Can you help? Need advice on moving companies

[MADem]

I am getting close to moving, and would like to hear your experiences, good or bad, on moving companies. A portion of my move will include nontemporary storage for some items. I'd appreciate learning from your good experiences, nightmares, or even humorous encounters.

Thanks in advance, and forgive me if I kick this post every so often!

[Coyote_Bandit]

1. Watch the Packers Carefully

or pack everything yourself.

First time I used movers I discovered coats in a box labelled "dining room items". I also found boxed pasta in a box labelled "hall closet." I used movers again about nine months later (job related) without having completely sorted everything from the first move (I was working very long hours). I occassionally still find some stuff a bit out of place. I will be adventurous someday soon and open the few remaining boxes in the garage. I have no idea what is in them.

[MADem]

3. Yeah, I have moved about 20 times

...but it has been ten years since I have had to go through the drill, and I am not looking forward to it. I've had similar encounters with mislabeling and those "lost items"--especially in the European theater, where some stuff just grows legs and walks away.

I'm looking for company recommendations, or ones that I should most definitely avoid.

Anyone have recent experience with Allied???

[Misunderestimator]

2. Go with a company that will give you a guaranteed highest price estimate.

And don't use one of those fly-by-night places. Their rates are similar but they can trick you into paying for much more weight than they estimate up front. Always get an in-home estimate.

On my recent move, I checked about 20 different companies I found on the internet, not one of them would do an in-home estimate. The prices varied from $1,500 (which was unbelievably low, but also estimated my stuff at about 3,000 pounds less than it actually was, so it would have been much more) to $7,000. All over the place, and all claiming similar rates. More than half the companies I researched had one or more bad reports on the Better Business Bureau site.

I ended up with North American Van Lines, who did an in-home estimate. The final charge was about $3,500 (this was across country). They had made a mistake on the weight, underestimating it by 1,000 pounds, but my price had been guaranteed.

If you have a LOT of stuff to move, and can do the physical work of loading and unloading yourself, I'd recommend PODS. You can keep the pod as long as you need on the packing and unpacking side. The drawback is that you get one choice, and it's a LARGE pod (much too large for the amount of stuff I had). The price for my move would have been about $5,000, but if I had twice the stuff, if would have been worth it.

[MADem]

4. Hey, thanks!!!

Now, I have to find out if they do nontemporary storage of a portion of the shipment, and if they "do" Canada!!!

I have a curious situation in that my household goods will be going to two different places. I just may get myself a truck and do some of it myself, but I have some massive stuff that is going further north, and I want a good company as it is unique stuff, and important to ME, anyway!

[MADem]

5. I am kicking this thread for the evening crowd

...any ideas, suggestions, companies to avoid? Advice appreciated!!!!!!