GOOGLE, FACEBOOK & OTHER CONSUMER REVIEW SITES
This is the best resource consumers have when selecting a moving company in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls & The Niagara Region. Google reviews, Facebook Reviews, Homestars and the BBB offer a glimpse into quality of service a moving company provides. If you find a company offering a substantially lower quote it’s best to look up their reputation. These companies sound good in the beginning, but they may not unload your items without demanding for more money.
DOES YOUR NIAGARA REGION MOVING COMPANY HAVE CVOR LICENSING?
Make sure to ask your moving company if they have a valid CVOR. All moving companies that use 24 foot trucks or larger in Ontario must have a CVOR. Provincial law requires that companies must display their CVOR at weigh stations and if pulled over by a police officer.
With the popularity of Websites, Facebook Marketplace, and Kijiji, many moving companies are advertising for moving services without a Valid CVOR. Worst case scenario is if you have hired a mover without a valid CVOR is that an MTO agent impounds the moving truck with your goods.
Operators that require a CVOR certificate
Carriers that operate certain types of vehicles require a CVOR certificate, including commercial motor vehicles that are plated in Ontario, the U.S. or Mexico. These vehicles include:
- trucks with a gross weight or registered gross weight over 4,500 kg
- buses with a seating capacity of 10 or more passengers
- tow trucks – regardless of gross weight or registered gross weight
CHANGING BUSINESS NAMES
Because consumer review sites have made information on movers accessible, companies are now quickly changing their name and rebranding to escape the reputations they’ve created for themselves.
There are currently moving companies in The Niagara Region doing this, but they are easy to identify and avoid. Simply look up movers in the Niagara Region on consumer review sites as most movers have many reviews.
HIDDEN FEES & NOT UNLOADING UNTIL THEY RECEIVE MORE FUNDS
A moving company quotes you a flat or hourly rate that seems to be competitive. As the moving crew begins the move they will load your most expensive items first. Everything is going smoothly until they are ready to unload and let you know that they are not unloading until they receive more money.
These charges are generally for stairs, shrink wrap, long carries, fuel, blankets, or large volumes of heavy items. They’re called “up sells” and the foreman sometimes makes a cut of anything he can add on to your bill.
If you refuse to pay, they simply close the truck and drive away with the items they loaded first. Don’t waste your time calling the police because you will get nowhere.
FAKE PICTURES & REVIEWS
From crews and office staff to trucks and equipment, there are so many generic moving photos being used. Other companies post no personnel photos at all, but cartoon figures and photoshopped logos on clean trucks. While some stock photography can be ok, if you had friendly and professional employees driving clean trucks and equipment, why wouldn’t you publish a few photos?
Big companies primarily are the ones that use fake review services to place fake reviews because they have the advertising budget for it. They also rely on fake reviews because they manage to many crews and you don’t know as a consumer if you are getting the A team or the F team for your moving job. Because of the high turnover rate in the moving business, hiring a company that has smaller crews is best because micromanagement is key to providing quality service in the moving industry.
INSURANCE
There are many companies in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls & The Niagara Region that will tell you that they can provide you with a fully insured move. Make sure to request proof of insurance to give you peace of mind. The common assumption is that full coverage is included when a moving company lists itself as a licensed and insured carrier. The reality is, this is only a statement indicating the company has the sufficient auto, general liability, and cargo coverage.
Make sure to ask your St. Catharines moving company if they have insurance and what is covered. At JR Moving Services we do provide you with $50,000 of cargo, property and single item insurance. We also do provide liability insurance. We would be more than happy to show you proof of insurance upon request.
Is your moving company from the Niagara Region?
Sometimes people choose a moving company that is outside the Niagara Region and this can end up placing you in a position where you will have to look for movers last minute because they found a more lucrative job. Companies that operate outside of there Region can also false advertise and make it look like they are a local Niagara Region moving company by creating targeted google landing pages for there website.
