
There are a lot of people moving every year in the United States, and it is a miracle that most of these go smoothly with no problems whatsoever. Hiring reputable movers is needed, of course. But even if the majority of the moves go smoothly, shoddy practices or scams do happen. It is in the client’s best interest to be well informed about the steps in the process. Listed below are some ways to hire a reputable team the suits your moving needs.
Inventory
A reputable firm will take an inventory of all their client’s belongings and find out the weight and bulk of the move either through a virtual survey, through phone calls, or in person. Estimators need to be thorough and check every storage place in the house, like drawers, garages, cupboards, and bookcases. A large part of their price depends on the weight of the items and the space it takes up in their truck. Clients need to make sure that they understand the estimate and it is pretty accurate.
What do estimators do? Visit this site for more details.
Get a good walk-through
Estimators who perform quick walk-throughs without noticing what clients plan to move are going to be quite off the mark. A reputable estimator will ask a lot of questions about what the client plan to take from their current home to their next destination. That is why people need to make sure they are prepared to tell estimators which things they do not want on the truck, plan to give away, sell in the yard sale, donate to charity, or items they plan to leave behind for the next owner of the house.
Do not pay a considerable amount of money as a deposit
Reputable and excellent movers will not demand a large amount of deposit or cash before starting the job. People need only pay upon the completion of the task. If clients pay in advance, they have no control over the date or time they will see their belongings again. When people are paying, they need to pay with a credit card to help protect them from possible shoddy or fraudulent activities.
Avoid moving firms with a name switch
Some organizations avoid being assessed by BBB or the Better Business Bureau by doing business under different names. People need to make sure the firm has a local physical address and details about their insurance and licensing.
To find out more about how to check BBB, check out https://www.dummies.com/business/check-business-better-business-bureau for info.
Their staff needs to answer the phones with the full name of the organization. People need to find out if there are other names the firm does business as, as well as their state and federal license numbers. Check the Internet if there are complaints about the firm. To find out more about the organization’s history, they can call the complaints hotline at FMCSA or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Get references
If you have family members, friends, co-workers, or neighbors who do not have recommendations, get a list of reputable movers from various organizations to like the American Moving and Storage Association or other state or local organizations of moving firms.
Ask any professional firms you speak with for any reference. Ask them for a list of at least three clients from the area you are living, who have moved in the past couple of months. Call the clients and ask questions about their experiences hiring these professionals.
Avoid spending money on packing
If people pack their belongings themselves, these professionals usually are not responsible for the damage to the client’s items. But if they have the professionals do the packing, they may pay inflated rates for the packing materials and boxes, not to mention labor and time.
If the client does not have time to pack their things and decides to have the company pack their items, they need to ask about their experience in this matter. A lot of packers are very careful with their client’s belongings, but people want to avoid the chance of hiring someone who just tosses whatever they can into boxes and seals it up with little to no regard for the damage or breakage.
Be careful of additional charges
Suppose you live in a two-story property or move into one or live on the tenth-floor or plan to move into one. In that case, there is a big chance that companies will charge you additional fees for having to negotiate elevators and stairs. Have narrow streets that will not fit their moving truck? Expect additional fees for transferring the items to smaller trucks for delivery. Customers need to make sure that they ask their movers about additional charges that may apply to their situation.
Avoid blank moving contracts
Do not sign, at all cost, a blank contract. Get everything in black and white or in writing. The company’s estimate, as well as additional charges, should be listed in the contract. Not only that, make sure that the pick-up and delivery time and date are stated clearly.
Always make it a habit to read contracts and ensure all of the belongings are listed. If the laptop is not labeled properly on the inventory form you sign before they leave, there is a good chance that it will not be in the box when they arrive. People cannot file claims for anything that does not appear on the list.
Do not accept guaranteed quotes
There are three types of contracts these professionals give to their clients:
A non-binding estimate on the contract means the movers in Charlotte, NC, can’t require payments more than ten percent above the original estimate. Any overcharges need to be paid within 30 days of delivery.
A non-binding to exceed the estimate on the contract to make sure that clients will not have to pay for overcharges to original estimates. These estimates are the maximum clients will be required to pay for services rendered.
Binding estimates on the contract are supposed to be guaranteed prices for moves and all services and extras. If clients request additional services like unpacking, any additional charges need to be paid within 30 days of delivery.
Report any issues
People have nine months to report any issues or problems with the firm and file insurance claims. So if they are opening boxes one year after it was delivered and find broken glass, they are out of luck. On the day of the move, try opening the boxes and sift through them to verify that all the items are not damaged or broken.
Note any issues or problems with the firm’s copy of the contract before signing. Companies or professionals have 30 days to accept or acknowledge the claim. Within four months of receiving it, they need to deny the request or make offers to pay the damages.