Should You Sell That Car or Ship It?

April 5, 2010

That is the question. Despite the ever-growing opportunities in the auto-shipping industry and the growing enthusiasm of the general public with these possibilities, not a few people find much of what the industry offers not worth either the money or the trouble, or both. This is only reasonable: the industry is a recent phenomenon, the competition in the market is fierce, and much of it does not so much offer affordable services as exploit the bloom and boom to convince you to make use of what you don’t really need.

Selling your car in your old place and purchasing a new one at your destination could be one option, especially if you want a new car anyway. Do a cost study to find out what your old car would sell for and how much that new car you have your eye on will really cost – including all the must-have extras. Remember, it may take some time to sell your car, and that may not be a practical option.

In a sense, trying to decide between the two may turn out to be a double hassle: there would be little point not to go through with the laborious process of choosing a reliable auto carrier. There is no quick way to tell whether auto shipping will take more time or more money than selling and buying a new car. Especially since in the auto shipping business delivery dates are always estimates, you will have to communicate with a number of companies to give them your precise time requirements to get more accurate information than may be offered on their internet sites.

Generally speaking, if your car is a basic clunker anyway and you have no love for it, sell it and buy a better one at your destination. But, suppose you won that brand new Corvette at a car show and would not dream of parting with it, you are better off with the shipping company. There are some shipping routes that are complex and may come with exorbitant costs, but most are not that complicated and can be accessed by a single carrier, making them less costly than buying that sexy Corvette at your new location.

So now you have chosen to ship your Lotus Elite. Be of utmost diligence in selecting the auto shipping company to do this service for you. You want a safe delivery of your car and within reason of the estimated delivery time quoted to you. Actually since you have opted for auto shipping, your best bet is to now choose a closed shipping or container shipping. This will be more expensive, but your precious car will be protected from harsh weather, flying road stuff, road dirt, vandalism and theft.

If the decision is to sell your car, you have to decide moreover on whether to sell it yourself or through a dealer. You will get more money for it if you sell it yourself, but it will cost you time and trouble. The car dealer will be faster and will handle everything for you. As a matter of fact this option is probably even easier than wheeling and dealing with an auto shipping broker.