Five signs a Maryland moving may not be right for you

Selecting the right Maryland moving company can mean the difference between a safe, cost effective, hassle-free move, and wishing you hadn’t hired a mover at all. Not all moving companies are created equal and no two moves are ever the same. The diversity of the available moving services is confusing enough. There are international movers, interstate movers, relocation services, removal companies and specialty movers. These companies do a lot of similar things, but don’t be fooled, the difference in description is not just a matter of wording preference; these are very different services in a lot of ways.

There are a lot of competent professional movers in Maryland, but it does not mean that you should not be very careful when making your final pick. Apart from the diverse services out there, there is also a company’s reputation to consider. Here are five signs that the company you are talking to may not be the right one for you:

• Sign: The company you are talking to does not appear to have the necessary authorization to move you to the state you are moving to.
• Explanation: Although the label “interstate movers” implies that they can move you anywhere within the USA, not all Interstate movers can actually do so. If you are moving across several states, it is best to hire international movers just to be on the safe side.

• Sign:The company you are talking to will not be doing the moving but has instead offered to put you in touch with a moving company.
• Explanation:When this happens you are either talking to a broker or a relocation consultant. If you are talking to a broker, then it’s time to look for a moving company that you can talk to directly. That way, you save yourself the broker’s fee which will be added to your cost. If however, you are talking to a relocation consultant, you may just be talking to the right company. The bigger moving companies often offer in house relocation consulting, but there are independent relocation consultants. The most notable service they offer is helping you find a home or office to move into, in the town or city you are planning to relocate to. If you haven’t already done so, you may need their help.

• Sign:The estimate given to you does not include the cost of packing your belongings.
• Explanation:Of course if you plan to do the packing of your belongings yourself, this isn’t a problem, but if you were hoping to have the moving company handle it, then you should clarify whether the company you are talking to includes packing services, as some moving companies simply do not.

• Sign:The so called free estimate you have has an exclusivity clause binding you to the moving company that issued the quote.
• Explanation:Make sure all the estimates you are looking at are free, read everything carefully before signing any documents. Remember, very often, if it is on a contract and you sign that contract, even if it is unfair, it becomes legally binding.

• Sign:The free estimate you were given is much lower than other estimates and is rather “clean”; it doesn’t give a break down of how the quoted price was derived.
• Explanation:This is a ploy by some less reputable movers to trick you into hiring them. Very often, such companies will hit you with all sorts of hidden costs on moving day. As a general rule, you should disregard such estimates. If you are in the forgiving mood, you can ask for a more detailed breakdown and a “not-to-exceed” clause.

Be patient when selecting the right Maryland mover. It could wind up being the best thing you do for yourself, with the tips you’ve been given, and the great options available it won’t be hard.