The auto market is one of the most developing business fields in the world. Together with advanced technology, it managed to improve even more. People can now check different models of cars on different websites and platforms. In other words, they can purchase a vehicle from different countries that are even thousands of miles away.
But, is every car transport going to end up as we imagine? Well, that’s a question that all buyers have. They somehow feel unsafe because the vehicle they plan to purchase has to pass a long distance. Logically, bad things can happen during that “trip”, and the buyer is not the one that can control the entire process at all.
Well, we strive to be optimistic all the time. But, we can’t neglect that sometimes vehicles can be damaged when they are purchased this way. We have to admit your doubts and concerns are valid.
So, what to do when you get a damaged vehicle? No, it is not the end of the world and there are things you can do to protect yourself. In this article, we are going to talk about the steps you HAVE to take. Apply all the pieces of advice you see here and do not skip any of them. That way, you will be 100% safe. You will either get your money back or get an appropriate replacement. Let’s go!
1. Inspect the Vehicle When It Comes
The entire protection procedure starts from the first moment you see and touch the vehicle that you ordered. Your task is to properly check the entire vehicle. Things you should focus on are window cracks, flood damage, scratches, dents chips, and other stuff. Some owners do that after they come home with their new vehicle. That way, proving that you are not responsible for these details is going to be much harder. Because of that, we suggest you do that immediately.
We do understand that some owners are not quite familiar with cars. Of course, cracks and scratches are something you can notice on your own. However, there are issues that require more advanced knowledge of vehicles. We advise you to invite a friend or anyone else who has the necessary knowledge. He or she will know which additional checks are necessary. That way, you will immediately know if the vehicle you ordered is 100% good or not.
2. Check If There Is Some Sort of Insurance Protection
Speaking of inspecting and researching, there is one more thing that you have to check out. Before you even sign the contract with auto transport companies, you should check out what exactly they offer. More precisely, you should check out the policy and what exactly happens if they deliver a damaged car. That way, you will see if their offer is good or not and whether signing the contract is a good decision.
So, what should you exactly check and how to do that? Most auto transport companies of today have a website. That especially counts for those businesses that provide online ordering of the vehicles. You should check out whether they offer some sort of insurance there. In all the cases, insurance does exist because companies are aware that damages on the road can happen. Apart from their awareness, that’s something they need to do by the law. In the United States of America, the requirement is that there is a 100 000 dollar insurance for each vehicle that is transported. On the other hand, when we talk about overseas transport, the requirement is usually between 2.5 and 4.5 percent.
3. Take a Picture of Vehicle for Additional Protection
Well, this is something both sides should do. It doesn’t matter if you sell or purchase a vehicle. Something you must do is to take a picture of all parts of the vehicle. You can even make video recordings!
So, why is doing this in both cases crucial? The recordings will show that there were or weren’t any scratches or other forms of damage that could reduce the quality of work of the vehicle that you purchased or sold. That way, there is no one who can claim that you are the only one responsible for the damage. These recordings are going to be a piece of good evidence in the court! However, we do hope you will not have to go there.
4. Don’t Delay the Procedure
Let’s say that you did everything we mentioned in the upper part. You took a picture of the vehicle that arrived and parked it in your garage. But, when you got out of the vehicle, you realized that there was damage that you couldn’t picture (the functionality of the vehicle). In that case, you will have to call the transport company.
But, there is a common mistake that people, for some strange reason, make. They do not make that call immediately. Instead of that, they wait to see what will happen. It doesn’t matter if something looks too strange or simply “not too strange”. You have to call the transport company and notify it about the problem that potentially exists. The company should inspect the problem that you noticed and see whether it exists or not. If you wait for a couple of days to do that, you may end up with a damaged vehicle. The transport companies will, potentially, show in the court that everything was okay in the first couple of days. Will you manage to prove that you didn’t damage it on your own somehow?
Final Thought
As you see, all these steps are crucial and we recommend you do not skip any of them. But, the first one is crucial! You should know more about the policy of the auto transportation company before signing a contract. That way, you can be sure that you have selected the right firm to complete this job for you. If the policy seems unreasonable or it simply does not offer 100% protection, why would you spend time on that? We hope you will find something you are looking for and enjoy some amazing drives in the future!
