| By :
Wendy Moyer
We've all heard horror stories when it comes to moving. You may have heard about exorbitant fees, damaged furniture, and even vans full of personal belongings that were held hostage by an unscrupulous moving company. Sure, these things can happen. But you can make it almost impossible for it to happen to you if you take several precautionary measures before you hire your moving company. Hiring a professional, honest moving company will take a lot of the stress and pretty much all of the physical work out of your move. So your first task is to find an honest company. You should start your research by asking your family, friends, and neighbors if they've used the services of a local moving company and ask them to fill you in on their experiences, both good and bad. Take notes on the ones you will want to contact and the ones you'll want to avoid. After getting a handful of references either go on the Internet or go into the Yellow Pages and find at least five or six more moving companies in your area. Then call each of the companies and write down their answers to the following questions: 1. What are your prices? Do you charge by the mile, by time, or both? Do you charge additional rates for certain pieces of furniture or appliances such as refrigerators or pianos? 2. Does your company offer insurance? Is there a deductible and, if there is, what is it? Are there any conditions that could affect your being compensated if your things are damaged or lost? By the way, if they don't offer insurance scratch them off your list 3. How experienced are your movers? How many years experience does the moving staff that will be moving your possessions have? Has each of them completed a recent criminal record check? Are they all bondable? 4. What guarantees does the company offer that their movers will show up at the agreed upon time on the day of the move? What will happen if you're not in your new home when the moving company arrives? 5. Do they have a complaint process? How do they handle any disputes? Don't be afraid to take the time to get the answers you need to these and any other questions you might have. If they do not want to answer or if they seem to be uninterested or too busy don't hire them. If they act like this before you give them any money imagine how they'll be if you have a problem with the move. Have each of the companies furnish five professional references from recent clients that they have moved and at least one from a client that they moved a minimum of three years ago. You'll want the older reference because if a moving company is sued or reported to the BBB, many of them just change their name and reopen for business. So if they are reluctant to give you this information do not hire them. Call the references and find out about their experiences with the moving company. Ask if they were punctual and cooperative. Find out if they took good care of their possessions and if they adhered to the agreed upon price. Once you've narrowed down your list it's time to get in touch with the Better Business Bureau in your area and get their input about the companies. Don't hire them if they aren't registered with the BBB. This may seem like a lot of work but if you value your possessions and peace of mind it will be worth the effort.
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