Thinking about taking your search for a new vehicle online? If so, we applaud you. Online vehicle shopping offers a host of benefits, such as reduced prices and increased options.

However, with the good comes the bad, and if you aren't careful, you could fall for one of the many scams lurking online. So it is important to know what to look for and how to spot a scam.

Check out the following article by Consumers Digest: "When Carfax isn't enough." It features insight and tips from our very own John Roehll, EVP of DAS.

Scammers employ crafty tricks to fool consumers, such as fake websites, clever stories and doctored Carfax reports. Therefore, it is important to use a little extra scrutiny when shopping online.

Here are some additional tips to add to your pre-purchase checklist:

• Never wire money – No legitimate car dealer would require a wire transfer even if just for the down payment.
• Validate the source – Pick up the phone and call the auto dealer or seller to get some information on their background and history.
• Validate the details – If the seller says the car is currently being held by a vehicle relocation company and will be shipped once payment is made, BEWARE! Spend some time verifying this statement. Do an online search of the vehicle relocation company – never trust the website or the number you are given – and call to validate the arrangement.
• Make it picture perfect – Ask the seller to photograph the car in a specific location. For example, find a restaurant in the seller's area and ask him or her to photograph the car with license plate visible in front of that restaurant.

Over 115,000 vehicle owners have trusted DAS to move their cars, trucks, and SUVs already this year! DAS is favorably rated by the Better Business Bureau and has the experience and equipment needed to handle your vehicle relocation needs.

Call us today to see how easy it is!
866.327.8060

If you are looking to purchase a new or used vehicle, then you might be interested in reading the following story by DailyFinance.com: "Smart Strategies for Car-Buying Season."

The article not only provides some great tips to potential buyers, but it also features insight from our very own John Roehll, EVP of DAS.

We know the market is tight and a good deal is not easy to find, but as you will see in the article, it all depends on where you look. By shopping online or looking outside of your typical search area, you just might find that dream car, at that dream price.

But remember, scams do exist, so always take caution whether you are shopping for a car virtually or in-person.

As you are shopping for an auto transport company to ship your vehicle, you might be interested in understanding the history of the industry.

Did you know that in the past vehicles weren’t shipped, they were driven? That’s right, if you wanted your car or truck moved from Point A to Point B, someone actually hopped in the driver’s seat and made the long journey in your vehicle.

Beginning in 1954, DAS started as Dependable Car Travel Service in New York. Until the mid ‘80s, the service consisted of contracting drivers to actually drive the customers’ cars from the current location to its destination. We even had a couple of household names enlist to be our drivers – John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd!

Realizing the demand for the service, DAS switched its business model to the carrier system it has now in order to serve more customers. This system eliminates the added mileage and wear and tear on your vehicle, and through the operation of its own fleet and the utilization of its network and terminal partners, it enables DAS to control the movement of your vehicle from start to finish. This helps us guarantee that your vehicle returns to you in the same condition it was in before transport.

So, when you are looking at your auto shipping options, look at the company’s history, experience and knowledge of the process and industry. Additionally, it doesn’t hurt to go with a company that has stood the test of time and has been consistently able to deliver on service and value for more than 50 years.

Professional athletes and agents take note:
DAS is the leader in private vehicle relocation.  For over 60 years DAS has transported vehicles for many football, baseball, basketball and hockey teams, as well as tennis and soccer stars.  No matter what your sport or profession, or the occasion - motorcycle to Sturgis for a rally, SUV to spring training for baseball, DAS has done it all.  We specialize in group moves to and from training camps and events.  Next time you assign this responsibility to the new rookie, make sure they call DAS, the best auto transport resource!

Have you notice the new Volkswagen ads for their cars. At the end on the commercial is says, "Das Auto"!

Although we are flattered with the reference and potential endorsement, it actually means "The Auto" in German. I guess at the end of he day, our name "DAS" is not that sexy…

The Internet can be a Very Good Place to Shop, but Watch out for Scams and Crooks!
By John Roehll

We’ve written about this subject in the past, but unfortunately, online scams are happening way too frequently. These criminals are technically savvy and know what they’re doing. At DAS, we want to make sure consumers are educated to protect themselves when shopping online.

As the largest and one of the oldest privately owned vehicle relocation companies in the U.S., we receive calls on a daily basis from consumers who’ve been scammed out of thousands of dollars by criminals who told them the car they just purchased will be shipped with DAS. Unfortunately, there really is no car, and it certainly isn’t being stored at or shipped by DAS. By the time DAS receives these calls, the money is gone with little to no recourse.

