How to Make Moving Companies Compete for Your Business
The total economic impact of the moving industry is estimated at about $85 billion dollars annually. It is unique for such a large industry to be as hyper segmented in local markets as it is in the United States. Only 8.5% of moving companies employ more than 100 people, and almost 50% employ 5 or fewer (source: AMA). As a result, shopping for a local mover can get overwhelming — even for a savvy shopper.
Several platforms try to solve this problem by connecting clients to multiple moving companies, and guiding them with prices and reviews to make the best choice. The major platforms active today include CityMove, Moved, UShip and Unpakt. I posted an identical move to each of the four platforms to see first hand how this approach helps John Doe relocate his one-bedroom apartment within New York City.
Advantages of Using Tested Platforms
Your information is safe: Calling around for moving quotes and filling out quote requests lead to incessant emails and phone calls from companies you have never contacted. Many lead generator websites will resell your information to anyone willing to pay for it.
Efficiently obtain quotes and book movers: Instead of calling and contacting multiple companies, the user describes their move once using the onboarding system and multiple movers then provide a quote.
Information and reviews about the movers are well organized and convineant: Each platform has a profile for their service providers which include the important company information and reviews. Going through these platforms saves time by laying out all mover details.
The quotes submitted via the platforms are competitive: In my trial, I found that quotes obtained directly from moving companies are about 15% higher than the quotes the same companies submit through platforms. Each mover has access to identical information you provided during the onboarding, so you get to compare quotes fairly. CityMove, Unpakt and Moved do not charge you anything for their services while. UShip has some paid features. Despite these systems still figuring themselves out and fighting for market dominance, I strongly recommend using a platform to book a moving company.
1. CityMove
PROS: Lowest prices, CityMove Verified Reviews, Onboarding
CONS: No instant quotes option
CityMove has been in business since 2004 and according to their website, 60,000 jobs and 18,000 reviews have been posted on their platform. The reviews are unique in that only those users who have booked a mover via the platform can create them, and they are routinely scanned to ensure validity. The app is simple, but allows you to describe your move well enough to get accurate quotes. If there is anything specific you need the movers to know about your move, you can use your job messaging section to explain it to them as they are quoting you.
The system does not allow for instant quotes from movers like some of the other platforms, but I noticed that the same company that initially quoted me $475, came back and lowered their bid to $415 after I received a bid of $425 from another mover. My move was being auctioned so I can get the lowest possible quote, which in the end, I did on CityMove.
2. Moved
PROS: Visually appealing interface, Live-person chat, Instant quotes
CONS: Lacks information about service providers
The interface on Moved is the most user-friendly of all tested platforms. Even though the on-boarding process was the longest, everything was clear and visually pleasing.
Prices on Moved were competitive and instant. The feature to add on packing with indicative prices looked and worked great. The obvious draw-back of the instant quote system is that a real person does not review my move details to confirm availability and pricing. The app clearly sets out to be more than just a site to book movers. They give you the option to plan out your entire relocation process and keep a to-do list. The biggest differentiator is the live chat feature that will answer your questions as you are shopping for moving companies on the platform.
The weakest point of the Moved platform is the information about moving companies from whom I received my quotes. There is an option to “read reviews”, but it is a link to a third-party website that was different for each mover. It also felt like I was not able to communicate everything I wanted (for example, I checked twice and I had a hard time specifying that I wanted the movers to disassemble and reassemble my bed).
3. UShip
PROS: Excellent for long-distance moves, Tons of additional services provided
CONS: Outdated interface for local moves
Uship is one of the oldest and most recognizable name in the transportation industry. You may recognize the website and some of their shippers from the popular TV show Shipping Wars. They were initially heavily involved in the moving industry, but with time they transitioned towards long-distance shipping and freight. If you are buying one large piece of furniture on eBay and need to ship it 300 miles, uShip offers unbeatable value.
For my test move, which was a 1 bedroom relocation within New York, uShip’s interface was ill-equipped to handle my request. I was unable to communicate what needs disassembly and reassembly, and even the list of furniture for me to select from was too basic. Furthermore, uShip quoted prices were the highest of all the platforms I tried. This may be due to the 20% service fee they add to movers’ quotes.
4. Unpakt
PROS: Fastest time from start to quote, Robust onboarding
CONS: No ability to ask questions before paying
Unpakt is another good place to shop. The interface was robust, but glitchy. The mobile interface was particularly overwhelming. The biggest advantage of Unpakt is how fast you can speed through the onboarding, and how quickly you can see the prices from 12+ moving companies. The movers’ profiles include lots of information, including reviews from Yelp, Google and Unpakt’s own system.
My biggest issue with Unpakt was the lack of a personal nature for the transaction. They spit out a ton of quotes very quickly, and the very next step involves committing by putting in your credit card information. It would be nice to be able to ask some questions in the process. I ran the simulation a few times, and I realized that every option changes the price quite significantly. For example, the COI request or any disassembly added about 30% to my quote, and I missed both of those options while I rushed through the inventory building first time around. In general, Unpakt is a great tool to estimate your moving costs, but ultimately I would feel more secure using another option.
Using platforms such as CityMove, Moved, UShip, and Unpakt is a great resource when it comes to hiring movers. It is a lot easier to use such platforms, and they save you time and hassle. Best of all, you are getting more competitive quotes than you would by reaching out to the moving companies individually.