5 Steps to Protect Your Family when Hiring Long Distance Movers

• June 13, 2017

Long distance movers should make your move an easy transition along the road.

Moving into a new home and community is often an emotional experience for a family. Saying goodbye to neighbours, friends, and other family members, sorting through belongings, packing, and hiring long distance movers that you can trust all add up to the range of feelings that one can go through.

When hiring long distance movers, you want to know your belongings will arrive at your new destination in good condition and on time, with no additional fees or excuses.

 There are ways to protect yourself and your family if you follow these steps:

1. Do Your Homework

The best way to find long distance movers you can trust is to be proactive in your search. Checking the Yellow Pages or Google is only scraping the surface. It’s best to talk to people who move often to get trusted referrals. Friends and family may not be enough. Many suggest investigating through the Better Business Bureau to see if the company has had any complaints against it and what type of rating it has received. You can also get reliable information from the Canadian Association of Movers, which represents owner-managed moving companies from across Canada.

2. Ask Questions

Accredited and trusted long distance movers should not falter in answering any questions you direct at it.

Here are some questions you should be asking:

• Does the company do an on-site, in-person estimate of your belongings and what type of estimate does the company provide?
• Is the moving service done by your own personnel and with your own trucks or do you hire outside the company?
• Can you guarantee a final price?
• What kind of licensing and insurance do you provide?
• How are my belongings protected during a move and how do you handle claims if damage does occur?
• How is the delivery date calculated on a long distance move and is there compensation if my possessions don’t arrive on the scheduled time?

3. Schedule an Appointment

Long distance movers should offer a home estimate. This is the perfect time to ask your questions in person, as well as ask about any other packing, loading and unloading information you may have.

A mover should also make an inventory of what exactly will be moved and from where in your home, so that a more exact estimate can be made. Your mover can then provide you with a copy of this inventory along with the estimate.

4. Understand Your Estimate

You’ve done your homework, asked the hardball questions, and shown your mover your home/belongings, now it’s time to get an estimate.

Choosing one that best services your needs and does not include hidden fees is key.

 There are three types of estimates that long distance movers can provide:

• A binding not-to-exceed estimate means that even if your actual weight is more than the original written estimate, you still pay for only the amount of the estimate.
• A binding or fixed priced estimate means that you agree to pay the fixed amount of your binding written estimate.
• A non-binding estimate means you agree to pay for the actual weight, based on a set price per pound.

5. Get insured

Your moving date is now secured. If you’ve hired long distance movers in Canada, you need to make sure you are protected against any damage that may occur during the move.  Some home insurance policies with extended coverage may protect you, but it’s best to make sure you know what your deductible is first at that all risks are covered. You should also check with your moving company on insurance options; whether they offer released value protection as part of your moving package (typically covering a maximum $0.60 per pound/per article) or added replacement value protection (which covers repairs or the full replacement costs of the damaged item).

For more information on protecting yourself during a move, read our blog: Long Distance Movers Warn Against Lowball Moving Quotes.

Bekins Moving and Storage is a certified member of the Canadian Movers Association. We offer free, no-obligation home consultations as well as estimates, and are willing and able to answer all your questions. We also include detailed moving quotes that are based on weight and distance, and offer released value protection as part of your moving package for extra peace of mind.