"The art of moving since 1998"

Tips and Faq

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Frequently Asked Quesions

Yes, we are bonded and insured. Your belongings are covered under the Basic Protection for any damage or loss during the move, if due to the mover’s negligence. The value of your belongings is determined by a standard 60 cents per pound rate. This type of coverage does not recognize the monetary value of individual belongings. If you file a claim, the payment you receive is calculated by 60 cents for every pound of the damaged or lost item’s weight. You can also check with your home insurer most of them covered the damages.

While every move is unique, certain types of apartments and homes typically fall within these average time frames:
1 Bedroom Apartment = 2 – 4 hours
2-3 Bedroom Condo = 4 – 6 hours
2-3 Bedroom House = 5 – 8 hours
Please, remember that these are only estimates. These moving averages are based on moves handled by two men for 1-2 bedrooms apt/house and three men for 3-4 bedroom houses. You can decrease the moving time by packing yourself and/or having everything boxed, packed, organized and ready to go. Relocation time also depends on the distance between the pickup site and final destination, as well as any inclement weather, road, and traffic conditions.

We wrap and cover all furniture with professional-grade cushioned moving blankets. Furniture padding is complimentary. Under common moving procedure, your furniture is padded inside the truck.

We offer packing services if you are unable to pack on your own. You should arrange for packing services prior to your moving date to allow for sufficient planning. The time spent by our movers packing your items is billed according to our standard hourly rate. Having everything boxed up, packed, organized and ready to go prior to our arrival, will save you time and money.

Yes. We always require a complete list of items to be moved emailed to us ahead of time. Based on the list of items and information you provide, Gem Movers will assign the appropriate size truck to ensure one trip from pick-up to drop off. The more accurate and exhaustive is the list of items, the higher the chances that the right size truck will be scheduled. Disclaimer: Our biggest trucks (26 ft box) will be assigned to successfully complete relocation larger than 2 bedrooms. Even though the size is typically large enough to accommodate these moves, in certain cases, movers will do multiple trips with no price adjustments.

Yes. We can provide you with all packaging materials, including cardboard boxes, scotch tape, bubble and shrink wrap, etc., at affordable prices. Additionally, we offer partial and full packing services on demand.

Please, contact us as soon as possible to arrange for a new move date. The sooner you give us notice, the easier it is to accommodate your needs. If you reschedule your move within 3 days of the scheduled date, we will retain your deposit and require another security deposit.

If you cancel your move less than 3 days (72 hours) prior to your actual moving day and time, your security deposit is rendered non-refundable.

We understand that time is of the essence and we put a lot of effort in preventing delays. However, due to traffic or weather conditions, arrivals may be delayed by as much as 1 hour on our morning assignments and up to 3 hours on afternoon ones. Any arrival delays will be communicated to you promptly. Customers are entitled to compensation dependent upon the severity of the delay. For instance, if the afternoon arrival is scheduled for 1-2 PM and the crew arrives at 3 PM, there will be no discounts or compensations of any kind. If the crew arrives anywhere between 4 and 5 PM, customers are entitled to 10% off their hourly rate. For every additional hour delay, customers are entitled to further 10% off their hourly rate.

No, we do not! We recommend that you transport all pets in your own vehicle.

We can move your plants if necessary. We strongly recommend to move your plants by yourself. We are not liable for any damage to your plants during transportation.

No, we do not! Perishable foods cannot be safely transported in our moving trucks. We suggest disposing of perishable foods before your move, or transporting them in a cooler in your own car.

GEM Movers is not responsible for loss or damage to accounts, bills, checks, evidence of debts, letters of credit, passports, tickets, documents, manuscripts, notes, mechanical drawings, securities, currency, money, precious stones, jewelry, or other similar valuables. Customer shall take full responsibility for moving the above-mentioned valuables.

Yes. It is more helpful for all parties involved if you are present to identify what items and boxes must be moved, require special handling, and provide any other pertinent information. You will have to sign the bill of lading (contract) at the start of the move. Upon delivery, you will also be required to confirm that your belongings were delivered in the same condition. This is important for any insurance claims you may make for lost or damaged goods. If you are unable to be present, please arrange for someone familiar with your belongings to act as your representative.

Discussing the move with your children helps ease any feelings of anxiety. It is especially important to discuss how they feel about the move, and take note of its effects on their well-being. Moving can be very stressful to children, which is why it is helpful to maintain familiar routines and keep their favorite toys and other small belongings nearby throughout the process. Visiting your new home and neighborhood prior to moving can also provide your children with a sense of comfort.

Standard tools are provided on every site for basic assembly and disassembly. The most common items we assemble/disassemble are beds, mirrors from dressers and legs from dining room tables. Our movers can provide this service for basic household items, however, if an item requires special knowledge or special tools we cannot service it. Please note that we provide assembly/disassembly services as a courtesy, our movers are not specially trained for advanced assembly/disassembly and may not be able to provide this service for all items. We do not guarantee assembly of any item(s) that are new in box. It is recommended that you consult with a company that specializes in assembly services for these items. Due to liability concerns we cannot provide assembly or disassembly for baby cribs, water beds, tanning beds, gas appliances, pool tables or pianos. If you have questions about a specific furniture item please contact us.

