When you request a free quote on any moving company's website, you get an average of thirteen different moving companies calling your phone off the hook, some from your state, some from your surrounding area, and some from across the country. How do you tell who is a real mover and a broker, and why should you care?
A brokerage company, according to Forbes, is a business whose primary responsibility is to act as an intermediary between buyers and sellers to facilitate a transaction. Brokerage firms are paid a commission after the transaction has been completed successfully.
The moving industry, like any other, has "buyers" (people who are moving) and "sellers" (movers). Any other source crammed into the equation is illogical.
It is reasonable to trust what a certified broker says. However, you must understand why they are such good salespeople. Broker firms hire excellent salespeople who have been well-trained to sell. For the most part, they do not own trucks (or lease/rent them) and have never witnessed any of "their" moves take place. It is doubtful that they know what actual Austin movers do on a job site! Their job is to sell you a service, just as a marketer can sell any product his clients want- soda pop, clothing designers, car dealers- you name it, they've done it. Your relocation is the service of moving. They will give you an estimate for the cost of your move. A cost they can never bind because they don't know what you're moving to or who will eventually "pick you up."
Once they have your business, they will require a deposit, usually much higher than a standard deposit ($50-$150). They will enter your information (name, phone number, pickup location, final destination, and desired move date) into a database for truckers. The trucker who has available space and will be in your area around that time frame will be assigned to your move. They do not conduct a background check on the person who chooses to pull your information from the database. Furthermore, they do not sign any agreement with the trucker stating that he must stay at or close to the initial price agreement they reached with you.
In other words, once you pay the deposit, their job is done, and you must deal with whoever picks you up. If they have insurance, what type of insurance do they have if they have been background checked and medically checked. All of this and more will be unknown to you until the day of the move. If you have problems on the day of the move, you can file a complaint. When they receive too many complaints under their name, they will "close" the business and open a new D.B.A to work under. Is this the best way to begin a journey where you will be depositing your entire household goods with a company? Hardly.
Licensed and insured movers Austin TX is registered with the government and much easier to find. Because a moving company usually owns its trucks, it will be more difficult for them to close its doors and reopen under a different name.
A moving company not only has relocation specialists who can assist you over the phone, but they also have an office where you can visit and, more importantly, a regular staff. This is significant because the actual moving process does not occur over the phone but rather in your home. You should be able to know who you are allowing into your home and access to your belongings.
People who have been background checked medically and trained to safely pad and stock furniture will most likely have a much easier time than men who are "labor ready," meaning they can paint, clean, cut, and build. Because they are always in your area, you can choose the exact day they will arrive with moving companies Austin. After all, this is what they do. This is their line of work. Because no third party was ever involved in the process, you will be able to call back and speak to the same company that has cared for you since the beginning, even years after the move is complete.
Because of these and other considerations, you should strongly consider avoiding brokers when first discussing your move with professionals. Consider this: would you trust a daycare with your child simply because they had an open spot? Or would you instead choose a daycare yourself after visiting it, seeing it, learning about it, and feeling at ease with what the daycare has to offer?