Van Liners: Van Line Moving Companies
March 23, 2010 by admin
Filed under Moving News, Moving scams
Recently It has come to my attention that I may have given the false impression that I am anti-van line. So let disspell that myth right here and now…I am not anti-van line.
I am anti-moving
scam.
How this came about was I invited by a local moving company, that also happens to be a Wheaton Van Line agent out of Kalamazoo, to meet with the owner of that moving company and tour his installation.
He was very polite and professional and he explained to me how many van liners work. He showed me his facilities and his trucks etc. I was very impressed to say the least. But more importantly he showed me where I had erred in my judgement of van liners.
So from this I just wanted to express three points about Van liners, no matter whom they may be:
1) Van Liners are Local Moving Companies:
Many van liners have agents do their selling and transporting for them. Similar to a franchise these agents go out and bid on moves, do advertising in their perspective regions etc. But those agents usually are moving company owners in their own right.
These agents operate their own local full service moving company like any other full service mover. They just also happen to be van line agents.
2) Van Liners can be cheaper for small long distance moves:
I had this one completely wrong. I said that for smaller moves that van liners were not not competitive in pricing. In fact, for small long distance moves they can actually far cheaper than a full service mover.
Of course you will give up some control and time using the Van Liners but you make it up in cost.
Now, what I say does hold up if you are moving long distance. But then you take in account point 1 above.
3) You still need to verify a Van Liner like any other mover:
No matter if you are looking at Full Service Movers, Van Liners or Craigslist movers you still need to do your research on the company.
Just because it is well established name in the moving business does not mean they are good moving company to use.
If you read the articles that I have on this website then you know I did a review of moving scams. Over 80% of those moving scams were committed by “licensed and insured” established moving companies; and 60% of those were committed by Van Line agents.
So while reported that Van Liners committed most of the moving scams I have to amend that and say most were committed by Van Line agents.
The moral of the story is: Do your research any mover you plan to use.
I hope this helps to clarify my views on Van Liners.
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
3 Mistakes In Choosing A Full Service Mover
February 4, 2010 by admin
Filed under Moving Tips and Advice
Most movers are very good and will do a great job for you. Ask the millions that move evey year. However, there is that occasional time when something goes wrong and you get scammed. There are 3 major mistakes in choosing a full service mover.
I have hundreds of articles on this website tat can help wth your move. Most of these articles I have written myself. Every so often I find a great article witten by another that I feel just compelled to share. This article is just one of those. I hope that you like it.
3 Mistakes in Choosing a Full Service Moving Company
A full service moving company can be a huge help when it comes time to move. However, people have been known to make mistakes when choosing which company to use. Here are a few mistakes to avoid when choosing a full service moving company.
1. Not Getting Referrals
Getting a referral from a friend is one of the best ways to make sure that you are getting a good company. Ask your friend if the company handled their belongings carefully or if there was any damage involved. Ask them if the company charged a reasonable price as well.
2. Hiring a Rogue Moving Company
Sometimes people find a moving company that is not actually a company at all (they are called rogue movers.) They might give you the impression that they are legitimate, but when it comes down to it, they are not. Make sure that your company is licensed to do business in your area before hiring them.
3. Hiring a Company Without Insurance
You want to put your possessions in the hands of someone that has insurance. Otherwise, you may find a house full of damaged furniture with no one to take care of it. Make sure that the insurance policy has a high enough limit to pay for damage to your furniture if something happened. You will want to make sure that the policy covers any negligence on the part of the mover.
These are 3 mistakes you cld make in choosing a full service mover. Feel free to give me a call or email me if you haveany further questions.
Related posts
U-Save Moving Was First Class All The Way
December 23, 2009 by admin
Filed under Testimonials
Jae and Jim were first class all the way through my moving experience. I had to move fast, and they were ready to go right away, I didn’t have to lift a finger!
Thank Jae and Jim!
Sincerely,
Kevin Casey
22 Dec 2009
Related posts
Moving Systems
December 10, 2009 by admin
Filed under Moving Tips and Advice, Moving Truck Rental, Moving company rates, Moving labor
There are several moving systems.
Depending on your move the moving system that you should use will vary. I.e. a small local move will most likely best served by a do it yourself move; and a large long distance move may be bettered served by a full service mover or vanline.
The best way to determine what is best for you is to know what each kind of moving system there is and to ask a lot of questions.
I know that moving can be tough and stressful that is why I have this website and all these articles: I want to address every question that may come up and answer them. I am also very accessible via email or the telephone.
But this article is about the different moving systems out there. So lets get into them:
Do it yourself moving:
Quite obviously this kinda of speaks for itself.
This is the moving system you may use when you have a small local move.
moving yourself may not be viable to you – or even cheaper – if you have a larger move in town. However, if you have a 1 bedroom apartment (or even a small 2 bedroom) or smaller this may be a great option.
It is not uncommon to rent a U-Haul (or Penske, Budget or Ryder) moving truck, load it up with a bunch family and/or friends and move to your new place down the road.
This can be very cheap. But don’t kid yourself: moving yourself is the most stressful of all the moving systems out there. You have no insurance protections or any other fail-safes. Something goes wrong…and it is all on you.
