Protected: How Are Moving Estimates Determined?
July 6, 2010 by admin
Filed under
Related posts
20 Questions Videos
June 28, 2010 by admin
Filed under
Want to learn how NOT to fall for a moving scam?
Want to know how to verify if your mover is licensed and insured or not?
Want to know if they are who they say they are?
Just for you, I have created a series of videos call “20 Questions To Ask Your Mover That Guarantee Moving Success.”
With this video series you will all the questions that you should ask, all the questions you should have asked and the questions you didn’t even know that should be asked.
All the videos are a minute to three minutes in length so you can get everything you need in the shortest amount of time, because your time is just as valuable as mine. And the videos are more than just what questions to ask, they are also an explanation of WHY should be asking these questions.
Want to know what the questions are?
Well this what you will learn in this video series:
- Is the moving company a real mover or brokerage?
- Who is your contact and their email and phone number?
- How is the cost of the move determined?
- How do they price additional services?
- What is “valuation” and how does effect the bill?
- How is the moving estimate determined?
- What is the exact full name of the company?
- How long the company has been in business?
- What is the company’s address, website and email, and why that’s important?
- Do they lease or own their own moving trucks?
- What type of moving vehicles do they use?
- Are they licensed and insured?
- What is the actual coverage of their insurance?
- What are their USDOT and state license numbers?
- Do they have references and where you should be able to find them?
- Are they members of the BBB, Chamber of Commerce, etc?
- Are their estimates “binding” or “non-binding” and the differences?
- How much are your discounts?
- Do they give discounts for seniors, students or the military?
- What other questions should you ask?
As you can see these are powerful questions, and if answered properly will help your determine if they are a legitimate moving company or not. But know the questions are is only half the battle, knowing why you are asking these questions guarantees moving day success.
You will need a password for this video series. To get it all you have to do is email me contact@usavemovingandstorage.com and I’ll send it to you FREE of charge.
Hope these help you.
Related posts
Lansing Long Distance Movers
April 26, 2010 by admin
Filed under Moving News
10% Off of your move when you book with us on the day of your quote!
Professional Moving Labor Help
Local Lansing Moving Company
330-887-2834
U-Save Moving and Storage is here to make your move stress-free! We specialize in commercial and residential long distance moves. No move is too big or too small for U-Save Moving and Storage.
If You want caring professionals who will handle your belongings with the utmost care possible. We are your moving company!
We do local and long distance moves. Anything to make our costumers get the best of the best when they decide it is time to move.
The stress-free help that moves you forward. Qualified professionals here to make your moving day perfect!
Overall as Lansing’s long distance movers we are proud to say that we have a pretty good reputation and we would like to see all our fellow moving companies try to achieve the same success. U-Save Moving and Storage strives to make sure each and every customer is completely satisfied when we leave their home.
- Local Lansing Moving Company
- Rates starting at $55/hr.
- State Wide Moves
- Long Distance Moves
- FREE Moving Estimates.
- FREE furniture assembly/dissembly.
- NO Mileage Fees.
- NO HIDDEN FEES.
- NO EXTRA CHARGES.
- Affordable hourly rates
- Flat rate fees available.
- Senior, Military and Student discounts.
- No job too large or too small.
- Residential or commercial.
- Cleaning and Landscaping available.
As you probably noticed by our ad, we are not amateurs and this is not a part time job for us to make some extra money.
It is common knowledge in the moving business that it is very easy for amateurs and/or scammers to become injured and/or cause damage while moving large objects such as couches, appliances, china cabinets, entertainment centers, projection tv’s, etc. U-Save Moving and Storage helpers handles these items daily and that is why we strongly feel that moving furniture/major appliances etc. should be left to skilled, highly trained professionals who work in the field everyday. We are not perfect, but we promise to handle your furniture/personal items as if they were our own.
Give us a call now and get an estimate right over the phone! Office 330-887-2834.
- Local Residential Lansing Moving
- Long Haul Relocation Service
- Free In-House Estimate With No Obligation
- Low Cost Rates, Best Value for Your Money
- Experienced Team of Professional Movers
- Clean, Professional Trucks and Equipment
- Quilt-Pad Wrapped Furniture Protection
- Professional Packing and Unpacking Services
- Anti-Stain Stretch Wrap for Upholstered Furniture
- Services for Loading and Unloading Rental Trucks
- We Offer Senior & Veteran & Student Discounts
- Local Lansing Movers
U-Save Moving and Storage is a professional full service long distance moving labor company. Why spend $500, $700, $1000 or more to move your possessions when it can be done for a fraction of the cost with the same or BETTER quality?
