Terms & Conditions

1. Brokerage Services and Carrier Assignment

Mercury Auto Transport agrees to arrange shipment of the vehicle(s) described in the customer’s signed order on or after the earliest available pickup date shown on that order. Mercury Auto Transport will find a licensed Carrier to fulfill the terms and conditions of this agreement. Mercury Auto Transport does not guarantee a specific pickup or delivery date. Pickup timing depends on the service level and the targeted pickup window shown on the customer’s signed order. The customer’s signed order controls for shipment-specific terms.

This order is subject to all terms and conditions of the Carrier’s bills of lading, copies of which are available at the office of the Carrier and are incorporated herein.

2. Pickup, Delivery, and Carrier Responsibility

Carrier’s responsibility begins when the shipper or their agent signs the bill of lading at pickup, and terminates when the shipper or their agent signs the bill of lading at delivery. If a carrier is sent out and the vehicle cannot be picked up, an additional $100.00 rescheduling fee will be incurred. Any dry-run or rescheduling costs incurred by the carrier as a result may also apply. These charges are added to the order total the customer approves before the vehicle is dispatched again, or deducted from any refund if the order is canceled.

The customer provides the pickup and delivery addresses when placing the order. These are the intended locations and not a guarantee of access. Transport trucks are large multi-vehicle haulers, and a driver may be unable to reach a given address because of street width, posted weight limits, low tree branches or other overhead clearance, or local restrictions on commercial vehicles. Should the carrier be unable to access either site, this does not relieve the consignee from making a reasonable effort to meet the truck at a suitable location. The driver will make contact ahead of arrival to agree on a nearby location the truck can reach, such as a large parking lot. The vehicle will be driven on and off the transporter at both pickup and delivery.

The shipper is not required to be present at either end. The customer may designate an agent to act on the shipper’s behalf at pickup, at delivery, or both, and may list backup agents for either end. It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure that any designated agent is authorized to release or receive the vehicle, is reachable by phone, and is able to complete the vehicle inspection and sign the bill of lading. Mercury Auto Transport must be notified if a designated agent changes or becomes unavailable.

3. Payment

Not all payment methods described below may be available at all times. The payment methods offered to you are the ones shown at checkout at the time you place your order.

3.1 Payment Methods Available

Mercury Auto Transport accepts two payment methods at checkout:

• ACH bank account payment via Plaid Transfer (the customer authenticates to their bank account through Plaid’s secure connection and authorizes Mercury to debit the order amount).
• Credit card or debit card processed through Authorize.net.

3.2 Payment Channel Pricing

Mercury’s quoted price for a shipment is the total price for the services the customer approves, and it is the amount the customer pays when paying by credit card or debit card. Mercury does not add undisclosed surcharges or processing fees for any payment method. Additional charges may apply only in the circumstances expressly described in these Terms, including the dry-run, rescheduling, and vehicle-condition charges in Sections 2 and 4. The quoted price includes Mercury’s fee for arranging the shipment.

Customers who pay by ACH bank transfer through Plaid receive a Bank Payment Discount off the quoted price. The discounted amount is shown at checkout before the customer selects a payment method, and the amount charged is the amount shown on the customer’s signed order.

3.3 Payment Timing

Mercury does not charge a deposit. Nothing is charged or held when the customer places an order. Payment is taken in full only after the customer approves a carrier’s offer. A card payment is processed as a single charge. An ACH payment above the single-debit limit that applies to Mercury’s bank payments may be divided into more than one authorized debit, all initiated at dispatch. The flow works as follows:

