Moving is a very stressful and expensive experience, and if you don’t take precautions it can quickly turn into a nightmare. So how do you find the reputable movers in Singapore that you can trust with everything that you own, and still feel safe in your decision?

The first thing that you should do is put down your keyboard and step away from your computer. While there are some reputable movers in Singapore that have web sites, nearly all of the victims that contact us found their moving company on the Internet. The Internet will come in handy later, but for now let’s start local.

Try to find reputable movers that have been in business at least ten years, and do not hire a moving broker. Current consumer protection laws related to household goods brokers are insufficiently written, and enforced.

Set up appointments for three moving companies to come to your house and do an in-home estimate in the order of your least favorite to your most favorite company. You should also visit their office and make sure that the company is who they say they are. Check out their trucks and storage facility. Make sure that their trucks are permanently marked with the company’s name. Many rogue movers will show up on the day of the move with a magnetic sign attached to the door of a rental truck, so it’s good to know as much about them as you can ahead of time.

You should know that every moving company is required by law to provide you with a “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” booklet. If they don’t provide you with this, send them packing (so to speak).

Also, while you have the sales rep’s attention, get as much information about the company that you can such as:

• Full company name and any DBA names (doing business as)
• How long they have been in business
• Company address
• Phone numbers (local and toll-free)
• DOT and MC license numbers
• Company web site address
• Email addresses
• Get references (and call them)

Now that you have your three estimates, it’s time to get back online. This is where the Internet is a powerful tool for the consumer, and where all of that information that you gathered pays off.

Let’s check their insurance certificate which should bring you to a screen that gives you two options to view the company’s insurance details.

One last check you should do is to call the FMCSA’s Safety Violation and Consumer Complaints hotline and ask them about the complaint history of your moving company.