The benefits of hiring movers through referrals

Good referrals are hard to get. That is why movers Spencer takes extreme pride in their referrals. But you might have gotten a referral for an unknown moving company and you are now considering whether you should act on it? Well, the short answer is that if the referral is good and trustworthy then definitely yes. However, it is not as easy as that. You need to get the referrals in the first place but they can come from scammers, too. You always need to check if these referrals “hold water” so to speak. If you are hiring movers through referrals, you also need to do some additional research beforehand. So, without further ado:

Hiring Movers Through Referrals? Yes Or No?

As mentioned previously, if the referral is “good” then a resounding “yes”. If not, then a resounding “no”. In any case, you want to follow these steps:

• Get Referrals First
• Watch Out For The Red Flags – Scams
• Check For Insurance And License
• Ask About Professional Accreditation
• Verify The Address

Get Referrals First

Only one referral does not a moving company make. You want to get as many as you can. For example, if you do a quick search on Worcester movers, you will find out that there are many customers that are willing to provide one. And this is a hallmark of a good moving company. Plenty of referrals out there. This part is relatively simple, get as many referrals as you can. After that, you need to:

Watch Out For The Red Flags – Scams

There are, unfortunately, scams aplenty in the moving industry. This is because people think that anyone with a truck and a name can be a professional mover. Well, the truth of the matter is that he cannot. You need to make sure that you conduct no business with “moving companies” such as these. There will be several red flags in these cases and you need to pay attention to them. The first red flag is if the moving company is new. While this may be a genuine company that is wishing to get itself on the market, it warrants additional research, such as insurance and licensing. The second flag is if the company simply does not have appropriate credentials. You need to make sure that these are in perfect order before you hire such a moving company. You should check out this useful guide on how to protect yourself against moving scams.  Therefore, the first thing you need to do is:

Check For Insurance And License If You Are Hiring Movers Through Referrals!

A proper and legitimate moving company will have the proper insurance, that you can check. They will also have all the necessary licenses. If you ask about these, moving companies will be happy to oblige. If you encounter any reservation about showing you any of these, then get that frown on and consider a fraud. Don’t stop the negotiations straight away, but be extra careful. Sometimes the companies will have legitimate reasons for the delay. However, there should be no delay, to begin with, and the simple presence of any is a bad sign.

This is also a great time to review any insurance plans that you might want to apply toward your moving process. Usually, your homeowner’s insurance will cover only the basics. And almost every insurance is a bit different. While you are in the process of checking the insurance of the moving company, you might as well check your own. If you find that you need an upgrade, then this will be the perfect time to ask about it. If everything is fine, then great! You have just ensured that everything is at it should, at no additional time cost!

Ask About Professional Accreditation

Now, every moving company that is worth their salt, so to speak, is accredited in the business. If you ask your movers what are their accreditations, they need to point you in the right direction. If they are not able to do so, that is another red flag that you need to be wary of. There are few associations, such as the Moving & Storage Association, which will only count reliable and trustworthy companies in their ranks. So, if your movers are in any of these well-known associations, you can rest easy. However, not being a part of any association is not mandatory for a company to be reliable and trustworthy. But they have to have some other credentials or to be in the business for quite some time.

Hiring Movers Through Referrals – Verify The Address

If you have come to this step, then congratulations! The last thing you need to do when hiring movers through referrals is to verify their address. Usually, you will find this on their website or a card, or similar. You want to make sure that the address that is written there actually corresponds to an actual address and whoever is listed there. Be wary of residential names instead of company names. This is another big red flag. However, even so, give the company a benefit of the doubt, if they are worth your time, that is. Just be extra careful once you see this.

The thing is, people are trying to succeed in this world all the time. There will be a million small companies that are genuinely trying to get into the moving industry and will raise most red flags. And still, they can be genuine and a real bargain. That is why scams work as well as they do. It is quite plausible that ol’ Johnny moved his friends for years and has now decided to start his own company. Or it can be someone who makes up the story and wants to scam people.

Bottom line is, yes, referrals are great and you can act on them. However, as in everything in life, it pays well to be extra careful!