• When a customer provides a credit card or debit card before dispatch, our system validates the card and stores it securely. Nothing is charged or held on the card at that time. If a card cannot be validated, Mercury asks the customer for another payment method. When a customer chooses ACH bank payment, the bank account is verified through Plaid and the customer’s authorization to debit at dispatch is recorded. No debit is initiated before dispatch.
• The customer signs the Mercury Auto Transport order electronically, with a full audit trail, before dispatch.
• Mercury’s dispatch team searches for carriers on the national dispatch marketplaces and screens the responding carrier through Mercury Shield, our internal carrier-screening and shipment-oversight process.
• The customer’s agent presents the carrier’s offer: the price and the targeted pickup window. Payment is taken only after the customer approves that offer. When the carrier’s offer matches the price and the service level on the customer’s signed order, the signed order is that approval. The order total is the price the customer approved, as shown on the signed order, excluding any later charges expressly permitted under Sections 2 and 4.
• If Mercury asks the customer to accept a different price or a different service arrangement after approval, Mercury presents the change to the customer before proceeding, and the customer may approve it or cancel as provided in Section 10. An operational change outside Mercury’s control, such as a carrier delay, is not a change to the approved price or service arrangement. Section 10 states what happens when a carrier cancels, fails to make pickup, or will not perform at the dispatched price or service level.
• Charges expressly authorized under Sections 2 and 4, including dry-run, rescheduling, undisclosed-inoperability, and in-transit inoperability charges, may be added without further customer approval. Mercury provides written notice identifying the reason for and the amount of any such charge. Any other increase to the approved order total requires the customer’s written approval before the additional amount is charged. The customer’s service level is the tier shown on the signed order (Standby, Priority, or Rush), together with any shipment-specific terms written into the order.
• When the customer approves the offer, Mercury dispatches the order and takes payment in full: the card on file is charged, or the ACH debit is initiated, for the total shown on the customer’s signed order.
• Mercury does not release the vehicle to the carrier until funds are confirmed received.
• The customer receives a single combined confirmation email containing the charge confirmation, the dispatch confirmation, and the carrier’s contact information.

3.4 ACH Authorization (Plaid Transfer)

By selecting ACH payment via Plaid Transfer and clicking the authorization at checkout, the customer:

• Authorizes Mercury Auto Transport, LLC to initiate one (1) ACH debit to the customer’s designated bank account in the exact amount of the customer’s signed order, processed at the time of carrier dispatch. If the order total exceeds the single-debit limit that applies to Mercury’s bank payments, this authorization covers the payment as more than one ACH debit, together equal to the order total and all initiated at the time of carrier dispatch.
• Authorizes Mercury to issue one or more ACH credits to the same bank account in the event a refund is owed under Mercury’s Refund Policy.
• Confirms that the customer is the owner of the designated bank account and authorized to authorize debits from it.
• Acknowledges that this authorization will remain in effect until the order is completed or canceled, and that the customer may revoke this authorization at any time before dispatch by emailing customerservice@mercuryautotransport.com.
• Acknowledges that if the order is canceled before carrier dispatch, no debit will be initiated.
• Acknowledges that ACH transactions are governed by the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) Operating Rules and that the customer’s rights to dispute an unauthorized debit are preserved under those rules and, where applicable, Regulation E.

3.5 Refunds

Refunds are processed under Mercury Auto Transport’s Refund Policy (available at mercuryautotransport.com and incorporated by reference). Refunds are issued through the original payment channel: credit card payments are refunded to the original card; ACH payments are refunded as an ACH credit to the original bank account. Mercury submits refunds within three (3) business days after the refund amount is final and the original payment has settled.

3.6 Failed Payments

If the customer’s ACH debit is returned by the customer’s bank, or if the customer’s credit card is declined at dispatch, Mercury will hold the dispatch (the vehicle will not be released to the carrier) until an alternative payment is received. Mercury will contact the customer the same business day by email, text message, and phone. Mercury will not retry a failed payment without the customer’s express written authorization.

4. Vehicle Condition and Operability

Mercury Auto Transport does not guarantee transport by any specific driver or carrier.

For the purposes of this agreement, a vehicle is considered inoperable if it cannot roll, steer, or brake under its own power. It is the shipper’s responsibility to accurately disclose the vehicle’s condition at the time of quoting and booking. When a vehicle is disclosed as inoperable at booking, Mercury prices the order and assigns a carrier with the appropriate equipment for that condition.

