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Frequently Asked Questions

Costs and Savings
How To Select A Moving Company
Scheduling Service
Preparation For Moving Service
General Questions

Costs And Savings

“How much does it cost to use Allstar Movers”

Allstar Movers offers competitive and fair prices to meet each individual customer’s relocation needs.  Allstar offers both hourly rates and “guaranteed” prices.  All prices are based on service location(s) and service date.  Guaranteed price quotes also take into account load/unload distance and if there are any stairs involved.  For further information regarding “guaranteed” prices simply give us a call and speak to a relocation specialist.

“When is the most cost effective time for me to move?”

Excluding holidays, the most economical time to move is Sunday through Thursday in the middle of the month.

“Is it cheaper for me to rent a truck and move myself?”

When all of the associated costs to move yourself are taken into account it costs very little extra to use Allstar and if you place a value on your time it is actually less expensive to use Allstar. Please see our special price comparison page on this titled: “Check This…”

“Is it cheaper for me to schedule service through a broker?”

No, please remember that moving brokers charge the moving companies for the customer leads. This cost is passed along to you the customer. There is no benefit to using a middleman company when you can deal directly with the service provider.

“I have been quoted some very low hourly rates, why are Allstar’s rates slightly higher and is the price difference worth it?”

Most companies who offer extremely low rates cannot provide you with an equitable repair and replacement policy or additional insurance coverage options. Also, some of these companies do not utilize full time professional movers or specialized transport conveyances and equipment. Many of these companies schedule every customer that they can and then pick and choose which jobs are the easiest and most profitable when they prepare their routing. Consequently, movers never arrive for some of the customers who believe that they were scheduled for service. Almost every day we perform “same day service” for customers who have been “no showed” by one of the cut-rate companies. The old adage that; “the cheapest service is not the best and the best service is not the cheapest” holds very true in the moving industry. Allstar’s on time arrival rate exceeds 98% and in 14 years of business we have never failed to arrive for a scheduled customer’s job!  We are extremely proud of this record and we take our obligation to our customers very seriously. For further information please see the section on “How to select a moving company.”

How To Select A Moving Company

If you are in the process of selecting a moving company, here are some points to consider:
Licensed Company

Check with the Arizona Corporation Commission to insure that the company is licensed to conduct business in Arizona. We are listed under Allstar Metro Movers, LLC.

Better Business Bureau Member

Is the company a member of the BBB?  Check the company’s reliability report.  We are listed under Allstar Metro Movers, LLC.

Brokers

Established, reputable moving companies have effective advertising and marketing programs in place.  They do not need to use “brokers.” Brokers are merely “middlemen” who provide customer leads and collect fees from the moving company for those leads. This translates into increased costs for you the customer. Many times when a customer schedules services through a broker the customer does not even know what moving company will be providing the service. Simply put, the best moving companies do not utilize brokers. In this way they can provide good service at reasonable rates. Most importantly, you will know exactly whom you are dealing with and who will arrive at your door to provide service for you.

Customer Service

Are you talking to an experienced relocation specialist, a girl Friday or some guy on a cell phone? This can make the difference between making sure the arrangements and pricing for your move are accurate. This is simple to determine, are you being asked intelligent relevant questions about your furniture items and conditions or are you simply being quoted a low hourly rate?

Insurance

What is the coverage amount of the company’s general liability policy?  Will the company send you documented proof? 

Repair / Replacement Policy

Will the company provide (in writing) their repair/replacement policy?  Do they offer additional coverage options?

Professional Full-Time Movers

Does the company use only trained full-time professional movers or do they utilize labor pool personnel and/or day laborers?  Be assured if you are being offered a hourly rate that seems low you will not receive service from trained professional full-time movers.

Scheduled Time Of Arrival

Will you receive a two (2) hour window of arrival for the movers or a simple: “we’ll be there sometime in the morning.”

Written Service Confirmation

Will you receive a written confirmation outlining all pertinent information?

