How to dispose of a vacuum cleaner

Recently I was trying to get rid of an old vacuum and I wasn’t sure what to do with it.  In the green spirit of reuse and recycle I just couldn’t get myself to put it in the trash (which may even be illegal).  The vacuum cleaner was aging and although the motor still worked it needed a new filter, brush and belt.  The price of the parts was about what the vacuum cost when it was new so it made more sense to get a new one.  This led to my consideration of the options regarding how to get ride of a vacuum, working or not and which methods of disposal work best for certain situations.  So whether your moving, or just getting rid of old items, consider the options below to determine what’s best for you.

1. Sell it.  If your vacuum works and is still new enough and in good enough shape then selling it using online or print classifieds makes the most sense. If it’s old or if it needs a little repair this may still be an option but it might be better to try and find a vacuum sale and repair shop that is interested.

2. Donate it. This is probably the best option if the vacuum still works but really isn’t worth the trouble to sell it and if you just don’t need the extra money.  Remember there is usually a tax benefit for donated items (check tax code for details).

3. Leave it curbside. This should only be tried in urban areas if the vacuum works and with a sign indicating that it’s free and does indeed work.  This is usually most effective on the weekend.  A note here that this may be seriously frowned upon and possibly against city code in certain areas but I know that it’s done frequently in our community and it benefits both the disposer and the receiver.  Another note, please remove the item and find another way to dispose of it if it’s not picked up by someone within a couple of days, otherwise it will be sure to agitate neighbors and make the neighborhood look trashy.

4. Give it to a vacuum repair and sale shop.  This is what we decided to do and it made the most sense.  That way they could decide if it was worth it for them to repair and resell or to use to dismantle and use for parts.

5. Recycle it. In many areas your vacuum is recyclable by your local recycle center.  If you don’t know the name or location of your local recycle center, call or visit the website of your waste removal service to find their information.  In some cases the recycle center can provide free pickup of your vacuum and many other recyclable items and appliances.  If not a drop may be required but this is still fairly easy to do and much better for the environment than simply throwing your vacuum in the garbage or dropping it at your local dump or transfer station.

6. Trash it. Truly a last resort.  Besides the fact that a vacuum in a dump just doesn’t seem right, it might not even be allowed in certain areas.

Cheap moving companies cost more in the long run

We’ve written before about how trying to cut costs on moving by hiring the cheapest moving company can turn out to be a bad idea and unfortunately it’s happened again.  In this article from KTVK Channel 3 News posted on azfamily.com we here about a bad move in Arizona where a Phoenix / Mesa  area family thought they were getting the most for their money but ended up getting even less than they bargained for.

It’s disheartening but it seems to be even more true now than ever during these tight economic times that poor quality, low balling movers can succeed in drumming up business while leaving families with even more to worry about.  Just another reminder that although it may seem like a good idea to bargain shop when looking for a moving company you may get what you pay for.  So do your research, search the web for reviews, check the BBB and ask for references.  Or just go to onesimplemove.com where we’ve done the work for you and you can find some of the best movers in your area.

How not to find a moving company: Moving Brokers

You’ve probably heard that hiring a moving broker is not a good idea and can lead to very rough if not tragic move.  As we’ve written about before in our article about avoiding moving brokers we recommend that you do not use moving brokers.   It’s not just us, you can also read this article by the Washington Post and this article on White Fence.  Or just Google “moving broker” and see the wonderful list of articles that appears.

The real question is how can you tell a moving broker from a moving company.  Unfortunately it’s not that easy but I do have a couple of tips to help you if you’re looking at a website and trying to find out if the company is strictly a broker.

1. Does the company appear faceless?  In other words, are there any pictures of employees, the office, their trucks or anything else that “personalizes” the company?  And I don’t mean stock photos of moving trucks or employees.  Seeing real pictures makes it very likely it is not a broker.

2. Is the company an agent of a major van line?  If you see any signs on the site that the company is an agent of United, Atlas, Allied, National, Global, Mayflower, North American, Paul Arpin, Bekins, Stevens, Joyce or any of the other major lines that I happen to be leaving out here it’s likely that it is not just a broker.

3. Does the company provide you with a history of the business?  For example: when it was founded, if it’s a family business, how it started etc.  If there’s any type of history provided it’s most likely not a broker.

4. Do they have a physical address listed on their website?  This is not a for sure but most moving companies will list a physical address and most brokers will not.

Determining whether the company is a broker or not by reviewing the website is not an exact science but by looking at these elements you can usually get a good idea.  And in most cases you can determine if it definitely is a moving company.

One last thing to remember is that many movers will still have to broker some moves but it doesn’t mean that they are strictly brokers.  They still have trucks, workers and experience with their own moving company and have more knowledge about the industry than a strict broker will.  And if a moving company has to broker your move they are still a better bet than a strict broker. The ideal situation, however, is using a mover that will complete the entire move by themselves, with their workers and their trucks.

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Understanding moving insurance and valuation

A big concern to everyone when hiring a moving company is “What happens if the movers break something or lose it all together?” and the answer is that it depends.  It depends on what state you’re in or if it’s an interstate move and whether you decide to pay for extra insurance or not.  This may seem complicated but it is actually fairly straightforward.

For all interstate moves the movers are required to provide you with what is called “Released Value Protection” at no extra cost to you.  This is very minimal coverage and the moving company is only liable for $.60 per pound for every item.  So for example if they break a 25 pound TV they pay you $15.  Not very reassuring but it’s free and it’s better than nothing, but just barely.

