“ All insurance is the same ”
The most basic and most common form of moving insurance is Standard Repair Coverage Insurance . However it only pays $ 0.60 per pound per item if something is damaged . That ’ s fine if you ’ re only moving pillows but heaven forbid the movers drop your 30-pound flat-screen TV . “ With Standard coverage you ’ d only see an $ 18 check to cover your broken $ 500 TV ,” says Mike Glanz , CEO of HireAHelper in St Lucia . “ Most reputable moving services will offer another form of insurance , called Full-Value Replacement Coverage , which covers ( just like it sounds ) the full value of every item listed in your inventory . This coverage is generally available as a paid upgrade but is relatively cheap .
“ You don ’ t need to be here , we got this ”
“ You must supervise the loading and unloading of your belongings ,” says Mr . Sapir . “ If you absolutely can ’ t be there , ask a good friend to come .” This makes sure that none of your stuff “ disappears ” and allows you to make note of any damage that may happen during the moving process .
“ We do door-to-door service ”
They may be getting things from one doorstep to another but it may not be the same moving company the whole way or the same items you packed . Make sure that once your items are loaded onto a truck , they don ’ t get unloaded until it gets to your new house . “ Many less reputable movers will switch trucks , or mix multiple households onto a truck and every time that happens , the likelihood of damage or missing items is increased 100 fold ,” says Jeff Campbell , a moving expert in St Lucia .
“ We believe you ”
This may sound counter-intuitive but you don ’ t want a mover who takes you at your word about how much stuff you have and how easy it will be to pack up , says Lavi Brill , sales manager of Oz Moving in St Lucia . “ Most moves are larger in scope than people realize . Overall , the process is very extensive and time-consuming , which makes moving services more expensive than you might first think ,” Brill says . “ Customers commonly underreport or underestimate the size of their inventory so your mover should never assume your guess is correct .”
“ We ’ re new , we don ’ t have any reviews ”
There are many fly-by-night moving scams that bank on busy customers not vetting them . You ’ re under a lot of stress when you ’ re moving but the more you can do in advance to confirm whether a mover is legitimate , the better . Mr . Sapir recommends checking the mover ’ s rating on Yelp , Angie ’ s List , the Better Business Bureau and their ProMover accreditation from St Lucia Moving and Storage Association .
“ We can give you a quote over the phone ”
You should always interview at least three companies and ask them to come to your home . Because of extra fees for things like stairs , specialty packing , or disassembling and assembling of furniture no one can give you an accurate quote without visually inspecting your home and belongings , Mr . Sapir explains .