What size and type of moving vehicle or conveyance will be used?  Box trucks are equipped with electric/hydraulic lift gates or 24” ramps that can take twice as long to load and unload as custom built enclosed trailers with 8’x 8’ back door ramps.  Companies using box trucks will cost you extra money!  How much cubic cargo space will the vehicle or conveyance being sent for your job have?  Are you offered an option?  A 20’ custom enclosed trailer built for moving industry use will provide 185 more cubic feet of cargo capacity than a 24’ box truck!

Scheduling Service

“After I get my quote from Allstar when do I need to schedule service?”

As soon as you have decided on a moving date and you are confident that all of the necessary purchase or lease transactions will be concluded to enable you to occupy your new location is a good time to schedule service. Even though we can normally provide service on short or even same day notice, to insure availability we suggest that you schedule service a minimum of two weeks prior to your move date.

“Will I receive notice that my service is scheduled?”

Yes, you will receive a confirmation document that includes the date of your scheduled service, our written repair/replacement policy and a confirmation number. For guaranteed price quote services it will also include an attachment that lists the inventory of items and the conditions of your service that you provided to us. For hourly services the attachment will include the rates and the conditions that you provided to us. In most instances your confirmation will be emailed to you. If you do not have email we can fax or surface mail your confirmation. Once you receive your confirmation it is important that you send us an acknowledgement that you have received it and reviewed all of the information and attachments.

“Will I know what time the packers or movers will arrive?”

Yes, the day before your schedule service we will contact you to let you know the two hour window of arrival. We believe your time is valuable and we know that there is a lot of preparation prior to moving. Unlike a lot of moving companies we believe that providing a time of arrival is very important to our customers.

Preparation For Moving Service

“What do I need to do to prior to arrival of the movers”

Ingress and Egress:

Please leave a clear walkway in all rooms and hallways large enough for the moving of furniture items.

Boxes:

Label the front of the boxes with the room name that you would like the movers to place them at your new location. Please insure that all of your non appliance items are placed in boxes with flaps or lids and that the boxes are taped closed. Please label and advise the movers as to the boxes that have fragile items, china and glassware packed in them. It is not necessary to box electronic equipment unless you have the original factory packaging. Microwave ovens and televisions should not be boxed unless you have the original factory packaging. Please keep all boxes 50 pounds or less. Boxes that are 50 pounds or less are classified as one man boxes and boxes over 50 pounds are considered two man boxes. Finally, do not worry about the price of moving boxes as they are moved at a very nominal price. If you are packing yourself, you should insure that you pack your items correctly to prevent damage.

Furniture:

Please make sure that the tops are clear of all items and boxes. Unless included in your moving service quote, please disassemble any items that require disassembly for moving such as multi piece desks, entertainment centers, beds with headboards/footboards, mirrors attached to dressers, canopies, etc. The manufacturers of “particle board” (OSB) furniture recommend complete disassembly prior to moving to prevent damage.

File Cabinets:

Please empty the contents of file cabinets to prevent damage to the cabinet sides and drawer slide mechanisms.

Dressers, Armoires, chest of drawers:

Please empty all contents. However, you may leave clothing items and linens if you choose.

Jewelry armoires and boxes:

Please empty all contents and transport the contents with you.

Safes:

Please empty all contents, latch and lock the safe.

Storage cabinets:

Please empty all contents.

Beds:

Please remove all bed spreads, blankets, sheets and mattress covers. Water beds must be fully drained and the mattress must be boxed.

Wall Hangings:

Please remove all wall hangings, pictures and mirrors from walls.

Appliances:

Please disconnect all electrical, water, gas, communication and data lines. All refrigerators, freezers and wine coolers must be completely emptied. We suggest that refrigerators and freezers are emptied and disconnected 8 hours prior to your move. Please remember to empty the drain pan at the bottom of the unit. Appliances with moving parts may require special preparation prior to moving to prevent damage. This is your responsibility. Please consult a service provider or the manufacturer.

Flat Screen TVs and Monitors

The American Moving and Storage Assn. (AMSA) and manufactures recommend that due to fragile nature of the internal panels, all units should be packaged in the original box and packaging or in a special box or crate designed for flat screens to insure safe transportation.

Computers:

Please consult your owner’s manuals or a service provider for instructions prior to disconnecting monitor, printer and other peripherals. Only pack the C.P.U., monitor and printer into boxes if you have all of the original packaging.