If a vehicle that was not disclosed as inoperable is found to be inoperable at pickup, or otherwise cannot be loaded under its own power (including, but not limited to, a dead battery, a flat tire, a bad alternator, or loose cables), a minimum additional fee of $150.00 will apply, and the order may require repricing and reassignment to a carrier with suitable equipment. Any dry-run or rescheduling costs incurred by the carrier as a result may also apply.

Should a vehicle become inoperable during transport, an additional $150.00 will be charged to the customer’s payment method on file, with notice to the customer, in addition to any other monies owed. It is the shipper’s responsibility to make sure the vehicle is in proper working order.

5. Personal Items

Remove all personal items from the vehicle before pickup. Personal belongings are not part of the vehicle-transport service and are not covered by the carrier’s cargo policy. If Mercury approves any exception, it must be confirmed in writing before pickup.

6. Force Majeure and Vehicle Preparation

Mercury Auto Transport or its agents will not be responsible for vandalism, acts of God (fire, flooding, hail, sandstorms, tornadoes, and earthquakes), or objects flying from the road or sky during transport. Shippers should maintain their own insurance for these reasons. Enclosed transport is available at a higher price if necessary to protect the vehicle’s condition from the elements.

Shipper is responsible for preparing the vehicle(s) for transport. All loose parts, fragile or protruding accessories, low-hanging spoilers, fog lights, antennas, and similar items must be removed and/or properly secured. Any part that falls off in transit is the shipper’s responsibility, including damages done by said part to any vehicles involved.

7. Tolls Incurred During Transport

Customers must remove all toll transponders from the vehicle before pickup. Any toll charged to a transponder left in the vehicle is the responsibility of the customer.

Mercury Auto Transport also strongly recommends that the customer remove the vehicle’s license plates before the vehicle is loaded, where permitted and practical. Transport trucks may carry their own toll transponders and be billed directly for tolls incurred in transit, but because vehicles are visibly loaded on multi-car haulers, a tolling camera may separately photograph and bill the license plate of a transported vehicle for that same toll, resulting in a duplicate charge to the registered owner. Whether a vehicle’s plate is captured in this way depends largely on the vehicle’s position on the trailer, which is determined by the driver’s pickup and delivery sequence and cannot be known or controlled in advance by Mercury Auto Transport, the carrier, the driver, or the customer.

Should a toll be charged while the vehicle is in transit, it is the customer’s responsibility to dispute the charge with the issuing toll authority, and Mercury Auto Transport must be notified within fifteen (15) business days of receipt of the notice. Mercury Auto Transport will support the customer in this effort by providing transport dates, the Bill of Lading, and carrier contact information, but in no way will Mercury Auto Transport pay, reimburse, or accept responsibility for tolls, penalties, or administrative fees incurred during transport.

8. Damage and Bill of Lading

If damage should occur, it must be noted in the proper place on the bill of lading and signed by the driver and shipper, regardless of weather or time of day. Signing the bill of lading without any notation of damage verifies that the shipper or their agent has received the said vehicle in good condition, and that Mercury Auto Transport and its agents are relieved of any further responsibility. Shipper or their agent MUST check the vehicle thoroughly.

Mercury Auto Transport and its agents must also be notified of any damage within forty-eight (48) hours of delivery, by phone or email, with photographs. If the driver refuses to note damage on the bill of lading, will not provide a copy of the bill of lading, or states that an electronic bill of lading cannot be edited, the shipper must notify Mercury Auto Transport and the carrier within the same forty-eight (48) hours, with photographs. Absent that notice, the signed bill of lading is the primary record of the vehicle’s condition at delivery. Shipper must submit in writing a description of damage, clear pictures, and two (2) estimates within ten (10) days of receipt of said vehicle directly to the designated carrier so that resolution can begin promptly. The forty-eight (48) hour notice and the ten (10) day documentation requests are intended to preserve evidence and allow Mercury Auto Transport to assist promptly. They do not shorten any cargo-claim filing period available under applicable law or the carrier’s bill of lading. Mercury Auto Transport will support the customer in this effort should such a problem occur, but in no way will Mercury Auto Transport accept responsibility for any negligence of the assigned carrier. If the customer’s vehicle is valued at a rate higher than market, Mercury suggests the customer purchase a special insurance rider or pursue the enclosed transport option.

