Tuesday, September 6, 2011

How to Avoid Fraud in the Moving Industry

Moving is one of the most stressful life events that people experience. It's not simple to consider moving all of your household goods across town, much less across state or national borders. The beginning of the move process can be just as stressful for many people as they start to consider the number of companies offering moving services, all with varying levels of service and reputation.

Here are some things to consider as you begin searching companies:

1. Check the company's reputation with the Better Business Bureau.

2. Check your city's Chamber of Commerce and see if the moving company has a rating from the local chamber.

3. When you contact a company for a firm estimate, they should schedule an appointment to come to your home for a survey or estimate. Although they may provide an over the phone ball-park quote, when you are seriously considering your move, be sure to have an in-home estimate completed. When the estimate has been completed, you should always receive a written estimate. Do not accept a firm estimate if it is not in writing.

If you live in the Tulsa area and are ready to schedule an estimate for your upcoming move, please call Accent Moving & Storage at 918-251-5594. If you need information about scheduling estimates outside of Oklahoma, please go to www.mayflower.com where you can fill out the bright green box entitled "planning a move?"

Monday, August 8, 2011

Back to School

It’s hard to believe it’s nearly time for school to start again. Whether you have recently moved to a new home or you have lived in the same home for years, back to school can be hectic and stressful both for parents and students. Here are a few tips to help everyone get off on the right foot:


Plan Ahead

*Encourage students, even young students, to set out clothes and accessories the night before. You can avoid the last-minute scramble for that missing shoe by looking ahead of time.

*Make sandwiches the night before and leave them in the refrigerator. In the morning you can slip them into lunchboxes and get out the door a few minutes faster.

*Will your student purchase a lunch at school? Many schools now have a place on their website or the district website where parents and guardians can deposit more money into lunch accounts, taking away the worries that your student may lose money before it makes it to the cafeteria. Call the school’s main office or check the website.

*Designate a place for backpacks and other items that need to go to school each day. Whether it’s on a special hook, cubby, or chair in the bedroom or by the backdoor, set a routine at the beginning of the year.

*Help out the teacher with three identical Transformers or Tinkerbelle backpacks hanging in the cubbies. Make sure your child’s name is clearly marked on his or her backpack, jacket, lunchbox, pencil case, etc.

*If your student has individual folders for each subject, encourage him or her to choose different colors for each subject. If your student needs to use book covers, consider coordinating book cover and folder colors for each subject.

*While you’re out grabbing school supplies, why not stock up on some printer ink and paper? And as those dozens of papers come home from school, consider recycling by using the back of old papers as recycled printing paper.

*Look for a store in your area that offers ink refills. Often they will give you a discount or free refill after you purchase several refills.

*Students starting middle school or high school may worry about remembering their daily schedule. Make sure they have a copy of their schedule in their backpack or in a student planner for quick access.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Shred your risk of identity theft

While preparing to a move, many people begin to get rid of items they no longer need or use. Often this can include old financial information. Don't let your move be an open door to identity theft. Be sure to shred all papers that contain any personal information, particularly papers containing your social security card, bank account or credit account numbers, or reference numbers for stocks, bonds, or savings.

On Saturday April 16th in the Tulsa area, you can bring any confidential papers that need to be shredded to Western Sun Federal Credit Union at 4620 West Kenosha, just east of Garnett on 71st street. There is a 4 box limit, and this event is for individuals only, not businesses. All papers should be removed from any binders or folders. GreenRecycle will be performing the shredding services, and all shredding will be done on site.

For more information call Western Sun Federal Credit Union at 918-362-1400.

If you are not yet ready to shred documents, why not consider document storage at Accent Moving & Storage? We provide secure storage for your important documents. Or, if you're gearing up for that big move, don't forget that that we can provide a free estimate. Simply contact our office at Accent Moving & Storage, an agent for Mayflower transit, at 918-251-5594.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Undercover Boss features United Van Lines

On Sunday March 13th, CBS's show "Undercover Boss" will feature the CEO of United Van lines. United is a sister company of Mayflower Van lines. Have you ever wondered exactly what drivers and warehousemen are responsible for? Be sure to tune in at 8/9PM central on Sunday night to find out!

You can find a sneak preview of this episode here at CBS's website

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Peak Season: preparing for a late spring or summer move

At Accent Mayflower Moving & Storage, our busiest season is late May through August. Many people, particularly families, want to move during the summer months. Weekends fill up quickly, especially holiday weekends.

If you are expecting to move this summer, it's a good idea to get started early. Accent Mayflower would be glad to arrange an estimate for you. Our local number is 918-251-5594, or call us toll free at 1-800-331-3378.

We will arrange for a salesperson to do a visual survey of your home and calculate an estimated cost for moving. Surveys can include full packing costs, the costs of a partial pack, as well as the costs for hauling an automobile.

Once you have reviewed your estimate, let your salesperson know your planned move dates as soon as possible. Remember that there are a lot of details that go into making your move happen, and by informing your agency of your planned move dates it will help your move go just a little smoother. You might be surprised how fast your moving date will arrive! By starting early with everything from an estimate to getting a head start on your packing, you will be surprised at how much a little advance planning will help you in your transition from residence to another.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

(Pre?) Spring Cleaning

As Tulsa continues its great thaw, it seems like everyone who avoided cleaning during the snow is suddenly getting hit with urge to start spring cleaning. Who says you can’t spring clean in February? Maybe your New Year’s Resolution was to finally get more organized, but things got out of hand in the last few weeks? It’s never too late to get organized.

Start with some boxes to sort items into. Best Price Boxes in Broken Arrow has a variety of new and used boxes. Call us at 918-251-6037 for more information. Once you have a few boxes (or more!), consider the following categories for your boxes:

*Donate/sell
*Storage
*Keep
*Trash

Remember that gently used items can be donated to non-profit groups like Goodwill, Salvation Army, thrift stores, or schools. Go through your child’s clothes, books, and indoor and outdoor toys to pull items that have been outgrown and can also be donated. Schools and daycares would probably welcome book and toy donations. Anything that you wish to keep can be boxed up and stored in a crawl space or attic.

Sometimes it can be hard to let go of items. Try boxing up things that you are holding onto and store them for 4-6 months. At the end of that time, if you haven’t used or missed the items, consider selling or donating them. Also, as birthdays and other celebrations roll around and children are anticipating new toys, encourage the child to pick out a handful of toys that he or she no longer uses to donate to someone who can use them.

Think of it this way... the more items you can move out during a pre-spring cleaning, the fewer items you have to face once spring hits! If you are anticipating a move in the months to follow, you've also just saved yourself a little bit of packing, too!