This is how it usually works… A consumer spots a great deal on a vehicle, usually on eBay or Craigslist, reading something like this, “My husband died in Iraq. $20,000 SUV on sale for $4,800 because I can’t stand the memories. Here are pictures. It’s being stored by DAS Auto Shippers at their Gardena, CA terminal. Wire money here, and I’ll ship it to you.”

The sad thing is every month we still receive approximately 700 calls from Internet auto fraud victims. There is nothing we can do to prevent the criminals from using our name. They pick a well known business, duplicate the website and tell the consumer the car is being shipped or stored. We only find out when they call us to arrange pick up of the vehicle. Unfortunately, the victims have already wired the cash to the crook!

So, please be careful out there when you’re shopping online. It doesn’t happen only in the vehicle industry.

• Do not ever wire money, no matter what, ever – no legitimate car dealer or individual owner should require a wire transfer.
• Validate the source - pick up the phone and call the auto dealer to get some information on their background and history. Anyone can build a legitimate looking website, but if an auto dealer isn’t willing to spend time with you on the phone to close a sale, that should be your first hint.
• Always ask for the CARFAX report to gather details on the vehicle’s history.

And, if you need to ship a car with DAS, call us directly. We will work with you to create the most efficient service for your needs and provide all the necessary documentation to know your car will arrive at its new location safely and securely.

When is the best time to ship a vehicle?  We get asked that frequently.  The summer months are very busy for car shippers.  Corporate relocation really accelerates as kids are on summer break and families are more likely to relocate.  The late fall, winter and early spring months are relatively quiet for the market, so now is the time to get the best deal and the greatest value out of a car shipper.

Fuel costs are increasing rapidly again.  We expect our transportation costs to follow this same trend.  If you have plans to purchase a vehicle in the next few weeks, it is a great time to do so as shipping costs will probably be cheaper now then they will be in a month.  Also, keep in mind that car shipping companies move more vehicles in the summer months so book early to beat the crowds!

Trust and safety are always important when buying a car, but when you transport it, it is even more critical.

The Internet has provided a great new way to find, purchase and transport a vehicle, but to many people, the first time is the hardest.

Make sure the seller is prepared and reputable. If you find the vehicle on a site like eBayMotors, check out the seller’s feedback rating. If the vehicle has a Carfax, look at it. Ultimately, if the deal is too good to be true, it probably is.

We have seen a significant increase in scams, where the seller represents themselves as a deceased soldier’s widow, distressed, willing to sell their vehicle at a too good to be true price. They may say that all you have to do is wire them the money and the vehicle will be shipped to you; but often times you find out later there was no vehicle. If the transaction is less that $5000, which it frequently is, it is not a felony, and it is very difficult to find the seller and get your money back.

There is nothing wrong with buying a vehicle online, but make sure it is an actual vehicle that you are buying!

DAS is the most experienced auto transport company. We ship more privately owned vehicles in the country than any other company. This year DAS celebrates 57 years of continuous service which is quite an accomplishment in lieu of what has transpired in that time. When DAS was started, back in 1954, the president of the U.S. was Dwight D Eisenhower, our current President hadn't been born, and the average car cost $1,950!

DAS was based in Manhattan back then and the primary service offered was moving vehicles between New York and Florida. Today DAS ships vehicles all across the US and overseas. Remember that when you choose an auto transport company to transport your vehicle; legacy means something.

Holiday shopping is around the corner. Everyone is looking for the deals, the sales, anything to save a few dollars.

Dependable Auto Shippers (DAS) feels that when you are transporting your auto, you should find some deals as well.

With the recent launch of our specials page, at DAS we are confident that we have something for everyone.

With a special discount for our retired and active military personnel, we acknowledge the commitment these men and women make in protecting our country

There are also incentives for those who drive hybrids or high MPG vehicles, which play an important role in protecting our precious environment.

We all are faced with tight budgets and with car shipping, there need to be alternatives. DAS has that alternative in their Economy Plan, where rates are lower than your typical market rates.

Finally, there is the Upgrade special where when an upgrade is purchased, the second upgrade is 50% off. The upgrades offered by DAS include:

• Top Load - reserve the upper deck on the transport, far away from road debris

• Expedite - save up to 30% on your transit time

• Guaranteed Transit - when it needs to be there, guaranteed

• Enclosed - your vehicle is protected from the elements while in transit.

At DAS, we are confident that you will find a deal that meets your shipping needs.

Give us a call at 800-826-1083 or visit us at www.dasautoshippers.com/specials

SERVICE DRIVEN. VALUE PRICED. DAS DELIVERS

In the car shipping world, two things matter the most – how much will it cost and how long will it take.

