![Negotiating can help you save money on your move.](https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/negotiating-with-movers.jpg)
Highlights
- A good negotiation strategy can help you score a great deal on your move.
- To be able to effectively negotiate with movers, you need to get bargaining power and determine your priorities and possible compromises.
- When negotiating with moving companies, you’re advised to be flexible and persistent.
- To get the best moving services at the best possible price, you need to lighten the load, schedule your move for a non-busy period, and book movers as early as possible.
Negotiation has always been one of the most powerful tools in life – it brings about the best outcome in any situation and ensures the satisfaction of everyone involved. Skillful negotiations can resolve conflicts, prevent escalating hostility, settle important issues, provide efficient solutions, and achieve “win-win” results. A good negotiation strategy can even save you money and ensure the success of your undertakings.
This holds true for all your endeavors, big and small alike. Moving house makes no exception.
Like all other services and resources, moving services are negotiable – if you know how to play your cards right, you can score a great deal on your move. Effective negotiation will help you get the best possible moving services at the best possible price and guarantee your smooth and successful relocation.
But how can you achieve that? How can you negotiate with movers? How can you score a budget-friendly moving quote that will help you save hundreds of dollars on your relocation endeavor?
Read on to find out how to negotiate with moving companies and get the best deal on your move.
Gain Bargaining Power
To be able to effectively negotiate with movers, you need to have good leverage – gather as much information as possible, take measures to protect your move, and determine your goals, priorities, and possible compromises:
Step 1. Get an Idea of What’s Possible
![You need to be well prepared in order to be able to successfully negotiate with movers.](https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/researching-options.jpg)
Before you start making relocation plans and gathering estimates, you need to know what’s fair in the moving industry and what to look for in a moving company. So, the first thing to do when looking for movers is to learn the cost of professional moving services, research your options, and find out which companies are worth working with:
- Find out the average cost of moving a household the size of yours across the distance you’re moving;
- Use a moving cost calculator to get an approximate idea of the price of your move;
- Visit the websites of different moving companies in your area to see what they have to offer – compare their tariffs and conditions, look for discounts and promotions, pay attention to the overall quality of the site, check if the name, physical address, e-mail address, telephone number, and USDOT number of the carrier are clearly stated, click the “About Us” section to find out more information about the company, etc.;
- Read moving reviews to see what previous customers of the companies have to say about their experiences with the movers.
This way, you’ll get a general idea of what’s available, what to expect from professional movers, which companies to stay away from, and how much money you’re going to need for your move.
Step 2. Get Estimates from Several Reputable Movers
Having multiple estimates will give you greater bargaining power, so your next step is to get price quotes from at least three or four top-rated movers in your area (ones that have predominantly positive moving reviews, excellent online profiles, and reasonable rates).
Request visual surveys of your home as estimates given online or over the phone can never be accurate – be clear and specific during the walk-through, show the movers everything you intend to relocate to your new home, pay attention to items that may need special handling or special packing materials, discuss what extra services you may need (or would like to use), and inform the pros of any possible obstacles or special conditions at both your old home and your new one, so that you get realistic and correct price estimates.
Compare the offers – consider not only the final price, but also the included accessorial services (and their rates), valuation coverage, and special conditions – and ask as many questions as needed to make everything clear and transparent.
Good to remember: If you get a price quote that is considerably lower than the rest of the estimates, you need to raise your guard – lowball estimates are a common sign of potential moving fraud. Dishonest movers offer lower prices in order to lure customers – once they secure the job, they either disappear with the money from the deposit or request exorbitant extra fees for some alleged accessorial services or unforeseen difficulties during the moving process. You’re, therefore, strongly advised never to select a mover based on low pricing alone.
Step 3. Make Sure You’re Dealing with Trustworthy Professionals
Be sure to do a thorough background check on the movers you consider hiring for your relocation:
![Use clever negotiation tactics to get the best price for a moving service.](https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/negotiation-planning.jpg)
- Verify the companies’ licensing and insuring information – registration with FMCSA, BBB accreditation, professional affiliations, etc.;
- Check the companies’ complaint histories – call the FMCSA’s safety violation and consumer complaints hotline to ask about complaints against the movers and research the databases of ProtectYourMove.gov, MovingScam.com, and Yelp to learn about reported problems and disputes with the moving companies;
- Find reliable references – look for moving reviews of the same company on several different reputable review websites and try to get word-of-mouth referrals and testimonials.
It may also be a good idea to drive by the physical locations of the businesses to find evidence of their trustworthiness – qualified staff, professional equipment, a fleet of moving trucks with the company’s logo on them, etc.
See also: How to avoid moving scams; Moving fraud prevention guide
Step 4. Plan Your Negotiation Strategy
Now that you’re sure you won’t fall victim to moving scams and have all the necessary information, you can decide on the best negotiation tactics that will help you get the best deal on your move – asking for discounts and special offers, using moving companies competition to your advantage, forgoing certain accessorial services, doing some of the work yourself, being flexible about the time of your move, etc.
Once you’ve determined your objectives and planned your arguments, you’re ready to take your seat on the negotiation table.
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