We do not connect or disconnect washing machines, drying machines, dish-washers, freezers and fridges. All appliances must be disconnected and drained prior to movers’ arrival.

We cannot wall mount flat screen TV’s or remove TV’s from the wall mount. Additionally, we do not bolt and unbolt items on or from the walls and ceilings.

Below is a partial list of items that should not be shipped.

  • Bleach
  • House paints
  • Open containers of liquid
  • Propane tanks or cans
  • Gas or oils
  • Butane
  • Ammunition/Weapons
  • Open alcohol containers
  • Open non sealed food containers
  • Aerosols
  • Fire Extinguishers
  • Welding Gas
  • Antifreeze
  • Disinfectant cleaners (especially those that contain bleach or ammonia)
  • Perishable foods (unless the move meets strict guidelines – please check with your carrier about these to see if your move meets the guidelines)
  • Items with excessive odor

As a general rule, if the item is Toxins, flammable, combustible or explosive it should not be included.

Billing And Payment Questions

The clock starts from the time the movers arrive at your pick-up address. The hourly rate runs through loading, driving to destination and unloading. The clock stops at your last drop off location when the truck is empty and all set-up tasks are completed.

Yes. GEM Movers charges a minimum of four hours of work. If your move exceeds this four-hour minimum, you are billed in increments of 1 hour. Exceptions will only apply to special case moves based on a fixed price.

Travel time is a flat-rate that is determined by the amount of time it takes to drive our moving truck from our premises to your pick-up location and back to our premises from your drop off location. The flat fee for travel time from and to our premises does not include the driving time from your pick-up to your drop off address.

Any additional stops between the initial pick-up location and final destination will be charged at an additional $50 per stop.

All parking tickets and downtime is billable to customer (waiting for elevator setup, property key holder is late, traffic, customer inspecting his/her belongings upon delivery, waiting for credit card charges or interac e-transfer to go through, etc.).

We charge the deposit at the loading place & the balance need to be paid at the unloading place. We require all payments to be made before our moving truck has been completely unloaded at your last drop off location. Your payment will be taken by the foreman of the crew. For assignments scheduled to complete after office hours (8 pm EST), all credit card and interact payments will have to be made before the office closes. Depending on the banking institution, Interact payments will take up to 30 minutes to be delivered. This delay will have to be taken into consideration when timing the payment.

GEM Movers accepts cash, major credit cards, and Interac email money transfers. On credit cards, we charge extra 5% processing fee. We cannot process payments through personal or company checks. Exceptions must be approved by our office prior to the day of your move.

We will reward our repeat customers with a 10% discount from the hourly rate! The amount of the discount must not exceed $50.

Our movers are allowed 15-minute break every 2 hours of work. All break time is included in the billing time at our standard hourly rate. If your moving project lasts longer than 4 hours, our movers are allowed one 30-minute break for lunch. This 30-minute break will not be included in the billing time.

Rain or snow is not a huge obstacle for us. We know that water of the sky can damage your belongings, that’s why we use all kinds of precautions: we cover every piece of furniture with blankets when taking it out of the house and put some covers on your brand new floors. If it rains too hard we can wait for it through or even postpone the move for later that day.

In heavy weather conditions (snow storms, heavy rains, wind conditions, etc), all arrivals are subject to delays. If applicable, We will reschedule the move to the next available date and time. NOTE: Gem Movers will neither give discounts, refunds nor make compensations for delays or rescheduling under all conditions mentioned herein.

Any time spent over 10 labor hours on one assignment will be viewed as overtime and therefore be subject to overtime fee. Overtime fees will increase your hourly rate by 50%. A moving crew cannot be forced to work over 12 labor hours on one assignment.

Additional charges or extra fees may apply for stairs, long walkway, handling major appliances (stove, refrigerator, deep freezer, washer/dryer ), handling exercise equipment (elliptical, treadmill, etc), upright piano, safes, metal file cabinets, marble/granite/glass table tops. Please, contact one of our relocation consultants for a quote on your particular moving scenario.

Tipping is not mandatory, and you may tip as you like. Tips reflect your satisfaction with the job and appreciation for the efforts of your moving crew.

We like you to disclose all the details while you call for the estimate. Additional charges or fees may apply for stairs, long walkways, major appliances (stove, refrigerator, deep freezer, washer/dryer), exercise equipment (elliptical, treadmill, etc), upright pianos, safes, metal file cabinets, marble/granite/glass table Fish Tanks tops, etc. While the additional handling fee may vary, depends upon the items, but the minimum charge is $40. To find out more, please contact one of our relocation specialists with details and specifications of your moving project.

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