Tips when signing a moving contract

Now, more than ever moving can be difficult and exhausting. The internet has opened the flood gates to a bunch of information. This can lead to people getting overwhelmed with terms, concepts, and confusing ideas. No more is this true than in the moving industry. On an almost daily basis, you can find tutorials and how-to guides on almost everything moving related. However, in this sea of information one concept needs to be crystal clear to you – signing a moving contract. You see, a moving contract should make your relocation easier, more comfortable. It is a safeguard that shields your rights from being abused by fraudulent moving companies. However, a moving contract can also be a harbinger, a tool of sorts, that’s used to exploit your rights. However, don’t fret. Cross Country Moving Group is here to help.

Man signing a moving contract — A moving contract is the key to success in a move.

What is a moving contract?

A contract is an agreement between two parties to do something for each other. You might not be aware but every time you hire a moving company you create a moving contract with them. The agreement is simple, the moving company agrees to move your stuff and you agree to pay them. However, as you will see, it’s not as easy as it sounds. There are good contracts and bad ones. And moving your stuff from point A to point B suddenly becomes quite complicated. So let’s see how to unravel this thing.

When signing a moving contract, watch out for the bad ones!

If you only make spoken agreements with the movers and don’t sign any papers, you are making a big moving mistake. This usually happens when you “trust” the movers and arrange everything by word of mouth. The problem with that is that if they violate the arrangement you have no proof that they have breached the norms of your agreement since it was not prescribed in written form. Which will not sit favorably with the judge.

Another potential moving company scam is forcing you to agree on a written contract that does not include enough details. This leaves you open to the possibility of hidden fees, disputes, and unexpected losses. Among other things. So what should you do? Well, let’s start with the basics.

A person giving a handshake — You can make good deals with handshakes. However, you can make the best deals only using a pen and paper!

What does signing a good moving contract look like?

Unlike the bad moving contracts, a good moving contract is always made in writing and is signed not only by the moving company but you as well. It includes all possible charges and expected results. One of the most important points a moving contract should cover are:

how you will be charged. Hourly, by the mile, or by the weight of the belongings? What will be the rate?
what’s the maximum price for the relocation be;
what services they will provide; Make sure to check for hidden costs here! Make them enumerate exactly how much they will charge you for the relocation. Will the use of stairs, parking, lunch breaks, etc, be charged as well? Believe it or not, this is how fraudulent moving operates. So make sure you know exactly what you are paying for.
the moving date and time;
and what happens if you or the moving company is late.

Amongst many other things. However, these are probably the most important things you need to look out for in a moving contract. Also, another side note that you should consider is when agreeing on a price for the relocation is to try to negotiate a binding estimate. If you are not sure what that is, make sure you check out the difference between binding and non-binding estimates.

While the words “estimates” might associate you with mathematics, we ensure you that understanding binding and non-binding estimates are not as complicated as it sounds.

Always ask for a moving contract

There are two things that can happen when you hire a moving company. They will either offer you a moving contract, or they will try to strike a deal with you by word of mouth. If they decide to do the latter make sure you force them into signing a moving contract with you in the way we have mentioned above. If they don’t want to do that, then hire a different moving company. On the other hand, if a moving company is the one to offer you a moving contract, make sure you read it thoroughly. Why? Because they probably use the same contract with every one of their customers. And just because your movers have a contract that they use with other customers doesn’t mean that it’s right for you.

It’s time to negotiate

If you don’t agree with something in the contract, make sure to ask them to change the terms or take your business elsewhere. Any serious moving company will definitely want to negotiate with you on moving terms, as no one wants to lose a potential client. Now that doesn’t mean that you will get the perfect deal, but it sure beats not having a deal in the first place. And having everything on paper is definitely a very important surety if a dispute comes up sometime in the future.

Once you have a moving contract make sure to keep it with you. If something goes wrong during your move it should be the first thing you look at.

In conclusion

When signing a moving contract make sure to read it carefully. Negotiate if necessary, and make amends to the contract. If a moving company doesn’t want to sign a moving contract with you, don’t hire them. The moving contract is a safeguard for your rights and is the shield for your belongings that you can use if something goes wrong during the move.

If you are looking to hire movers, make sure to check us out. We are a broker company that can find exactly the moving company you are looking for, no matter the requirements. From interstate and commercial movers to piano movers FL, we’ve got you covered.