It is always better to use professional moving services than to organize your relocation by yourself. After all, international movers have all the necessary knowledge, skills, equipment, experience, and everything else that you might not have at the moment. This means there is a higher chance of your items reaching the new address in perfect condition. However, there are instances where hiring a moving company might seem like a bad choice. For this reason, here are all the important questions for Hong Kong movers you should ask in order to avoid any confusion and misunderstanding.
Questions for Hong Kong movers about brokers and carriers
This might not be a well-known fact, but all moving companies are divided into three categories.
- Brokers
- Carriers
- Brokers and carriers
So, what is the difference between these categories? First of all, brokers outsource their services to other companies. When you hire a broker, they will share your information with their partners. This means having multiple companies compete for your relocation. On the other hand, carriers handle everything by themselves. Lastly, broker/carrier companies offer some standard moving services while they outsource special moving services. When you decide to hire a moving company, make sure to ask if they handle everything by themselves or if they will outsource their moving services. This is important since this company will handle your items differently according to the category when you are moving to Canada from Hong Kong. Do not forget to ask this question.
Ask about insurance and coverage
The next important question should be about coverage and insurance that your moving company offers. Since you are moving to Hong Kong with your precious items, you should make sure they are properly insured. All moving companies are required to provide basic liability coverage that is free of charge. It is usually around $0.30 per pound. As you can see, this is basically nothing if you plan to relocate your expensive items. For this reason, you need to get full value protection that covers your items for their current market value. The big downside of this insurance would be its cost. It is not free and sometimes it is not even offered by every single moving company. Therefore, you should ask your moving company which type of insurance they offer. You can also ask if any of these insurances extend to your items in the storage unit Hong Kong.
Questions for Hong Kong movers about their services
As you can see from the first paragraph, there are three types of moving companies. Some companies offer only standard moving services. This would often include local moving services, packing and unpacking, storage services, and similar. However, what happens if you are moving internationally? What if you want to transport your car? These would be classified as special moving services that some companies do not offer. If you want to use any of these, you need to ask your moving company if they can provide these services for you. Depending on their answer, you might want to change your moving company. In order to find a moving company that you need right from the start, be specific in your search. Look only for international movers if you are moving abroad or for companies that offer car transportation, and similar.
Types of estimates
When you need to hire movers, you need to know that there are two types of moving estimates. The first one would be by binding estimate. Most people that move would prefer this type of estimate. As the name suggests, the estimate provided by your movers is binding or it cannot be changed. It does not matter if your final shipment is slightly heavier or lighter than the original one. You will still pay the same price. On the other hand, you can get a non-binding estimate. This is the exact opposite of a binding estimate. The final price will change based on the final weight of your shipment. You need to ask whether a company offers a binding estimate. Usually, when you are on a tight budget, it is better for you to get a binding estimate. However, some companies do not offer this type of estimate.
Questions for Hong Kong movers about hidden fees
Since organizing a relocation is quite expensive, you need to make your moving budget. It can be quite challenging to save money, especially if you need a couple of thousands of dollars. For this reason, it is extremely important if you can know the approximate price of your relocation. Just as mentioned before, it is better if you ask for a binding estimate since the final price cannot be changed. However, you need to ask your movers about any hidden fees. There are certain things that movers charge but usually people don’t think about them. Those aspects of relocation would include using the stairs instead of the elevator, parking the moving truck away from your house or an apartment, finding alternative ways to move your items, and so on. Make sure to read a moving contract, especially the part about additional fees.
Additional things to ask
As you can see, there are many questions for Hong Kong movers you should ask before signing your moving contract. However, there are even more questions you should consider.
- How does a moving company calculate its prices
- A working experience of company’s employees
- How they handle loss and damage claims
- Do they offer shipment tracking
- Do they always respect delivery dates
- What happens if you need to cancel
- Ways to pay for your relocation
- Do they offer any discounts
- Do they have all the necessary licenses
Before you contact a moving company, take a piece of paper and write down all of these questions. When you go to interview them about your relocation, make sure to ask these questions. If movers are forthcoming with answers, then you can be sure you hired reliable movers.