“What should I do in preparation for moving of my appliances and electronic equipment?”

Please unplug and disconnect all electrical, water, gas, communication and data lines prior to arrival by the movers. Our movers are not permitted to make these disconnections and reconnections. The moving components in large appliance usually require special preparation. You should consult an appliance service provider for details. Office copy machines and printers quite often require special preparation prior to moving. Please consult your service provider or manufacture for recommendations. Please do not forget to remove the glass turntable from microwave ovens. Most manufacturers of rear projection big screen televisions suggest that you have the color guns re-aligned after your television has been moved if you see a change in the picture color or quality.

“I have heard that certain things cannot be moved by a moving company, what are they?”

Those items include: combustibles, explosives and hazardous materials such as: matches, kerosene, mineral spirits, paint thinners, cleaning solvents, gasoline, propane, propane tanks, charcoal, charcoal lighter fluid, aerosols, liquid bleach, ammunition (assembled or components), paints, pool chemicals, motor oil, automotive batteries, automotive fluids, fertilizer, weed killers and pesticides, fire extinguishers and pressurized tanks, ammonia, nail polish, nail polish remover, darkroom chemicals.

 

General Questions

“Can you pack and unpack for me?”

Yes we offer packing and unpacking service. If you schedule packing and/or unpacking service with us we also can provide boxes, packing materials, wardrobe boxes and all other specialty packaging for your items. Please remember that for medium to large homes, apartments and offices if you require packing, you should plan to have that service at least one day prior to your moving service.

“Can the movers disassemble and reassemble some of my furniture items?"

Yes, we can disassemble certain items prior to moving the item and then reassemble them for you. The most common items include headboards and footboards from beds, mirrors that are attached to dressers, multi piece desks, etc. We can provide disassembly and reassembly service for most household and office furniture items. Please contact us concerning your requirements. There is no extra charge for removing the mattress and box spring from standard bed frames and then setting up the bed at your new location. Please advise us of your disassembly and reassembly requirements when you obtain your quote from us.

“How will you move my clothes?”

We move clothes in two ways. First is what is called “clothes per foot.” For this procedure, we wrap a quantity of your hanging clothes in large sheets that we provide. We also rent or sell wardrobe boxes for transport of hanging clothes. Folded clothes from armoires should be boxed in standard moving boxes. If you choose not to leave clothing items in dressers and chest of drawers you should place them in standard moving boxes.

“Will the movers place my furniture where I want it at my new location?”

Yes, when the movers bring each furniture item in from the vehicle they will place the items exactly where you ask them. The movers will also place all of your boxes in the designated room that is marked on the box or where you direct them.

“What kind of vehicles and equipment do you use?”

We utilize a fleet of 17 custom built enclosed moving trailers ranging in length from 14’ to 40’.  Our trailers were built with dimensions specifically suited to the moving service industry.  The 8’x 8’ back door ramp is at curb height allowing for much faster loading and unloading. The interior walls are fully carpeted to add additional protection for your items. All of our trucks and trailers are fully stocked with all of the equipment to safely move your items, including two and four wheel furniture dollys, appliance dollys, moving pads, e-track straps, ratchet straps, bungees, specialty moving rubber bands and other required items and tools. For moving of specialty items we utilize item specific equipment such as safe dollys, large appliance dollys and pallet jacks.  We can also provide floor and carpet protectors, stretch wrap, storage pads and other specialty items.  Please discuss your requirements with your relocation specialist.

“I have items at my current residence and some other items at a storage facility, can you stop and pickup my items at the storage facility?”

Yes, we can make one or more additional stops to either pick up or drop off items for you in between your initial location and your final location. Please just let us know your requirements when you obtain your quote from us.

"I am having new carpet installed in some rooms of my house and need some of the furniture moved around. Can you do this?”

Yes, we call this furniture rearranging. We will come out and move the furniture to a designated area and then return to replace your furniture when your contractor is finished.

“How much are you supposed to tip the packers and/or movers?”

As with any service business tipping is at the customer’s sole discretion. If you are pleased with the service that you receive you may want to consider tipping based upon the same percentage that you would for good service in a restaurant.