How to check if you hired reliable movers?

Professionals with experience will make your relocation much easier and less stressful. Still, you may wonder have you made a good choice and hired reliable movers. This guide will show you the signs that the moving company is trustworthy. Compare them with the moving company that you have chosen and see have you hired reliable movers.

Why is it important to hire reliable movers?

Hiring reliable movers is not just important – it’s crucial. You are putting your belongings into the hands of the stranger, and you need to be sure that they will be safe and without damages.

Since the average American is relocating at least once in life, the moving business is thriving. There are many moving companies on the market, and the key to a successful relocation is finding the most reliable one.
If you go with shady and new movers which services cost significantly lower, that can get your belongings in jeopardy.
In the end, hiring a suspiciously cheap company can be more costly than going with the more expensive, yet reputable company. Hiring reliable movers are the best way to avoid moving scams.

How to check if you hired reliable movers?

If you want to check if the residential movers that you have hired are reliable, ask yourself these questions:

• Did they do the in-sight estimation of your home? – Any moving company that doesn’t do an inspection of your home is suspicious. Movers that are giving estimation over the phone or online, are not to be trusted. The representative of the company has to come to your home and made an inventory of your belongings, any possible relocation obstacles and any items that are needing special attention.
• How thorough was the estimator? – A representative of reliable movers will measure the dimensions of your household as well as the doors and hallways. He will be writing everything down. Any piece of information is relevant, so you should expect a lot of questions.
  If the representative is doing a superficial check of your home, that is a bad sign.
• Is the contract complete? – Everything that you are discussing with the movers should be put in writing. If any of the items missing or is added without your consent, you shouldn’t sign it. In that case, it’ll be wise to consider another company that will provide you with reliable moving services.
• How much did you pay the deposit? – The common thing that moving companies do is to ask for the deposit. The amount of the deposit separates the reliable movers from the ones that you shouldn’t trust. The deposit depends on the size of the move, but it is usually between $100 and $500. If the company demanded a higher amount or all the bill paid in front, it’s the clear sign that you should find other movers.

License, insurance, experience – Three pillars of reliable movers

Every reliable moving company will have a proper license, insurance, and enough experience to conduct your move. Those are the three crucial things when choosing reliable movers.

How to check the license of the company?

All reliable moving companies that operate in the USA have to have a license from the United States Department of Transportation, and each has unique movers license number –  the US DOT number.

Companies have to renew their license every year. If the company wasn’t operating by the law, it loses its license. Since moving business is huge, many companies are continuing to provide services, even if they’ve lost their license. That’s why verifying if the company has a valid license is very important.

Checking if the movers have an up-to-date license is very easy. Just type in the US DOT number of the movers into the U.S. Department of Transportation database and see the results.

After you verify that the company is legal, ask if it’s a member of the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA). Membership in the AMSA is not mandatory for the moving company. Still, it’s a huge bonus that guarantees that you are dealing with reliable movers that comply with federal moving and storage laws.

Check are the movers insured

Since relocation is a difficult task, there are many things that can go wrong. Accidents happen even to the best movers, so you need to know is your moving company properly insured. That means is the company providing the basic moving insurance to your belongings. The reliable movers, with nothing to hide, will gladly give you a copy of their Certificate of Insurance to verify that they have insurance.

Still, you have to understand what basic insurance means. It is moving insurance that will cover damage or loss to your belongings in the moving process. Typically, a payout rate of $0.60 per pound, per item. For example, that means that if the movers damage an item that weighs 10 pounds, you will get a check of $6.00, regardless of what the worth of the item is. Reliable movers will always explain that to you and suggest to purchase additional insurance to your stuff.

Why is the experience of the movers relevant?

It’s doesn’t necessarily mean that a new company is a bad company. The movers that don’t have much experience can compensate for their desire to prove themselves on the moving business. Still, ask yourself, do you want to be their guinea pig? If you are moving locally, you don’t have much stuff to transport and your moving doesn’t have obstacles, you can go with the new movers. The way your movers behave on a moving day will give you the exact answer to how much should you tip your movers.

