The tough economic times have taken quite a toll on the moving industry. The Chicago Tribune recently published this article about the effect of the economy on movers in Illinois. The effect appears to be doubled for moving companies since not only have home sales and thus the overall need for moving services declined but the decline of needs for other services has lead to a poaching of sorts of household moving jobs. This is evidenced here by the case of the carpenter posting his availability for moving services.
Opportunities abound for the extremely price conscious looking to save a buck and willing risk their belongings. “What’s a matter with saving money?” you may ask. There’s always a cost and in this case it’s the gamble that your move will go well. Here are the top three reasons to be concerned about hiring unlicensed movers for your next move.
No insurance – Even if you don’t pay for additional insurance, in most states and for all interstate moves, licensed moving companies must insure your belongings for some minimal value, typically $.60 per pound. It’s not much but at least it’s something. Furthermore, a licensed mover will inform you about this and supplemental coverage that provides more adequate reimbursement.
No experience – Hey, if I had a truck and maybe a trailer I could move your stuff too, but it might not arrive at your new home looking like it did when you left your old home. At least some of the staff at a licensed moving company will have many years of experience and most larger van lines require fairly substantial training regarding proper packing and loading to ensure protection of your valuables.
No reputation and no concern about reputation – Fly by night operators won’t have a reputation to fall back on and they aren’t looking to build one. They’re main concern is getting the next job and they’ll entice new customers with prices substantially lower than those of licensed movers. They may change names as necessary to escape a reputation that has gotten so bad as to garner publicity.
The main point to all this should come as no surprise…buyer beware.
