Time and experience will teach you how to pick the best movers in Malibu. Sadly, time and experience often means learning from mistakes, so here are a few tips to help you find the best removals company right away without having to make the most common removals mistakes. This article includes tips on finding and picking movers.
1. You Need A Company That Explains Its Estimate
Many removals companies offer quotes based on weight and space taken up in the vans, but this is somewhat of a thorny issue. For example, it is common to have very large items that are light and can be placed on top of numerous other items for easy transport. Plus, many people put items inside of other items to save space, such as putting your old comic books inside of suitcases. Make sure you understand your quote when you get it to be sure you are not paying for space or weight unfairly.
2. Do Not Trust Positive Online User Reviews
The removals business is very competitive, which is why removals companies pay people to post user reviews on websites such as Yelp. Some are very easy to spot, but your best bet is to treat every review with skepticism.
3. Treat Negative Reviews With Skepticism Too
Just like when you are looking for a movie, it is often easier to look at the negative reviews to see what the worst element in the movie is. Many people take a similar approach with removals reviews by skipping the positive reviews and going straight to negative reviews. However, there are plenty of occasions where the negative review is due to a poor quality experience that was “caused” by the client. You need to look for commonalities within negative reviews. If more than one person complains about an element of the removals service, such as rude staff, etc., then those are the reviews that matter.
4. Your Estimator Will Ask Questions
Removal companies work in different ways, but some will send an estimator around to your house to come up with your quote. If your removals person is asking you questions, then that person is probably a professional. If the estimator talks lots but asks little, or if she/he asks obvious non-answer questions, then the person probably already has an estimate in mind and is just creating the appearance of “calculating” the costs.
5. Tell Your Estimator What Is “Not” Being Moved
If you are giving things away, having yard sales, or leaving things behind, then you need to make it clear to your estimator. Plenty of people have received estimates for items that they had no intention of taking on the trip, and all because they forgot to tell the estimator that the items were not going with them on the move. Even though the removals company make one, make your own inventory.
6. Beware of Large Deposits
A professional removals company may ask for a small deposit. Professionals do not need a large deposit. Asking for a large deposit in advance means the company is in the habit of “not” getting paid after the job (because they are bad at their job), or because they are planning on canceling on you if something better comes along. Some companies ask for larger deposits because they cannot afford the gas and employees to start the job, which suggests they are not a very successful moving company.
7. Pay with A Credit Card
When-or-if you pay a deposit, then we recommend paying it on a credit card because you have more fraud protection. The same is true when you pay after the services have been rendered. Paying by credit card adds a layer of protection so that you may be able to get your money back if you discover you have been defrauded after the removals service has finished.
8. The Old Name Switcharoo
A fraudulent removals company can avoid being reviewed/assessed by the Better Business Bureau simply by working under a number of different names. One of the first clues is if the company answers its phone without quoting its full name. You may also be able to check up on a company’s insurance and licensing. Try to find out if the company has other names it does business under.
9. Get References If You Can for Movers in Malibu
Ask people who you trust for reviews and references for movers they have used. Beware of the people who are trying to be helpful because they are everywhere. For example, if a pretty woman asks her Facebook or Google+ friends if anybody knows a good removals company, around ten men will offer up companies that they think are great (even though the companies they found were scraped from Google). Ask people you trust and ask if they have actually “used” the services they are suggesting.
Conclusion – Find Ways To Save Money
As mentioned earlier, do not take stuff that you do not really want, especially when you can give them away to thrift and goodwill shops. Also, do as much of the packing yourself, and remember that your stronger items on the bottom means you can stack on top and save more space in the van.
