The High Price of Free

I’m gonna share a little bit of insider information with you. Most established local, long distance or international relocation professionals don’t charge anything for their moving and storage estimates. Nothing!

So when you’re starting your search online for a reputable service provider near your home, don’t be attracted to the well-placed advertising hype promising “FREE estimates” from qualified companies or “easy, NO-COST competitive pricing” from up to X number of eligible companies at once.

Fact is these sites aren’t free – just convenient. The price you pay hits you in your privacy pocketbook.

After you insert the required personally identifiable information into each of the standard online forms, expect to be contacted (and, perhaps, pestered, hounded, goaded, coerced, and spammed) by numerous companies who all want a piece of your relocation budget.

The problem with this type of buying situation is that, as the consumer, you have no control over who receives your private information. Most users of these lead generating sites usually don’t take the time or aren’t given the chance to review the qualifications and credentials of any of the companies that are provided with their name, phone number, address and details about the size of their home and type of move they’re contemplating before they fill in the blanks.

Another useful tidbit. Most of the local advertisers are legit. But when your phone starts ringing, your iPod buzzing, or your inbox clicking, how do you know which candidates really are the ‘real deal’? Or who is the most qualified to allow in your home to move your family?

It’s always best to thoroughly research your options yourself regardless of the type of move you’re considering. While this will take longer, the cost to your peace of mind is usually worth the investment to find the best value for your relocation dollar.

Still at your wit’s end? Join me at Moderator cut: NO OUTSIDE BLOGS, PERSONAL SITES, JOURNALS, ETC. LINKS ALLOWED. a gathering place where interested visitors can participate in a mutually supportive but commercially neutral learning environment that deals with the trials and tribulations of movin’.