A lot of companies can look genuine but they may not be legitimate. Before shipping anything valuable, it is prudent to check out the company first. Sometimes, people find things that are quite disturbing about firms they were about to hire and save themselves from incurring major losses. A genuine and legitimate shipping company should have the following:
1. Website and physical address
A very good company will not shy off from putting their advertisements online. In most cases firms will have their own websites giving details to customers about them and what they do. A fake company cannot do this without being a bit careless in the process but this is not to say that some people are not too smart to do it. The best freight forwarding company should have a physical address that is permanent. This will enable customers to check with them directly and this makes it more reliable since they will have telephone numbers which are legitimate too.
2. Payment methods
Illegitimate shipping company would have weird payment measures as a way to enable them stay in the business. This is why it is important to check out the payment methods a company prefers before engaging in business with them. A genuine company will accept any form of payment without too many complications.
3. Is the company registered with the right governing bodies?
You can simply check out on whether the company is genuine by searching its name. The search engines should be able to find details about a good company as long as it is registered. There will be details about the firm with its websites and other important details given as well. It is good to take extra precautions in case a company is not found on the search engine.
4. Fleet of shipping
There should be a fleet of trailers among others used for shipping. A genuine company will have a yard full of containers as a clear sign of legitimate business. Also, it should have different modes of transportation as a clear sign of activities of legitimacy. The trucks should bear the company’s details including their logo.
5. Terms and conditions of service
Every company has its own terms and conditions of which a client agrees to for the services to be offered. With this in mind, it is wise to check out those terms and conditions for any clues which may ring a warning bell to the mind. If after going through the above things you are fully satisfied, then you can engage in business with ease.