4 Steps to Help You Avoid a Bad Moving Experience

Moving is always a bit stressful, but when you add some sort of negative experience to it, the entire process becomes one of the most overwhelming events in your life. Whether you’re moving to another country or just around the block, you need to avoid a bad moving experience. Hire a Brooklyn moving company that has the experience and reputation of doing the job right. Before hiring movers, it’s important to do research and learn if a specific company provides transparent services and believes in customer satisfaction.

Before you sign any contract, make sure to research because this step can be all you need to avoid a bad moving experience. Even though researching is a bit time-consuming, it can make all the difference when it comes to your overall impression of relocation. If you’re not sure how to identify rogue movers and have a pleasant relocation, we’ve got your back. Carry on reading to find 4 steps to help you avoid a bad moving experience.

 

The online presence

As mentioned before, you have to research in order to avoid a bad moving experience. Luckily, the internet allows you to find almost anything and the online presence of movers you’re eyeing to hire will tell you a lot about them. Searching for movers is simple, for example, type in a search bar “the best long-distance movers” and see what pops up. Make sure to read as many reviews as necessary to get an idea about a specific mover. Don’t just see the rating and move on but read specific reviews as well.

While you’re at it, search for relevant comments, otherwise, you’ll spend a whole day reading through. That means searching for comments of people who had relocation similar to yours, for example, if you’re moving to another state, you’ll want to look for long-distance comments. Perhaps some of those comments relate to you and give you a better insight into the moving company than simply checking the ratings would.

 

Check out the info

The second step is quite easy and also includes some online digging. One of the ways to compare Brooklyn moving companies is to check their credibility. Visit the moving company’s website and check for information about them. Search for their license number, it’s usually available somewhere in the “about us” section. Use this number to check for yourself as there are several organizations working to protect you and help you check whether a business is legitimate. Start by checking a USDOT (U.S. Department of Transportation) number – you’ll want to compare the number on the mover’s website to the number on the FMSCA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) website. Think of a license number as the company’s ID, so if the number doesn’t match that should be a red flag.

You’ll also search for safety records and complaints against specific movers. You can also visit the BBB (Better Business Bureau) website and check each mover you consider hiring. The BBB is a non-profit organization that focuses on advancing the marketplace trust and they have a few helpful tools – company has to go through a vetting process to be accredited, they have a scam tracker which is super helpful and easy to use, and you can also file a complaint. However, keep in mind that a police station is always the first place to go in case that movers hold your goods and demand a large cash amount to give them back.

Reach out

After you’ve done your online research, the next step to avoid a bad moving experience is to talk to a mover in person. Reaching out and speaking with a representative will give you an idea of how they handle their customers and what you can expect from your moving experience. Go ahead and ask many questions to see if they’re patient to answer all of them. To avoid a bad moving experience, you’ll also have to schedule moving services in advance, so speaking to a customer service representative is a must. There are several questions you need to ask, such as:

• Do you have insurance and a license number?
• What kind of insurance will I get?
• Do you offer storage units?
• What is the time frame for my relocation?
• Do you hire subcontractors or have your own crew?
• Do you charge additional services?
• What kind of services do you provide?
• What kind of paperwork will I get before I sign a contract?

 

These are some of the necessary questions to ask in order to understand your movers better and avoid a bad experience later on.

Choose the right type of estimate

Whether you’re moving cross country or within the borders of your city, understanding the estimation process is crucial for a pleasant moving experience. Make sure to get at least three different quotes from reputable movers and be aware of scammers – they’ll try to lure you with amazingly low prices, but they’ll have hidden costs of moving later on. Each trustworthy moving company will have to access your belongings in order to give you a quote, and they’ll give you options to choose from:

A binding estimate

This type of quote will let you know upfront the total cost of your move and movers can’t change the price long the way – you’ll pay exactly what you agreed on before relocation. Although this type of quote may not be the most accurate one, it will give you peace of mind knowing exactly what to expect and planning your budget accordingly.

 

 

A non-binding estimate

This type of estimate is based on estimated weight and the final cost can be different than the one you initially get. Avoid this type if you’re working with a strict budget as the final cost can be an unpleasant surprise.

Guaranteed not-to-exceed estimate

This is a popular type of quote because it lets you pay the highest amount that was quoted even if your shipment turns out to be heavier than expected so you could actually pay less than you thought. We hope this guide will help you with how to choose the best Brooklyn movers. Anyhow, don’t hire the first movers you bump to before you check them all.

At Rabbit Movers, we try our best to provide great customer service and avoid a bad moving experience. Contact Rabbit and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have, so don’t hesitate to get in touch.