For intrastate moves it varies state to state with many states also offering some sort of minimal protection similar to the $.60 per pound coverage offered for interstate moves.  If the moving company has not said anything about this coverage you should definitely inquire about it and review the contract closely.  It should mention this minimal coverage somewhere in the contract.  Again, not that this coverage offers a tremendous amount of protection but gives the movers some incentive not to thrash your stuff.

In many cases the moving company will offer you additional insurance for additional cost.  They usually want to offer this because they can make a little extra money on it even though the insurance may be provided by a third party insurance company.  The amount you’ll pay for this will depend on a deductible amount (typically either $0, $250 or $500) and the total value assigned to your belongings.  It can cost a few hundred extra bucks for this coverage but does provide you with some assurance.  With this insurance coverage the mover must either: repair the item; replace with a similar item or make a cash settlement for the cost of the repair or the current market replacement value of the item.

One more thing to consider is that if you pack your own boxes, it may be more difficult to make a claim against the moving company for any breakage that occurs in those boxes, regardless of how well you feel you packed them. In fact many movers will flat out say, we will not cover any boxes you packed.  Some, however, will say if the outside of the box is damaged they’ll cover it, if the box is still in tact, they won’t.

Even though you’d like to think that your belongings are safe, accidents do happen and it’s good to know what happens when they do.  This is just one more reason to pick a moving company with a big name, they have more incentive to be careful with your belongings because they want to keep their name clean.  If you picked your moving company blindly and because they were the cheapest they just might not care as much.
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Written by the One Simple Move Team

Detecting Scam / Rogue Movers – Your Rights

Remember, you have rights!
Unfortunately, only ethical movers follow the rules and allow you your rights. There are many, many good movers out there. Most movers are good people and want to help. They do not need laws to enforce ethical business practices. The only effective way to avoid trouble with your move is to detect a criminal mover before they are allowed to touch your items.

What to do and who to call
Check up on a mover’s license:
http://www.safersys.org/
You can type in the company name or the license # and find out if they have a valid license and if they have insurance coverage:

Dept. of Transportation Hot Line:
(888) 368-7238
Call this number to file a complaint with Department of Transportation. The DOT needs to know about the unethical practices of movers.

Watch Dog Committee for Moving Companies:
(202) 366-4553
This is part of the Division of Office of Enforcement & Compliance under the Federal Motor Carrier & Safety Administration. These folks have the authority to do something about it.

Division of Office of Enforcement & Compliance:
FMSA
400 7th St. S.W.
Washington, DC 20590
Ph: 202 366-4553
Fax: 202 366-3462

Special thanks to Jay Clithero of Sterling Van Lines for all the helpful information on scam and rogue movers.

Happy and safe moving this summer!

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Sterling Van Lines, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based moving and storage company specializing in small moves. With over 50 years of combined moving experience, over 10,000 moves, and a reputation for quality in our industry, our goal is to customize our services to the needs of each customer — whether you’re moving your home or office, or just a few pieces, we’ll make your move worry free! Visit us at www.sterlingvanlines.com

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Save Money On Your Move Using A Cube Sheet

Hiring a full service moving company for your move can be expensive but there are some ways to save money.  Because movers use a cube sheet as a big factor in pricing your move then the biggest thing you can do to save money is to reduce the weight of what you’re moving.

By looking at the cube sheet you can easily see which items have the greatest affect your total weight.   Items given a high number of cubic feet per piece are determined to be the heaviest, even if these items are not as large or heavy as indicated by the cube sheet.

Typically on an interstate move, if you are given a binding estimate, the actual weight will not affect your price because the estimated weight will be used to determine your price estimate.  If, on the other hand, you are given a non-binding estimate then the actual weight will be used to determine your final price, regardless of the estimate.  Although intrastate moves don’t necessarily follow this pattern and are governed by a state’s regulations they will still depend on the weight to estimate and determine final cost.

Either way, you can see that getting rid of certain items can drastically cut weight and save money.  If you have a bed, couch, refrigerator, freezer or other large appliance or piece of furniture that you’ve been thinking about replacing, now is the time to do it considering how much you’ll pay to move them.  This is especially true when you’re moving across country or very long distances and the cost to transport large items long distances can be several hundred dollars.

Another consideration, especially when given a non-binding estimate, are those heavy items that aren’t indicated as such on the cube sheet.  Items like boxes of books, china or anything else that is small and heavy really add up.  If you really need or want to keep them you might want to take these items with you in your car if you’re driving because it will save you money.

I’m not suggesting that you just throw these items out, but by being creative you can replace them with new items for very little out of pocket expense.  As discussed in an article from Joshua Zerkel about what to do with your unwanted stuff there are several options when trying to dispose of these items.

I highly recommend trying to sell them using a free online classifieds service like Craigslist where you can likely get a little cash.  If that isn’t an option consider donating them to a local charity and use the donation as a write-off on your taxes.   Finally, if your stuff is in bad shape, post them in classifieds as a free item (or leave them on the curb if this is an option in your area) and you’ll surely find takers.

Finally it’s important to remember that the amount you pay per pound to transport your goods varies greatly and depends on whether the move is interstate or intrastate and the overall distance of your move.  Using California as an example it can cost anywhere from $.30 to over a $1.00 per pound to transport your household goods.  Even with an average of $.40 per pound and figuring a queen sized bed that weighs 560 pounds it can cost you about $224 to move it, and that’s just within the state.

So to save money it makes sense to take a really close look at what you’re moving (and how much it weighs) and make decisions on those items before you move.  A little time spent doing this now can really pay off in the long run.