Certified, Insured Movers
When it comes to moving and relocation, you can’t just hire any moving company. Remember, you will be trusting these people with your valuable possessions, your family’s personal items. And to be honest, there are a lot of scammers and con artists in this industry. Some rogue movers will cheat you in terms of the price, while there are also some despicable ones who will hold your items hostage unless you pay them additional money. That’s the hard truth.
This is exactly why it’s important to look for movers that are certified and insured. Today, we’ll give you tips on how to find companies that you can trust.
1. Get Options – The first and most important thing you can do is to find several companies and get quotes from them. To be safe, you should get quotations from at least 3 companies. Make sure to get referrals from people that you trust. You can ask your family and friends, or you can also use the services of reputable companies like Top Mover Quotes.
2. Affiliations and Accreditations – Call each company and ask about their memberships in various state and national associations/organizations. One of the basic ones to look for is a membership with the AMSA or the American Moving and Storage Association. You can check AMSA’s list of accredited moving companies by going to their website (www.moving.org). Next, the company should have a license issued by the FMCSA or the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Association. This will determine if the company has a good standing with its insurance carrier.
3. Check with the BBB – Another good step is to check with the Better Business Bureau. This way, you can find out if there have been any complaints with the company, and if ever there are, if these complaints have been addressed and solved accordingly.
4. Get a Binding Estimate – If all companies are properly accredited and licensed, the next thing you should do is ask for binding estimates or binding quotes. This will show you a breakdown of all costs. Take note that reputable companies should send one of their personnel to your house for an onsite visit. This way, you’ll know that their bid is based on actual facts and measurements. The price will basically be affected by the amount of things you own, the distance of the move. Make sure to ask them about any extra charges such as packing materials, or specialty items (hot tubs, grand pianos, etc..).
5. Consider Getting Insurance – If you really want to be sure about the safety of your belongings, ask the companies if they offer full-value protection or even general insurance. You can also opt to buy a policy from a third party insurance carrier that you trust.
Always remember that you can’t just hire any company with the lowest price. The initial research is vital to ensuring that you are going to hire legit mover that are properly accredited and insured.