Understanding our Auto Transport Terms and Conditions
If you’re like me, you rarely read terms and conditions. While many times the T&C are already understood, auto transport terms and conditions are a must read. There’s a few different reasons for this, starting with the fact that auto transport is not like Apple or Microsoft. You know the basics of most terms and conditions. However, at least with ours, there are some things that you need to be aware of.
Every customer that books an order with our company is required to sign our auto transport terms and conditions. We also encourage our customers to read them thoroughly. However, that doesn’t mean they actually will, which is problematic. Our terms and conditions outline our responsibilities, your responsibilities, and the carrier’s responsibilities. It outlines pickup windows for different levels of service, how damage claims will be dealt with, and much more.
It is crucial that every customer understand our terms and conditions. That’s why we’re going to be going through them point-by-point in this helpful blog post. Keep reading and your transportation experience will be better as a result.
Make sure to read our full auto transport terms and conditions as well.
Article Overview
Section 1: Authorization
Section 1 in our auto transport terms and conditions is your authorization for us to collect payment for our services.
It lays out the payment methods we accept, including credit/debit card or check by phone/mail. It also says that you understand that payment is made in two parts: one to us, and one to your driver upon delivery.
Payment to the carrier must be made via cash, certified check, or money order according to the terms.
Section 2: No guaranteed pickup or delivery dates
Our second point in our auto transport terms deals with pickup and delivery dates. It also goes on to discuss some of the reasons why, notably delays.
Note: “American Auto Shipping will not be responsible for any charges or liabilities incurred due to delay of pickup or delivery. This includes but is not limited to airline tickets or rental car fees.”
What this means is that we cannot control delays during shipment. The terms and conditions lay out some of them, but it is not an all-inclusive list. Here are some reasons for delay we have seen in the past:
- Mechanical failure of the truck;
- Conflicts in carrier schedules;
- Inclement weather;
- Acts of God
Again, that list is far from all-inclusive. But it does give you an idea of things that can happen while on the road. We make no guarantee they will not happen and as such cannot guarantee carriers will arrive right on time for pickup or delivery.
We do, however, state clearly in our terms that we will give you the carrier’s schedule at time of dispatch.
Also, please note that our Concierge auto transport service includes a free rental car if delivery takes longer than 14 days. That is the only exception to our abdication of responsibility regarding transit times or other delays.
Section 3: Rental Car Reimbursement
As we mentioned in Point 2 above, we do offer rental car reimbursements for anyone who is shipping with our concierge auto transport service. American Auto Shipping agrees to pay for a rental car if delivery is delayed.
This one is pretty self-explanatory. To get reimbursed, we need you to submit the Bill of Lading that was signed at pickup by you as well as the Bil lof Lading signed at delivery. We will also need a copy of your car rental receipt.
Please note that payment will not be made until after delivery of your vehicle. Also please note that rental car reimbursements are pretty rare because the vast, vast majority of vehicles are delivered on time or delayed only slightly to where a rental car is not required.
Section 4: Car Wash Reimbursement
Like Point 3, Point 4 of our auto transport terms and conditions is also fairly self-explanatory. We offer to reimburse you if you decide to get your vehicle washed at delivery.
Note that this is only available to customers who are eligible concierge auto transport clients. Also note that we will require a receipt emailed to our customer service email, which you can find above.
Section 5: Listing Periods
Section 5 details how your listing period works and how long you can expect to wait for dispatch based on the level of service you paid for. It also details the different levels of service that are available to you:
Standard:
- dispatch in 1-5 weekdays;
- works 90% of the time;
- not recommended for people in a hurry
Auction:
- $100 more than Standard;
- dispatch in 1-3 weekdays;
- works 90% of the time;
- anyone can use
Priority:
- $200 more than Standard;
- dispatch in 1-2 weekdays;
- works 90% of the time;
- recommended for people with tight pickup time frames
Expedited:
- $500 more than Standard;
- dispatch in 1 weekday;
- works 90% of the time;
- Only available on business days;
- guaranteed pickup within 24 hours;
Note: for expedited orders, if your vehicle is not picked up in 24 hours, the price will decrease depending on the previously selected level of service.
In addition to describing the levels of service available, Section 5 clearly indicates that you are not allowed to contract the services of any other shipper during your listing period.
Section 6: No Double Booking
Section 6 covers the stipulation that you are not allowed to book with any other company during your listing period. Any customer that does is subject to a non-refundable $200 fee.
We typically don’t charge the fee unless we absolutely have to. Many times, customers make honest mistakes, or they are trying to cancel with a previously-hired company before booking with us. We do, however, reserve the right to charge that fee if you book with another shipper.
Also note, however, that if we are unable to dispatch your vehicle within the listing period, you may cancel in writing at any time and we will waive that fee.
