Good planning is essential for the success of any project – especially so when it comes to big, complicated endeavors, such as house moves.
So, when you need to move, you will certainly plan your relocation with utmost care and attention – consider all the relevant factors, make all the necessary preparations, and organize everything in great detail. And if you’re going to use professional moving services, you will most definitely not forget to book a moving company for your preferred moving date.
Despite your best efforts, however, things may still not go according to plan – an emergency may occur, an unforeseen problem may prevent you from getting ready on time, there may be a violent thunderstorm on the day of your move… Or your movers may cancel at the last minute.
Hard to believe as it may be, this scenario can actually happen, even with a reputable moving company. For one reason or another, the truck and crew that were meant to come to your home, aren’t available – you’re on your own and need to find a way out of this terrible situation ASAP.
Here are some quick facts and tips to help you out:
Can movers cancel last minute?
When you book a moving company, you reserve their services for your chosen moving date. Most movers will request a deposit to make sure you won’t cancel the booking at the last moment and move with another company. In reverse, this deposit is a guarantee for you that they won’t cancel the job at the last minute.
Yet, sometimes the company may need to re-schedule – or cancel your move completely.
Reasons why a mover may cancel last minute
Your movers may be forced to cancel or re-schedule by circumstances beyond their control. Or they may turn out to be irresponsible people who don’t keep their commitments – or even scam artists who seek to rip off their customers.
Movers may cancel last minute because of:
- Inclement weather and natural disasters – floods, blizzards, thunderstorms, hailstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. Such bad weather conditions can make it impossible to perform your move on the planned date;
- Technical issues and traffic accidents – such as a truck breakdown or an accident involving the moving vehicle. If your moving company doesn’t have another truck available, they won’t be able to pick your items that day;
- Unavailable crew – If the movers who were supposed to come to your home got sick, had a family emergency, etc. and there is no one available to replace them, the company won’t be able to send a crew to your place on the pre-agreed date;
- Mix-ups in the moving company schedule;
- Overbooking – That’s the most common reason for cancelled moves, especially during peak moving season – movers tend to overbook their schedules during this busy period to ensure they’re operating at maximum efficiency (and get maximum profit). They accept more jobs than they can handle, leaving too little time for individual jobs. If none of the customers cancels their moves and the movers can’t complete the jobs fast enough, they end up having to cancel some jobs as they simply cannot manage;
- Moving scams – Rogue movers may simply disappear with the money from the deposit. In this case, however, the movers won’t cancel last minute – they just won’t show up on moving day and you won’t be able to contact them in any way.
What happens if a mover cancels last minute?
It depends on the reason why your movers cancelled last minute and the specific circumstances in your case:
1) If your movers are unable to perform your relocation at the pre-agreed date but are still willing to do the job and you can afford to wait a little, you can work with them to reschedule the move. If there is an available moving date in the near future that suits you, everything should go as previously agreed upon – just at a later date. And you should get a discount for the inconvenience.
2) If your movers cancel completely and can’t reschedule – or if you can’t wait until they have an available date or simply don’t want to work with them anymore – you need to find another solution that works for you (you can see your options later in the text).
The movers are obliged to return your deposit and may even be responsible for the difference in cost between what they were going to charge and what you end up paying another company to do the job. Theoretically, they may also be accountable for any extra costs you incurred because you couldn’t move on the day you planned to – it depends on the company’s cancellation policy and the contract you signed with them (the movers’ responsibilities and the circumstances under which the company can back out will be stated in the contract). Getting any of that money, however, is going to involve taking the moving company to court.
3) If your movers are actually scam artists, you won’t be able to reach the company at all – and you’re unlikely to ever get your deposit money back. There is little you can do but find honest, reliable movers to help you relocate as soon as possible. (See also: How to avoid moving scams)
What to do if movers don’t show up
So, your movers cancelled last minute and left you high and dry. You need to find an efficient solution – and find it FAST.
If you can stay in your old home a little longer, the situation, although bad, will be manageable – you will have some time to find another moving company and re-organize things. If you need to leave on the same day, however, you will need an urgent solution:
Same day movers
There are moving companies that have the resources and ability to provide emergency moving services on the same day. Such companies are your best bet when your movers cancel last minute – they will be able to accommodate your needs despite the short notice and will save the day.
The fastest way to find trustworthy same day movers is to fill out a quick moving quote – you will be contacted by several reputable short notice moving companies within half an hour and will certainly find an experienced professional who can perform your move that very day. You will likely have to pay more than you were originally quoted by your first movers, but the same day moving service will save you a lot of hassle and headaches.
SEE ALSO: How to find same day movers
Freight companies
There are many freight companies that provide residential moving services from and to any point within the United States. They provide transportation services only – it will be your responsibility to pack your items and load them on the truck and then unload and unpack upon arrival, but freight moving can still be a good solution to your urgent relocation situation (especially if your belongings are already packed for moving).
Freight companies usually have more trailers than moving companies do and they don’t experience huge surges during the summer months and the weekends, so you have a good chance of securing a truck for the same day even in peak moving season – and the shipping rate will almost certainly be lower than your original moving cost.
Keep in mind though that you will have to find someone to help you load and unload the truck – and if your friends aren’t available at such a short notice, you’ll need to hire – and pay for – moving labor (which should be easy to secure even at the last minute).
SEE ALSO: What is freight moving
Moving containers
Pod moving companies tend to be more flexible than traditional moving companies and will almost certainly be able to deliver a portable moving container to your place within a few hours. Once you’ve loaded the container, the pod movers will likely also be able to transport it to your new location right away – and even if they’re not, your items will stay safely stored in the pod until they can be delivered to your new home.
The pod moving cost will be about the same – or even a bit lower – than your original estimate. Once again though, it will be up to you to pack, load, and unload your stuff yourself.
SEE ALSO: How to move with portable moving containers
Short-term storage
If none of the above options works, you can put your items in storage for a while – until you find an efficient moving solution. It should be easy enough to get a suitable self-storage unit right away, but transporting your items to the storage facility may be a problem – and you’ll likely need to rent the unit for at least one month.
SEE ALSO: How much does it cost to rent a storage unit?
A few final words of advice
- If your movers cancelled last minute, do not try to force them to do the job – even if they agree, they’ll do a lousy job and may break or lose stuff;
- If your move was cancelled because of bad weather, none of the above options will be viable and it will be impossible to move out that day;
- Even if you can’t find a same day moving solution, you and your family may still go to your new home as planned – but you will have to do without your belongings, except for what you can take with you. And if you’re moving long distance, it will be quite difficult to organize the transportation of your items (that are waiting stored somewhere) from afar. So, it may be better to stay at a hotel in your old city (or at a friend’s, relative’s, etc.) until you find a way to move your things to your new place;
- Even though you’re not out of options if your movers cancel last minute, it’s best to avoid the situation – hire top-rated movers who are unlikely to back out on a commitment, work with a large moving company that has a lot of trucks and a lot of employees and can react if something unforeseen happens, check your movers’ cancellation policy before signing a contract, choose a moving date during a less busy period (opt for a mid-week moving day if you need to move in the summer), etc.;
- Have a backup plan, so you know what to do if your movers don’t show up.
SEE ALSO: What to do when movers are late
