Moving can be stressful, which is why a lot of people call on the services of moving companies to make everything easier. But how do you find the right moving company for your needs? How can you discern between scammers and legit businesses? Don’t fret, for we are here to help. Here are a few tips and tricks for finding and engaging the services of a moving company, from certified NYC movers, who have been in the moving industry for more than ten years.
Know What Sort of Services You’ll Require
It’s important to understand the sort of services you’ll be asking for from the moving company. Do you need a large or small truck to transport your things? Is this a short-distance or long-distance move? Are you going to pack your things yourself or are you going to ask the moving company to do so? Knowing what sort of services you’ll require is important, since not all moving companies are the same.
Some might do packing, others might not. Some might only have small trucks available, and others might only do short-distance moves. Every person’s situation is unique, so you’ll have to do some thinking before hiring movers. Make a list of all the moving companies in your areas, with the sort of services they offer, and then, once you know what you need, start crossing them out. This will definitely make your life a bit easier when it comes to choosing a company.
Find Out What Other People Are Saying About the Company
If you have access to the internet, and who doesn’t nowadays, you should definitely look for online reviews of moving companies before engaging their services. While it might be tempting to only focus on the good ones, especially if there are a lot of them, the bad ones are where you’ll truly find how the company operates. You’ll not only discern how the company treats its customers, but also how it operates and how reliable they are.
Besides the internet, you can also go by word of mouth. Ask friends or family who have relocated before if they have used the services of moving companies, and how good they were. Just to set things straight, a little bit of wear and tear on your stuff is to be expected when moving, which is why most moving companies offer insurance services. But if people are saying that the movers are consistently damaging their stuff, then you should probably look somewhere else.
Before Signing a Contract, Meet up with the Movers
Since movers will be transporting some of your most personal objects, it’s important to ensure that they’re the right people for the job. So, meet up with them, see how a day in their life looks like. If, after the initial phone call, they’re already planning your move, asking how much work there is to do and are quoting you a fair price, then maybe they’re the people you should rely on. On the other hand, steer clear of any moving company that offers you a quote before you’ve even talked about how many objects they’ll have to transport.
While it’s not common, there are some scammers out there that will quote you one price when talking on the phone, and a much higher one when actually starting the move. Now, an increase of around 10% is normal, but anything more than that should ring alarm bells. This is why it’s important to meet up with the movers before signing the contract. Face to face discussions tend to flow differently than on the phone ones, and you’ll definitely sniff out any potential problems by looking at the person’s body language and tone.
Read the Contract at Least Two Times
This is not just good advice for when signing a contract with a moving company, but when signing any sort of contract. Read the contract from top to bottom, and look for any hidden fine print. If you find anything out of the ordinary, be sure to call your moving company and talk about it. You’ve got nothing to lose, since if the company refuses to explain, then you’ll just take your business elsewhere.
What you should be on the look-out for are any clauses that exonerates the moving company from any damage done to your things. Any reputable moving company will have an insurance policy in place to protect both the company and yourself from such situations. Don’t forget to look for information regarding how payment will be handled, or you might find yourself paying much more once the move is actually in progress.
