How to Avoid Rogue Movers

When it's time to move, whether for economic, work related or expiration of a lease, the most important factor to consider is that of which moving company to choose. One may go online or look in the local newspaper or yellow pages for lists of such companies, but how does one know if these companies are all they are advertised to be? We have all heard horror stories of moves that turned out to be a disaster, so how do you separate the good movers from the rogue movers? Follow our checklist of how to locate professional and quality long distance movers.

Ask family and friends for references. One of the best ways of finding a reputable and reliable moving company is to ask family, friends and work colleagues who have recently moved. Find out if they were satisfied with the services offered and paid for, as personal recommendations are the best way to go.

Check with the BBB. If you get a few recommendations or even you don't, you can also check with the Better Business Bureau or the Chamber of Commerce to obtain information about a company. These two entities will have lists of movers which all conform to specific standards set out by these organizations. Every mover registered with either a Better Business Bureau or a Chamber of Commerce should have every license and insurance policy needed for it to operate legally within the state, but bear in mind that every state may not have the same legal requirements, so further research on the moving company will be required if your move is to be from one state to another. Another good reason for checking on moving companies through these two entities is that, in most cases, they offer arbitration should either party not be satisfied. This means that they appoint a neutral person (the arbitrator) to listen to both sides of the conflict and at the end of the arbitration, a decision is given as to which party is correct in its claim. It is to be noted that the decision of the arbitrator is binding on the parties, meaning that there is no form of appeal and that his decision is final.

Meet with the movers. When you finally have a list of movers have a short interview with them over the phone asking for their references, years in the business, customer policy, etc. If you are happy with their responses, make sure to have them come over to your home for an in-house moving estimate. This will allow them to see all of the belongings that you have to move as well as give you the opportunity to meet with a representative of the company in person and ask more questions.

The Better Business Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce offer the best way of eliminating the worry of hiring a rogue mover which may disappear with your deposit, ruin your possessions, damage your family heirlooms or simply not turn up to do the move on the appointed date and time – all of which would be a nightmare and cause you extra costs and expenses.