While moving can be exciting, you have to get through some not-so-fun parts first. No, I’m not just talking about packing. After all, you can hire someone for packing and unpacking if you really don’t want to do it yourself! I’m talking about finding a moving company you can trust. Shopping around for the best movers is one task you don’t want to outsource, as you need to be the one to ask the important questions before you decide. Here are five questions to ask local moving companies.
1. What’s Your DMV Number?
If you’ve never heard of the DMV number before, it’s okay. But it’s not okay if a Texas moving company hasn’t! Moving companies must have a DMV number, and they must display it on their website’s homepage, on all contracts, and on the moving trucks. If you don’t see it right away, ask what it is. Then go to the Texas DMV Truck Stop website and put the number into the TxDMV field. When you click on the results, you can verify the status, which should be active. If it’s anything other than active, they’re not reputable movers and you should move on to the next company on your list!
2. What’s Your Address?
Whether you find out the address from the DMV number or you straight up ask the movers, you need to know the address. Then you need to paste that into Google Maps and check the street view to find out what kind of facility it is. You should see a warehouse or commercial property with some trucks in front of it. If you see an apartment complex, or if the address is a P.O. Box, they aren’t reputable movers. Some rogue movers won’t give you the real address because they don’t want you to be able to drive to the location when–not if!–there’s a problem with the move. Pretty slick, huh? But now that you know to check out the location first, you won’t fall for this trick.
3. What If You Damage My Belongings?
Most movers will reassure you that they’re safe and rarely if ever, break anything during moves. That’s all well and good…but you still need to know what happens if there is any damage to your belongings. After all, even the best movers occasionally break something, so you’re not looking for superhuman movers who never break anything, but movers who stand behind their services if something does go wrong. So ask the movers what the steps are if something breaks, including how much insurance pays. Legally, the insurance should cover you at $.60 per pound per item. But what you’re really looking for is how they respond to that question. Do they have a solid plan in place? Or are they still trying to convince you their movers have never made a mistake, which we all know isn’t true!
4. What’s The Hourly Rate?
Ask how much the moving company charges per hour and how many movers you’ll get for that rate. Then ask when the rate starts and ends. Does it start when the guys leave the facility, or when they arrive at your home? Does it end when you sign them out, or do they tack on time for the movers to get back to their facility? Additionally, some movers claim they don’t have a travel fee, but what they’re not telling you is they start charging you before they arrive at your home. At 3 Men Movers, we tell you that fee upfront so you’re not surprised when you see an additional charge. Keep in mind that all moving companies have to charge you in some way to get the movers over to you, as there’s gas and the movers’ time to pay for. So if they say there’s no travel fee, you have a right to be a little suspicious!
5. Do You Have Any Extra Charges?
They won’t always tell you upfront, so ask if they charge extra to move specific items, like pianos, pool tables or gun safes. And do they charge extra to go up the stairs? Plus, some moving companies will add 10% for fuel. You just need to know ahead of time so you can accurately compare costs from a few moving companies.
You deserve to get the best movers on the job, and asking these questions will help. You can start by contacting 3 Men Movers, as we’d be happy to answer these and any other questions you have in mind! We have offices in Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and Houston, so contact any of these locations today.