Safety
Common car shipping scams
What the most frequent auto transport scams look like, why they work, and the checks that stop them before you pay a deposit.
Know the patterns
The scams we see most often
Bait-and-switch lowball quote
A price far below every other quote gets you to book. Once your deposit clears, the price rises because 'no carrier will take that rate.' A real quote is based on the lane, the vehicle and whether it runs.
Deposit demanded by Zelle, Venmo or gift card
Peer-to-peer payments are not reversible and are the fastest way to lose money. A broker fee should be disclosed in writing before you pay anything.
Name and brand impersonation
Copycats run ads using a real company's name with a different phone number, domain or email. Verify contact details on the company's own site, not from the ad or email you received.
No MC or DOT number shown
Every legitimate broker and carrier has FMCSA authority. If the number is missing, refused, or does not match the name on the paperwork, walk away.
Quotes given without asking if the vehicle runs
Inoperable vehicles need winch equipment and cost more. A quote given without that question is not a real quote.
Pressure to book today
Urgency is a sales tactic, not a market condition. Legitimate dispatch windows are measured in days, not minutes.
Refusal to provide an insurance certificate
You can request the carrier's certificate of insurance through your broker. Refusal is disqualifying.
A driver who rushes the clipboard
The Bill of Lading is your evidence. Anyone rushing you past the walk-around and condition report is protecting themselves, not you.
Fraud alert: confirm you are contacting the real Enterprise Auto Transport.
Other companies may use our name in ads. Our only official phone number is:
If someone gives you different contact info, report it here.
Verify first
How to check a broker in five minutes
- Look up the MC and DOT number on the official FMCSA site and confirm the legal name matches the company you are speaking with.
- Ask for the broker fee in writing, and how much of it is charged up front.
- Ask whether the quote assumes the vehicle runs and drives, and whether any modifications were priced in.
- Request the assigned carrier's certificate of insurance once dispatched.
- Call the phone number listed on the company's own website rather than the one in an ad or email.
- At pickup, photograph the vehicle, the truck's DOT lettering, the plate and the driver's license, and keep a copy of the Bill of Lading.
Enterprise Auto Transport is a licensed property broker, USDOT USDOT #2273104 / MC MC #774106. Our only business phone number is (239) 273-4649.
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