Smart Price Promise
Smart Price Promise™
Written by Richard Avery, President of Smart Auto Move
The most common complaint in auto transport is simple: the price you were quoted is not the price you end up paying. A number gets you to book, then the vehicle sits, and eventually you are told it will cost more to actually move it. We built our booking process so that does not happen.
Your confirmed price is the price you pay.
As long as the vehicle, route, condition, and shipping details stay the same, the number you agreed to does not move — no repricing while your vehicle waits for a carrier, and no fees appearing later that were not in the original quote.
What the promise covers, and what would change your price
A guarantee is only worth reading if it says what it does not cover. Here is both side by side.
Your price does not change when
- Carrier rates rise on your route. Market rates move with fuel prices and demand. After your booking is confirmed, that is our problem, not yours.
- Your vehicle waits longer than expected for dispatch. A slow match does not become a reason to reprice.
- Fuel prices climb during your booking window. No fuel surcharge appears after the fact.
- The season turns busy. Snowbird and summer moving peaks do not retroactively affect a confirmed price.
- Traffic, weather, or routing changes the trip. Delivery may shift; the price does not.
Your price changes only if you change the shipment
- A different vehicle. Size and weight drive trailer space, so a swap is a new quote.
- Different pickup or delivery addresses. A new route is a new price.
- The vehicle is not operable as described. Non-running vehicles need winch equipment and extra labor.
- Undisclosed modifications. Lift kits, oversized tires, roof racks, or lowered suspension change how the vehicle loads.
- Added vehicles. Each additional vehicle is priced on its own.
- A change to the service level. Moving from open to enclosed, or standard to expedited, reprices the shipment.
- An obvious calculator error. If our quote calculator returns a price that is clearly wrong because of a technical fault or a pricing-data error, we may correct it or decline the order rather than confirm it. See below.
Every item on the right is something you control and would know about. None of them is a surprise sprung on you at pickup. If the details you gave us at quote time are the details on the day, the price is the price.
One exception: an obvious pricing error
Our quote calculator is software, and software occasionally gets something wrong. If it returns a price that is clearly the result of a technical fault or an error in our pricing data — a figure obviously out of line with the real cost of moving that vehicle on that route — we reserve the right to correct the quote or decline the order rather than confirm it.
If that happens, we will tell you promptly, explain what went wrong, and give you the corrected price so you can decide whether to go ahead. Any deposit or payment you have made is refunded in full if you choose not to proceed. We will not quietly accept a booking we cannot honor and then come back to you for more money later — which is the exact practice this promise exists to rule out.
This is not a general right to reprice. It applies only to genuine errors, not to ordinary market movement, carrier availability, or a rate we later wish were higher. Once a price is confirmed on accurate details, the Smart Price Promise applies.
Why auto transport prices move at all
Understanding this is what lets you tell a real quote from a number designed to win your booking.
A quote is a market estimate until a carrier accepts it
Smart Auto Move is a licensed transport coordinator, USDOT #2887232. We arrange your shipment with licensed and insured motor carriers rather than operating trucks ourselves. That means an actual driver has to look at your route, your dates, and the rate, and decide to take the load.
Carriers price by what a lane pays that week. Fuel costs, how many vehicles are moving in that direction, and how full their trailer already is all factor in. A quote that ignores those realities is not a lower price — it is a number no driver will accept.
How a lowball quote actually plays out
A company quotes well under the market to win the booking. The order goes into the dispatch system at a rate no carrier will run. Days pass. Your vehicle does not move.
Eventually you get a call: the original price is not achievable, and it will take a few hundred dollars more. By then your moving date is close, so you pay it. The company keeps a booking it won on a number that was never real.
The tell is a quote noticeably below every other quote you receive. On a competitive lane, real prices cluster. An outlier is usually not a bargain.
How the promise works in practice
You give us accurate details
Pickup and delivery ZIP codes, the exact year, make, and model, whether the vehicle runs, any modifications, and a realistic first available date. Accuracy here is what makes the price hold.
