Movers Watch

Shifting houses is by no means an easy task. Add to that handing over all your belongings to some cap wearing strangers who drive trucks — Stress unlimited! Ok, I may be exaggerating a bit, but the fact still remains that choosing the right moving company is almost as critical to the move as choosing the right place to move to. And making the wrong choice can no doubt prove disastrous. So here are some things that should be kept in mind while choosing a relocating company.

Research is the keyword when making this decision. Check the yellow pages, surf the web, talk to your friends or colleagues, get all the info you can. Do this and make a rough list of the supposedly good ones. The next stop should be the BBB or the Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org). This is where you can check out the if the companies have any complaints registered against them, and most probably you will find some. Also, check with the Department of Transportation (DoT) regarding the companies’ licenses. The last thing you want is to be scammed by a new company with a name similar to an already established one.

Once you’ve done this much, relax for a while. You’re halfway through! Ok now, back to work. Whatever queries you have in mind, write them down on a piece of paper. Remember to include pick-up, delivery, expenses etc. Now call up all the shortlisted companies, put to them all the questions that you wrote, and note down whatever they tell you, so that you can compare later. Any good company will send an estimator to your place who will provide you with an estimate regarding the weight of your goods and the corresponding cost of transporting them. If a company is unwilling to do so, please willingly efface its name from your list.

Next, obtain a WRITTEN quote from the company. This quote would depend on the weight of the goods, the distance of the move, fragile items, pickup and delivery, and the day/date of the move ( weekend and holiday rates are usually higher than other days). You can choose from a variety of plans depending on what your movers offer, for example movers pack ‘n’ move, or you pack and they move. As such, a company cannot charge you more than 10% above the originally quoted price, but to be on the safer side, get a NOT TO EXCEED clause included in the contract. This protects you from being overcharged even if the cost incurred by them is more. All this must be documented in paper. This is your only scam protection.

Well, you’re almost done. You have the research, the reviews and the rates. Just see what suits you best, and come to a decision. Also, remember to make bookings a month or two in advance. You don’t want to be stuck at the last moment. Just keep all this in mind and you should have no trouble at all.