My phone estimate for moving is only….

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I get upset when I hear a client  telling me that so and so, who they found on x list, is only charging….

I get upset because we are not expensive. We charge enough to pay our bills. No vacations in Europe, no fancy cars, no large bank accounts.

 

Let’s look at the other quote logically.

The rate quoted on the phone is for how many men?  If those men had moving skills and years of experience, what would be a fair wage? If the company pays a reasonable wage to each man does that exceed the rate they quoted?
If not, where is the other money coming from?

Speaking of moving men, do they background check their men? Are they men you would want in your house?

Does the quote include a moving van? If you were to rent a truck, what would you expect to pay for the day? Don’t forget gas and tolls.  Oh, and add in the cost of renting dollies and hand-trucks and blankets to protect your furniture.

Does the quote include packing? Can they safely move your Flat screen? (just blankets are not OK)           Hire a good NJ Moving company

Do they charge for tape? Blankets? Stairs?

Does the quote include liability or insurance? If a man falls, are they covered? If not, you will be paying the medical bills. Is the furniture covered if damaged? If not, you’re just out of luck.  If the truck damages your mailbox or gutters, are they covered?

I am all about saving money and cutting corners. I do here at company every day.

I would love to meet these movers that can legitimately offer such great pricing, but I do not meet them at education or training seminars, or association meetings. I do not see them at chamber events nor are they supporting our local charities. They are not found on the BBB with “A” ratings.

They are seen on TV when consumers complain about their last mover and they are found during sting operations. (18 last month in NJ) They are seen picking up day laborers at the local corner or at a tavern. They use a fleet of rental trucks, and do not own their own. They have many business names. The advertise on phone poles, bulletin boards and lists .

They prey on us wanting something for what we know is too good to be true.

Faith can move mountains, for everything else there is BD Movers!(tm)

 

 

Hiring a New Jersey Mover and what are the added costs?

You are interviewing your NJ Moving company and want to know what could change the price. Here is the potential add on list.

Travel time is the cost of a mover getting to you and back to their warehouse. This is in additional to your hourly

BD Movers, Barnegat moving company, and their smiling customer

move. Some movers may add a nominal fee for this and some add quite a bit. If you are in Cape May and you hire a mover from Hoboken expect lots of travel time.

If you don’t finish the packing;  lamps, pictures, dishes, etc, the mover will and they will charge for that service.  This can be a substantial cost. Be clear with your mover at the time of the estimate on what you will pack and they will pack.

Change of order. You added items or you changed the conditions of the move. For instance, you did not sell the living room set and now it goes, or the movers get to the new house and find it is an apartment with a tiny elevator instead the ranch home they expected.

Some companies charge for tolls.

Some will charge for equipment. Normal use of a hand-truck or dolly is usually included. Piano equipment or hoisting may not be.

Some charge for blankets. It is legal if its in the their tariff, but I think it’s unfair. Does a carpenter charge for his hammer? I should have available to me all the tools that make me a professional.

Some charge for tape. A scam but legal if it’s in their tariff. They use rolls and rolls of it when they put blankets on the furniture.

Never legal are things like a mandatory tip, lunch money or a charge for gas for the trucks.

Faith can move mountains, for everything else there is BD Movers!(tm) your firm price moving company.

Disappointing NJ Movers

Pleased BD Movers customer

I know its summer by the calls my office gets almost everyday.

• My mover did not show up, are you available? When we question the client a little we find the mover was hired by email or over the phone and never came out.
• My mover called and he can’t make the agreed moving date, can you? Most reputable movers will honor the moving date, you have a closing don’t you? You must be out. Again we find the mover did not come out and they have no paperwork stating agreed on dates.
• You gave me an estimate 2 months ago, I want to move tomorrow.  Sorry, all movers need as much time as you can give them. I may be open tomorrow but it will be unlikely.
• I want to move on the 30th, but everyone is booked!  The 30th and 15th are the most popular dates for closings (and moving) because the math is much easier for taxes and utilities.  Try to pick the 18th or 23rd and you will have better luck.
• My closing is delayed, can you hold the furniture for a week? Sorry, no. We are moving people everyday and we need the truck you would like us to hold for you. Imagine a carpenter lending his hammer, he is unable to work til it’s returned.  I can move you into a self storage and then move you out when the new house closing takes place.
• I have a quote of “x”, why is this mover so much cheaper that everyone else?  I don’t know, but you should be asking, what is their reputation? are they licensed and carry insurance? are they listed with the BBB? If all things are equal and they looked you in the eye and said “x” then why not hire them?

