[mamainfl]

We are moving to Seattle from Pensacola, FL in mid-April. We are flying and shipping our belongings. We need to find a way to get our car to Seattle. We do not want it driven. I have contacted transport companies, but, it will cost $900. I am trying to think of a cheaper way.

My idea is to find someone that is driving there anyway, and could tow our car. (we will pay them). How do I find this person? They could be leaving from anywhere, just cut through Pensacola on the way (before April 23rd)

Any ideas/suggestions will be welcome!

[StarfishKey]

Consider selling it and buying a different car when you arrive in Seattle. The $900 ensures that your car actually gets there in one piece, and that it is covered by the company's insurance. If you trust a random stranger to tow it for you, how do you guarantee that that person will do a professional job and bring it in with no damage? What if they get in an accident? What if you just never see them or that car again?

I don't know if $900 is really that bad of a rate, considering how far you're shipping the car. Could you find the absolute lowest deal (maybe someone would do $800 or $850?), and then pack the car completely full of stuff so that you save on moving costs for some of your other stuff? Clothes for instance, or books and blankets, can be great things to fill up the odd-shaped spaces of a car. You might be able to save enough that way to considerably lower the extra cost of the car shipping.

I can see why $900 might not be worth it to ship a car, especially if it's already really old. But if so, it might be worth it just to sell it then and buy something else (I would recommend buying a "certified pre-owned car" somewhere in a more rural area of WA though, which can give you a guarantee on the vehicle for a while that it is in good shape - if you run Carfax on it and all of that you can know what you're getting - plus get you far better than city prices. I did this for my cars and they all have turned out great, lasting a very long time with no problems and at a much lower cost than a brand-new car).

Just some thoughts. I would not trust a stranger who is not a professional car transporter with something so very valuable. You have no way to protect your asset that way, and stand to lose way more than $900. That is a REALLY long drive, and in April there may still be snow and ice much of the way.

[unquiltom]

When I was moved from San Diego to Miami, they put my car in the moving van, along with all my stuff. I had reservations about doing it this way because the car in question is a show quality sports car, and I didn't want any kind of damage to happen. But the car arrived just as it was when it left. Maybe your moving company can offer the same service?

[HarryWho?]

$900 sounds like a bargain.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by mamainfl

We are moving to Seattle from Pensacola, FL in mid-April. We are flying and shipping our belongings. We need to find a way to get our car to Seattle. We do not want it driven. I have contacted transport companies, but, it will cost $900. I am trying to think of a cheaper way.

My idea is to find someone that is driving there anyway, and could tow our car. (we will pay them). How do I find this person? They could be leaving from anywhere, just cut through Pensacola on the way (before April 23rd)

Any ideas/suggestions will be welcome!

You would let a total stranger take your car? You should at least run a credit check and a criminal background check on the person. What about damage to the car? Let's assume that the person towing it isn't a criminal and just wants to make some extra cash. What if you car doesn't run well when you get it? A transport company will take pictures, make a quick inspection and give you a Condition Report. I assume the transport company is using a flat bed and is licensed, bonded and insured. $900 sounds very reasonable to me for a 2,800 mile transport.

By the way, if you do use a transport company, keep in mind that it might take several days to get to Seattle, unless you pay for expedited delivery service. They usually make stops along the way, since they're moving more than one car. So you will probably need to rent a car for a few days.

[mamainfl]

Yeah, as soon as I posted this, I started thinking about it logically. It seems way too risky to let a stranger move our car. I can justify the $900 if I can load up the car with stuff to avoid shipping a few boxes!

Someone else on another forum suggested calling some local large car dealerships to see if they might have any ideas. Worth a shot.

[OptimusPrime69]

Originally Posted by HarryWho?

$900 sounds like a bargain.

lol, that's what I thought.

I'm like $900 is nothing to have ur car shipped across north america.


OP, stop being cheap and just pay the $900... u would have spent that on wear and tear and gas on the car easily. Also, u can rest assured the car will arrive safely and on the day that is stipulated in the contract.... no messin around with some stranger who either doesn't show up...or has some accident along the way or some other pain in the u know what