Delivery takes ten minutes if you do it properly, and those ten minutes decide whether a claim is possible later.
Before the driver unloads
Have your pickup Bill of Lading and your dated photos ready, and the carrier's payment in an accepted form. If it is dark, ask to move the car under lighting or use a flashlight; our Terms and Conditions note that signing clean "regardless of the lighting or weather conditions" still confirms satisfactory condition.
What to inspect
Walk all the way around. Check every body panel, the hood, the roof and the trunk lid, all glass and mirrors, the wheels and tires, the front bumper and splitter, the undercarriage you can see, and the interior. Start the car. Look for fluid under it.
If everything matches
Sign the Bill of Lading, pay the driver, keep your copy.
If something is new
Write it on the Bill of Lading as an exception, in the damage section, before you sign. Photograph it close up and wide, with the date visible. Ask the driver to sign the notation. Then sign and keep your copy, and report it to Rivalane within 48 hours so we can send you the carrier's documents for the claim.
Do not refuse the car over damage; accept it with the damage noted. Refusing delivery can lead to storage charges and does not help the claim.
Related questions
- What is a Bill of Lading in car shipping?
- What if I notice damage at delivery?
- How do I pay the carrier at delivery?
Go deeper: Auto Transport Bill of Lading: What Must Be On It.
