Imagine choosing a moving company. You set up pickup and delivery dates and you sign the contract, but when it’s time to move—a few weeks later—the company imposes other charges you aren’t aware of, aside from your bill. You’re told you can’t get your things unless you pay those extra fees. How would you deal with such a situation?
Even though you may never have had a similar experience, that’s a snapshot of what can happen when you don’t pay extra attention to the kind of moving company you hire. For your roadmap, here are seven key tips on how to choose the right company.
Research Companies
The first thing to do is to do some informal research to know which companies are trending and offer quality work. Ask your friends and family for recommendations or warnings about which company they have worked with. Ask for the companies you wish to work with to offer references and contact the references.
Once done, narrow down your choices and check sites like Better Business Bureau about the company you are considering. If any of the companies have some number of complaints filed against them, then it’s a red flag and that shouldn’t be a team you hire.
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Get More Than One Estimate
If you are moving interstate, the charges usually depend on the weight of the items, distance, packing and other devices. Ask two to three companies for a quote in advance. You can consider meeting with a relocation consultant in person or ask them to come to your place.
The consultant will look at your belongings and make a rough estimate of how much it will cost to transport all the items. Additionally, when speaking to the companies, ask whether their estimate is binding or nonbinding and avoid accepting an estimate over the phone. Everything you do should be written and signed by both parties.
Ensure the Mover is Aware of Everything that Must Be Moved
Ensure the moving company is perfectly aware of all the things that need to be moved. This is because the cost may increase if you add anything to the shipment that is not included in the estimate. Furthermore, make sure the movers are aware of any special circumstances that might make the moving challenging.
For instance, is there a possibility that the truck will have difficulties parking at your new place? If the truck has to be packed far away from your home, you may be charged extra fee for the walk the movers will do to get your things to the new place.
Get Insurance
If you have homeowners insurance, the coverage will only protect your belongings when they are at your home but not when they are on transit on the road. So, for the long journey, you will want to consider purchasing a moving or relocation insurance.
Unless you pay extra to the moving company, it’s unlikely your items will be insured against breakage due to improper packing. If you want to make sure that you have coverage for broken items, you can ask the company as there are different types of insurance packages offered for moving items. The movers are liable for some amount multiplied by the shipment weight up to a certain amount.
Pay Close Attention to the Contract
The company will provide you with a lading bill; a legal contract between a customer and the mover. Make sure you read it thoroughly and you understand the agreement before signing. Additionally, make sure you hang on your copy of the losing billing.
If anything goes wrong, you will want to have it ready to state your case and once you sign the lading bill, you must pay the amount that is written which you are supposed to pay. Check the bill of lading to be sure it include name and address of the movers, the payment method they accept, time of pickup, minimum and maximum amounts to pay and other important details related to the payment.
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Ask Questions About the Contract
Ask every question you feel is essential. Be sure the contract you enter covers all rates and charges, the date for pickup and delivery and claims protection. Read all the documents carefully, don’t worry about making the company wait while you analyze the contract to ensure you understand all that is included.
Moving company scams are not uncommon so you want to avoid falling in scammers’ hand because you didn’t go over the document properly. If you find anything fishy, trust your instincts and ask questions. You don’t want to experience what’s mentioned in the introduction of this article; moving company holding your items hostage and forcing you to pay extra costs.
Move During the Winter
If you have the ability to move between the months of October and April, you are likely going to receive a better deal. Between June and September are the busiest time for movers with experience and expertise therefore call them in advance and ask for estimates before settling a contract. When you are choosing between companies, remember to leave the quotes you get from other companies in your kitchen counter, dining table or anywhere visible so the company assessing your belongings will see, this way they will know they have competition, so they are likely to negotiate the best deal with you.
Conclusion
Choosing the right movers can make a great difference in what you experience and how your belongings are handled. The right company is insured and will give you a fair and transparent quote, you are unlikely to be asked for extra charges during or after the move unless it’s necessary, moreover to avoid this, tell the company the items they are going to move as what usually incur extra fee even when working with the righteous company is adding items other than what’s written in the list they have.