So, it’s May, and school is out, and you are looking for a great long distance moving company. Where do you start? Do you even know that may is the busiest month for all moving companies, so you may be a little late in the game while making a reservation for your long distance move? With no time to waste you want to be sure that you choose the best company for the job at hand. You want to pick a company that can handle your valuables and gets them from your current home to your new one in the same condition in which you packed them. Not doing your research and asking the right questions can add more to your already present stressful situation.
Movers are a dime a dozen when you hit search on your internet browser. How do you find the right company? Who will handle your baby grand piano with the type of care necessary for it to arrive in one piece and in tune? Below we have a list of all the right questions to ask. Your due diligence will pay off in the long run. Anyone can write a fake review. Be sure to interview your movers during your first call and be sure to not fall victim to any scams.
• How long have your long distance moving company been in business?
Experience is key when it comes to choosing the right movers. It is common sense to believe that the longer the company is in business it must mean that they have ample amount of time to perfect their trade and have helped hundreds, if not thousands, of families, move across state borders.
• Are your movers insured and licensed?
Be sure your long distance moving company has the ability to move between states. A wonderful way to research this is to check their USDOT number. It is easy to find online and if a company tries to tell you they do not need one, run away! It is important to also sure check the insurance documentation of the company. This can be found on the same website in which you find your USDOT number of the company. If a company has one but not the other it is not enough. Be sure your company is licensed AND insured. Do you really want to put your valuables in the hands of the company that could possibly load your valuables and everything you own and potentially just disappears into the sunset with them? We think not. A “side job” moving company may save you a little dough but if all of your belonging arrive from point A to point B damaged, or maybe not even arrive at all, what cost are you really saving? Be sure to take out the extra insurance. Accidents happen. It’s a lot of miles to cross. Be sure you have your bases covered. A couple of guys and a truck does not mean they are the right company for you.
• Has your moving company won any award or have letters from previous clients that were satisfied with their services?
Reputation is everything when it comes to picking the right long distance moving company. There are numerous awards given throughout the year for companies within this industry. If they haven’t won anything, chances are they are sub-par when it came to moving other families in the past. Be sure that the letters of recommendation are real because, like we said before, it is easy to fudge a fake review online.
• Do they have any reviews online?
Most customers only find the time to go online and review a company when it has failed at the job at hand. After reading the letters of recommendation supplied by the company go online and check out as many other reviews you can find to be sure that their recommendation letters are similar to the ones in which they haven’t taken the time to provide. There are many online companies that rate businesses. Some of these are TrustLink, Yelp, and the Better Business Bureau (the BBB). Other people’s thoughts on the company are very important when picking the right long distance moving company for you.
• So where are those hidden fees?
Study, Study, Study the rates of many companies within the moving industry to compare the costs between the companies that you are considering at the top of your list of choices. There are many factors that go into pricing out your move. Many shady companies will give you a low-cost invoice before your move, but you must remember that it is hard to guess the time and cost it will take until your belonging actually arrive. Is fuel included? Is the price influenced by the season or which days in which pick up is finally decided upon? Rain, Snow, Sleet, and Hail. Only an honest company will prevail!
• What are the consolidation rates and moving windows?
If your belongings are consolidated with other jobs it could save a little bit of dough but with this, you must consider that it will take longer for yours to arrive when there are numerous stops for other families. If your moving window is flexible, which it must be anyway because it is hard to guess exactly what day and time a long distance move will arrive, consolidation could be a great option for you. If you are in a time crunch you need to speak with your long distance moving company to be sure that you know everything there is to know so you will not be arriving before your truck does. Nobody wants to sleep on the floor when proper planning could have avoided the whole issue. There is nothing worse than showing up on the first day of your new job without that great new pants suit you bought but have unfortunately packed in the truck.
•What are the costs of wrapping your furniture? How many men will it take to perform the job? If the move takes longer than planned will there be charges that lead to overtime rates? Do they have experience with all sorts of residences?
If a moving company does not come out to your home and give you an onsite estimate you may end up with a lot of excessive fees you never knew of. Long distance moving companies, by law, are only allowed to give estimates over the phone. How are they to know all the intricacies of your move, like elevators and narrow hallways that need extra equipment and men to perform the job safely and efficiently? The more men that are needed, that were never factored into the preliminary estimate, means that your move will cost more money than you were aware of when signing the bottom line. Measurements of your residence are a necessity when factoring an estimate. You should, by now, understand you don’t know the bottom line until all is said and done. Asking these questions ahead of time will save the fainting spell that may occur once the movers hand over your final invoice.
• Have you considered if everything will fit? Do your movers know where everything is to go before it arrives?
Having your idea of where everything should go before your movers arrive will save you the hassle of your furniture not fitting, leading you to excessive costs for storage, and let alone another headache. Be sure to measure all of your furniture and if you have to make a drawing to scale of your new residence and draw out where the furniture is to go so there aren’t any questions that your long distance moving company may have when they arrive.
• And the big question….Does your moving company have any questions FOR YOU?
When you have gone through all the specifics of your move there are probably a thousand more considerations needing a discussion that you may not even be aware of. If the representative of your long distance moving company just hangs up after filling out your paperwork, you should just pick up the phone and call the next movers. Scammers don’t want to talk specifics when it comes to a move because they want to hit you with the biggest figure when it comes to being paid. As much time as you have taken to interview your movers you need them to do as much questioning as you have. The more that is known the less likely you are to have any issues when it comes to your belongings and your wallet.
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