Cost is highly dependent on time. This is an industry in which you get what you pay for. Auto transport is a great example of the basic economic model of supply and demand. The more you are willing to pay the quicker the vehicle will move.

Cheap rates are historically a dangerous offer in that the customer will in the end spend more money and lose valuable transit days in the process.

Car shipping transit times are also described in a two different ways.

One assumes that the car will sit in the customer’s driveway and is picked up at the broker’s convenience. The other is all about the customer’s desires as it relates to pickup. In this scenario, pickups are handled on a scheduled, guaranteed basis, even if it is the next day.

There is a difference though – once picked up, there is still an assignment period where the appropriate auto transport is located to handle this vehicle. This can take 3-5 days thus adding, what seems to be more days to the overall transit time, when in fact, the delivery process is virtually identical.

Remember that when evaluating transit times, it is important to qualify where your vehicle will sit while it is assigned for relocation, your driveway or at ours and that a cheaper rate generally equals to a drawn out delivery process.

In car shipping, you truly get what you pay for!

Within the freight industry, you will hear the terms freight forwarding and brokering. Many times they are casually substituted for one another, suggesting similar meanings.

Beware of this – there are significant differences.

A forwarder is a Common Carrier under the law and, as such, a forwarder must file evidence of cargo insurance coverage with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Forwarders must also adhere to Carmack amendment liability requiring proper claims handling. A forwarder has the same cargo claims and cargo insurance responsibility as that of a motor carrier.

Many times carriers will use third-party carriers to augment their own capacity, but move those vehicles on a freight forwarded basis – meaning that the carrier’s Bill of Lading Terms & Conditions are in effect.

Brokers do not have a statutory freight claims (Carmack) liability and can get by with contingent coverage (less than half the cost of primary coverage) because they’re not liable in the event of a loss, absent negligence on the broker’s part.

Both are viable options when it comes time to ship your vehicle, as long as you understand their respective obligations to you.

A popular topic within the car shipping industry, should you trust using a terminal based carrier?

Many myths are floating around cyberspace on this topic. Most center on the following most popular myths:

Myth #1 – Terminals cause vehicles to be handled more often, thus exposing them to a greater threat of damage.

This is false. As a matter of fact, it has been proven that a vehicle traveling within a terminal network will be handled LESS than one going on the same truck from origin to destination. Why? With a terminal move, the vehicle is consolidated with others headed to a similar destination and delivered to the destination terminal as a full truckload, nonstop. Once at the destination terminal, it is loaded to a flat bed or much smaller transport for final delivery. A single truck that is traveling cross country will load and unload a number of vehicles, constantly having to juggle the vehicle positions on his truck based upon the current demands for pickup and delivery.

Myth #2 – Terminals cause transit delays.

This is false. As a matter of fact, having terminals creates a GREATER customer value by providing the option of selecting pick up dates based upon THEIR convenience, not when the transport truck is available. As a result, vehicles that sit at terminals based upon the customer’s need for quick pick-up, actually are assigned and moved well within industry guidelines. The customer has the ultimate choice, let your vehicle sit in your driveway awaiting assignment or let it sit in ours – you decide.

Myth #3 – Terminal can cause shipping rates to be well below market rates

This is TRUE. Having a terminal network for convenient customer drop-off and/or pick-up can save in many cases, a significant amount of money. A growing number of budget-minded customers are embracing this delivery option.

Know the full story on terminal based carriers, there is usually a lot more myth then reality.

Regardless of your shipping needs, DAS has an answer.

SERVICE DRIVEN. VALUE PRICED. DAS DELIVERS

This has to be one of the most popular questions asked when shipping a car. Many people are under the impression that since their vehicle is going cross-country, what harm could there be in packing a personal items in the car as well?

The answer is that quite a bit of harm could occur.

First of all, there is the safety issue for the transport driver, who has to be able to safely & easily enter and exit the vehicle and have a clear line of sight out the front & back for the loading and unloading of the vehicle.

Second, the vehicle itself can sustain harm if the items are loose and damage the interior due to their movement.

Third, other vehicles on the shipment are at risk if the objects exit the vehicle during transport and could possible damage them.

Fourth, all vehicles are transported unlocked for mandated Federal vehicle inspections. These inspections have intensified since 9/11 and in accordance with Homeland Security guidelines. This could provide the opportunity for items to be confiscated.

Remember, vehicle transport companies are not licensed to move Household Goods, only vehicles.

Given the potential harm that could occur, we ask that you always seek a safer, less expensive alternative.

Regardless of your shipping needs, DAS has an answer.

SERVICE DRIVEN. VALUE PRICED. DAS DELIVERS