Saturday, April 01, 2006

Update on Moving Costs - negotiating with the movers and savings ideas

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The Negotations
After procrastinating a bit, I finally began negotiations with the movers.

I compared the two estimates and found the biggest differences to be the following:

  1. Mover B had a higher time estimate - this is important because moves are based on time, not flat fee.
  2. Mover A was charging for transport to and from the job (this is a local move).
  3. Mover B was also charging ala cart for more services, including carting artwork, whereas A incorporated that into A's fees.
  4. Mover B made a math error in their packaging costs and was taking forever to correct it.

Based on my experience between the two, I felt that mover B was probably more professional and responsible. At the same time, I would ask Mover A for changes.

The Results

I talked with the owner of Mover A and agreed to hire them based on the following changes:

  1. They waived the transport fee (almost $300!)
  2. They agreed to pro-rate or reduce packing fees if I packed more myself
  3. The reduced the deposit from 40% down to $1000

We reached agreement on all of the above points. Best of all, I can use a credit card to pay mover B, which is very uncommon in the moving business.

Money Saving Tip - moving insurance

Another area I expect to save money on is with insurance. My insurance agent told me that my home owner's policy will cover my possessions while in transit. That will save $600-$650 in insurance fees.

Requests for comments

  1. Is it a good idea to rely on your home owner's insurance instead of the movers?
  2. Should I have negotiated for anything else before agreeing?
  3. What other strategies do you use when negotiating with local movers?

Have a wonderful Saturday,

Making Our Way

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Your stuff is 'covered' while you move, but covered for what? Most people do not have 'all-risk' coverage for contents. So, if you do, great. If not, then your stuff is covered if it is stolen, burns up, etc, but not if it is dropped or damaged or lost.

So, might want to check if you have all risk coverage and if not add it.