Not All Moving Companies Are Bad

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Packing Service Inc

If you’re tired of reading about moving scams in the news, here’s a moving story with a happy ending

At first, this story sounded like any other moving scams story. The victim made his way to an anti-moving scam web site, and shared his story and asked for help. 9 months after a coast to coast move, which had included a binding estimate in writing that was paid in full, they would be victim, received a letter from the moving company demanding an extra 2,200 for “storage.” The fee was allegedly incurred during the move. The homeowner tried to resolve the dispute, in a conversation with someone in collections. He insisted he had never received an invoice from the movers for the storage fee. And when he quoted a Federal regulation which he claimed prevented the moving company from adding additional charges 9 months after the move, the collections agent became angry, and said she was turning the case over to the legal department.

So far this moving company sounds a bit like moving scam. The ingredients include concocted additional charges, 9 months after the moving, and now, threats of legal action if the victim doesn’t pay up. But now members of the anti-scam moving site bulletin board come to the rescue. One member assured the victim that the movers, Suddath, were reputable people and this could just be an honest mistake. He wanted to know if the homeowner had requested storage, because storage fees are not a part of legal “binding agreements.”

The homeowner had requested storage; however, he said he had agreed to pay a flat 135.00 for the additional service. Then he talked once more with the collections department, and this time they were more reasonable. They examined the paperwork and discovered that the time his belongings were supposedly in storage corresponded to the entire length of the move, and would have left no time for transport.

A negotiator soon joined the bulletin board discussion.

She talked with collections and discovered that the items had been put into storage, and could find no promise of a flat fee guaranteed estimate in the documents. She promised to get things resolved, though. And she made a memorable statement: “Please understand that all companies can make mistakes – it’s when the mistakes are identified and how they resolve them as to whether they are scamming individuals or not.”

The inability or lack of interest in resolving mistakes is certainly what characterizes scam movers. Once they get control of the victim’s belongings, communication breaks down. They are concerned about 1 thing, getting their full fee as quickly as possible.

One of the participants on the bulletin board suggested the moving company had put the items in storage after promising free storage, and had forgotten to note the agreement on the storage forms. The next day, Pam was back to inform Archie that he had hit the nail right on the head. That’s just what happened..

Apparently Archie and Pam knew each other, as the serious atmosphere dispersed, and they began to joke. “Archie, she said,” “Your great.” “How many times has a woman told you that?” Archie, obviously pleased with the compliment, responded: “Gotcha, lucky guess on my part. Sounds like a mix up, which can be corrected with a few keystrokes on a computer. You should keep Quinn’s cell phone on speed dial, just in case I ever have to go right to the top. I miss Quinn, he was a class act. Nothing against Barry, he’s a cool dude too, but Quinn took Suddath to the top, and did it right.”

With the misunderstanding only hours away from resolution, Archie and Pam, the negotiator continued to trade jibes. “Ha-ha, I wish I could get women to tell me that I’m good……I used to date a farm girl, when she broke up with me, she sent me a John Deere letter” To which Pam replied, “I can ALWAYS count on you for a good laugh!!!! I love you Archie. I have got to get to Atlanta soon to catch up with you…..your humor just cracks me.”

The next morning, word came through, the mistake was cleared up. They would be victim had nothing but praise for the anti-scam web site community.

This article was sponsored by Packing Service, Inc. which is a national packing company chain dedicated to protecting consumers from moving scams and always get flat fees guaranteed estimates. Call now for a Flat Rate Quote 888-722-5774

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Moving Scams – Local Move

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Packing Service Inc

What is a local move?
A local move is a move that takes you within a 100-mile radius and stays within the same state. Few factors determine the cost of a local move. A local move may take a couple of hours or a couple of days, based on the size and the services requested.
Packing Service, Inc. will perform your loading within your requested time frame. PSI are fully aware of the many factors involved in selecting a moving date, such as closing date, lease expiration, family matters, work schedule and restrictions of building managements. That is why we give great attention to our customer’s moving time requirements.

How does a local mover charge?
If you are moving locally, most relocation moving companies charge per hour depending on how many movers and trucks are involved. Moving by the hour is not a good idea as the movers will work slowly and there are no guarantees on what the cost will be.
Packing Service Inc. charge by a flat fee guaranteed for moving, based on the size of your job and in most cases we will come out to give you a flat fee for your move before your big day arrives.

How moving scams apply on a local move?
You can get charged for extra travel time from and to the office, the movers can work slowly and use unnecessary packing supplies that the mover will only tell you about when your items are locked in the truck. You can get an estimate over the phone or over the internet that will be low-balled as to how many hours it will take the movers to complete your job.

How can I avoid the moving company scams?
Write down the names of the companies you are thinking of using and find out more about the history of the company by going to www.movingscam.com or www.bbb.org. Get an in home estimate before your moving date with a flat price for your move including all fees and expenses (don’t move by the hours) and of course ask a lot of questions, if the mover looks or acts unprofessional and you have a doubt about the company just move on as there are a ton of companies out there, PSI is the ONLY PACKING COMPANY that provide information about moving company scams

What are the best ways to move and avoid the moving company scams?
Let our packing company do the packing and loading services (and unloading services if needed) and get charged by a flat fee, this way you will know how much it will cost from the beginning with no extra charges and no surprises, we will need from you to get a rental truck or a Pods container and we will do the rest.

