Okay, let’s be real, you don’t haggle with a moving company like you do with a sunglasses vendor in a beach. Moving companies are professional entities that do not alter their prices for customers after they shrug and threaten to go to a different moving company.
However, understanding the basic principles behind haggling can help you in hiring a good moving company. In an article by Art Markman on psychologytoday.com, Mr. Markman discussed two major factors that lead to paying too much money in a haggling situation:
First, consumers generally don’t know the true value of a service or product, leading them to thinking they are getting a deal when a vendor drops a wildly exaggerated price.
Second, the social situation (the consumer’s stress, the friendliness of the vendor, the lack of knowledge of the consumer, the experience of the vendor) is in favor of a price slanted towards the vendor.
These two factors apply to some degree when you’re hiring a moving company as well, no doubt, and you can do your best to mitigate them to help ensure you get a good price for the right service.
First, gather many moving quotes so you know generally how much you should expect to pay. You can get free moving quotes from movingguru.com for this purpose.
Second, start looking for a moving company at least a month before your move so you’re not overly stressed when dealing with them.
Third, if you are uncomfortable questioning the basis for rates and fees, discuss the details of your move in person with someone else with you. This will help reduce your stress and will help you gather the necessary information to make an informed decision.
Fourth, remember that you don’t need to decide on the spot. Take some time to mull it over.
Again, hiring a moving company is nothing like haggling at a yard sale, but the basic principles of haggling can be observed in just about any consumer situation, even if the prices are set. If you understand how to haggle, you increase the chances that you will enter into a deal favorable to you.
For more insight into how to hire a good moving company, check out our recent article about what to ask a moving company.