How to Choose the Right Moving Company

The movers have loaded their last cargo - an old rocker, furniture that has been with your family for generations now and was entrusted to your good hands - they are now closing the doors of their freight and are getting ready to leave with all the things that you own. At that very moment, you suddenly felt a churning in your stomach, wondering and thinking if you will ever get to see every heirloom of your family again. This is just one of the many experiences or feelings that you will get when you are dealing with moving companies. It takes only one incident to get you to realize just how crucial it is to check and ensure that all your belongings are safe and in good hands. With all that in mind, you might ask, how does one choose a dependable and trustworthy moving company?

You will see that most of the moving companies have online sites that provide you with a list of their services, service history, route or destinations that they move to and an estimation of how much all of it would cost. These sites are the perfect place in order for you to acquire background information. In line with this, most companies will also give you a list of their contact info (this includes e-mail addresses) that will allow you to post and ask questions.

Another good thing that you can do is to ask around. Ask a friend, colleague or even members of your family. It is highly probable that they have moved once or even twice in their whole life, so ask if they know of any company that they can recommend you to.

If in case you have no one to ask, try a website called MovingScam.com; they are dedicated in revealing moving scams. It is highly suggested that you read their articles, more particularly their message panel where people post their warnings and problems regarding moving companies. This is a great source of information and you can post questions here as well.  

Contact the BBB or Better Business Bureau. Check if any of those companies that you have listed has generated any kind of reports. The information that you can acquire here usually contains grievances of customers and if these grievances were successfully resolved. It is very rare that you find a company without any unsatisfied customer. It is best as well that you visit the website of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) or the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and find out if the company of your choice has a DOT number. This will ensure you if a particular company is legit and registered.

Here are some FMSCA tips on how you can identify if you are dealing with a bogus moving company:

1. The company does not agree or will not offer you with an on-location inspection of the things that you want them to haul, and just gives you estimation over the Internet or phone.
2. The company promptly demands for a huge deposit or full payment even before they move.
3.  They do not have any local address or info about insurance or licensing.
4. Their offices are nonexistent.
5. On the day of the moving, they arrive with a truck rental instead of a company-owned truck.