When it comes to long-distance relocation, you’ll be wise to select a company with a lot of experience. Especially if you have bulky, yet delicate items like a piano or a pool table. In that case, only hire the pool table movers with a lot of successful moves behind them.

Reliable movers with the years of experience will know how to handle almost every possible moving obstacles. They probably deal with them before, so they learn how to overcome them quickly and efficiently. They know how to handle the items that need special attention, and to deliver them to you safe and undamaged.

Do your movers have a physical address?

Reliable movers are transparent. You can read everything on their site and they do not hide information from you. When you are checking your movers, see their address. It is important that their physical address is local. If the address is not local, there may be something behind it. You will avoid all the moving stress if you check the website of the movers thoroughly. Always ask your movers if you can pay them a visit and have a meeting in person. If the address is non-existent, move on and a different moving company to receive reliable moving services.

Reliable movers do not have multiple names

Reliable movers do not switch their names in order to avoid the Better Business Bureau. For example, if they do not have a good review under their original name, they will switch to a different name when doing business with you. Ask them if they have a different name, or what is the original name of the moving company. Also, check on the website whether it says does business as.

Are there many complaints filed again the moving company?

Accidents happen sometimes even to reliable movers, and this is perfectly normal. It would be impossible to never have an issue when relocating items. However, if there are too many complaints against your moving company, this may be proof that they are not reliable. Luckily this can be checked at the FMSCA site easily under Reviews section. You will be able to see the number and the outcome of the reviews. Our suggestion is that if your movers have too many complaints, avoid them and find another moving company that is more reliable. You will be able to check both interstate and intrastate movers, so you have nothing to worry about.

What kind of estimate do reliable movers offer?

We have already mentioned that it is necessary that you have someone from the crew come to your home and make an assessment of your inventory. That person will estimate the weight, but also the type of reliable moving services that you will require. It is important to choose the best type of a moving estimate, as you will know exactly how to plan your moving budget. Here we will present you with the three basic types of moving estimates.

Non-binding estimate

With a non-binding estimate, you will get an estimated price, but this does not have to mean anything. If your items weigh more than you expected, you will have to pay for them. This is not very suitable if you are moving a lot of things. In that case, if someone misestimates the weight by a dozen pounds, you will have to pay a higher price. Fraudulent moving companies or not reliable ones, use this type of estimate to offer you a lower price in the beginning. So, if the moving company offers you this type of a moving estimate, ask them for a different one as there are a lot of risks of non-binding estimates.

Binding estimate

A binding estimate is a better option, on the other hand, although it does have its flaws. Here you will have the final price presented to you after the estimate. If you happen to have items that weigh less on a moving day, you will have to pay for the original price. So, you still do not know what is the final price of the move because if your items weigh more you will have to pay for their shipping costs. With reliable moving companies, of course, the estimate will be correct and there will be no unpleasant surprises. Know that you can always deduct moving expenses by reducing the number of items that you will move in the beginning.

Binding not-to-exceed estimate

This is the best type of moving cost estimate that you can get. It protects you in case you have more items than originally stated, and if you have fewer items than originally stated. If your items weigh less on a moving day, you will not have to pay for the full amount. On the other hand, if your items weigh more than you will not have to pay for them. However, if you try to add extra items on a moving day in order to avoid paying for them, the deal is off. This is the type of estimate that protects you from unreliable movers and will help you recognize reliable movers if they offer this estimate.

Moving reviews can help you find reliable moving companies

In your search for reliable moving companies, moving reviews can help you big time. Psychology says that people will express their dissatisfaction more easily than their satisfaction. So, check out the moving company reviews in order to see how people perceive your movers. As we already mentioned, accidents can happen, but the way the movers react in those situations is crucial. And you will be able to see this in the reviews. There may be one or two fake moving reviews, but all you need is to get a general picture of how they function if they offer reliable moving services.

We have seen all the ways in which you can check if you hired reliable movers. Although it may seem time-consuming, it is worth every minute. Hiring movers that you can trust is the best thing you can do when moving your possessions.