9. Liability, Governing Law, and Venue

This agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules. Shipper specifically waives any right to a judicial forum for this matter at any other location than Broward County, Florida. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Mercury Auto Transport’s liability arising from its brokerage services will not exceed the brokerage compensation Mercury Auto Transport actually received for the affected order. Nothing in this provision requires Mercury Auto Transport to disclose its agreements with carriers, its pricing methodology, or the allocation of the order total. In no case can Mercury Auto Transport be held liable for the designated carrier’s damage or delays. Mercury Auto Transport will provide the carrier’s insurance certificate and carrier information should any controversy arise.

10. Cancellation Policy

The customer may cancel an order at any time before approving a carrier’s offer. Nothing has been charged at that point, so there is nothing to refund, and for ACH orders no debit is initiated. Mercury asks that cancellations be sent in writing to customerservice@mercuryautotransport.com or to the customer’s assigned agent. A cancellation received by phone is confirmed in writing the same business day.

Once the customer approves a carrier’s offer and Mercury dispatches the order, the shipment is committed to that carrier and payment has been taken in full. If the customer cancels after that point and before pickup, or if Mercury cancels the order under Section 13 (Vehicle Availability), a cancellation fee applies equal to thirty-five percent (35%) of the order total. The fee, together with any dry-run or rescheduling costs under Sections 2 and 4, will never be more than the order total. The cancellation fee applies from the time payment is taken, regardless of the stage of the dispatch process. Mercury deducts the fee and any dry-run or rescheduling costs from the payment and refunds the remainder to the original payment method within three (3) business days after the refund amount is final and the payment has settled. Mercury may reduce or waive the fee at its sole discretion.

Once the carrier has taken possession of the vehicle at pickup, the shipment is in progress and no refund is available.

If the assigned carrier cancels, fails to make pickup within seventy-two (72) hours of the targeted pickup window, or will not perform at the dispatched price or service level, Mercury works to secure a replacement carrier at the same price and service level. If the only available replacement would cost more or change the service level, the customer may approve the replacement offer, or cancel the order and receive a full refund of all amounts paid to Mercury Auto Transport, without a cancellation fee or other deduction.

It is Mercury Auto Transport’s goal to be paid only for performing the services of an auto transport broker.

11. Broker Status and Carrier Claims

Mercury Auto Transport is a licensed and bonded Property Broker. Mercury is responsible for booking the shipment of automobiles with a licensed Motor Carrier Corporation, which handles its own damage claims. It may take a few weeks to process a claim, since drivers must return to their terminals with the original Bill of Lading condition reports. Mercury Auto Transport provides services to find an FMCSA-licensed carrier through the Department of Transportation and to bring the Carrier and the Customer together logistically.

Cargo insurance for a shipment is maintained by the assigned carrier, not by Mercury Auto Transport. Mercury Auto Transport does not sell or provide insurance, and Mercury Auto Transport does not charge the customer for insurance. Before dispatch, Mercury Auto Transport verifies the assigned carrier’s active operating authority and cargo coverage. Coverage is provided by the carrier and is subject to the carrier’s policy and bill of lading, and a cargo claim is made against the carrier and its insurer as described in Sections 8 and 14.

Mercury Auto Transport will not be responsible for demurrage at any Port Facilities.

