proof that the damage was not present prior to shipment. Make sure to take close-ups of all sides of the vehicle as well as underneath the car and under the hood. You also want to take pictures of the interior of the vehicle just in case. If possible, use a time-stamped photo to prove that the pictures were taken prior to shipment. Ship a Car Direct provides customers with a user-friendly mobile app to walk you through the pictures and provides a time and location stamp so you’re always prepared. 

Take the Car to a Mechanic

Before shipping your vehicle, it is also a good idea to have the car inspected by a mechanic. The mechanic will be able to provide written documentation of the vehicle’s operating condition in addition to its physical condition. This will provide proof that your car was operating correctly prior to shipment.

Ask the Shipping Company to Document the Car’s Condition

Most reputable shipping companies will also document the car’s condition before they ship it but you want to ask for this service just in case. You also want to make sure the shipping company provides you with a written copy of the paperwork so you can be sure they don’t change anything in order to protect themselves. Make sure the condition paperwork is signed by both yourself and the shipping company. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Honest Answers to Your Car Shipping Questions

Yes, we always ask for your specific pickup and delivery addresses, if the carrier can get right to the addresses you provide, they will. If the addresses that you give us are not safely accessible for a Multi-car carrier, however, you will need to make arrangements with the driver to meet at a nearby location where the carrier can safely get in and out.

People do it all the time (rarely for free) but the official answer is no.

Not what you wanted to hear, we know, but that is the honest answer.

We are not licensed to broker the shipment of household goods and, likewise, no car carrier that operates in the USA is licensed to transport them from state to state either. Despite what you might be being told by other car shipping companies you may speak with.

Remember, at the end of the day we're all salespeople, and the true answer to this question is not a great selling point.

You will hear a lot of companies tell you that you can put up to 100 pounds of items in the trunk, but that is not entirely true. That fact is that items of that amount are fairly common and the department of transportation is probably not going to split hairs and fine the trucker over items of that amount, provided they are not over their weight limit. They could fine them, however, if they see a vehicle stuffed full of personal items so the car carrier will most likely try to negotiate something with you to cover themselves against any costs they could incur. It's not something we can build into your contract though.

We have a short and helpful video on this topic in our user videos.

Only in rare cases and car carriers will usually charge a premium to make it happen.

All dates given by car carriers are typically estimates and projections.

For this reason (and to keep your cost down) we ask that you build in some flexibility and give us the earliest possible date you would be WILLING to release the vehicle, even though it may not be your preferred date.

We'll put you in direct contact with your car carrier and the driver will also typically call you the afternoon or evening before your pick up and delivery (they won't just show up unannounced, and if they do we want to hear about it). However, car carriers are out on the road battling traffic, weather and any number of other factors that can and do throw them off of their pickup and delivery projections from time to time.

If the projected dates we give you come and you are unable to make contact with your carrier, please call our office immediately so that we may help resolve the situation.

The average transit time from pick up to delivery on any vehicle going coast to coast will average 7 to 10 days. From there you can figure your transit time based on how far your vehicle is traveling, i.e. from either coast to the Midwest might average 3-7 days.

Yes!

Even better, we do not even ask for payment until we have you confirmed for pickup by a safe, reliable, fully insured, direct car carrier. If for any reason you do not ship your car with the carrier that we arrange for you, there is no fee.

The fees paid directly to the carrier however, (in most cases, their fees are not paid until your vehicle is delivered) are not directly controlled by us, so any requests for a refund of the carrier's portion would need to be addressed with the carrier directly.

Of course! And you are always backed by our Damage Free Guarantee policy.

Part of what you pay us for is to verify that the car carrier that we put you on is covered by the proper amount of insurance and that everything is up to date.

There is never any additional cost to you for this coverage, and their insurance is always primary.

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