11 Mar 2023
5 Important Ways You Can Avoid A Disastrous Moving Experience.
June to September is peak moving season, and moving companies do a bulk of their yearly business within these 4 months.
Unsuspecting to the public, there are unscrupulous individuals that that front themselves as a moving company, ready to take advantage and profit from the vulnerable.
Horror stories abound:
To avoid this and a myriad of other potential scenaarios, as a consumer, you must be better armed with sufficient knowledge and take the necessary precautions before you move:
Get an in-person quote
Never book a move using just the phone and or the Internet. Always get a representative of the company to make a house call and give you all the move details and price in writing.
Book well in advance if possible
If you book your July move in March or April, you will be able to get a fair price and a comprehensive quote. During the busy moving season, moving companies do not have enough staff to cover all their moves, so they end up sub-contracting. This means higher prices and you will be pressed to get the service and attention your deserve.
Get an estimate and not a price
When you get a quote, get the hourly rate and the estimated time the whole move will take. So if a move will take 5 hours @$125 an hour, the quote should be exactly that and not $625. By giving you a blanket quote, the moving companies can manipulate the move to their advantage. So, if a move takes only 4 hours @ $100/hour, and the company has quoted you $600, you will be asked to pay the $600.
Get a number of quotes.
Don’t just rely on 1 company for a quote. Shop around and get at least 3-4 quotes so you can compare prices and services. The more informed you are, the better your judgment will be when it comes to choosing a company.
Read reviews
The Internet makes it easier to search for moving companies in your area. Reputable moving companies will post their reviews giving them bragging rights. Read the positive and negative reviews. The negative reviews are useful to learn what can go wrong.
Look for red flags
Ensure that the moving company has a bricks and mortar address. Call the listed telephone number and talk to a company representative. Make sure the company accepts different forms of payment. If some of these are missing, you should be on guard.
Moving is not a very enjoyable experience. A lot can go wrong. So why not be prepared from the onset and reduce the stress?
Please feel free to call THE VIRANI SALES TEAM at 604.695.1000 if you would like further explanation on any of our blog topics, or if you have any real estate questions at all.
Unsuspecting to the public, there are unscrupulous individuals that that front themselves as a moving company, ready to take advantage and profit from the vulnerable.
Horror stories abound:
- Consumers losing their deposits to non-existent moving companies fronting on the internet
- Extra fees charged for carrying furniture to higher floors
- Moving companies sub-contracting to unlicensed and under-insured companies that cannot pay claims
- No shows
- Furniture being held hostage for higher payments
To avoid this and a myriad of other potential scenaarios, as a consumer, you must be better armed with sufficient knowledge and take the necessary precautions before you move:
Get an in-person quote
Never book a move using just the phone and or the Internet. Always get a representative of the company to make a house call and give you all the move details and price in writing.
Book well in advance if possible
If you book your July move in March or April, you will be able to get a fair price and a comprehensive quote. During the busy moving season, moving companies do not have enough staff to cover all their moves, so they end up sub-contracting. This means higher prices and you will be pressed to get the service and attention your deserve.
Get an estimate and not a price
When you get a quote, get the hourly rate and the estimated time the whole move will take. So if a move will take 5 hours @$125 an hour, the quote should be exactly that and not $625. By giving you a blanket quote, the moving companies can manipulate the move to their advantage. So, if a move takes only 4 hours @ $100/hour, and the company has quoted you $600, you will be asked to pay the $600.
Get a number of quotes.
Don’t just rely on 1 company for a quote. Shop around and get at least 3-4 quotes so you can compare prices and services. The more informed you are, the better your judgment will be when it comes to choosing a company.
Read reviews
The Internet makes it easier to search for moving companies in your area. Reputable moving companies will post their reviews giving them bragging rights. Read the positive and negative reviews. The negative reviews are useful to learn what can go wrong.
Look for red flags
Ensure that the moving company has a bricks and mortar address. Call the listed telephone number and talk to a company representative. Make sure the company accepts different forms of payment. If some of these are missing, you should be on guard.
Moving is not a very enjoyable experience. A lot can go wrong. So why not be prepared from the onset and reduce the stress?
Please feel free to call THE VIRANI SALES TEAM at 604.695.1000 if you would like further explanation on any of our blog topics, or if you have any real estate questions at all.