Deborah Secrist is a spokesperson for Beltway Movers, serving the Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland areas, and knows how important it can be to select the right moving company. If you don’t do your homework beforehand, you could be left with damaged items, a huge bill, missing valuables and a host of other problems.
Selecting the right moving company is important when it comes to a successful move. The first thing you want to do is request references. That could be from the Better Business Bureau, or the Moving and Warehouse Association. You also want to look at information on consumer group web pages, those would be like Angie’s List, Consumer Checkbook, Yelp, and there is another site called MovingScam.com.
Next, you want to make sure that the moving company you select is a legal company. The way you do that is to find out if they have a DOT (Department of Transportation) number. If they do, the next step is to call them, and ask them some questions that will help you know if it is a company you can trust or not.
Here are some questions to ask:
- Ask if they use pick-up labor, as that is not a good thing
- Ask if the crews are trained
- Find out how long they have been in business
- Do they guarantee the accuracy of their estimates
- What is their damage claim ratio
- Do they comply with standard government regulations
When talking to them over the phone, keep in mind that you don’t want to use a company that is knocking the competition to make them look good. It tells you something about the character of their business. You also don’t want to use a company that gives you vague details, and only quotes an hourly rate.
If you have more questions, there is a brochure put out by the ICC, or International Chamber of Commerce, entitled “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.” It can give more details about what to expect.
