Do I Have to Stay with Movers? Lessons from Real Life

Yes, you must be present for movers while moving your valuables and possessions. While movers pack and load your items on the truck, they might need you.

They won’t likely ask you to work with them. But you may need to stay with movers as they might expect a little bit of help, some refreshing drinks, and snacks. And these are your things.

Your presence while moving them is necessary. You may fall into scams if you don’t present on the spot. According to FTC, $5.8 billion worth of complaints got registered 2021 related to moving scams.

In this article, we will explore whether it’s necessary to stay with movers during a move and provide valuable insights to help you make an informed decision.

Let’s see why you should be present while the movers are working:

Table of Contents

You’re There For Answers!

Your movers may have queries about handling items like glassware and other fragile items. While packing, they may ask your preferences on how you would like them to pack together or how to label the boxes that make sense to you. You should be there with house-moving helpers to provide them with clear instructions and make sure everything is understood.

Supervise the Packing

Your hired movers are professional and well aware of the move. But it costs little to keep an eye on what movers are doing. You can ensure they have used enough padding and protection while packing and watching them. Also, you can instruct them to handle fragile items with care.

Last-minute Check

Finally, check once again if you have taken all the belongings. Make sure there’s nothing left behind. Now think for a second: if you won’t be there, who would check at the last moment?

During my mother’s last move, she didn’t put much thought into checking items for one last time. This resulted in losing her mini aquarium. She also forgot to take her lovely plants! However, when she remembered that, they had already started the journey.

Movers don’t know what you have or not. So it’s necessary to be there with house moving helpers.

Reasons to Stay with Movers During Unloading

Staying with movers while unloading is a good idea. This can build good communication with your movers, making your move more pleasant and safe. According to BBB, about 13000 complaints are registered each year for moving scams.

Here are some excellent reasons to stay with movers:

Give Directions

While movers unload your items, you can direct them to where to put them. This will make your day more manageable as you won’t have to reorganize your things. Also, you can ask them for extra support for the fragile items while placing them in your new home.

Check For Items

Sometimes, your items can be misplaced or lost while moving. This is a common issue and will happen most if you don’t pay much attention while unloading. Only you know what you have or not. Your movers won’t realize if anything is missing.

Check for the items immediately, and report to the moving company for compensation and claim insurance if your goods are damaged or missing.

Make Instant Payment

Movers do work on twice-payment basis. You pay some money in advance called ‘reservation deposit’ & you have to pay the rest once the shifting is done. Now, being there with your movers, it’ll be easy for you and them to clear the payments and get the receipt instantly. You can also tip the movers if you’re delighted.

Pros and Cons of Staying with Movers

Being present for movers has pros and cons. Only sometimes, both of you will appreciate your presence around movers. Also, there are some instances where you’ll need to be there.

Here are the pros and cons of staying with movers:

Pros

You can assist the mover with a smooth and efficient shifting
You can supervise them to see if they’re handling your items carefully.
You can ensure proper communication.

Cons

Staying with movers is a time-consuming task. You must spend the whole day with them, watching over every detail.
You can’t leave the movers until they finish their job. This can be frustrating and cause you to miss meetings or anything else.

What Happens When You Do Not Stay With Movers

There could be some instances where you don’t want to present for movers due to your busy schedule or any other reason. But it’s wise to be with them and watch their shifting.

Here are some possible scenarios that can happen if you aren’t present for movers:

Possessions At Risk

If you’re not with the movers at the shifting time, they can make mistakes. Movers are human and could be dishonest and take advantage of your absence. They may misplace, damage, or even lose your things if you don’t monitor them.

Complaints against scamming moving companies aren’t always resolved properly. More than 1300 complaints are rated “F” as they aren’t resolved by BBB.

Movers May Exploit Situation

Last winter, I had to help my brother move to Jacksonville. One of the movers broke his favorite painting when neither I nor my brother were present. We couldn’t blame anybody except for us.

As you can see, you can have a hard time proving yourself innocent or guilty. Therefore, you should stay with movers to avoid these misunderstandings.

Uncertainty Over Damage

The most important part of your move is when movers unload your items. You need to check every item while placing them into your new home. Also, you need to check your items with your inventory lists. If you aren’t there, you might miss one or two things, and the movers can misplace or lose the things or may have broken them.

Difficult to Plan and Direct

You can handle some specific items in a particular manner. And as you’re the owner of your belongings, you have the right to plan and direct the moving. But if you’re not there on the spot, you won’t be able to direct them as per your needs.

Loss of Control Over Move

You will likely lose control over the move if you’re away while the shifting is happening. Yes, you can’t control the movers or direct them to do the work as you wish while away. It’s essential to stay with them on the day.

Lack of Supervision During Unloading

You may miss out on some items if you’re not there at the unloading session. If anything is missing, you’ll need to inform them and claim it instantly. You need to supervise the unloading at the end; this is important.

Potential Disputes Over Moved Items

If the movers broke anything, you could claim money or a replacement for it from the moving company. But it needs to be done instantly. You need to be there on the spot to prove it was the movers’ fault and inform the company immediately to dispute any claims.

What Questions Should I Ask A Moving Company For A “No Presence” Move?

“No Presence” move isn’t necessarily new thing. But it got momentum since the pandemic. Since 2020, the moving industry has seen a rise in “No Presence” moves. You’ve got the idea. This term refers to the phenomena when you’ll be away from the movers on the moving day and you’ll just order online to move your belongings to new place.

Here are some questions while booking a “No Presence” move:

How do you communicate with your customers during the move?

Yes, this will be your first concern how do they contact you. Ask them, and get their numbers, and the numbers of those workers that moving company will be sending on that day. You may ask for continuous updates through phone calls, and video calls too!

What are your safety protocols and precautions?

Your moving company has moving responsibility, and here, safety comes first. And these ‘No Presence’ moves are related to the moves during the pandemic when the virus was spreading at its peak. Although the virus isn’t that much in the peak now, people should be taking other safety measures like wearing helmets, gloves, masks, etc. Ask them, and ensure these.

How do you handle packing and unpacking?

As you’ll be away, it’s necessary to know how their people will handle the packages, and how they pack and unpack your stuff. Ask them to handle your belongings carefully. In my experience, it is suggested that don’t put trust into movers until you feel safe and sure. Inquire their expertise carefully.

What are your insurance and liability policies?

No matter how reputed moving company it is, accidents may happen at times. So you need to consider insurance and liability policies from that moving company. Get a clear estimate of their liability and insurance policies before you hire.

How do you charge for your services?

This is one of the most important questions you need to ask any moving company. Charges and costs are things you need to have clear estimate in the first place. Ask for a quote to your moving company.

After my mother’s move, I asked the movers company for a money receipt and they were very cordial in providing one. So, please be careful about authentic payment options.