Do you know why there is an advocacy group like the Move Rescue? The have organized themselves because a lot of homeowners and commercial establishments where bilked by unprincipled and thieving movers and truck rentals.
If an individual feels that he was hoodwinked by a mover, he can call for the help of this organization to take action against the offending party. But you cannot rely totally on this group to take care of your interests.
You must also protect yourself from unscrupulous movers who are only thinking of getting away with your money. Here are some tips on how you can do this.
1. The Lowest Possible Charges
There are movers that will offer you the lowest charges possible. They can offer the lowest service charges because they intend to recover their lost income from other aspects of their moving service.
Choose movers that are established and have good reputation. There are a lot of professional movers out there that you can choose from. The likes of Budget or Penske are two of the finest examples of movers that provide professional and dependable moving services. Don’t stray away from these established and reputable movers,
2. Getting All the Information by Phone
Be wary of a mover who is very confident of his service that he only needs you to phone in all your requirements and he will be ready with a quote. If this is his way of selling you his services, he is giving you a sight-unseen estimate. This is a red flag situation and you need to be wary.
There are a lot of things that a homeowner wants to transport, and only an actual sight inspection can enable a professional mover to give the safest estimate of his moving charges.
You should understand that moving charges are not just based on the number of items to be moved, but also their sizes, weights, and existing values. These things cannot be seen just by talking over the phone.
3. Not Inspecting the Items Individually
If an estimator just gives a quick walk-through on your belongings, be careful. A good estimator, if he is really worth his salt, will open every cabinet, and every closet to see what he needs to transport.
He will ask questions like “Will you eat the food on your pantry before you go, or are you planning to bring them with you?” and “Are you planning to organize a garage sale or do you intend to bring all your household stuff with you?”
These are the types of questions that a good and professional mover will ask. If the estimator just cursorily went over your stuff, then look for another one.
4. Asking For a Large Deposit
A professional mover is not dependent on just a limited number of customers. In other words, his cash flow must be sufficient to cover up his business expenses at the beginning of your contract.
If he is asking a deposit which is more than the reasonable amount, he might be in his last throes of existence. He might not be able to complete your move if something happens that may require him to spend a little more money than the required deposit.
In fact, a responsible and dependable mover would never ask you any money upfront. He will only require you to pay, once the move is completed and you are fully satisfied with the services he had just rendered.
6 A New Name but an Old Look
There are movers who escape being sanctioned by the Better Business Bureau by constantly changing their names. They thought that by changing their names, their old tricks will be buried and forgotten.
So, before signing a moving contract with any mover or truck rental, do your homework. Some amount of sleuthing is necessary to let the cat out into the open. Ask them for three references and be sure that the references that they will give are not their families and friends but real customers that they have recently served.
Also ask for the local businesses that they are dealing with, their business licenses, and so forth. These are things that will show you if they are really legit or not.
7. Overcharging Their Packing Costs
Packing your stuff yourself or letting the mover pack them is a Catch-22 situation. If you pack them, the mover is not generally required to recompense you if something happens to your stuff. But if you let them pack your things, they might charge you with high packing costs.
This problem can be solved by asking at least three movers to give you their quotes on their packing costs. Let them see all the things that you need to pack and compare their charges. Along with other factors, it will be safe if you will consider the mover who will give the lowest quote.
