Tips for Choosing the Best Moving Company

Moving companies offer you packaging, labeling, transportation, unloading, unpacking and all such services. But this industry is not fraud-proof like any other industry these days. The moving companies are not all the honest people. We often read in news about the frauds of moving companies like stealing possessions, holding the things of costumers for ‘ransom’, not providing the claim, abusing the costumers in different ways. Most of such companies are those movers which operate individually on their own and have no other authority above them. Such movers are usually not associated with some major van lines and will start their work of moving under their own name of the “van line”.

Research and statistics show that about 40 million people in America move in a year. The number includes both, individual movers and van line movers. Most of these moving cases are completed successfully. The only few who get trapped in the fraud are by because of some carelessness in choosing the right mover. The most frauds are associated with movers who offer the cheapest price. Economics may say that the same service if is available in cheaper rates, and then choose the cheaper one. But this can create a disaster for you. To choose the best company for relocating our stuff and moving you out to some new place is the task that involves doing some inquires and research.

The busiest time for movers is the month of October when the peak season is approaching. If you want to obtain a care free move and shift, then you should keep in a mind the following tips. These tips can save you from any frauds and scandals.

1. Do not ever hire a moving agent or broker. They cannot be trusted as they have no insurance and no credibility. They are not even legal firm most of the times.

2. Check the number of years the moving company has been in existence. Make sure it is doing the task for 7 or more years. This will ensure that the company has experience with the shifting and relocating business and will do the job with expertise. The more the experience, the faster will be your relocating process executed. You can save a lot of time with experienced movers.

3. Visit the company’s site and see who they are. Have a look at the kind of equipments they use. Meet the person in charge and ask him/her questions about their moving process. Clearly understand the services they are offering and ask if you have any doubts.

4. Do not trust the telephonic conversations. Never accept an “estimate” while having a conversation over phone. The phone conversations cannot be relied upon. Person meeting is really important and the paperwork is the right way to do the formalities. Oral agreement does not count.

5. Look at their mode of transport. Check their truck and know if the truck has the markings and height as per the federal law. See how many trucks they are going to use. Look up for the length of the truck and verify that also against the federal law.

6. Better Business Bureau will tell you about the credibility and authenticity of the company. So check the chosen moving firm with BBB.

7. Also check the ICC number of the company mad match it against the FMCSA records.

These are just a few tips about the moving and shifting companies. Another point to keep in mind is associated with the storage of costumer’s household goods. Moving companies also provide with the service of warehousing your possessions. They offer you to store your things till the time your new location or residence is ready for shifting of the goods. They then hold the belongings in their warehouse calling it ‘ransom’. But FMCSA is becoming alert on this fraud and is enforcing strict laws against such movers by enforcing the Map-21 Act. Some incidents, other than the storage frauds, also occur. Those are due to the individual movers who have the name on the van which is very much similar to the most renowned mover company in your locality. This way, they try to fool the customer with some fake name sounding very similar to a famous moving company.

But this does not mean that the individuals are always frauds and cannot be trusted. The individual movers can also be trusted and hired for the job. You, as a customer, must have peace of mind. Just make sure you do not give them the control of the place where your belongings are stored. Choose a place which is under our control, not the mover’s, like some mini-storage facility. This prevents any risk of frauds and ‘ransom’ scams. Also, the key to avoid from a fraud and trap is to research properly and investigate the firm personally.