By Jeff Walker
Finding a good moving company can be a daunting task. While we outline how to research moving companies in our article “How to Find a Reputable Moving Company”, much of the information on where to find a mover is often times, still up to you.
We can’t stress enough that where you find your mover isn’t as important as what you do once you find them. Finding a mover is easy, making sure they are a reputable company may take some time and effort on your part, and failure to do so, can really cost you in the end.
Where
Moving companies market their business in just about all the locations that other businesses can be found these days.
Most people rely on the internet to find what they want, however, our original advice in “How to Find a Reputable Moving Company” tells us to avoid the internet. While that is still sound advice today, more and more companies have put their companies online.
You can perform a “Google” search for your mover, but make sure that you find a local company that isn’t a broker.
The Yellow pages or the phone book are still great ways to find a moving company. We’re seeing this less and less these days, as it’s actually less expensive to maintain a web page than it is to post an ad in the phone book, but many local moving company maintain a Yellow pages ad.
Real Estate Agents often know of local, and reputable moving companies. You might ask the realtor you’ve been working with to see if they can point you in the right direction.
Some employers who move their employees from state to state may recommend a moving company they’ve had good luck with in the past. Generally, you’re not obligated to use your new employer’s mover, but it’s a place to start.
After
Once you’ve found a moving company, the hard work really begins.
Take the time to research your mover to make sure they are licensed, insured and authorized to move your belongings. If you aren’t sure about researching your mover, sign into our message boards, and ask one of us to help you.
We strongly recommend that you get three in-home estimates and that your mover provides you with all the proper documentation from the FMCSA, and that your first estimate includes Full Valuation Protection on your goods. Aren’t sure how valuation affects your move? Bill Adams explains in his article here: https://www.movingscam.com/articles/im-covered-for-damage-right
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