The following is a great piece on finding a moving company and although it was written by a company in the Seattle area, it applies to all:
You have found a real estate agent, put an offer in on a house, and now it is time to find a mover. But whom do you trust to move everything you own? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. There are, however, three steps that will ensure that whatever choice you make, will be a good one:
When finding a moving company, start with the BBB:
The Better Business Bureau has made it their business for the better part of a century to ensure that the professionals in your area, well, stay professional. They monitor complaints as well as post customer service ratings on their website (just Google “BBB + your city, your state” and it will pop right up in the search). The BBB is a great resource for finding trusted moving and storage companies in your area. Just look for those that have A to A+ ratings in the last 36 months. All complaints should have been successfully resolved and they should be in good standing with the BBB.
When finding a moving company, check out Moving Scam.com:
You’ve found a moving & storage company that is doing well with the BBB. But, since not all people report their bad experiences to the BBB, it is good to look in multiple places. As a “just in case,” go to movingscam.com. The founder of the site got scammed by rogue movers years ago and decided he was going to hold scam movers accountable, single-handedly. He has done a pretty good job of informing the public of the naughty as well as the nice since then. You can look a mover up to see if anyone has posted good or bad comments about them. Just know that these are people’s raw opinions… And we all know: “opinions are like armpits, everyone has one and most stink.” I would look for patterns. If there are one or two negative complaints, it’s probably nothing. If there are three or more, time to reconsider the mover. If someone took the time to write a positive post, that holds huge weight! People are ten times more likely to share a negative experience than a positive one.
When finding a moving company, get a written estimate:
The BBB and MovingScam.com both give the moving company their seal of approval. It’s now time to get an estimate. Make sure the moving company is will to put any and all charges in writing before they start to move your belongings. Any reputable company will want to tell you what they charge before they do the job. Now the problem with an estimate is that it is an estimate. It does not mean that the price is set in stone, it is their best guess, based off of experience, of what the price should be. Keep in mind; any estimator worth their salt will be within 15% +/- of the estimated price. In fact, in many cases you can request a not-to-exceed estimate – the price may go down, but not up. This protects you and it keeps the honest guys honest.
There is the short list of finding the mover that is right for you. Here is to making the next chapter of you life the best one yet.
For more information on picking a great mover where you live or getting a Seattle, Bellevue, & Renton area moving quotes, please visit the above link.
