FMC issues warning on yacht transport

A US independent maritime agency has issued a warning and advice to yacht owners when choosing yacht transport. The notice from The Federal Maritime Commission comes in the wake of an increased number of complaints it has received recently.

Complaints it cites include delays and use of boilerplate contracts to allow shippers to wait as long as a year to ship their yacht. The consumer is required to pay storage fees and a significant penalty should the consumer cancel transportation service under these contracts. It also lists failure of the shipping company to accurately disclose costs and delivery terms of service as a danger sign to watch out for.

To mitigate these problems, the FMC advises:

“Read and understand the shipping company’s written terms and conditions prior to contracting for services; understand the shipping company’s cancellation policy prior to contracting and ensure that any required delivery windows are specifically provided for in the written contract.”

A list of companies the FMC has licensed to operate (US only) is published here.

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