Has anyone ever shipped a car?
 

I will probably fly up to St. Louis to get my Fit, but just wanted to know if anyone here has experience with auto shipping. From what I read on the 'net, there are many negatives - cars arriving late and damaged, people not knowing where their cars are at any given time, etc. I worked too hard to get this car, and there aren't any more! I don't want to take a chance with shipping unless I am pretty certain it will be taken care of.

Some people have even paid for an enclosed container and had their car out in the elements in spite of that.

I know people who buy cars on eBay have them shipped all the time, but I don't know anyone who has done this.

I had my truck shipped when I relocated for work. They used Dependable Auto Shippers (DAS). I had no problems, was perfectly happy with the service. (The move was over 2000 miles.)

Thanks! That was one of the companies with the most negative reviews! But I guess you probably can't expect perfection.

Another factor is that I don't have the time to wait for the car to arrive - sometimes it takes a couple of weeks to a month.

But I'd like to hear other people's experiences too.

:wavey:

i dont know if they have this by you, but my grandmother spits her year between Connecticut and Florida... she has it shipped 2 times a year by train, they come and pick up her car, and a few days later it is sitting in her driveway at the other house, not sure who she uses but she has done so for years,she has had no complaints, however its not liek she would notice a small scratch or dent... might be an option for you to explore, good luck!

We shipped a car to Germany this year...no problems. :D

We have shipped cars and had cars shipped to us with mixed results.
If you fly up to St Louis why not drive it back? Seems like a good way to break it in based on our experience.
PS do you have a bone fide sales contract before you go? Your financial institution should be a big help.

If I fly up there I will be going to bring it back. It's the fastest way to get it, but also adds about 800 miles and takes about 18 hours of my time. I will be getting a sales contract today, yes.

Shipping saves me the miles on the car, and the time I would spend flying up and driving back, while flying up means more miles but less time to get the car in my possession. If I trust someone to ship it and they screw up, then what? The dealer says they use this company to ship new Audis and that they use a single-car flatbed, not a car transport 18-wheeler. So it would be a quicker ship than waiting to fill up a truck.

What to do, what to do??? Airline ticket would be about $200, another $200 if my 17 year old comes along for the ride. We'd only save $300 on the shipping then. If he doesn't come, then I save $500 on shipping. But then I'm driving all on my own across 3 states. I don't have a concealed carry permit, either, but I do have pepper spray.

:hyper:

Well, the hubby made the decision for me - says he can't spare me for almost 24 hours! Heh.

We're using a small shipping company that ships for the large dealer - he's bringing 5 cars to Texas City (which is on the other side of town) and has room for one more.

I should have it by Wednesday of next week. Wish me luck!

:cool:

My Father has 6 trucks he uses for transporting cars. Its a pretty good biz. Anyway, that is why the company's have insurance. I would have the sender take pics right before they hand it off to the driver.

Yep, I'll request that! Thanks!

My grandmother used to drool, but she did not spit much. :rotfl: