How to choose movers in Jeddah: 7 things to check before you book
Before you hand your furniture to anyone, check seven things: the price, the people, the vehicle, the loaders, the timing, the payment, and what happens if something breaks. Here is what to ask and why.
When a move in Jeddah goes wrong, it tends to go wrong in one of a few ways: the price changes at the door, the truck turns out too small, the crew arrives late, or a wardrobe gets scratched and nobody takes responsibility. Each of these can be checked before you book.
This guide gives you seven things to check and the questions to ask. They work for any movers and packers in Jeddah, whether you found a number in an ad, called a moving company or opened an app.
Three ways to book a move in Jeddah
A number from an ad. One way is a listing on Haraj or a number passed around by neighbors. You call a driver who owns a truck and agree everything by phone. It can work well, but everything rests on that one call: the price, the time and what is included.
A moving company by phone. The company sends a crew and a truck. You usually get a quote after you describe your things or after someone comes to look at them. Ask what the quote covers and what could change it.
An app. You enter the two addresses, choose a vehicle and see an estimate before you confirm. The app assigns the driver, and you follow the order on the screen.
Whichever way you choose, the same seven checks apply.
1. Is the price clear before the truck arrives?
Ask what the price includes. A single number with no explanation tells you nothing about what happens when the move takes longer than planned.
What is included: the drive, the loading, the unloading, carrying things upstairs?
What makes the price go up: waiting, extra floors, a second trip?
Can you see the price in writing or on a screen before you agree?
A price you have only heard on the phone is hard to hold anyone to later. What goes into a moving price is explained in Moving cost in Jeddah.
2. Who is coming to your home?
These people will walk through your home and carry everything you own. It is reasonable to ask who they are.
Does anyone check the driver before he starts taking orders?
Will you know the driver's name and vehicle before he arrives?
Is there someone to contact other than the driver if there is a problem?
3. Will the vehicle fit your things?
A truck that is too small means a second trip, and a second trip means more time and more money. A truck far bigger than you need usually costs more for nothing.
Measure your longest item, usually a sofa, the side of a wardrobe or a mattress, and estimate the total weight. Then ask for the inside length of the cargo body and the load it carries, in numbers. "A big truck" is not an answer. How to match your things to a vehicle is in Dyna, pickup or truck.
4. How many loaders, and what exactly do they do?
How many people will come, and is the driver one of them?
Do they carry things up to your floor, and what if there is no elevator?
Who packs the boxes and wraps the furniture: you or them?
Who takes the bed and the wardrobe apart, and who puts them back together?
Packing and assembly are where expectations differ most. Settle them before moving day, not at the door.
5. When will they arrive, and what if plans change?
Is the time fixed, or is it "sometime in the afternoon"?
How long will the driver wait if you are not ready, and what does waiting cost after that?
Can you cancel, and until when is it free?
Can you see where the truck is while you wait?
6. How and when do you pay?
If you pay the whole amount in advance, you have nothing left to hold back if the move does not go as agreed. Ask whether a deposit is required, when the rest is due, and in what form: cash, card or transfer.
7. What happens if something is damaged?
Ask this directly and expect a direct answer. Some movers offer compensation and some do not, and it is better to know from the start.
Whatever the answer, protect your things:
Photograph furniture and appliances before loading.
Pack fragile things yourself, tightly, and mark the boxes.
Keep documents, jewelry and small electronics with you, not in the truck.
Check your things as they are unloaded, while the crew is still there.
How to pack and prepare each kind of item is in the moving checklist.
How BeePlus answers these seven questions
BeePlus is an app for moving and delivery in Jeddah. The job is done by partner drivers, and orders are placed in the app only. Here is how it answers the same questions.
Price. It has three parts: distance, a booking fee, and the actual loading or waiting time. You see the estimate for your addresses in the app before you confirm. The final amount can differ from the estimate; the details are in the Terms of Use.
People. Every driver is checked and trained. After you order you see the driver on the map, with the arrival time. If you need help, support answers on WhatsApp.
Vehicle. A car for items up to 200 kg, a pickup for up to 600 kg, and trucks in five sizes, from S with a 400 kg load to XXL with a 4,000 kg load. The app shows the cargo dimensions of each size.
Loaders. You choose the vehicle size and the app suggests a suitable number of loaders: 1 for truck size S and 2 for sizes M to XXL. The driver is one of them: 1 loader means the driver loads alone, 2 loaders means the driver and one more person. Carrying to your floor is part of the time-based rate, and if you select loaders they carry heavy items up the stairs even where there is no elevator. Packing can be added in the app when you order, for an additional charge. For taking furniture apart and putting it back together, write to BeePlus support before the move: they will tell you whether a suitable specialist is available, also for an additional charge.
Timing. Order now or book any day and time. A driver is found within 15 minutes on average and waits 10 minutes free of charge. Cancelling is free before the driver arrives.
Payment. In cash, after the job is done. No prepayment and no card.
Damage. The driver who carries out the order is responsible for your items. BeePlus does not offer compensation or insurance for the items. If the damage is the fault of the partner, BeePlus is ready to help resolve it. So the four steps from the section above matter here as well.
Before you book movers in Jeddah
Before you book with anyone, get answers to these questions:
What does the price include, and can I see it before I agree?
Who is the driver, and who do I contact if there is a problem?
What is the inside length of the truck, and how much does it carry?
How many loaders come, and do they carry things upstairs?
Who packs, and who takes the furniture apart?
How long is waiting free, and until when can I cancel?
When do I pay, and what happens if something is damaged?
If the answers are vague, keep looking. If you want to see an estimate for your own addresses, the BeePlus app shows it before you confirm anything.
Planning a move? Movers in Jeddah