We quote at real market rates
Your quote reflects what carriers are actually paid on your route. We would rather give you a number that works than one that wins the booking and falls apart a week later.
Your confirmed price holds
Once transport is confirmed and the details stay the same, that price stands — through dispatch, transit, and delivery.
| Situation | What happens to your price |
|---|---|
| Carrier rates on your lane rise after you book | Unchanged. Confirmed is confirmed. |
| Your vehicle waits several days for a carrier match | Unchanged. |
| You decide to ship a different vehicle | Requoted for the new vehicle. |
| Delivery address changes to a different city | Requoted for the new route. |
| Vehicle will not start on pickup day but was quoted as running | Requoted, because loading now requires a winch. |
| You upgrade from open to enclosed transport | Requoted for the new service level. |
| Our calculator returns an obviously incorrect price | We correct the quote or decline the order and tell you why. Any payment made is refunded in full. |
Why this promise is worth something
Federally registered
Smart Auto Move Inc, USDOT #2887232. Verify our registration and any assigned carrier's authority and insurance through FMCSA SAFER.
BBB A+ accredited
Read verified customer reviews on our BBB profile and see how pricing complaints are handled.
Operating since 2012
With physical hubs in Los Angeles, Chicago, Kissimmee, and Lakewood, plus regional service nodes in McKinney, Houston, Iselin, and Huntington Station.
We also do not sell your information
Requesting a quote from some auto transport sites means your phone number is sold to a dozen brokers who call you for weeks. Information you share with Smart Auto Move for the purpose of receiving a quote stays with Smart Auto Move.
What customers say about our pricing
Crystal Evans was very helpful.
Smart Price Promise questions
What exactly is the Smart Price Promise?
It is our commitment that your confirmed car shipping price is the price you pay. As long as the vehicle, route, condition, and shipping details remain the same, the number you agreed to does not change — no repricing while your vehicle waits for a carrier, and no fees added later that were not in the original quote.
When does the promise start?
It applies once your transport is confirmed. A quote you have requested but not booked can still move with market conditions, because carrier rates change with fuel prices and route demand. Once you confirm, that price is locked to the details you gave us.
What would change my price?
Only a change to the shipment itself: a different vehicle, different pickup or delivery addresses, a vehicle that is not operable as described, undisclosed modifications such as a lift kit or lowered suspension, adding vehicles, or moving between service levels such as open to enclosed or standard to expedited. Every one of those is something you control and would know about in advance.
What if carrier rates go up after I book?
Your price does not change. Market rates move with fuel costs and route demand, and after your booking is confirmed that variation is ours to absorb rather than yours.
Why do some auto transport quotes come in much lower than others?
Because a quote is a market estimate until a carrier accepts the load. Some companies quote below the going rate to win the booking, then cannot find a driver willing to run it at that number. The vehicle sits, and the price goes up close to your moving date. A quote noticeably below every other quote you receive is usually a warning rather than a bargain.
What if your quote calculator makes a mistake?
Our quote calculator is software, and software occasionally gets something wrong. If it returns a price that is clearly the result of a technical fault or an error in our pricing data, we reserve the right to correct the quote or decline the order rather than confirm it. If that happens we will tell you promptly, explain what went wrong, and give you the corrected price so you can decide whether to proceed. Any deposit or payment you have made is refunded in full if you choose not to. This applies only to genuine errors, not to ordinary market movement or carrier availability.
Do I pay anything upfront?
You can pay in full when booking or place a deposit and pay the balance at delivery. Delivery payment options include money order, cashier's check, or cash. There are no hidden fees either way.
Is my vehicle insured during transport?
Yes. The licensed motor carrier assigned to your shipment holds the cargo insurance that applies while your vehicle is in transit. Smart Auto Move is a transport coordinator, USDOT #2887232, rather than the carrier, so the coverage comes from the carrier. You can verify any carrier's authority and insurance through the FMCSA SAFER system before pickup.
Related pages
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The full pricing breakdown, including per-mile rates by distance.
Read the cost guideGet a price you can plan around
Free quote in about two minutes. Once it is confirmed, it is the price you pay.