Nowadays, many of the most reliable long-distance movers in the business will provide free online moving quotes. However, it is critical to understand that receiving online moving estimates is only useful for getting a general idea of costs. If you want to know the precise cost of your move, you’ll need to conduct further research. Here’s what you need to know about online moving quotes, which will help you avoid being scammed.
Online Moving Quotes are Not Always Accurate
We’ve seen how popular online instant quote tools have become recently, especially since the COVID-19 outbreak. Additionally, they’re great for those who have never used professional movers before and are unsure of what to expect. Most tools can give you a general idea of the pricing range for your moving services based on a few simple factors.
Getting an online estimate, however, has a huge possibility for error. Because of this, you should be extremely cautious if a mover asks you to sign a contract after giving you a quick quote. Before giving a firm estimate, any reputable mover will do a virtual or in-person survey.
Conduct a Virtual or In-Person Survey
Following your request for an immediate online quotation, reputable moving firms will typically contact you. This is a great chance to set up a survey to get a better idea of how your move went. Nowadays, you can use video conferencing to complete the majority of surveys online. You can always arrange for someone to visit your house in person too.
The bottom line is that you’ll get the most accurate moving quote a firm can give you once a salesperson has assessed and inventoried your property.
Recognize the Moving Estimate
To avoid hidden costs and overspending, it’s important to know the difference between binding and nonbinding estimates. A non-binding estimate only gives you a rough idea of how much it will cost, but a binding estimate guarantees that you will pay the full amount. A business is more likely to be able to offer a legally binding quote if it surveys your home beforehand. Avoid companies that give free estimates but don’t make you sign a contract, especially if they’ve never done a survey before.
Get Multiple Quotes Before Making a Decision
We strongly suggest getting a lot of quotes before choosing a mover, whether you use an online tool or someone comes to your house to give you a quote. This gives you a clear idea of how skilled each company is, so you can ask questions and spot red flags more easily. For example, if a mover refuses to do an in-home survey or asks for a big deposit up front, these are red flags.
With their online estimate tools, the top moving companies are not trying to trick you into paying more, but it’s crucial to keep in mind that they are just meant to give you a rough indication of how much you should expect to pay for a professional move. Also, rough estimates are good for the beginning stages of planning, but to find out the exact cost of your move, it’s important to get a detailed quote from more than one company based on the results of an in-home study.