Secondly, you must weigh in the hidden cost factors: Gas, Mileage (the real killer), Boxes, dollies and blankets, etc. These are all added to overall cost of the move if you can not or do not have way to provide them yourself.
That cheap do it yourself move may quickly become more expensive to do than if you hired a full service mover.
Moving Labor:
A moving labor moving system is more than just hiring a couple of guys off Craigslist or elsewhere to load and unload your moving truck or trailer. There is a bit more.
There are few different business models that I categorize under moving labor: There are the “you load, we drive” style of movers. The most famous of these types of moving labors are ABF and PODS.
What these companies do is bring you a trailer or shipping container and you have to load them yourself or hire the muscle to do it for you.
This can be very inexpensive to move your household goods very long distances, but they are too expensive really for the shorter, in state moves.
Again, there are not a lot of insurance protections for you here. If something is damaged or stolen (highly unlikely) then “oh well”. Not much you can do about it.
Moving labor also can go hand-in-hand with a do it yourself move. You rent a moving truck from a moving truck rental place and then hire laborers to load and unload your moving truck. This also goes with “you load, we drive” types.
But like I said there is far more risk in this type of moving than with your full service style movers.
But this can be very cheap if nothing goes wrong.
Full Service Moving:
These are companies like mine – U-Save Moving, Two men and Truck, All My Sons, Moishe’s, etc.
These companies, when hired, will do everything for you. They’ll box up your household, store your households possessions if needed, load and unload the trucks, and even assemble your furniture and place it in the right rooms for you. These companies are insured and licensed for your protection.
And best of all, they are there for you every step of the way.
Using a full service mover lessens the stress factor by a 1000x easy. Sure it can be expensive, but not in all cases.
Typically, a medium to large move locally will be cheaper with a full service mover than if you were to do it yourself believe it or not, PLUS you get the peace of mind knowing that you are insured.
Most of the movers are pillars of their communities. Being members of the BBB or Chamber of Commerce and other social and charitable organizations.
Reversely, there are a lot of scammers in this moving system. There are many that have a pick up and trailer and think they can become movers. So one really has to be on guard initially until they hire a licensed and insured full service mover.
A good rule of thumb in hiring a full service moving company is the amount of information that you can find out about the company and their principles. The more info you can find, typically, the better the company.
Just try it: Google me – Jae Burnham – or my company – U-Save Moving – and notice the amount of information there is about me and this company. I am all over the place. I am on Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, Flickr. I have listings with every major search engines. I am in the Yellowpages and Yellowbook. I am not hiding.
Any company that little to no information easily accessible should NOT be used.
Vanliners:
When moving across the country this moving system may be most affordable option for you. I would not recommend them for local or even across the state moves.
The most notable vanliners are Mayflower, Allied, United and if you have to, Bekins (voted one of the worst by J.D. Powers and Associates.)
The problem with this type of moving system is that it takes far longer for your possessions to reach your destination than if you were to use a full service mover.
Where typically a full service movers can deliver your possessions in a day or two, vanliners will take a week or two to deliver your goods.
Another negative point is that your possessions may be unloaded and reloaded a couple of times, adding to the chance that your stuff is lost, damaged or even stolen.
However, rarely will you find a vanliner that is not insured and licensed.
These companies usually are usually very bureaucratic. Meaning if there is an issue with something lost, damaged or stolen it is very hard to reach someone that can make a decision and give you satisfaction with your claims. There is a lot of red tape and hoops to jump through and many just give up.
However, for the most part, many of these moves are smooth and problem free.
So you can see there are many moving systems and each of them have their own strengths and weaknesses. Not all moving systems will be right for you. You need to know what each moving system is and how it could benefit you personally.
Choosing a moving solely based off the cheapest usually ends in disaster and will leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Asking questions and studying the industry will give you a basic education and allow you to make educated choices for which moving system is for you.
Related posts
U-Save Moving Very Helpful
December 9, 2009 by admin
Filed under Testimonials
Very Helpful – Nice – Loaded everything quickly and efficiently.
Besty Hustwick
9 Dec 2009
Related posts
Great Service From U-Save Moving
December 5, 2009 by admin
Filed under Testimonials
Great service!
Wonderful people!
Will move with them again!
Nicole Winowiecki
4 Dec 2009
Related posts
U Save Moving Did A Great Job.
December 1, 2009 by admin
Filed under Testimonials
These guys did a great job. They worked with me when I had to reschedule my move. They also moved everything through narrow stairwells without damaging any of my furniture.
Thanks a lot.
Nichelle Smith
30 Nov 2009
Related posts
U Save Mover Were Pleasant To Work With.
December 1, 2009 by admin
Filed under Testimonials
U Save Movers were pleasant to work with. Very courteous, consciancious, great guys! Would definitely recommend!
Thank you so much! 
Sandy Davis
30 Nov 2009
Related posts
U-Save Moving’s Excellent Service
November 20, 2009 by admin
Filed under Testimonials
Excellent Service!!
Would really recommend their services.
They were careful and very courteous with all pieces of furniture.
Worked well with me and very good prices too!!!
Judy Workman
Lansing, MI
19 Nov 2009