We’ve got strong backs, but our mental faculties are our most powerful attribute: We think before we move.
Being completely prepared is one of the characteristics that sets us apart from other moving companies. We protect your possessions, but we also guard against damage to door frames, stairways, banisters and railings. We take the proper precautions to avert any problems that might occur.
10% Off of your move when you book with us on the day of your quote!
Professional Moving Services
Local Lansing Long Distance Moving Company
330-887-2834
You Call. We Move. You Save!
Related posts
U-Save Moving’s Brand New Service!
February 25, 2010 by admin
Filed under Moving News
Announcing U-Save Moving’s New WorldWide Moving Services!
In another step forward for U-Save Moving we have now partnered up with company that can transport your household possessions all across the country and across the world. No longer is U-Save Moving regulated to just intrastate moving. With our new partners I can offer you a full service moving experience for a lot less than you would get with regular van liners like Mayflower, Allied, United or Bekins.
This full door to door service like never before. And we can even move your vehicles as well!
Need to move from one state to another but are tired of being quoted $5000, $6000 or more, well now U-Save Moving can offer the same service for far lower rates. And this is full service at its best. You get a team of guys to load up the truck, it driven to your location, and then unloaded into your new home. You’ll never have to lift a finger.
Let give you some comparisons:
- Lansing, MI to Austin, TX: $2550 to $2725 add $1400 to move your vehicle.
- Lansing, MI to Los Angeles, CA: $3200 to $3500 add $1700 to move your vehicle.
There is just a couple of examples of the costs. Now compare that to your other movers. These are flat rate, binding estimates as well. Meaning that these prices WILL NOT change no matter what, and they include everything. Labor, Insurance, fuel, blankets and straps, tie downs and tools. These prices don’t include packing so if you want those services you’ll need to call us for rates.
And we are not limited to Just moving to or from Michigan. If you need to move from California to Florida or Alaska to Texas we can help with that as well.
Just give us a call or contact by using the form below.
Thank you.
Related posts
Tips For Getting Accurate Moving Quotes From Reliable Movers
February 13, 2010 by admin
Filed under Moving Estimate Advice, Moving Tips and Advice
Here is another great article I came across about getting accurate quotes from reliable movers. It is good read. I hope you like it.
4 Tips For Getting Accurate Quotes From Reliable Movers
By Maureen RomensyaWhen looking for reliable movers to hire it can be hard to decide which ones would be the best choice. That is why getting quotes from reliable movers is so essential. Before getting the quotes there are some important tips that will help you get the most accurate quote possible.
Here are the tips that you want to remember and use so that you end up with as accurate of a quote as you can.
1. Plan – When you are going to be making a move it is important that you take time to plan ahead. Planning ahead will help you get a more accurate quote.
You want to know exactly what items will be going with you and what won’t. Along with what services will be needed from the company such as packing.
By knowing ahead of time what you want and planning things then you will definitely have a much higher chance of getting the most accurate quote from reliable movers.
2. Compare – There are so many different moving companies available these days and trying to find the best one to hire can be hard to do. By taking time to get a free quote from each moving company that you are interested in you will be able to make a more informed decision.
Comparing quotes from moving companies is important because the companies are similar but not the same exactly. This means that their estimates will be just a little bit different in different ways.
By comparing the quotes you can see what they are offering you and for what price. This will help you choose the company that is within your budget so you don’t spend more money than you can afford to.
3. Ask questions – Don’t be afraid to ask questions of any moving company about the quotes. If you have questions you have to get them answered before making your final decision. This will help to ensure you are choosing the best company for your move and for the price you can afford.
4. Take your time – Always give yourself plenty of time to do your research on the companies and to get quotes. The more time you can give yourself the more informed decision you can make because you will be able to gather important information that will make it much easier.
These tips will definitely help anyone get the best price on your quote if you remember them and use them. If you don’t use them then be prepared when you end up paying more money later because you didn’t take time to ensure accurate quotes from reliable movers.
Maureen Romensya invites you to visit her moving website to receive moving quotes and moving estimates on your next move. Compare quotes from reliable movers and pick the best moving company based on services & price. When moving companies compete you save up to 35%.
Related posts
Two Small Men With Big Hearts Moving Review
February 4, 2010 by admin
Filed under Moving Company Reviews
Company: Two Small Men With Big Hearts
Grade: F
City: Across Canada
I can’t tell you how many times that it is the large well known moving companies that actually committ the majority of the moving scams: Starving Students, Bekins, Americarrier and the lit goes on. And this is the case with Two Small Men With Big Hearts. The fortunate part is that I don’t hve to do the review; I only have to cut and paste from a news article.
