Six Important Questions To Ask Your Movers

Six Important Questions To Ask Your Movers

A common problem that occurs when choosing the wrong mover is that they will give you a very low quote up front, then when the time comes to unload the truck at your new home they will try to demand more money, putting you in an awful predicament.

Here are six important questions to ask the moving companies that you are interviewing for your moving job:

1.  Ask the moving company about its business history and its staff.  Are the people that will actually be loading and unloading your possessions employed by the company, or are they simply temporary or as-needed labor?

2.  Will the mover come to your house to give you a visual inspection and written quote, or are they so busy that they will only give you a 'ball park' quote based on the number of rooms that you tell them that you have.  

3.  See if the moving company will give you a 'binding estimate'.  A binding estimate clearly details what the mover is going to do for the fee that they are charging you and also guarantees the total cost of your move.  By contrast a 'non-binding estimate' gives the mover a great deal of flexibility to tack on hidden charges and fees, leaving you with a much more expensive move than you anticipated.

4.  Ask about the availability and cost of moving insurance and be sure that you understand how you will be reimbursed for any potential lost or damaged items.

5.  Ask about the possibility of additional fees, such as extra charges for going up stairs, having to park the truck an extra distance from your new home, or moving extra large items like a piano.

6.  Understand the payment terms of the moving companies that you are interviewing.  If a mover is asking you to pay 100% up front or requires a large deposit, that means that if something goes wrong with your move you have lost the leverage of demanding that the mover make things right before they are paid in full.