Section 7: Misrepresentation and Prices
Section 7 of the auto transport terms and conditions talks about how you represent your vehicle and how prices don’t change after dispatch. But the price will only stay the same if the vehicle is as you described when you booked the order. If the vehicle is not as described upon booking, there’s a chance that a $150 “dry run” fee will be charged. Dry run fees are charges we get from carriers for basically wasting their time. It costs fuel and time to get to a pickup location. If they leave that location without a vehicle, they lose money.
Not all carriers assess a dry run fee, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Make sure to represent your vehicle as-is so there are no issues at dispatch or pickup.
Section 8: Junk in the Trunk
Section 8 covers the “junk in the trunk” policy most carriers have. As they are not technically licensed to carry household items, carriers will not load vehicles that have household items in it. But, if they’re in the trunk and out of sight, they usually don’t mind.
Weight, however, plays a major role in how many vehicles a carrier can ship. Household items add additional weight that carriers are not expecting, so they have to know ahead of time. This means we have to know ahead of time so we can let them know.
Not letting us know there are household items in your vehicle is another form of misrepresentation, as stated in Section 7, and can result in a dry run fee. Make sure you let us know if you plan on having any items in the vehicle when it is shipped.
Section 9: Door to Door Shipments
Section 9 states that all shipments are door to door. However, it also goes on to let you know that “door to door” really means “anywhere reasonably close” if the carrier cannot physically reach the pickup or delivery location. There are many reasons why a large, 80-ft transport truck cannot reach specific locations. If this is the case, you’ll simply need to meet your carrier somewhere nearby that is accessible.
Section 10: Refunds
Section 10 covers the stipulations for our 100% money-back guarantee. It states that you are eligible for a full refund of any monies paid to us if we are unable to dispatch your vehicle within the given listing period.
You can read more about our listing periods in Section 5 above.
Section 11: Cancellations
Section 11 of our auto transport terms and conditions covers when you can cancel as well as any stipulations for cancellation. Cancellation need to be made at least 24 hours before pickup if it is dispatched. Any dispatched order that is canceled is subject to a non-refundable $200 fee.
As we mentioned in Section 10, any order that is canceled before dispatch is due a refund. But our job is to find you a carrier to ship your vehicle and get you assigned to a truck. If we do our job and then you cancel, we still did our job and we did what you hired us to do. So please be aware of that before you decide to cancel.
Section 12: Damage Liability
Section 12 states flat-out that we are not responsible for any damages or theft that occur during transport. We are happy to help you file a claim if damage occurs during transit but we are not liable for any costs related to repairs.
Section 13: Damage Free or We Help Pay
Section 13 covers our “damage free or we help pay” guarantee. In Section 12 we stated that we are not liable at all for any damage that occurs during transit. Which is true. However, we understand that you contracted us to help you ship your vehicle at a reasonable rate, in a reasonable amount of time, and with the reasonable assumption that it won’t be damaged during shipping.
But we cannot control carriers while they’re on the road and they can’t control things that are out of their control. So damage, while rare, can happen.
If it does, we can help you handle it. Our damage free or we help pay guarantee kicks in only if the carrier’s insurance doesn’t pay for any damages. If the carrier’s insurance does not accept the claim, you’ll need to file a claim with your own insurance company.
If that claim is accepted, we will pay up to $500 of your deductible. This does not make us liable for the damages – Section 12 is clear about who is liable. You must also provide proof that the claim was made and accepted and that the repair work was performed and provide us with the deductible amount you paid.
Section 14: Your Responsibilities Regarding Damage
Section 14 covers all of your responsibilities when it comes to damage during transport. More importantly, the fact that you should not release or receive a vehicle to or from a carrier without doing an inspection report.
The inspection report is a part of the Bill of Lading, or BOL. The inspection has to be done regardless of the time of day or weather conditions. Why? Because if you don’t, you may not be able to file a damage claim.
Damage must be reported to us within 24 hours of delivery and it must be clearly marked on the Bill of Lading and signed by the driver. There are no exceptions to this.
If damage is discovered at delivery, you need to pay the remaining balance to the driver and then contact the carrier’s main office and their insurance company.
These are the steps that you need to take if you need to file a damage claim. Failure to follow this procedure can result in being unable to process a damage claim, sticking you with the bill.
Section 15: Jurisdiction
Section 15 states that any legal action must be filed in a court of jurisdiction within Clark County, Nevada. This means that you will waive any right to jurisdiction in any other location. It also states that our liability is limited only to the amount of money you paid us.
Ship with Confidence With American Auto
If you’re interested in shipping a vehicle, make sure to give us a call or fill out our online form. You see all the terms and conditions you’d have to abide by above. These are standard terms and conditions and you will see similar verbiage no matter where you go.
We work with only top-rated auto shippers and we make sure each is fully licensed and insured. We also make sure they are top-rated and we maintain a comprehensive do-not-use list for carriers we have issues with.
What does this mean? It means that you’re in good hands from start to finish with American Auto Shipping. So give us a call or go online today and see what we can do for you.
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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