Car Movers Quote: What Does it Mean?
A car movers quote is easy to obtain, but many consumers inexperienced with auto transport do not understand the limits of an initial quote. Quotes are not binding and should not be confused with estimates, which provide a comprehensive description of moving costs.
Web Calculators
A car movers quote can be obtained effortlessly through a company’s website. Calculators can be found on the websites of both brokers – who offer services to obtain prices and set up the actual auto transport and carriers – businesses that own and operate transport vehicles.
Calculators yield the minimum cost to ship your vehicle, considering bare facts such as:
- Mileage – the distance from pick-up to delivery
- Vehicle Details – type, make, model and year
- Dates – preferred start/end dates
- Location – city and state, some sites require ZIP codes
In addition, you may need to specify whether you prefer an open or enclosed transport and certify whether your car is operational – certain companies will not ship non-running cars, while others will charge extra (incorporating towing fees and added work involved in loading a non-working car).
Certain companies won’t provide you with a quote unless you give them your contact information. This can be merely your name and e-address or include your address and phone number.
If you are not comfortable giving out your personal information, simply move on to a site where this is not a requirement. In the case of plugging in e-mail, you can always set up a free account at a service such as Gmail or Yahoo rather than share your personal or business email.
In addition, should you have concerns over revealing indentifying information, read the privacy policy of the company – this should clearly state whether they share personal information with affiliates.
Brokers Versus Carriers
As it relates to a car movers quote, the most significant difference between a broker and carrier is that a broker often provides multiple quotes – some up to 10 quotes.
If you prefer to deal with a carrier directly, you can still utilize the services of a broker to quickly obtain comparison quotes.
Some people have concerns over the legitimacy of the broker quotes. If this is the case, you can go to the company websites to check if they provide the same figure as the broker or search other brokers to look for similar results.
Some brokers do have relationships with movers and carrier companies; these can be based on years of service together or a mutual agreement that gives discounts to consumers. On one hand, a side agreement may appear suspect; however, a broker’s reputation is contingent on the quality of services provided by the carrier.
What to do With Quotes
Quotes are a starting point. The actual price increases with additional details regarding flexible/rigid delivery dates, open/closed transport, specialty vehicles and extra insurance.
Also keep in mind that a high or low quote doesn’t reflect the amount each item adds to your bill. For instance, a company with the highest quote may offer the lowest rates for enclosed transport; paradoxically, the lowest car movers quote might be a “teaser” rate from a company that charges the most per service.
Because of this type of discrepancy, you should always obtain written estimates from 3-5 different companies. Auto transporters are required to provide a non-binding written estimate that also details related transport policies at no charge.
Recap
A car movers quote provides a starting point to begin searching for a transport company that can meet your needs. Quotes are easily acquired through website calculators and represent a base figure from which all specific charges are added.
