Anyone who has ever had a bad moving experience will tell you that not all movers are good. The Canadian Association of Movers has coined the term “rogue movers” to identify those companies or individuals who prey on the moving public. These are the ones who appear in the media or on the news for a variety of offences including:

  • Holding goods for ransom unless owner pays two or more times the expected cost
  • Excessively long delivery delays
  • Damage claims not honoured for missing or damaged items

You can avoid being one of these victims by doing your own due diligence including checking a potential moving company through your local business bureau and contacting the Canadian Association of Movers. When you first contact a potential moving company there are some questions you can ask to help you separate a truly professional mover from a rogue mover including:

Where is your office located?

Beware of any company that doesn’t want to give you their address. Google the address if there is one listed. Is it an apartment? This is a red flag to indicate that they are not a moving company with their own trucks, warehouse and personnel. Rogue movers often operate under several different names and have more than one website. They do not accept responsibility for anything that goes wrong or back up the service in any way. Some take your money and make no attempt to service your move.

Will you guarantee my estimate?

A professional moving company will provide you with a detailed cost estimate which outlines all of the charges for your move.This is normally based on an in- home visit to view all of the items to be moved. Generally, the final cost is guaranteed not to exceed 10 percent of the estimated cost and they will always provide the estimated cost in writing. Rogue movers generally do not send anyone to your home and their final cost can vary wildly from what you were expecting.

Can I visit your premises?

A rogue mover doesn’t want you to see where they do business as most do not have a proper warehouse or a yard where trucks and trailers are normally parked. By contrast, professional movers Like Premiere Van Lines welcome customers to drop by to view their premises, to see how well goods are stored in their warehouse and to see the various trucks of different sizes that are available to handle your move.

Are you affiliated with one of the long- standing national van lines?

In Canada the national van lines are: Allied Van Lines, Atlas Van Lines, Mayflower Van Lines, North American Van Lines and United Van Lines.  Premiere are affiliated with Atlas Van Lines which is a worldwide company. This is important because it offers another layer of protection in the event of a dispute. With a rogue mover you can spend an excessive amount of time chasing after them with no results. With a national van line affiliated mover, there is a corporate entity with tens if not hundreds of staff available to discuss your complaint.

Do you have adequate vehicle insurance in case of vehicle accidents? Who is your insurance company?

A professional mover has the proper, fully- paid up insurance in the event of a vehicle accident including public liability coverage. They can also offer you a full value replacement cargo protection plan to cover your shipment while it is in transit. Rogue movers may not have the insurance details since they often broker your move to a third party or they have no plans to service it at all.

For more information about what a professional moving company has to offer, contact Premiere Van Lines at 1-877-671-6683.