Summary – make your mover come out, check them out thouroughly and book early.

Faith can move mountains, for everything else there is BD Movers(tm)

Moving and deposits

We ask for deposits when you book a move.  Why?

We do so because we are reserving a truck and crew just for your job, I am now refusing other work on that day. I have committed a very large part of my fleet, and man power. Your deposit seals the deal. It does not mean I do not trust you, or that I suspect you are a deadbeat. Did you realize many people call to book moves but have no intention of using the mover? They wanted a safety-net in case they could not do it themselves, family did not show up, the rental truck was not there….

There should be some comfort on your part because you now have a “contracted date” with your mover, not just a verbal commitment.

Every day we get calls from people telling us the mover did not show up. Did the mover trade up to a larger or easier move? Did they overbook hoping someone would cancel? It happens in this industry.

The deposit means I will move you and you want me as your mover. The deposit is returnable if the date changes or you change your mind, just let me know in advance.  That’s fair and respectful on both our parts.

Faith can move mountains, for everything else there is BD Movers! ™

Call your NJ Mover

I often get phone calls from people that just want a price for “x” items. If you are calling to move a piano, or an armoire I can usually do that.

A typical call might be to ask ,”how much to move a house?”  I have no idea at all. You sigh and say, “I’m moving from Toms River to Manahakwin, how much?”  I still have no idea. You clarify with, “I have some bedrooms, garage, basement, some boxes, normal stuff, you know?” I still do not know and neither does any other moving company in New Jersey or anywhere else.

The problem is that there is no typical 3 bedroom house move. Some of you will have 100 boxes (often) while others will have 300 (not uncommon). Some of you will have 2 dressers, 2 night tables, and 1 bed in your master bedroom (often), but others will have a monster “camel” dresser, a huge armoire, 2 night tables the size of a childs dressers, a four post king size bed, a lingerie chest, a fainting lounge, and an entertainment wall unit (saw this just last week). Some of you have basements where you just keep the christmas items, some of you store the family stuff from your extended family, some of you are frightened to go down there.

When you call your mover, let them come out , better yet, make them come out! Your phone estimate is worthless. If your mover wants to do a phone estimate, it’s because they are either lazy or devious.

Faith can move mountains, for everything else there is BD Movers!(tm)

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

Moving phone estimate

I recently had a phone call that went like this:
My mover just called and said they can’t move me, can you help?
Yes I can, Where do you live? I need to come out and see what you have so I can give you an estimate.
The other mover didn’t.  What do you charge to move a small house – they said 4 hours.
I want to see it, and I can tell you. It is the law in New Jersey to protect the consumer, so, when can I come out?
I don’t want an in house estimate, I just want a price.
I understand it may not be convenient, but the last mover never took the time to take responsibility for your move. I want to so there are no surprises, and no problems on the day of your move.
Never mind then, I’ll someone else.

Plenty of movers will take this job without looking at it. Why?  Because the customer has invited them to charge whatever they want on moving day. Make us take responsibility for your move.

Faith can move mountains, for everything else there is BD Movers! ™
Testimonial

Moving Scams 1

I did a search on moving scams, and it is AMAZING! Here are some examples I found. To be fair, I removed the moving companies names. These complaints are just one side of the argument and could have been  posted for a unfair reasons. So….

• Ripped off, lost/stolen/broken items

I have been “taken” by them as well. They overcharged, lost a lot of my stuff and after repeated calls and a claims letter sent their number have been “disconnected!”
What have you been able to find out about them? Have you gotten a lawyer? Please email me…

• Most stressfull and unorganized move I have ever had!

Let me start by saying this was the most stressfull and unorganized move I have ever had.
First finances, we agreed upon a binding estimate of $6477.33, this included packing/unpacking of my mattresses shown on estimate at $281.76. Reviewing my BOL I was charged $6910.34 which…

• Lies, no response, no service!

