While researching and making a list of national moving companies to move you to another part of the country, there are five important things you should avoid.
Some of them may look too obvious; however, you will be able to save a lot of time and stress on the move when you have a note of things to double-check when hiring a national mover.
In any situation, the whole of your goods are in your new home and not on the moving truck. That gives you some advantage with the movers if required.
Below are what not to do when hiring national moving companies:
Endeavor Not To Think Your Mover Is Not a Broker
One of the things not to do is to conclude your mover is not a broker. Find out whether your mover is a moving company or a dealer. In case your moving company is a broker, find out who will be moving your goods. Perform research and verify both companies. The law requires the company to let you know if they are hiring another company to perform the move.
Not to run away from a Company that only accepts Cash
Ask in advance about how the company takes the moving fees. Although handling over some huge bills might not seem like a problem, companies that only accept cash might also take your household goods and not ever deliver them. Long-distance moves imply that your items will not be with you for some time, so you need to hire a legit state to state moving company only.
Do not assume that the Moving Company gives Enough Insurance
Gather some information about moving insurance. According to the new federal rules, a moving company offers you the opportunity to purchase a standard inclusion. A lot of insurance policies are determined by weight and not value. Make sure you are secured and also know if you have to purchase more.
Not remember to screen the Moving Companies
Be sure to ask the right questions so you can prevent any unnecessary charges, scams, and damages. Ask questions, such as:
- Is the business they operate legitimately? Legitimate movers should have a physical office and phone number that you can double-check through many sources. You can also check if the company is licensed to operate by your city or state governments.
- Can the moving company show you reviews or references? Searching through internet resources like the Better Business Bureau, Google, Yelp, or Angie’s List should give you enough insight into a business’s practices through their reviews.
- Are you working with a broker or an actual moving company? A lot of moving companies on the internet are brokers. You should not give up on working directly with those directly responsible for moving your household goods so you can negotiate for better pricing and your unique terms of service.
- Do they have authorization issued by the FMCSA? Moving companies that have licenses issued by the federal government are regulated by law and are thus bound by some standards when talking about pricing and transport. You won’t be in control when you contract your moving job to a mover or broker that is not registered with the federal government.
- Is the company licensed for interstate transport? Moving companies that operate state to state are required by the federal government to be licensed with the FMCSA. long distance moving companies should present you a duplicate of their federal tariff when requested. You can also check the FMCSA website to see if the operating license of the mover is updated.
- Does the moving company belong to AMSA? The American Moving and Storage Association’s ProMover program gives residential movers certification and complies with government regulations and policies that protect customers from dishonest moving practices.
- How does the moving company charge for their moving services? Make sure you ask about the company’s lowest charges as well as extra fees before you select a mover. Interstate moving charges are often calculated by weight and miles. Make sure you get a complete written description of possible charges and services under your moving contract from your mover.
- What services are added/removed to/from your moving estimate? You are completely responsible to figure out the details of your moving estimate with a moving company before you sign any agreement. In some cases, if a moving quote is provided over the phone or internet, moving companies refuse to add unexpected permits, appliances, elevators, shuttling, heavy lifting, stairs, long-carry, and storage charges.
It is often best to ask a professional estimator to visually check the entire scope of work before accepting a relocation quote. Most often, you can prevent unexpected service charges by presenting the planned details of your move.
- Do the movers have questions for you? Experienced moving companies know the importance of unanswered questions as it causes unexpected charges. Your movers should ask questions about things like the items in your garage, closet, cabinets, basement, and attic; making an inventory of all they need to get ready. They are trained to reveal details you are yet to even consider.
Do not pack Highly Valuable Items and Leave them with the Mover
Important items, like your accounting records, jewelry, passport, school records, or other important things should be moved with you, not left with the mover. Get a full list of things to pack to prevent important items from getting lost while moving and things that should be left behind.
Do Not Pay for the Move unless your Items have been unloaded from the Truck
If any of your moving boxes are missing, make sure you don’t sign the documents. Signing should only be done after the move is completed. After signing that you have received all your items, it will be difficult to contact the company again that some items are missing. Count the moving boxes over and over, ensure you take inventory of your goods.
This is just your chance to ensure everything happened. If you have a problem with the paperwork (check the next point), at least all your household goods are in your new home and not on the moving truck. That gives you some advantage over the movers if needed.
Don’t wait too long before you file a Complaint
This is the importance of unpacking after moving and doing it fast. Usually, open the boxes first to ensure everything is intact during the move before completely unpacking. Waiting longer to file a claim may delay acceptance of your request.
Do Not Forget To Make Estimates Comparison
Contact 3 to 5 companies to get moving estimates. A highly reliable and reputable mover will send an agent to perform an in-home inspection. Normally, an in-home estimate will provide more clarity on the ideas of the exact cost of your move, rather than just using the number of bedrooms to determine an estimate.
Be Quick to Check your Offers
After the in-person inspection, you will get a written estimate, which may be non-binding or binding. A binding estimate implies that the company cannot charge beyond or below the stated amount unless the moving company determines during pickup that you have more items or require more services than what was originally estimated. In this case, the moving company will go over the estimate on-site so you can sign before they pack up.
With a non-binding estimate, the cost is based on weight, and they are allowed to charge up to 10% more if they calculate the overall weight on your shipment after they are packed into the truck and making a stop at a weigh station. You can ask to be on-site when they determine the weight of the shipment.
Disallow the Mover from Managing the Inventory List
Let someone at your old home represent you during pickup of your stuff by your mover as well as someone at the new home for when your stuff is being delivered. Every item that is loaded and unloaded in the moving truck should be checked and recorded.
Conclusion
Plan to oversee the whole pickup, which could take just one or more days, and also plan towards the same for delivery. On the day of your move, you will be presented a bill of lading and inventory list; go through them properly before you sign and keep them for comparison purposes at delivery in your new home.
To get further information on interstate moving, as well as how to file a complaint in the event of a bad move, check the ‘protect your move’ portal on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s portal.