Large moving company faces charges, upset customers
Two Small Men with Big Hearts apologizes for failure to address complaintsLast Updated: Wednesday, February 3, 2010 | 6:30 AM PT By Kathy Tomlinson CBC News
Shelagh Bruhn shows the wardrobe unit she says was dropped and broken by movers. (CBC)
Canada’s largest network of independent moving companies is coming under fire from some customers for its business practices.“I’ve moved a number of times and it was probably the worst move in 20 years,” said customer Shelagh Bruhn. “They have no hearts, as far as I’m concerned.”
According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Two Small Men with Big Hearts receives more complaints than any other moving company in B.C. — 50 in the last three years. The BBB has given “F” ratings to the company’s B.C. locations in Surrey, Richmond and Kamloops.
Bruhn complained to the management in Surrey after her move in June of 2009. Bruhn said the movers, who are paid by the hour, took several hours more than they estimated.
“I was quoted a certain amount every hour and we figured about six to eight hours. Instead it took 11 hours,” said Bruhn. “They deliberately dragged it out. They were ill-equipped. They were inept.”
Bruhn said the movers lost her ladder, broke a large piece of furniture that they dropped and chipped and scratched several other items.
“I picked this company based on its name — Two Small Men with Big Hearts,” she said. “It was just one disaster on top of the other.”
Toronto operators facing charges
TSM Canada started as a Vancouver company with one owner in 1981. It now has more than 30 franchise offices across Canada, “working as one, a collective organization,” according to the company’s national website.
Operators based in Toronto are facing charges after consumer complaints were filed about overcharging and broken promises.
In March 2009 the Ontario government filed several charges under the Consumer Protection Act against a North York, Ont., location of Two Small Men with Big Hearts. Company representatives Jeff Green and Brent Witte are also named in several counts.
The allegations include making false and misleading statements, renegotiating prices while in possession of customers’ goods and exceeding estimates by more than the 10 per cent of the maximum increase allowed under provincial rules.
“There are probably reasonable grounds for not moving with a company like that,” said John Levi of the Canadian Association of Movers. Levi represents several Canadian moving companies, but TSM Canada is not a member of his group.
“By the time you add up your time, your losses, your damage and the estimated cost plus the overcharges — you are at a significantly higher cost than you would have been with a reputable mover,” said Levi.
Bruhn was charged $1,500 for her move. In September, she said she reluctantly agreed to settle for $186 in damages, which she said is far less than her real losses. Despite that written agreement, Bruhn said the company has not paid her a cent.
Operators in Toronto are facing charges of unfair practices. (CBC)
“They suck you in — and they have you believing they are going to do the best job they can for you. Then, once they have your money — $1,500 later — they drop you like a hot potato,” said Bruhn.
“Almost every day I can find something else that was wrecked.”
Resolution promised
Stu Starkey, who took over the Surrey, B.C., franchise after Bruhn’s move, said he will now do whatever he can to resolve her complaint.“I can only handle problems case-by-case and make sure our customers are now satisfied at the end of their move,” said Starkey, who said he is also moving out of the rundown location.
“We want to clean up the appearance a little bit. We’re going to paint our trucks and put new ones in and get a brand new yard.”
Representatives from TSM Canada, the franchiser, refused a request for an interview with CBC News. Ben Hanuka, a Toronto lawyer who represents the company, sent a statement.
“TSM Canada takes its customers and reputation very seriously and regrets the inconvenience that was caused to them,” Hanuka wrote.
“The root cause of these problems is in large part inadequate customer communication and insufficient administrative oversight on the part of TSM Canada’s local offices and movers.”
The London location also has an “F” rating with the BBB.
Bradley Lang won his court claim against Two Small Men, but still hasn’t been paid. (CBC)
“I lost almost half of my things — gone, broken or smashed. There were boxes that had been opened and things pulled out of them,” said Lang. “I literally was picking up boxes that rattled — and all there was were large chunks, broken.”Lang said his shipment arrived almost a month late, after he was told it was left sitting for several days on a loading dock in Toronto.
His box spring and mattress has to be thrown out because of severe water damage, he said, while several items were missing, including a leather jacket and irreplaceable pieces of art and pottery.
“It breaks your heart — when you’ve got all those things and you’ve spent so much time collecting,” said Lang.
“I also lost coats. I lost pants. I lost boxes of clothes — so I hope they enjoyed them.”