This is a complaint about xxxxxxx Moving and Storage, in New York, New York.
My wife and I recently used xxxxxx to assist us in a move from Brooklyn to Jersey this past month. I had every expectation of the move going smoothly, as it did two years ago when I used xxxxxx…

• Moving rip-off

1st contact (binding estimate) stated any additional cubit feet would be billed at time of pick up. It failed to disclose that the charge was 3 times more than the pr cubit feet charge of the initial estimate.
I selected mover packing. Contract stated packing supplies were additional….

NJ Moving companies are not equal

Today I received a call from a client I gave an estimate to last month. He wanted to hire us to move the items the low quote mover had not moved. I asked what had happened and heard this story…

The other mover had quoted on the phone (by NJ law we must come out to give you an estimate) a price substantially cheaper than my in house estimate. Although I had informed him of the laws governing movers, they were enticed by a great price. The phone estimate movers showed up and proceeded to find all sorts of new charges. The agreed price was gone and at the end of the day, my price was considerably cheaper. They refused to move the items that did not fit on the truck ( I had estimated for a second truck) but they would come back tomorrow at an additional cost. When he complained, they surrounded him and intimidated him. He now was concerned about his family’s safety.

Please, please, please check us out with the NJ board of consumer affairs, you can do this online if you want, or check out http://njmovers.com/ to at least see if we are licensed and members of the state association of movers.  Check us out with the BBB

At the end of the day we all have to make a living, hire a moving company that wants to move you every time, not just once.

Faith can move mountains, for everything else there is BD Movers!(tm)

twitter – @njmovingguy

Hiring a moving company

Hiring a moving company?

You know to check them out with the BBB. You know you should check to see if they have a license. You know they should be a member of a moving association like the NJ Warehouse and Movers Association or the American Moving & Storage Association. You also know you want an in-house estimate of charges, but are you really doing that ??
Call after call to our office would rather we did not come out, they want a price over the phone. By law I should, but you don’t have time to meet the guy/women that will move everything you own and love.
I might mention we are registered with the BBB and tell our rating. You should check that out but it’s a bother and the estimator seems so nice.
You should only call licensed movers, with liability coverage, their own trucks and men, but the guys that posted “moving services” on Craig’s list seem like they can do this.
As consumers we often invite problems because we neglect to do the smallest of background checks. Don’t be one that gets burned.

Faith can move mountains, for everything else there is BD Movers ™

BTW Craig’s List is an excellent source for all kinds of things, but in NJ they do not post a consumer notice that movers must be licensed here and so most who post under moving services are not legal, licensed, and insured.

BD Movers/TonyBaumer

Household Moving NJ

You need to move and you are working your plan to find your moving company. Here are your choices,

• Phone book – possibly a hundred movers are listed in your phone book. You know none of them but recognize a few names. The problem – you know none of them.

• Internet List – lots of choices here also. The problem – anyone (almost) can list themselves as movers here. Is it a couple of  guys and a pickup or is it a moving company with insurance?

• Internet “find a mover” sites. There are thousands of movers here! Some sites are very good and reputable. The problem – Who is a mover and who is a broker? The site sells the leads to movers, so often the mover with the largest budget gets the lead.

• “Google” search for movers. Actually not a bad choice if you search on a locality and check to see where the company is based. The problem – many movers use keywords in their websites that make them appear to be in Toms River NJ,  but they are really 100 miles away.

• Mover associations like the New Jersey Warehouse and Movers Association. I like this a lot. The members are licensed for the state you searched in. They more than likely signed a “code of ethics”. They are committed (presumably) to learning more about their industry and improving it. The problem – no problem.

• The BBB. Many companies are listed here, and the BBB give them a rating based on complaints. I like it! The problem – some excellent movers are not listed if they did not join the BBB.

• The chamber of commerce. Good thinking. The members are local, they are active in the community and may have agreed to a code of ethics there as well. The problem – not every company joins, and lousy companies can join if they pony up the dues each year. In reality though, I rarely find that to be the case.

• Ask around. This should be part of the equation. You will hear of the bad experiences quickly, that should weed out the worst companies and guide you to a couple of good ones.

If you put it all together, you should be checking out the state movers associations, check out the local chamber, asking around and checking with the BBB. If your mover is showing up in most of those places, you probably have found a good choice for your move.

Faith can move mountains, for everything else call us! ™