What you should do if you must use a moving company?
The best way to move will be with a large company such as: Mayflower, Allied, North American. They are very professional and know what they are doing, but just because they have been in business for a long time, they are more expensive than a small company and the chances are that you cannot afford them, but even so always ask for a flat fee guaranteed estimate before and after they come to do the job. Our advice to avoid the moving scams is  not to use a small company because they can close their business after a year and open another one with a new name. A lot of companies do that. This is an easy way for them to hide a bad reputation.

What are the differences between shipping companies, moving companies and PSI?
Most moving companies charge $30.00-$40.00 per box, our company charges $7.00-$18.00 per box (in Florida), we don’t charge for time at all. Please don’t forget that our prices are more competitive than any shipping relocation or moving services company. We also have the best packing employees in the business, we demand that our employees have worked for a minimum of one year for a moving company, or else they cannot work for our company. Most moving companies hire people with no experience in packing, loading services or moving items without damaging them. If they charge by the hour, they will waste your time and money because they want to make as much money as they can from your time.

Will I have to pay for anything besides labor costs for my move with a moving services company?
Yes, you may have to pay for required packing supplies and for special care required to pack delicate or over sized items such as televisions or pianos. Make sure to discuss these fees with your moving company before your move.

Do I have to pay for the time it takes for the trucks to arrive at my house from the company’s office and back again?
All moving company’s charge for what is called travel time from and to the office. PSI don’t charge for travel time as it is part of your flat price and we do not charge by the hours

Are PSI’s movers experienced workers?
Our employees are experts in packing services, loading / unloading trucks and pods Containers. They are seasoned professionals with the best knowledge in the business of how items should be loaded and stacked. Our employees must work for a different moving companies for at leased one year before we will hire them to work for us. Most moving and packing companies hire people with no experience in packing services or moving items without damaging them.

How far in advance do I need to reserve my move?
We recommend you reserve your moving date ASAP! You should note that movers are very busy from the 23rd to the 6th of every month.

OTHER GENERAL INFORMATION

Can I ride with the movers on my moving day?
No, moving companies do not allow passengers to accompany them in the moving truck for liability reasons.

Does a moving company need to be licensed?
All moving companies are required to be “registered” and have operating permits for the province, State or County they are operating in. You should check with your local agencies.

When do I need to pay for my moving services?
Moving companies will charge you a deposit and the rest of the money at time before unloading, but we do not, we will only charge you at the end of your move when all items are off the truck.

What is a booking agent?
This is the agent you choose as your mover or the member of a van line that will coordinate all dates and services for your move. PSI do not have or use any booking agents, as a professional packing company we do our own jobs.

What is a moving broker?
A moving broker is a 3rd party company that will book your move and sell it to a moving company of there choice. Don’t ever book your move with a broker as they don’t have any control over your move and they probably don’t even care, as they are in the booking jobs business not the moving business, this is how the moving scams starts.

What is full packing?
Your movers will pack everything for you. Make sure to keep any legal papers, medicines and valuables with you during the move, let our company do the packing services which will take us only few hours to finish everything.

How can I ensure that special items will be treated with extra-special care?
You can move some of the items that have high sentimental or monetary value yourself. If you prefer to let your movers complete this task, make sure you clearly indicate which items you would like them to take special care with during the move.

Am I expected to tip the guys?
Yes and no, our employees will not ask for a tip like most other moving companies but it is customary to tip the guys for a job well done.

Do I have to empty all of my filing cabinets?
Metal filing cabinets with 2-drawers can be left full, but you should empty the top 2 drawers of a 4-drawer cabinet. You should also completely empty all lateral file cabinets and all drawers of a wood cabinet.

Will my movers clean my home once my move is complete?
Most professional movers will clean up any mess they have made during the actual move. However, they don’t perform general house cleaning so you must hire a professional cleaning service or perform this task yourself.

Posted in Moving Scams Tips | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Moving and Packing Service

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Packing Service Inc

More than 40 million Americans move each year for personal reasons and career opportunities. It’s a significant event in anyone’s life. Your money and your memories are at stake. It can also be stressful, even under the best of circumstances. Know how to avoid one of the most stressful situations that can arise; protect yourself from dishonest, “rogue” movers.

Most moving companies are legitimate businesses that do quality work. But in recent years, a growing number of complaints have been filed against interstate movers-and many of those complaints spring from the fraudulent practices of a small percentage of dishonest movers known as rogue movers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), has initiated a partnership with other Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies, consumer groups, and the moving industry to make sure you have the information you need to protect you memories, your money and your move from fraud.

One sure way to take control of your move is to hire a packing service company to provide professional packing and loading of your precious memories and valuable household possessions . A professional packing and loading service company such as Packing Service, Inc. will provide you with peace of mind in several ways.

First they will give you a flat rate quote to carefully pack and load everything that needs to be moved. They will then provide you with all the information required to ship your possessions to your new destination, such as the exact weight and volume to be shipped. They can then load your goods into a portable shipping container , rental truck, or common carrier. At this point, knowing the exact weight and volume of your load will enable you to obtain an exact price for your move with no hidden fees, horrible surprises or any kind of moving scams as you start your new life.

A great source of information is available to you at www.PackingServiceInc.com There you will find everything you need to know to avoid the pitfalls of a local, out-of-state, or international move.
There are laws and regulations in place to protect you, but it is also important to understand that your first level of protection, your first line of defense, is knowledge .

Posted in Packing Services | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments