This week’s edition focuses on international moving and countries that are still open for business despite some challenges in troubled areas.

According to *ConFlo Lines, many countries around and in the #Middle East and surrounding areas are open for business for the most part. Here’s the scoop and latest regarding some of the troubled hot-spot countries:

Iran
Since the United Nations agreement with Iran, it’s expected there will be a huge demand for oil and gas along with aerospace supplies, consumer goods, and infrastructural equipment. With increased business and volume of commercial goods, Iranian ports won’t be able to handle it all. Such routes as Djulfa or Mersin will handle much of the traffic. Flights to Tehran from cities such as Zurich, Frankfurt and Milan are all booked. Expect lots of moving in this country with 80 million people.

Myanmar
Foreign direct investment is still slow in the country and the government is cautious with exports but, places like Singapore, Thailand and China are trading with some eastern provinces such as Kachin and Shan.

Mongolia
There’s a current slump in demand for Mongolian exports (especially to China) put a stop to the rapidly expanding mining sector. This had an immediate impact on other imported goods, such as automobiles and consumer goods. Recovery won’t be seen until the second half of 2016. Otherwise the transit from port Xingang by rail to the capital is working flawlessly.

Nepal
Due to the earthquake, Nepal is still trying to recover after the heavy toll on human lives and infastructure. The roads from port Kolkata to Kathmandu are still serviceable although there is a 350 km deviation due to collapsed bridges. Delays can be anticipated due to heavy lorry traffic and weight restrictions are in effect.

Middle East
There is no service to Yemeni ports and thus Iraq suffers politically and economically. Iraqi Kurdistan can be served via Turkish ports only.

Cuba
Since the U.S. has re-established diplomatic ties to this country, there should be plenty of opportunities for new and developing relations within the logistics industry.

Afghanistan
There is going to be a continuing American military presence which requires logistical support. Likewise foreign direct investment will increase and support infrastructural improvements.

Nigeria, DR of Congo, Niger, Chad and Car
The entire West African region is under political and economic pressure but both port facilities as well as rail and road connections to interior destinations are still functioning without major problems.
Safe moving!
Cesar Castro is one of the owners at Rainier Overseas Movers Inc. He can be reached at cesar@rainieros.com or you can call him 800-426-9928. Please visit their website at https://www.rainieros.com/.
*Country updates provided by ConFlo Lines

There are plenty of scammers in the moving industry but unfortunately, people don’t look out for the warning signs of crooked movers. Many so-called “discounted movers” are unethical, shady and disreputable moving outfits who are more interested in liberating you from your cash than delivering your possessions safe and sound.

Signs of disreputable movers
Some of the signs are obvious. Poor phone manners should be a big red flag. A website that looks woefully out of date is another. Likewise, a general feeling that the movers are disorganized or lack experience shouldn’t be ignored. None is proof that a company is dishonest, but if your instincts say there’s something fishy, go with your gut and move away from them as soon as possible or jeopardize not only losing your money, but potentially all of your belongings too.

Tips to avoid scammers
Here are some important tips to go by and know how to avoid crooked movers:
• Check out a company’s reputation and its business licenses – Contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and do your research to insure the moving company you may be hiring is legit and reputable in the industry. Don’t call the company of interest but talk to other people and organizations to check if they are in good standing or not.
• Visual inspections – Ensure the company is willing to come to your home to do a visual inspection of the items you wish to move. They will send out a surveyor with an electronic handheld machine to enter information about your belongings, an estimate of how much possessions you have and the weight of it etc. If someone provides you a quote over the phone without coming to see your stuff, that’s a really bad sign.
• Payment in advance – If a moving company requests, demands that you pay in advance or provide an abnormally large portion of the payment before the organization actually does the move – that should set off alarm bells. Run the other way.
• Insurance policy – Ask if the moving company has an insurance policy for at least $1 million. Most businesses or buildings etc. will require movers to have their own insurance policy before they can enter into any building or area. If the movers accidentally ruin the property, the building owners know their property will be covered by the mover’s insurance policy. Request their policy number and ask the name of their insurance company, make a call to insure the mover is insured.
It ultimately comes down to common sense and doing a little homework on your part. Before you commit to a mover, ask around. Check out websites and references. If a company has a bad reputation, somebody will have written about it online. You don’t want to take a chance when it comes to your belongings. Do your research, and you’ll be far less likely to get burned by disreputable and crooked movers.
Safe moving!
Cesar Castro is one of the owners at Rainier Overseas Movers Inc. He can be reached at cesar@rainieros.com or you can call him 800-426-9928. Please visit their website at https://www.rainieros.com/.

You buy a new car, drive it off the lot and park it at the store. Upon your return, you notice a “ding” or dent on the driver’s side door. Your stomach begins to ache, heart races, disappointment can’t even describe your feelings and panic begins to set in. You begin to get angry wondering who did this, no note was left. But you stop and think, whew, I have car insurance to fix the door and make it like new again.

Just like car insurance, when you move, whether within the U.S. or overseas, it’s vital that you insure all of your belongings so they are protected from unwanted accidents or mishaps.

Accidents happen to the most careful people including folks in the moving industry. Having moving insurance can help mitigate disaster. It may not be able to replace grandma’s antique drum set but at least you’ll know you will be compensated monetarily if something unfortunately happens to it.

Insurance coverage tips:
It is important to know what type of insurance coverage you can choose from and which coverage best suit’s your moving situation. By looking into the types of coverage options and going by these tips, it will help you protect your worldly assets and make your life and your move a lot easier.

Basic coverage
Federal regulations require that all moving companies offer two types of coverage to consumers regarding for out-of-state and overseas moves.
• Released-value protection covers up to 60 cents per pound. This protection is standard and included in moving charges. We only charge about 2.5 percent from the total cost of your move.

• Full-value protection covers the value of the entire item damaged, and is based on the customer’s valuation of the goods that are being moved. The customer pays about 1 percent of the valuation for the added coverage. If you decide all of your belongings being shipped are worth $50,000, you would pay approximately $500 for full-value protection.
Note: If something is damaged, the moving company can repair the damage, reimburse you monetarily, or replace the item. It’s up to the moving company to decide but we here at Rainier do. For instance, if your 2-year-old refrigerator is damaged beyond repair, we will likely give you the fair-market value of a 2-year-old refrigerator.

Another caveat: Movers are not required to reimburse you for any item valued at more than $100 per pound unless that item is specifically listed on the shipping documents. This is set by the Surface Transportation Board, the federal organization that oversees moving companies. For example, a bracelet that weighs four ounces and is worth more than $25 ($100 per pound) must be listed on the shipping documents or it will not be covered if it is lost, damaged or destroyed during the move (we don’t recommend including expensive jewelry when you move, more on that in a future blog).
If you opt for this coverage, you will have to list everything that is valued at more than $100 per pound on the shipping documents. It will take a lot of time to figure this out if you are moving a lot of items but well worth it if something happens during the transportation process.

Expanded mover coverage
We highly recommend upgrading your insurance coverage to provide you with peace-of-mind. Understand that, if your moving company is covering your belongings, it is not insurance. Moving companies are not allowed to sell insurance. Instead, you are paying for stated liability setting the limits for your moving company’s liability if your belongings are damaged, lost or destroyed.

Valuation options
You can ask moving companies or a third party if they offer other valuation options, often called “assessed value protection,” that covers damage beyond the “up to 60 cents” coverage movers have to provide you by law.

• Expanded valuations: Declared value allows you to set a per-pound amount for your belongings. For example, if you decide your belongings are worth $6 per pound and your total shipment is 10,000 pounds, you are placing a valuation of $60,000 on the total shipment. That would be the maximum you would receive if the entire shipment were destroyed or lost. Individual items would be replaced with like-kind, a two-year-old washing machine for a two-year-old washing machine. This is important to consider because items such as used clothing have little actual cash value.
• Assessed value: This coverage is basically the same as expanded valuations, except the consumer sets the amount by value instead of weight. This is better if you have a lot of small, high-value items that don’t weigh much.

What insurance doesn’t cover
With valuation coverage, movers are not responsible for items in boxes they did not pack. Unless the box shows significant damage, you are not likely to be covered for damage to anything inside the box. You also are not covered for damage or loss from natural disasters, such as fire, hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, etc. That said, I’d recommend the movers box everything up for you – less hassle and it saves you time.
Whichever type of insurance coverage you select, make sure to inspect your goods when they arrive at their destination so you know if there has been any damage or not. Insuring your personal possessions when moving is really important and gives you peace-of-mind because anything can go wrong during the moving process.

Safe moving!

Cesar Castro is one of the owners at Rainier Overseas Movers Inc. He can be reached at cesar@rainieros.com or you can call him 800-426-9928. Please visit their website at https://www.rainieros.com/.