Will an Auto Transport Company Perform a Pre-Purchase Inspection?

Buying a car online | Pre-purchase inspection

If you are buying a car online, then a pre-purchase inspection might be a great idea. After all, no one wants to pay for a diamond and end up with a lump of coal. So many customers ask if the auto shipping driver will perform a pre-purchase inspection before loading the car onto the carrier.

Although the auto shipping driver will perform an inspection, it’s not a good substitute for an actual pre-purchase inspection. Here’s why.

Auto shipping inspection

The auto shipping driver will perform an exterior condition report before loading your online car purchase on to the car transport carrier. This inspection is a visual walk around the car, noting any condition issues that are visible. A copy of this inspection will be left with the pickup contact, used again at delivery, and another copy will be left with the delivery contact.

Pre-Purchase inspection

The auto shipping driver is not a mechanic or auto body expert. It’s not possible for the auto shipping driver to put the car on a lift or bring any of the tools that a certified car inspector will use. So the inspection that is done for the purpose of transportation does not serve as a replacement of a pre-purchase inspection.

The auto shipping inspection will also not take place before you purchase and pay for your online car purchase. National Express will not assign an auto shipping carrier until we have verified that the car purchase is complete and will be released by the seller.