The company admits it has customer-service problems that need to be addressed.
“Avoiding such customer complaints requires better training and supervision of TSM Canada’s local office representatives. This is not an easy task for us. There are over 30 Two Small Men With Big Hearts Moving offices in Canada, which together handle between 25,000 and 30,000 local and long-distance moves every year,” read the statement from the lawyer.
Court-ordered damages not paid
Lang’s move happened in 2003. He then spent four years trying to get the company to cover the damages. In 2005, after failing in several attempts to get a settlement, he filed a suit in small-claims court.“When I took it to the lawyers they said, ‘Oh this will be no problem. We’ve seen these people before,’” said Lang.
B.C. court records show 150 lawsuits have been filed involving Two Small Men with Big Hearts since the early 1990s. The majority are small claims against the company by customers.
Two Small Men with Big Hearts has three dozen franchise offices in Canada. (CBC)
In 2007, the court issued a default order directing TSM to pay Lang $8,582.65.By then, longtime company owner Glen Buckler had sold his interest in the company to six other operators. Buckler appeared in court to argue that because of the 2004 sale, he was no longer responsible. In addition, Buckler said the company’s legal name had been filed incorrectly.
“The court said I needed to re-file more papers — that my lawyers needed to file the last set of papers with an amendment to this name,” said Lang.
Faced with more legal hassles, Lang decided to give up.
“For the years that I’ve been going after this — that I have made myself sick over this — it was easier just to let it go.”
Kate Wittaker and James Carter moved from Port Elgin, Ont., to Sooke, B.C., in November 2009 and have filed a complaint with the BBB.
They claim TSM Canada arbitrarily inflated the price of their move by more than $700, including a surprise “fuel surcharge” of $283.80, after their belongings were picked up.
“What your company has done is unconscionable,” Wittaker wrote in a complaint to representatives in the B.C. booking office. “You cannot quote a customer one rate then once you pick up their stuff, inflate the rates and add additional charges.”
Tips on hiring a mover from Ontario’s Ministry of Consumer Services:
•Get the contract in writing.
•If an estimate is provided, the final cost cannot exceed the original estimated price by more than 10 per cent.
•Check the ministry’s Consumer Beware List: complaints received and charges laid are disclosed.
•Remember that the lowest price may not be the best choice — you get what you pay for.
TSM responded by telling Wittaker her belongings would not be delivered until the higher price was paid in full.“If you don’t pay your bill, it will go into storage and you will have to pay that before we deliver your goods,” a company representative wrote in an email. “If you are reporting to the BBB and government agencies, it seems you don’t want to pay your bill.”
Wittaker said she was more than willing to pay the amount originally quoted. However, she said, after the threat of having her belongings put in storage, she eventually relented and paid the charges.
Stu Starkey is taking over the Surrey franchise and says he will resolve any complaints. (CBC)
“We were on the phone every day for a month trying to find out where our stuff was, before it finally showed up,” said her husband.Apology from head office
“TSM Canada will be certainly reviewing these issues in an effort to learn from the past and avoid such customer complaints in the future,” wrote Hanuka. “TSM Canada apologizes for these delays and overall failure to address these three particular customer complaints in a timely manner. ”“As a result, TSM Canada is prepared to offer full compensation to Shelagh Bruhn [her claimed amount is $160] and Kate Wittaker [her claimed amount is $300]. TSM Canada will mail out the cheques to these customers this week.”
As for Lang’s longstanding claim for more than $8,500, the TSM statement indicated the company wants to settle with him, too.
“TSM Canada would like to have an opportunity to investigate this matter and attempt to resolve it with Mr. Lang with a suitable settlement offer over the coming several days.”
Hanuka also told CBC News he is also currently handling the allegations of unfair practices by TSM in Toronto, which are before the courts.
A spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services said it could not comment on the details of the complaints. Company representatives could be fined up to $50,000 and the corporation up to $250,000.
Related posts
Movers: Moving Company Scams Explained
December 27, 2008 by jburnham
Filed under Moving scams
Moving is tough; no doubt about it, but to be a victim of a moving company scam can make it almost unbearable. In all fairness to my trade as a professional mover only a very small percentage of moves are actually moving scams.
If you have been a victim of horrible service you may feel as if you have been scammed when indeed you haven’t. To be actually scammed is something that I would not want to wish on anyone.
There are three basic moving scams out there, and knowing how to detect them can prevent a lot of heartache and save you a lot of money. Now, if you still have had bad experience then you either hired a really bad company or they had an off day which does occur every now and then.
