How to find Movers Online in Florida?

Moving is quite a complex task in usual. This is because it involves many tiny tasks. However, one should do a little research before hiring a moving company. When you shop around, you can save money and avoid scams as well.

Here is a series of steps that you should follow to find movers online in Florida:

Take recommendations into consideration

Make sure to ask friends, coworkers, and local real estate agents for valuable recommendations. Make sure to look in the phone book for moving companies that have offices near your home. After all, you would want to get an in-person estimate of how much your move will cost. Make sure not to rely on any estimate that comes from someone who hasn’t looked in every one of your closets. Never assume that big-name companies are best. Avoid getting estimates through websites that offer to “find you a mover.” Get the mover yourself and avoid the numerous scams associated with some of these sites. Don’t use household-goods brokerage services that find a moving company for you. This is because they are not regulated by the laws that movers must follow.

Go for an initial screening

If you have a list of recommended movers, make it a point to go online to do a quick background check. You can do a more thorough check later. Make sure to call or go to the website of the Better Business Bureau (bbb.org). Also, you can call or e-mail the American Moving and Storage Association to see if a moving company is a member. This implies it has agreed to abide by the organization’s published tariffs and to participate in its arbitration program. AMSA membership is usually voluntary. When a moving company checks out in all other ways, the fact that it is not a member shouldn’t rule it out.

Make sure to check the consumer-advocacy sites movingscam.com. You can also do a search with the company name at Rip-off Report.

Shortlist at least three companies to call for an estimate

When you are moving to another state, make sure to ask if the company will give you a written binding estimate or a binding not-to-exceed estimate. Usually, both types of estimates put a guaranteed cap on what you will pay for your move. When nonbinding estimates are legal, as the U.S. Department of Transportation moving guide warns, “You should expect the final cost to be more than the estimate.”

 

Be clear with your estimator

As the estimator comes to your place, make sure to show him your closets, the backyard, the basement, the attic etc. When on your moving day the foreman believes you have significantly more stuff than was calculated in your estimate, he can “challenge” the original estimate. Of course, he cannot force you to pay a higher amount. However, he does not have to move your stuff for the original amount. The truth is that at that point you probably don’t have a lot of other options.

Make sure the estimator knows about any conditions at your new home that might complicate the move, such as stairs, elevators, or a significant distance from the curb to the closest door. When the estimator is at your home, make sure to get as much information as you can about the company. Make sure it will be moving you itself, not contracting the job out to another mover. Find out how long the company has been in business. You should have almost all of the important info when the estimator leaves. This set of crucial data includes the company’s full name and any other names under which it does business, the company’s address, phone numbers, and e-mail and website addresses, names and contact information for the company’s references, USDOT (U.S. Department of Transportation) and MC (motor carrier) license numbers, the U.S. Department of Transportation booklet called “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.”

For any interstate mover, Federal law provides you with this guide, which is the official rule book of the interstate moving industry. You can download a copy at fmcsa.dot.gov. As far as in-state moves are concerned, movers are regulated by the state’s department of transportation or its public utilities or commerce commission. There are some states that publish their own moving-guide pamphlets.

Check the estimate thoroughly

The estimate is usually a combined document that, when signed by you and the moving-company representative, serves as your order for service and bill of lading, too. These, along with the inventory list created when your goods are loaded, are the most important documents any mover should provide you with. Ensure that you see the words “written binding estimate” up top and the mover’s signature with a date at the bottom.

 

Collect your estimates in a brightly colored moving folder

Make sure to keep this specific folder open in plain sight as later estimators come in. This is a part of your homework that encourages them to be honest and provide you with a more competitive quote.

Go for a moving company that has the license and insurance

It is a fact that there are movers who solicit business without the legal authority to do so. So, make sure to go to safersys.org, the website of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and enter the company’s USDOT number and click on “Search”. You can also search by name or MC number. When you have an accurate DOT number, you are shown a screen with lots of information on the company.

If you are genuinely looking for a reliable and professional moving company, get in touch with a representative of the Specialty Moving Services. These full-service movers are backed by 20 years of experience in the moving industry. It is essentially a reliable, honest and affordable moving service in the South Florida area. They make sure to serve customers in Broward County, Miami Dade County and Palm Beach County in the most diligent way. Specialty Moving Services enjoy a good reputation in the market due to its unflinching dedication towards delivering the highest level of customer satisfaction for you.