Questions to Ask Packers and Movers Before You Book

What should you ask about the price and quote?

The first job is to turn a vague number into a real, itemised quote. A single figure on a phone call tells you nothing about what is included, and it is exactly the gap that lets a price grow on move day.

Ask the mover to send a written quote that lists packing material, labour, the truck or tempo, GST, insurance and any access charges as separate lines. Ask whether the quote is final or an estimate, and what could change it. Ask what is specifically excluded, because the exclusions are where the surprises live. And ask for the quote to name your actual inventory, not just the BHK size, because “2 BHK” can mean twenty cartons or forty-five. If a mover resists putting any of this in writing, that resistance is your answer.

For a sense of what a fair total looks like before you even call, run your home through the moving cost calculator and read the main packers and movers charges guide. Walking into the conversation with a baseline makes it much harder for anyone to inflate the number.

What GST and invoice questions should you ask?

GST is the question people skip and later wish they had not. Ask whether the GST rate is 5 percent, which applies to transport-only service, or 18 percent, which applies to a full packing-and-moving service, because the difference is real money on a large move. Ask for a GST invoice that carries the company GSTIN, and confirm the invoice will name the advance and the balance.

Then verify what you are told. Run the GSTIN through the Verify Packers Movers tool before you pay anything. A mover who can give a clean GST invoice is a registered business with something to lose; one who only offers a cash price with no invoice has nothing tying them to the job. If you want the full picture on how tax sits on a moving bill, the GST charges guide breaks it down. The invoice is not just paperwork, it is your evidence if there is a damage claim or a dispute, so treat it as essential even on a small move.

Questions about insurance and your goods

Insurance is the question that matters most on anything beyond a short local hop, and the one most people get a vague answer to. Ask whether the mover offers declared-value transit insurance, where you state what the goods are worth and the cover pays against that value. Ask what percentage of the goods value it costs, usually around 1.5 to 3 percent, and ask whether you receive a policy copy before dispatch.

Crucially, ask what is not covered. Basic carrier liability, which some movers quietly treat as insurance, is usually capped at a token per-kilogram figure and will replace almost nothing if a TV or a wardrobe is damaged. For a move across cities, that gap can cost you tens of thousands. The transit insurance charges guide explains declared value and the claim process in plain terms. While you are at it, photograph your major and fragile items before they are packed, because that record is what makes a claim work later.

Questions about packing and handling

Packing quality is the difference between goods that arrive intact and goods that arrive in pieces, so do not let it stay vague. Ask what packing material is included: cartons, bubble wrap, foam, stretch film, and a proper crate or carton for the TV and any glass. Ask whether fragile items, art and mirrors get crate-grade packing or just a bubble layer. Ask who does the packing, the trained crew or you.

Then ask about the items that need special handling. Furniture dismantling and reassembly should be named per item, and a modular kitchen or a fixed wardrobe needs a carpenter, which the furniture dismantling charges page covers in detail. An air conditioner is a technician job, not a loader job, so if you have one, ask whether uninstall, reinstall and any gas top-up are included, as set out in the AC installation charges guide. Getting these named before booking stops them from appearing as surprise lines on move day.

Questions about the crew, the truck and the timeline

A quote means little if you do not know who and what is turning up. Ask how many crew members will come and what truck or tempo size is planned, because too small a crew or vehicle is the most common reason a move runs late and needs a second trip. Ask for the reporting time, the expected loading time, and on an intercity move the dispatch date and the delivery window as two separate things, since the packing day and the dispatch day are not the same.

For a long-haul move, also ask how you will track the shipment: the truck number, the driver contact, and updates at dispatch and arrival. The route guides like Delhi to Mumbai charges and Gurgaon to Noida charges show how transit time and truck mode shape both the price and the plan. A mover who can give you names, numbers and a timeline is one who has actually planned your move rather than just quoted a figure.

Questions about access at both ends

Access is where local moves quietly get expensive, so ask about both ends, not just the pickup. Ask how the mover will handle your floor and stairs if there is no lift, and whether stair carry is in the quote. Ask what happens if a truck cannot enter your lane and a smaller shuttle vehicle is needed. Ask whether a society service-lift slot and a gate pass are your responsibility or theirs, and whether a missed slot triggers a waiting charge.

These access realities, the narrow lane, the no-lift floor, the booked lift slot, are exactly what separate two quotes for the same goods. Ask the mover to price your specific building at both ends, and if there is a waiting charge, the waiting charges guide explains what a fair free window and rate look like. The clearer you are about your access, the less room there is for a surprise line when the crew arrives.

Questions about payment and what happens after delivery

Finally, the payment questions, which are also your scam check. Ask for the payment schedule in writing: a small token advance of around 10 to 25 percent, a share after loading, and a real balance held until after delivery and inspection. Ask that payment go to a registered company account, not a personal one, and refuse any demand for full or near-full payment before the goods move. The advance payment terms guide lays out the safe structure in detail.

Then ask what happens after delivery. Does the crew unpack and place items, or just unload? Will they remove the empty cartons and packing waste? How do you raise a damage claim, and within what window? Knowing the answers before you book means you are not negotiating these things while tired, at the new home, with the crew waiting to leave. When every one of these questions has a clear written answer, you are ready to compare 3 verified movers on equal terms and book with confidence.

The questions that reveal a fake mover

Some questions are less about the move and more about whether the company is real. Ask for the registered company name and match it against the name on the bank account you are asked to pay, because a mismatch there is a classic warning sign. Ask for an office address and a landline or a corporate email, not just a mobile number, since a real business in 2026 has a verifiable presence and a fly-by-night operator does not. Ask how long they have run and whether they can show reviews that mention specific crew names or real details, rather than twenty identical five-star lines posted on the same day.

The way a mover answers these tells you almost as much as the answers themselves. A genuine company responds calmly, sends the documents, and does not mind you verifying the GSTIN. A fraudulent one gets defensive, rushes you toward an advance, and leans on a story about a truck already waiting. If you sense any of that, slow down and read the Delhi NCR moving scams guide before you transfer a rupee. Pressure to decide quickly is itself the red flag.

How to use the answers to compare movers

Once you have asked these questions of three movers, lay the written answers side by side. Do not compare the headline totals; compare the scope behind them. One quote may be lower only because it left out packing, a shuttle for your lane, or the GST that the others included. When you force every mover to answer the same questions in writing, the cheapest number is finally a genuine comparison rather than a guess, and you can see which mover actually understood your home.

This is also why the order matters: ask, get it in writing, then compare, and only then book. People who book first and ask later lose the one thing that protects them, which is the choice to walk away. With clear written answers from each mover, you can compare 3 verified movers on equal terms and pick on real value, not on who sounded most confident on the phone.

The pattern across all of this is simple. A mover who answers price, GST, insurance, packing, crew, access and payment clearly and in writing is one you can trust to do the job. A mover who keeps it all verbal and vague, and pushes for a big advance, is telling you exactly how the move will go. Ask the questions, get the answers on paper, and the rest of the move becomes ordinary work.

If you remember nothing else, remember the three that do the heavy lifting: an itemised written quote, a GST invoice you have verified, and a balance held until after delivery. Those three alone filter out most bad movers, and the rest of the list simply sharpens your comparison so the mover you finally choose is the one who genuinely fits your home and your move.