12. Online Order Acceptance and Electronic Signature

By submitting the customer’s order online, the customer is placing the order and accepting these terms and conditions. The customer’s electronic signature, together with the recorded signature timestamp and IP address captured at the time of order, constitutes the customer’s binding signature on this agreement and has the same legal force and effect as a physical signature.

13. Vehicle Availability

Customers must make their vehicle available during the transport time. If the vehicle becomes unavailable at any time after dispatch, Mercury Auto Transport holds the right to cancel the order under Section 10 (Cancellation Policy), and the cancellation fee and any dry-run or rescheduling costs apply.

Mercury Auto Transport is not responsible for any storage, rental cars, or any other additional costs due to a carrier delay.

14. Carrier Liability Exclusions

The insured carrier that is doing the actual shipping is the only party responsible for any claims. The customer accepts the carrier’s terms by releasing the vehicle to the carrier’s possession. Customers can request the carrier’s terms for filing claims at pickup or delivery, or request them by phone or email directly from the carrier. Neither Mercury Auto Transport nor its agents shall be responsible for any damage whatsoever, including the following:

• Damage to undercarriage, exhaust system, suspension, wheel bearings, tie downs, brakes, alignment, tuning, charging system, or battery. (No evaluation is made of these components or systems at the pickup location.) Therefore, Mercury Auto Transport or its agents do not accept responsibility for them.
• Damage not detected at pickup location due to poor weather or lighting conditions.
• Damage to car phones or antennas under any condition (suggests that they may be removed).
• Loss of or damage to audio or video equipment not installed at the factory, including an antenna that does not retract to within three (3) inches of the vehicle’s body.
• Windshield or other vehicle glass compromised by stones or road debris.
• License plates that come loose or are detached during transit. Should the customer choose, the customer may remove the license plates.
• Damage or fines incurred because the shipper left personal or household items in the vehicle.
• Damage caused by fluids or objects flying up from the roadway, or out of the sky.
• Damage to cloth or vinyl convertible or decorative tops over two (2) years old.
• Damage to T-tops, boots, bras, caps, or any other type of canvas covering.
• Damage caused by leaking fluids, such as battery acid, motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, radiator coolant, or fallout resulting from acts of God.
• Damage caused by freezing of the cooling system and/or battery.
• Damage caused by the failure of factory tie-downs or pull-through from tie-down holes.
• Damage to, or caused by, any vehicle that cannot be driven on or off the transport under its own power. (The vehicle will not run, or has lost its braking system.)

15. Authorization to Operate Vehicle

By the shipper’s signature or their agent’s signature, the motor carrier transporting the vehicle and their employees jointly and separately are authorized to operate and transport the vehicle from point to point or origin to destination specified in the Bill of Lading.

16. Authority to Contract

Customer warrants that they are the registered owner and/or have been authorized by the legal owner to act as agent for the registered owner and have the authority to enter into this agreement as or on behalf of the owner.

17. Refund Policy and Consumer Complaint Policy

Mercury Auto Transport’s Refund Policy and Consumer Complaint Policy are incorporated by reference into these Terms and Conditions. Both policies are available at mercuryautotransport.com and a copy will be provided to any customer on request by emailing customerservice@mercuryautotransport.com.

18. Contact

Mercury Auto Transport, LLC

2240 SW 70th Avenue, Davie, FL 33317

Phone: (800) 553-1828

Email: customerservice@mercuryautotransport.com

Web: mercuryautotransport.com

MC #647319 | USDOT #2242305

19. SMS and Text Messaging Terms

By opting in on our quote form, you agree to receive SMS text messages from Mercury Auto Transport about your quote and vehicle shipment, including quote follow-ups, shipment updates, and customer care. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP at any time to cancel. Reply HELP for help, call (800) 553-1828, or email customerservice@mercuryautotransport.com.

Mobile carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Consent to receive text messages is not a condition of purchasing any goods or services from Mercury Auto Transport. Mobile phone numbers are not shared or sold to third parties or affiliates for marketing purposes.