The American Moving & Storage Association is one organization that helps individuals recognize professional movers. The Better Business Bureau is another, and has the added benefit of accrediting businesses across the range of industries. We know that moving is a hassle, and you’ll be looking for any time-saving tips you can find? However, since you’ll already be online setting up utilities (such as purchasing internet service at www.satellitestarinternet.com), why not browse the BBB’s database at www.bbb.org while you’re at it?Companies have to specifically seek out BBB accreditation, but are not obligated to do so. Successful accreditation means the business has made a commitment to follow eight basic standards:

• Build Trust
• Advertise Honestly
• Tell the Truth
• Be Transparent
• Honor Promises
• Be Responsive
• Safeguard Privacy
• Embody Integrity

Companies must pay for the accreditation review, so there’s an added incentive for the company to adhere to each standard the first time around. While it’s not necessary for a company to apply for accreditation, there are a number of moving companies that have done so. With everything that could go wrong in the moving process, why take your chances on a company that has yet to get its paperwork in order? There could be more pressing reasons why they have not applied for accreditation.The Better Business Bureau operates over 100 regional centers, each of which place a priority on warning their community members about scams in the area. Even if a company has not applied for accreditation, the BBB probably still has a report on it. If you are a regular donator to charities, you might also be interested in the BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance, which accredits national charities according to 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.The organization’s roots date back to early-20^th century court cases led by the government against a number of corporate firms. One such firms was the Coca-Cola Company, which was involved in the 1916 case United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola. In the case, the government accused the company of misbranding its products. Samuel Candler Dobbs, Coca-Cola’s sales manager and later its president, began a “truth-in-advertising” campaign which led to the creation of a number of BBB-precursors. These included Dobbs’s own Associated Advertising Clubs of America (1909), the National Better Business Commission (1921), and the National Association of Better Business Bureaus (1933). In 1946, these organizations and others were merged into the Association of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.