Choosing international removals companies to get a quote from
Jan 9th 2013, 10:19 am
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Removals Specialist
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Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Sussex, England
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Choosing international removals companies to get a quote from
So you open up the yellow pages or scroll through a million Google search results of decent looking websites but who do you pick to do your move? Your belongings are important to you but how do you know that the company you’re looking at are going to care about them as much as you do, and how do you know they are charging you a fair price to move them? Here are a few tips to help you on your way!
Go direct – don’t use a broker!
This is just our opinion of course, and I’m sure there are merits to using a broker, but personally i’d avoid it. Only in speaking directly with the company you are going to use will you be able to get a feel for the service you will receive, the crew that will turn up and whether you are getting exactly what you need. Brokers may find you the cheapest mover (maybe) but will they find you the best quality? Normally they will just send your information to at least 3 (if not more) companies who are paying them for the lead…so why not choose your own 3 companies?
Get 3 Quotes:
To allow you to make a good comparison and make sure you find a company to fit your requirements it is always a good idea to choose 3 movers to invite to quote…that is unless you’ve used someone before or had a recommendation of a company you trust. Although it can be time consuming allow all three to come and visit your home to make their own assessment of the volume of goods to be moved and to check out access and any specific requirements. The survey should take around 45 minutes – 1 hour. Don’t be tempted to just have one survey and pass the volume details to the other two companies, volume of goods is usually based on a surveyors evaluation – what if one gets it wrong? Getting 3 in ensures you can check they are all quoting a similar volume.
How do I pick my 3?
Look for members of professional organisations, most of these will display the logo’s on their advert or web page, but if you’re unsure check the website of the organisation as they will keep an online directory for you to double check.
Look for members of the British Association of Removers for UK moves and their Overseas Moving group for moves out of the UK. In addition for Overseas moves look for members of the FIDI network. These organisations pre-vet movers including their quality of service, complaints and claims records and financial standing so being a member of a professional body can validate any claim of a ‘professional mover’ and give you peace of mind that the risk of anything going wrong is reduced as their systems and practices have been independently checked – it’s easy for any company to say it, but only the real professionals will pass the strict independent audits required to display the badges.
Try also to think about what's important to you in terms of price vs. quality or in terms of the services you need (do you need crating services for fragile goods for example?) and check out the companies website to make sure they can provide everything you're looking for. You can also use your visit to the website to get a feel for the company, does the content of the website demonstrate good knowledge and experience in moving people like you, do they provide you the right information and advice to help you prepare for your move, is it the kind of company you would like to work with?
If you have any tips on how to shortlist moving companies then please share them here!
Go direct – don’t use a broker!
This is just our opinion of course, and I’m sure there are merits to using a broker, but personally i’d avoid it. Only in speaking directly with the company you are going to use will you be able to get a feel for the service you will receive, the crew that will turn up and whether you are getting exactly what you need. Brokers may find you the cheapest mover (maybe) but will they find you the best quality? Normally they will just send your information to at least 3 (if not more) companies who are paying them for the lead…so why not choose your own 3 companies?
Get 3 Quotes:
To allow you to make a good comparison and make sure you find a company to fit your requirements it is always a good idea to choose 3 movers to invite to quote…that is unless you’ve used someone before or had a recommendation of a company you trust. Although it can be time consuming allow all three to come and visit your home to make their own assessment of the volume of goods to be moved and to check out access and any specific requirements. The survey should take around 45 minutes – 1 hour. Don’t be tempted to just have one survey and pass the volume details to the other two companies, volume of goods is usually based on a surveyors evaluation – what if one gets it wrong? Getting 3 in ensures you can check they are all quoting a similar volume.
How do I pick my 3?
Look for members of professional organisations, most of these will display the logo’s on their advert or web page, but if you’re unsure check the website of the organisation as they will keep an online directory for you to double check.
Look for members of the British Association of Removers for UK moves and their Overseas Moving group for moves out of the UK. In addition for Overseas moves look for members of the FIDI network. These organisations pre-vet movers including their quality of service, complaints and claims records and financial standing so being a member of a professional body can validate any claim of a ‘professional mover’ and give you peace of mind that the risk of anything going wrong is reduced as their systems and practices have been independently checked – it’s easy for any company to say it, but only the real professionals will pass the strict independent audits required to display the badges.
Try also to think about what's important to you in terms of price vs. quality or in terms of the services you need (do you need crating services for fragile goods for example?) and check out the companies website to make sure they can provide everything you're looking for. You can also use your visit to the website to get a feel for the company, does the content of the website demonstrate good knowledge and experience in moving people like you, do they provide you the right information and advice to help you prepare for your move, is it the kind of company you would like to work with?
If you have any tips on how to shortlist moving companies then please share them here!
