Questions to Ask When Working with an International Mover

By Dermound Becker
Special to InternationalMovers.com

When one has to move from one country to another, it is of the utmost importance that one chooses the very best international moving company to carry out the task of relocating your entire household to its new location. In order to find the right company, listed below are some very relevant questions one should ask the company's representative during your meeting.

The first thing you should do, even before you meet with the international movers, is to do your homework and research the companies you will be speaking to about the move. Some basic research can easily be done on the Internet where you can find out how long the mover has been in business, their BBB rating and where they are located.

An important indicator of the seriousness of the international moving company is that they are willling to come to your home to give you a price quote. Disregard any company that asks for payment for this service.

When a representative of an international moving company comes to your home in order to give you a quote, ask them if they actually work for the mover, of if they are a broker. In general, a broker cannot give you a fixed quote, nor are they responsible for any damages or losses which may occur when moving abroad.

Find out if the quote is fixed or not, as a fixed price quotation cannot be changed. If the quotation will have to be verified by the international moving services, ask if any extra charges will be levied outside of the quotation for the cubic meters estimated for your household goods, such as storage fees, fuel surcharges and the like; as well as if any extra charges will be made for unusually shaped items, like a piano, for instance.

Ask the representative if the company is registered with the FIDI or the American Moving and Storage Association, or any other international movers' federation, as this will denote the seriousness of the management of the company. If they are, ask to see proof of such membership, as well as proof of the company's Federal Maritime Commission number.

Find out if the international moving company uses vessels which sail or aircraft that fly directly to the point of destination because, if they do not, your possessions will have to be moved at some point from one ship to another or from one aircraft to another. This greatly increases the risk of damage, loss or simply being mislaid in transit which, in turn, means that the shipment will not arrive at its destination on time and (hopefully) undamaged.

It is also very important to know about the insurance policies the company will use for your shipment. Find out, for instance, if you will be covered if you have packed the items yourself, or only if the moving company's professionals packed your shipment.