Ponder this...You have a COD car and when you arrive at the consignee he doesn't want to pay the cod for any unforeseen reason i.e. bogus damage claim, excessive mileage on car or whatever. What would do you do?? Has anyone been in this situation?

 

People I know that have tow trucks don't release the car until it's paid. If the customer don't pay they have a lein sale.

 

If the claim is not legitimate and the receiver didn't want to pay the shipping charges I would tell him that I was going to put it in storage pending a sale. If that doesn't do it then I would follow through. I don't play games with people like that. Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of that sort of thing that goes on in this business. That is why I would do a complete inspection at the point of pickup, note any damage and have the shipper sign off on it. If I missed something then it was my baby. If something was noted and the receiver says that it wasn't there prior to shipping, the proof is in your hand. It is also a good idea to take pictures of any damage. Most people are not going to fight a battle they know from the beginning that they cannot win.

 

This is my first post on this board, so, please, bear with me.

I hauled cars for nine years, and this came up with me on several occasions. Anything from bogus damage claims to trying to get the rate cut for various reasons. Three rules I always followed when doing Cods:

1. NEVER pop a chain or drop a ramp until you have the FULL rate, in hand, via cash or certified check. I ALWAYS made sure I had a copy of the pre-order in-hand at delivery, so I could tell the receiver "This is the amount you agreed to, that is your signature, if you don't want to pay it, see ya." Had the police involved on a few occasions, and they always sided with me.

2. I ALWAYS called the receiver at least 24 hours in advance, telling them when I would be there. Also, I always reminded them that it was a COD, that the terms were cash or certified check, and their unit would not be unloaded until payment was received in full. That way, there was no room for excuses. "Sir, you had 24 hours notice of my arrival. If you do not have the funds available at this time, your unit will be in storage, where it will be incurring storage charges that YOU will be responsible for, until payment is received ."

3. As far as legit damage claims, I always told them they would have to pay for the shipping, then take the vehicle to a body shop, garage, etc., have it repaired, and send me the bill. I would tell them I would pay for repairs, not the amount on an estimate, but actual repairs. Any damage would NOT be deducted from the freight rate. Made alot of them angry, but, if they wanted their unit, that was the way it was going to be or it wasn't coming off my truck.

Hope this helps.

Randy

 

I make it a policy to not take a strap or chain lose until I have a check in hand. Since I normally deal with business people, I am not too concerned about getting a bad check. I am still careful. When I delivered cars I would not unload anything tile I had payment in full in my hot little hand. I dealt with a lot of dealers so I usually didn't have to worry about the funds being good. I can recall only one time where I got stiffed and that was a broker.