There are a lot of scams, false advertising and outright thievery in the relocation business. So, how can we know for sure that our relocation services are really what they claim they are? How do we know they won’t trick us or try to steal our things? And finally, what tells us that a moving company is reliable and that we’ll be satisfied with its services? Well, keep reading and we’ll show you how you can evaluate a moving company and make sure that they are the right choice for you!
Services
The first indicator that a moving company is good and reputable should be the services they provide. A real relocation company will provide a good number of services. From packing services in NC to long distance relocation, a reputable moving service will take care of your belongings and provide you with the best service possible.
On the other hand, a company which doesn’t provide many services is not the ideal choice. In the best case scenario, they are just an inexperienced company. In the worst case, they are here to steal your things and will only offer transportation services. So, make sure you see what your potential movers have to offer. All reputable movers should provide the following services:
- local relocation
- long-distance moving
- packing services
- loading/unloading service
- residential relocations
- commercial moves (a good way to evaluate a moving company is to check whether they offer business relocations)
Evaluate a moving company by checking out its location
Another way to ensure your movers are honest is to go to their address. If you see a building or an office with the logo of your movers and staff which are ready to help you, you’re on the right track. On the other hand, if you can’t find the office or the address of your moving company, you wouldn’t want to hire those guys. A reputable moving company in NC will ensure that you know about them and that you can reach them with any questions or dilemmas.
Only over the phone
This is one of the most reliable indicators that your moving company is not what they claim to be. If your relocation representative only communicates with you over the phone, you should not hire his services. Reliable movers will always agree to meet with you in person and discuss anything you want to know. Apart from the relocation, we believe that the best service is the way to treat our clients. So, when you’re evaluating your movers, make sure you meet with them at the office or some other place beside your home. Just to make sure they’re what they say they are.
Strange requests
Every relocation company will have some request from you once you hire them. Most of them will ask for a deposit up front, but some of them may have some peculiar requests. This doesn’t necessarily mean they are not reputable. For example, some movers will require you to list another person to cover the moving costs if you’re not able to.
However, you should be careful when movers have specific requests for payment. If they ask for an unreasonably large deposit un front, or if they ask to only be paid in cash. These are among the biggest red flags you should avoid when you evaluate a moving company. Apart from this, if your movers ask you to pay the entire relocation in cash or to deposit it on a private account instead of the company’s you should cancel their services immediately.
Problems with the contract
A good moving company will give you a legally binding contract to sign before they provide their services. However, not all the companies will give the same, fair contract. You should be careful when signing any such papers, let alone ones connected with moving. So, read your contract carefully before you sign it. Make sure you have enough time to do so! You can ask the moving company to take the contract home to study it with your lawyers. This is a good way to weed out scammers right there. If your company isn’t as honest as they say, they’ll never let you take their contract to a lawyer. Also, never sign a blank contract (or any blank legal document for that matter) since your signature can be abused this way. You don’t want to end up having to pay a fortune for some invented service, do you?
Referrals
Referrals are a good way to check the reliability of your relocation company. Use the experience of other people to help you make the final choice. There are a number of apps and websites which can help you with this (for example, yelp.com has a list of reliable movers in North Carolina).
Another way to get good recommendations for a moving company is to go local! You can ask your friends and colleagues or find out if there are any local organizations who monitor companies for fraud and scams.
Trust your instincts
Humans are a wonder of millions of years of evolution, so, naturally, we have good instincts. Learn to trust them. If you feel like something is wrong, don’t be afraid to act on your instincts. For example, if you want to store your items, but the company doesn’t show you their storage facilities. Don’t use these services, but find a better option and hire reliable storage services in North Carolina.
Get out of there if you’re getting a bad vibe or if you start fearing for your items or security. Remember, it’s much better to postpone your relocation than to risk something bad happening. When you evaluate a moving company, make sure you listen to your instincts and trust your gut.