So what are the three basic moving company scams and just how do you spot them? Well I am going to explain that to you just now. The three moving company scams are the “Hostage Scam”, the “Large Downpayment Scam” and the “Craigslist Mover Scam.” So let me explain the three of them to you so you know what I mean then I’ll show you how to spot them so you don’t get caught up in their schemes.
“Hostage Scam”
You either go online or you look in the phone book and you find a mover that seems to be good. You call them up (this is assuming that you have called other moving companies prior to this call) talk to them about the move. They seem eager and helpful and you buy into their charisma. They ask you a few questions about your move then, over the phone, give you a quote. The quote is way lower than the other companies quotes and you make up your mind…”This is the company for me.” They send you some paperwork to fill out over the internet or through the mail and you send it back to them.
The big day comes for the move; the company you hired arrives and loads up your belongings into their truck. Everything seems to be just fine. You head on off to your new home and you wait for the company to arrive. They arrive to your new home, walk up to your door and you open it eagerly anticipating the moment you can sit in your favorite chair and watch TV. They present you with the bill. That is when you turn into an ape standing hunched over scratching your head because the bill they just handed to you is twice, thrice or more over the estimate (sometimes as much 4X). You explain to them that you weren’t expecting the bill to be that much and can’t pay it. They walk off, get into their truck and don’t come back. You can’t get your stuff until you pay the bill.
That is the Hostage scam at its finest. I’ll get into spotting this fraud in a moment.
“The Large Down-payment Scam”
This one is pretty obvious. Similar to the above moving scam, they lure you in with a lowball estimate and you bite. The catch here is that you have to give them a large down payment to get the ball rolling. The down payment can be up to half of the estimate. This company is giving you a deal and you are betting your chest in triumph. You gladly give them the money then you never see them again. Bye-bye money.
“The Craigslist Mover Scam”
This has a lot of similarities to the two above but with one major difference. Most of the companies (I’d say around 40%) on Craigslist are not legitimate moving businesses. What they tend to be is “two potheads and rusted pick-up.” If the idea of seeing loser “ganstas” or redneck butt crack is appealing to you then this probably the route for you. However, if you are looking for a more professional company then you may have to look a little harder when on Craigslist.
(This is no way intended to imply that all the moving companies on Craigslist are scams. They are not. There are many reputable and honorable moving companies that list their services there. Just be careful when hiring companies off this list. Of course with the information below you should avoid the hassle.)
Here are 6 very important points to look for when considering hiring a moving company:
- They do not come out or will not come out to do an on-site inspection of your home or office. They just give you the moving estimate over the phone. If they can’t do an inspection then there is a very big reason why and it “ain’t” good.
- The movers will only accept cash or credit cards BEFORE they even move you. Forget about paying with checks, it is too easy for you to cancel those. They want the money NOW.
- They either don’t have a website (and there is no excuse for this as I explain in this article) or their website is lacking in information. If a moving scam company does have a website but you can’t find either their DOT/MC #s or an address is a big red flag.
- They give you a lowball estimate. In the moving business a deal is NOT a deal.
- They don’t put anything in writing. Their estimate is not in writing. Their fee structure is not in writing. None of the agreements are in writing. Nothing. Granted, on smaller moves of only a few hours or so it may not be worth a reputable companies time and money to go do an estimate in person, etc. I am talking about moves that 40 miles or more. The long distance moves.
- Usually the only place that you can find this moving scam companies is on Craigslist. Rarely will they advertise in the local paper or in the Yellowpages.
So now you are asking yourself how you can avoid this from happening to you. And that would be a very good question. There is only ONE real answer, but that answer has many various parts. The answer is simply: do your research. But where and how you do your research is where the complexity comes in to play. Below is some quick bullet points to follow when researching that will help you out:
- You need to read my two articles: 10 Very Impoartant Moving Company Questions and Craigslist Mover Scams. These articles are choc-a-bloc full of useful information that will guide you in your research and the questions to ask.
- Go to the BBB website and find your moving company(ies) of choice and see what they have to say about them. Other good sources to look at are ripoffreport.com and movingscam.com.
- If a moving company says they have a license and insurance then get both their DOT and MC #s. Once you have them go to FMCSA.dot.gov and look up the company. This should tell you most of what you need to know.
So there you go. You now have enough data to be able to spot and avoid moving company scams. Just follow the advice in this little article and you’ll be doing okay. Of course, if you run into trouble then you can always give me a jingle or email me and I’ll be happy to help you free of charge.
Thank you and good luck.
