While relocating to another country, taking your own car with you is often a better option than leasing or buying another car in the destination country. There are a lot of companies offering car shipping services. However, you must not jump to a decision too soon. Making the wrong choice in terms of the shipping services can lead to a lot of headache in addition to high costs. Here are a few suggestions that should help you make the right choice.
Choose a provider which specialises in international shipping
There are a lot of services which offer domestic shipping as their primary service and have an international shipping offering as an afterthought. It is never a good idea to go with such services. Your order will not be a priority for such company. Besides, it is likely that they will not even be fully equipped to handle your needs. Many such services just outsource the international shipping aspect to a cheap international shipper and offload their responsibility beyond transporting your vehicle to the port. You will have to deal with the insurance, customs, documentation and other requirements of international shipping separately. The international shipping partner chosen by the service may not offer full service and you may be asked to pay storage, insurance and customs and import duties without any prior quote or information. A company which specialises in international shipping will take care of all these aspects and offer you a comprehensive quote. Many such specialised services also employ customs brokers to help you with the authorities.
Spend some time on research
Some time spent on research can significantly reduce any potential troubles that you may encounter later on. Search online for a few different shipping services. If you like one, browse their website to get an idea if they specialise in international shipping. Check if they have a local office and a regional office in the destination country. This can be very helpful, especially if you plan to travel to a non-English speaking country. Call them and ask if you can get any assistance via a customs broker at the destination port for dealing with customs. You would not want to be stuck dealing with officials who don’t even speak your language.