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Status:
" Charleston South Carolina"
(set 7 days ago)
Location: home...finally, home .
8,814 posts, read 21,280,851 times
Reputation: 20102
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I will be moving across the country, from Long Island to California. I have a small townhouse with one bedroom and a large living and dining room. I probably would have about 45 boxes of dishes, books et. al. that I will pack myself.
When I just went on line to get quotes, I immediately heard from around twenty companies. Some of the quotes were, I thought, kind of low ($2,400) . Is there anything that I should be looking out for? Are there any truly reliable companies ? I have had very negative experiences with local moves here on Long Island so I am very wary of trusting a moving van company.
Interestingly, all of the quotes for the car moving (a tiny honda) were more in the ball-park of what I thought they would be. (about $1,000)
__________________ ******************
People may not recall what you said to them, but they will always remember how you made them feel .
Either rent a truck or pay the price of a top moving company .My nepehw said his entire house plus two cars cost hios company 8000 dollars a few years ago.He used one of the nationally know comaniues who insist on packing evryhting. saw a neighbor who moved to allaska that North american moved them and I don't know the cost but watch teh people pack the day before and they really packed it well.Even things liike a chair were covered in cardboard everwhere then wrap hevyduty plastic wrap. They must have used ten feet on one chair alone
The majority of companies in the household goods moving industry are reliable. Unfortunately, moving is an expensive proposition. Many consumers make the mistake of shopping for the lowest price instead of looking for the best value in a relocation provider.
Check out the series of articles I’ve posted at my blog at City Data about ‘How to Find a Reputable Mover’ for some professional tips. http://www.city-data.com/blogs/546175-rikkitikki.html You should arrange at least three in-home surveys from well established, local companies and request a binding-not-to-exceed estimate.
Atlas Van Lines as a good agent in Yaphank. The owner of the Stevens Van Lines agent on Staten Island lives in LI and does estimates before and after work. Moishe’s in an independent carrier with offices both in NYC and California. All have good reputations within the industry.
I suggest that you visit a website called www.movingscam.com . They have a complete list of moving companies by state and ratings for each. It was a God-send when we moved from Virginia to Texas. We almost contracted with one of the biggest scam companies in the business! Luckily, I found their website before I signed the contract or gave them my credit card number. They also have great tips for packing as well as cost saving ideas for moving. Good luck - moving long distance is never fun!
Oh - and they also rate car movers too!
Last edited by Va-Cat; 07-23-2009 at 09:14 PM..
Reason: added info about the cars
Nancy, $1,000 for cross-country car shipping? I got approximatley that same quote to ship a small car 1700 miles away. I wonder if you were under-quoted or my quote was excessive. Great links from the other posters here. thank you!
Congratulations on your move to California. I believe you will love it there ~
Make sure that your quotes are all comparing apples to apples, so to speak; companies can have different ways of pricing things. Make sure things like any fuel surcharges are in there, cost of labor to move your stuff onto and off the truck, any padding for furniture, etc. I've had some very good moving experiences, and one not-so-good experience, although thankfully have never had any of the scams that you sometimes read about. Definitely do your homework, but know that there is hope out there, and that there are some reliable, honest companies. Good luck!
Status:
" Charleston South Carolina"
(set 7 days ago)
Location: home...finally, home .
8,814 posts, read 21,280,851 times
Reputation: 20102
Thank you for those links, everyone. I just knew that the very smooth guy who quoted me $2,400 to move across the whole country was probably a fraud. He certainly sounded sincere, but I have paid just half that to move ten miles.
Those links will really help when the time comes (Soon, I hope).
__________________ ******************
People may not recall what you said to them, but they will always remember how you made them feel .
I will be moving across the country, from Long Island to California. I have a small townhouse with one bedroom and a large living and dining room. I probably would have about 45 boxes of dishes, books et. al. that I will pack myself.
When I just went on line to get quotes, I immediately heard from around twenty companies. Some of the quotes were, I thought, kind of low ($2,400) . Is there anything that I should be looking out for? Are there any truly reliable companies ? I have had very negative experiences with local moves here on Long Island so I am very wary of trusting a moving van company.
Interestingly, all of the quotes for the car moving (a tiny honda) were more in the ball-park of what I thought they would be. (about $1,000)
When selecting your mover, NEVER pick one from an internet quote! ALWAYS have them come to the house and do a visual survey!
See the info below about rogue movers. This information was put together by the Federal Department of Transportation
Spotting Rogue Movers Before They Have Your Goods
5/2/2007
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Spring is in the air and for sale signs are sprouting up along with crocuses and daffodils, as many families prepare to change residences. Those who decide to relocate may opt to leave the moving to professionals instead of doing it themselves. Be warned though, rogue movers are operating coast to coast, blending into the crowd of legitimate movers and luring unsuspecting consumers.
The Better Business Bureau System logged more than 9,000 complaints in 2006 against movers. While there are thousands of reputable moving companies, there are times when the experience is not so positive.
Rogue movers can be hard to spot. They often give low-ball estimates over the phone or Internet without ever visiting your home or seeing the items you want to move. Once your household goods are on their truck, they demand more money before they will deliver or unload them. Consumers tell BBBs that their goods have been held hostage and many have been forced to pay more than the initial estimate they agreed too in order to get their goods back.
The BBB and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration suggest that your best defense is to recognize a rogue mover before they have your household goods. Here are some “red flags” to look for:
· The mover or broker does not offer or agree to an on-site inspection of your household goods. They only give you an estimate over the phone or Internet. The estimates often sound too-good-to-be-true. In reality, they usually are.
· The moving company’s only form of acceptable payment is cash or a large deposit before the move.
· The company’s Web site has no local address and no information about licensing or insurance.
· The company claims all goods are covered by their insurance.
· The mover does not provide you with a copy of “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move,” a booklet movers are required by Federal regulations to supply to their customers in the planning stages of interstate moves.
· Offices and warehouse are in poor condition or nonexistent.
· On moving day a rental truck arrives rather than a company-owned and marked fleet truck.
The BBB advises consumers to:
· Obtain a cost estimate in writing, preferably after a walk-through of your home or apartment.
· Don’t select a mover based on price alone. In many cases, you get what you pay for.
· If you have a bad feeling about your mover’s tactics or charges, stop the move before your household goods are loaded on the truck; and,
· Start planning your move by reviewing BBB business reliability reports at United States and Canada BBB Consumer and Business Reviews, Reports, Ratings, Complaints and Accredited Business Listings to help you find trustworthy carriers before making any hiring decisions or signing any contracts.
Be very careful about choosing a moving company from online. I had a quote of 1800 dollars to move my things from Michigan to Florida. We packed everything ourselves, and the company I choose was a member of the BBB.
However, they contracted out to another company, who lost several of my items, upped the weight without evidence. The price jumped from 1800 to 3800. Then when the stuff got here, some of it was missing, some of it was damaged, and some of it was exchanged for other things.
Then when I tried to deal with the claims department, the company I used SKY MOVING AND STORAGE told me they actually didn't move me, and I had to deal with OLYMPIC MOVING AND STORAGE the company they contracted with. Their claims department contracts with a guy who brags that he denies 97 percent of all claims he receives.
Be very careful about who you choose. If I could do it all over again, I would have used a reputable brand.
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Luckily, I found their website before I signed the contract or gave them my credit card number. They also have great tips for packing as well as cost saving ideas for moving. Good luck - moving long distance is never fun!
