What Are Car Shipping Fees — and Should You Pay Them?

"They said the $1,200 shipping fee was standard. I said, 'Is the car coming by Uber Black?'" - Chase Jordan

At Deal Guard, we have things shipped all of the time. Seriously. Great deals are not always at your back door.

So when we search, we search nationally in some cases and end up shipping the vehicles to your door or close dealer.

When you’re buying a car — especially online or from out-of-state — you might get hit with something called a car shipping fee.

It sounds official, but is it legit?

Can you negotiate it?

And how much should it really cost to move a vehicle from Point A to Point You?

Let’s break it all down — Deal Guard style ⚡️

🚚 What Is a Car Shipping Fee?

A car shipping fee is a charge for transporting a vehicle from one location to another.

That could mean:

• From one dealership to another (a dealer trade)

• From an auction or manufacturer to the dealer

• From a dealer to your front door

You’ll usually see these fees when:

• Buying online (like from Carvana, Vroom, or out-of-state dealers)

• Requesting a hard-to-find car from another location

• Finding a GREAT deal in another state or long distance from your crib

🧾 These fees can range from $300 to over $2,000, depending on:

• Distance

• Vehicle size and weight

• Enclosed vs open trailer

• Delivery time (expedited = $$$)

🧠 Is the Shipping Fee Real or Made Up?

✅ Sometimes it's totally legit, especially if:

• The car is coming from hundreds of miles away

• You requested delivery to your home

• It involves a third-party carrier

🚨 But sometimes, it’s a marked-up internal fee — like when the car is already on-site or only moved a short distance.

That’s when you need to ask:

"Where is the vehicle now? And what exactly does this fee cover?"

If they can’t explain it clearly, it might just be padding.

🛑 Watch Out For These Shipping Fee Red Flags

• "Admin shipping fee" tacked onto a local sale

• $900+ shipping for in-state transfers

• Fees that vary depending on your negotiation skills (!)

• Vague wording: “dealer handling,” “destination service,” etc.

Remember: Manufacturer destination charges (around $1,200) are separate and non-negotiable. But dealer-added shipping fees are fair game.

🧾 Can You Avoid or Reduce Car Shipping Fees?

✅ Ask if there’s another vehicle on-site

Many dealers can find a comparable model at a nearby lot — saving you the shipping cost.

✅ Offer to pick it up yourself

If it’s at another location within driving distance, offer to drive it home yourself.

✅ Negotiate it down

If they added $1,200, offer $300. Many times, it’s a starting point, not a set number.

✅ Use Deal Guard

We’ll verify the car’s location, calculate true shipping costs, and make sure you’re not paying a penny more than you should.

🛡 How Deal Guard Protects You

We:

• Confirm the vehicle’s real location

• Call out padded shipping fees or vague delivery terms

• Negotiate lower or waived transport charges

• Make sure any third-party shipping is legit, safe, and fairly priced

We’ll never let you pay $900 to move a car across the street.

😎 Final Word from Chase

Car shipping fees aren’t always a scam — but they’re always negotiable.

At GetDealGuard.com, we dig into every fee, challenge anything shady, and make sure the price you pay is the price that makes sense.

🎯 Getting charged for car shipping?
Let Deal Guard check the quote before you pay. Go to GetDealGuard.com and we’ll sniff out the truth.

Catch you at the next post —
Chase ⚡️