Unfortunately, scammers are everywhere in the modern age. With how far technology has come in recent years, it’s easier than ever for scammers to trick you into thinking they’re a legitimate business. They’ll keep you thinking that right up until they steal your payment information, personal information, or even your car! Even in the auto transport world, scams are everywhere, and you should take care to look out for them. Here’s how to spot and avoid a car transport scam:

Read the Reviews

Before you make arrangements with any car shipping company, you should take the time to read their reviews. Reviews are the main way that consumers can communicate with one another. If your car transport company has a lot of positive reviews, that’s usually a sign that they’re trustworthy. However, if they have a lot of negative reviews, that tends to mean the opposite.

If a company doesn’t have many customer reviews, then you’ll be taking a gamble. Either they’re an earnest but new company, or they’re not really a car shipper. Whether or not you take that particular gamble is up to you.

Ask the Car Transport Company to Break Down Your Quote

A common car transport scam is enticing consumers with a quote that the company has no intention of honoring. They’ll pile on fees and other charges that they don’t tell you about beforehand. If you want to avoid this, the best thing to do is to ask the company to break down how it calculated your quote. Reputable car shippers won’t have a problem doing this, and any differences between their quotes will come from legitimate differences of opinion. If a company is reluctant to break down your quote, they’re probably hiding something from you.

Ask About Payment Types

Most legitimate businesses in this day and age accept traceable payments. Whether they let you pay by card, check, or even Venmo, it’s a good sign if a company has multiple traceable ways to pay. However, if they insist you pay with cash, a wire transfer, or some other untraceable method, that may be a red flag. They might be trying to fly under the radar of their bank, a classic sign of a scammer.