How To Avoid Surprise Moving Charges & Fees
If you have never employed the services of a moving company before, then you need to know about a few things before following through with it. The most important thing to know about is the fees & costs associated with the move.
It’s obvious that your wallet could be drained rather quickly during the move, but if you become prepared for any surprises like the ones we have listed for you here, then you will be able to enjoy the moving services and rest easier at night knowing that all of your bases are covered within the moving services of Pack And Ship Movers.
When you know where these hidden fees and extra costs come from, you’ll be able to avoid surprise moving charges & fees.
Packing & More
You have the option of packing your own belongings or hiring your movers for it. Just keep in mind that it may come at an additional price for both supplies and the labor involved. If you have your movers do the packing ensure any extra cost is clearly stated on your estimate.
For a moving company to increase the price to pack your belongings, many will try to persuade you to purchase material that is especially for items that will not be normally required in order for safety to be maintained.
Essentially, the extra costs to move could stem from any part of the move, so you are better off with declining any extra packing & more.
Basic Insurance for Moving
Pack And Ship Movers know that your belongings are important to you. So it is good to know that after you’ve settled the bill of lading, the moving company should provide basic insurance for the local or long distance moving. Although this insurance is free, the amount you get if all of your belongings are damaged is very little because the coverage only pays around 65 cents per pound. This is why moving companies like to offer a higher amount of insurance protection known as Full Value. What you need to keep in mind is the fact that the majority of moves happen without any problems, so you may be better without this extra insurance.
Taking Furniture Apart
Pack And Ship Movers will gladly take your furniture apart in order to save space and then put them back together later. However, you may see a small charge if you do since it outside of our scope of “moving”
It is good to know that many times your bulky items will need to be broken down in order to be placed in the moving truck easily. But if you know how, then go ahead and have your things broken down before moving day comes.
Bulky Belonging Handling
Pack and Ship Movers know that having belongings that are bulky can be a disadvantage for you while moving and you may see a fee for this. This charge is not what many expect to see so you need to make sure to ask about it before you pay or sign anything.
A lot of times these bulky fees stem from items such as pianos, heavy items, hot tubs, and pool tables.
In order to avoid this bulky fee, you may need to consider if you want to take the items with you or leave them behind.
Flight Charge
Many times if you know that your new home will have stairs, then you can expect to experience a flight charge in order to have your items completely moved in. If you don’t live on the ground floor and your building has no elevator, then you may have no choice but to pay it. You can talk to your moving company to find out the specific cost so that you are aware.
For a move that will see you several floors above, it would behoove you to ensure that an elevator will be available on the moving day so you can avoid surprise moving charges & fees associated with them.
Charges for Long Carries
Pack And Ship Movers know that not being able to reach your door by a certain amount of feet may cause you to be charged for long carries.
With this charge, it occurs when the movers or the moving truck is unable to park as close as possible to a home entrance. For many cities there may not be any free parking available that is close enough.
To avoid this, your best bet would be to ensure that there are no obstructions in the way where the truck would need to be parked for loading and unloading. Another idea is to obtain a permit for your movers to park in a designated spot on moving day.
Charge for Cancellation
Pack And Ship Movers understand that many unforeseeable things happen which can cause a move to be cancelled. You may have found a lower price elsewhere or you decided to stay. No matter what, you will need to cancel your move day and that may be chargeable.
Knowing what their cancellation policy is will enable you to plan ahead if anything changes prior to moving day.
Normally, if you provide two or more weeks’ notice of cancellation, then you will unlikely be charged for it. You can then get your full deposit back.
Regardless, it is always better to consult the moving company’s policy for cancellation prior to scheduling your moving day.
Fee for Storage
A fee for storage is another hidden fee that movers use in order to lure the customer into using their own storage warehouse.
This fee for storage is due to a delay in delivery that is usually requested. This delay could be caused by many things such as a home not being ready yet for move-in. Make sure that the charge is calculated in your estimate along with you notifying them of when the exact move date will be. Keep in mind that the cost goes up if you have belongings in storage for a longer period of time. This charge should also be estimated in the cost of the move.
To avoid this fee, it is best to decrease the actual time spent at the stops along the way.
Express Charge
If you are looking to have your belongings delivered quicker than originally planned, then you may benefit from the charge the movers will calculate.
The best way to avoid this extra charge is to not use it and stick to your original moving plan.
Additional Stop Charge
Pack And Ship Movers know that sometimes you can’t help have an additional stop along the way. This charge is also not a very common one. However, if you do need to make additional pickups, you may be charged for it.
The best way to handle any extra charge will be to talk to your movers about it in order to keep the costs down.
Travel Charge
Even though the local price to move is significantly lower than long distance moving, moving companies tend to charge for the movers to travel from their office to the move site. Although it is a small charge and usually added as an extra labor hour, it could be even more depending on the moving company.
Although you are not able to avoid this moving charge, you can advise the movers to let you know ahead of time if one will be incurred so you can expect it.
Hoist Charge
A hoist charge is a fee that a moving company charges to remove large items that may be otherwise too big to remove through a staircase or doorway. To accomplish the hoist, they utilize a window or other large outside opening in order to maintain safety of the structure.
Let’s Get Pack’n N’ Ship’n
It goes without saying that some additional moving charges can be expensive. That is why the professionals at Pack And Ship Movers won’t charge you these ridiculous fees.