Most people consider moving as a stressful event in their life. You may be right moving can be a nightmare if the right moving company is not used, and also in most cases you don’t have enough time to organize your move. And naturally, when you are on a busy schedule you are more likely to miss something, or to make a mistake which can cost a fortune. When you are about to move and you are hiring a relocating company, there are some questions that you must ask your movers. Moving is quite a frustrating activity, but knowing what questions to ask when hiring a moving company will save you a lot of trouble. Here is a list of very important questions to ask your movers.
Mover or Broker
One of the very key questions to ask when hiring movers is if they are a moving company or just moving brokers.
A moving broker is definitely not a mover. Brokers do not have the operational and logistic competences moving companies have. They do not provide their own moving trucks, movers, proper moving equipment, and in most cases they don’t have much moving experience. Moving brokers are nothing more than sales teams that book your move and sell it to real moving companies.
When you book your move remember to ask the company whether they are an actual movers or just brokers. As a broker won’t take any responsibility about the whole move, be sure that you are using a professional moving company. Moreover, there are cases where brokers transfer you to third party mover before asking you for confirmation.
Ask your mover about US DOT number
You definitely don’t want to be dealing with a rogue moving company. Every registered mover in the US Department of Transportation is obliged to follow certain rules and regulation concerning safety measures. Ask your relocating company to provide you with their US DOT number. You can run a moving company check online in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website and find out if your potential mover is registered and licensed. When it comes to your belongings you have to be very careful as to avoid moving scams.
Moving estimate quotes
Ask your mover about a moving estimate quote. Most movers provide their customers with free moving quotes through e-mail messages. There are two types of moving estimates – binding and non-binding estimates.
* Binding Moving Estimate – Binding estimate is an agreement that you make in advance with your mover, which guarantees the final moving cost based on the quantities and services shown on the estimate.
* Non-Binding Moving Estimate – Under the non-binding estimate you are charged based on what your mover assumes the cost will be, depending on the estimated weight of the shipment and the additional services requested. A non-binding estimate is not binding to the moving company. The final charges will be based upon the actual weighing of your shipment and the moving services provided.
Insurance Related Questions to Ask Movers
Require from your mover to give you detailed information on the insurance options. Under Federal law, interstate movers are obliged to offer you two different liability options referred to as valuation coverage: Full Value Protection and Released Value Protection. The Full Value protection suggests that your mover is liable for the replacement value of lost or damaged goods in your entire shipment. Under the Released Value protection your mover assumes liability for no more than 60 cents per pound per item. Before making a decision make sure that you fully understand the insurance options which your mover offers you. If you are performing a long distance move make sure that the insurance is valid in both moving locations.
Payment Questions to Ask When Hiring Movers
Payment related questions to ask are essential as in most cases moving costs differ a lot. Usually, moving companies accept most major credit cards, money orders, bank checks or payment through the PayPal system. Most times there is an initial moving deposit when hiring movers and when your goods are delivered, before movers start unloading your belongings, you pay the rest. Keep in mind that the initial moving deposit should not be more than 15% from the total estimated amount.
Lastly, before signing a contract with your mover, be sure you fully understand all the clauses. Do not sign if you have any doubts or other moving related concerns. Ask your mover about the moving process, if you don’t understand something, ask the moving company to explain it to you. After all we all want to enjoy a smooth and relaxed move. Find a professional mover that will answer all of your questions and will handle your belongings with great care.