One of the biggest problems faced by those moving to and from the Triangle and Triad areas of North Carolina is getting one price as an “estimate” and then a very different (much higher) price on their bill. The primary cause of this frustrating problem comes down to not having someone on-site at your home taking an accurate inventory of your things before providing an estimate.
Avoid over-the-phone estimates
No matter how great a company may appear, if they are unwilling to do an in-home estimate, they are not operating in your best interest. Think of everything you own. Everything. Now, try to estimate how much room all of that would take in a truck. A professional would have a better guess than you because they’ve done it many times, but it is still going to be an estimation.
People leave things out
Even if they are perfect at this guessing game, the company has to rely on your description of the items needing to be moved. Most people do the best they can and include as thorough a list as they can while prompted by the person on the other end of the phone. But inevitably, they will remember another storage room or another large item when they hang up.
Some people, whether purposely or accidentally, leave a thing or two out. They may think it will make their estimate less, and it will, but it will also make their actual bill more than they expected!
You have a right to an in-home estimate
In a recent CBS 17 Investigates article, they interviewed a number of area experts on this topic, including us!
The executive director of the North Carolina Movers Association Pam Stanley noted, “For interstate moves across state lines, you have to have an inside on-site estimate. If you’re not getting one, they’re making you sign something to waive your rights to that.”
She warns that often the problem is that companies act as “brokers,” not actual moving companies. These companies try to give you a really low estimate so you’ll sign with them, but then they send your personal information around to real companies who have no idea if the brokers estimate is accurate. If they show up on site and determine you have more stuff than they expected, which they very often will, the contract you signed allows them to raise your price without a heads up.
Get an honest, accurate estimate done in-home from the start
If a price seems too good to be true, it likely is. These estimates are not to be seen as final contracted prices. If you start by going to a professional company like Excel Moving and Storage, then we won’t play around on the phone guessing how many boxes you’ll have and how much space they’ll take up. We’ll just come over and get the real information so we can make an accurate estimate.
Don’t let yourself be fooled by a broker or a company that’s “too busy” to come by and do an in-home estimate. Those moving in and out of the Triangle and Triad areas of North Carolina can rely on Excel Moving to give an honest assessment from the beginning. For Triangle area moves, call our Raleigh office at 919-213-6694, and for Triad area moves, call our Greensboro office at 336-939-6450.