I need to hire a moving company

[yinkaafrica]

I have to move apprx two 26 foot truck loads of stuff
100 miles round trip, 200 miles total.
Is it better to go with a national moving company or use someone
local? There are 72 moving companies in my area.

[LiberalinNC]

1. When I moved from Fl. to NC

I used Bekins which is a National Company - DON'T USE THEM! They were awful!

I did use a local company to move me from one house to another - they were great and much more reasonably priced.

[yinkaafrica]

2. Thank you for the advice

[flamingyouth]

3. I had exactly the opposite experience

My parents used Bekins and had a great experience. I tried to save $ and hired the weird little local company, which was a complete nightmare.

I think it really all comes down to the people who are loading and unloading the truck.

(Ugh - I'm having flashbacks of my horrible move 10 months ago... I think I need some Excedrin :D)

[tjdee]

4. Some movers like to steal things--so check with the BBB.

On Oprah a few months ago, she showed a number of people who were robbed by "the movers".

They put all their stuff into the truck, and never made it to the new place.

So whoever you hire, check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there are complaints or problems.

[Love Bug]

5. Some also like to hold your stuff hostage for more $$$

Not only would I check with the BBB, I'd check with your Secretary of State's office to see if any compliants had been filed.

[LiberalinNC]

6. I've also heard of the movers holding your items for Ransom.

They will quote you one price, box up your stuff, place it on their trucks, and then say you owe them additional money...and they will not release your items until you pay up.

Good advice, check w/ the BBB and many some friends.

[SheilaT]

7. Call at least three companies.

Have them come over, look at your stuff, and give you a quote in writing. Make sure at least one national and at least one local company is included.

Make sure you understand just how binding this quote is. Do they have the option to up the quote if your stuff weighs more or takes up more space than they estimate? Do not go with a company that will not give you a binding estimate.

Call the Better Business Bureau and see if they have any complaints about a company before you decide which one to go to. Having a complaint on file may not be a deal-breaker. It will depend on what the complaint is for.

The first time I felt like an adult was when I had to organize a cross-country move.

Good luck!

[cally]

8. Treat the workers well

You can hire a great company, but it's the workers who will move you. Buy them food, drinks, and tip heavily. Our last move, we went way beyond the estimated time. At 5 or 6 we discussed it withe the foreman. We negotiated with the workers to pay them off the contract. We then went to each worker and said what we had negotiated. We made sure to pay each worker their share. These men were carrying stuff up the stairs at 3 in the morning. They didn't seem unhappy because we paid them well. It's a hard job.

[yinkaafrica]

9. That's been my experience by and large