ABOUT THE LIVING LIFE IN COSTA RICA BLOG

I (Vicki Skinner - aka "THE Sarong Goddess") created this blog in 2007 to share DETAILED Finds•Lists•Info•Events•Experiences to help bring more EASE to people living in, visiting or thinking of moving to Costa Rica since DETAILS are NOT easy to find!
I’m NOT an expert (an "expert" 2 ME knows 101%-NOT me). I believe in sharin info•helping where I can! And with over 2,200 entries, so some things might be out of date, so if you find old info PLEASE help each other by getting the updated info & sharing it with me to revise. At least you have some basic info to get you started.
VOLUNTEER TO HELP:
Better yet - do you have extra time on your hands & looking for a volunteer project? Since this blog is a labor of love & RARELY does anyone share a donation (even though MANY have said how much it's helped them), I could REALLY use help updating info. Spanish speakers ESPECIALLY welcome since my VicLish can be somewhat limited at times!!

DONATE:
Has my blog helped in any way? Helped find something•brought more EASE? More exposure or business?
I welcome you to show YOUR appreciation for my efforts!
ANY size DONATION is APPRECIATED!
(see below other ways to show your appreciation)
The easiest way is with PAYPAL - Attn: LivingLifeInCostaRica@gmail.com
(you do NOT need to have a PayPal account to do this - just a credit or debit card)
ADD INFORMATION:
Do YOU have/know of a Business•Event•News•Place•Things 4 Sale•Rent to add? Email:
LivingLifeInCostaRica@gmail.com

OTHER WAYS TO SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION FOR THIS BLOG

• APPLE LAPTOP - Do you have a Laptop you're not using? Mine recently broke so I'm using a lender. Must be new enough to run current Skypes & have an SDCard slot.
• Amazon.com or GoDaddy.com Credit•Gift Certificate (attn: SarongGoddess@gmail.com)
• Something else to share?? A gift certificate or invite for your business? I'm open!! (at times I'll add other things here that I'm seeking)

Friday, December 13, 2013

MOVERS • MUDANZAS Y TRANSPORTES withIN Costa Rica (& some that even Speak English & give GOOD Conscious Customer Service)


NEED MOVERS FOR WITHIN CR (or the docks?)??!!  I found EXCELLENT MOVERS that have moved me once plus I've used them for moving other things for other people I was helping with Moving•Estate Sales, plus they have moved OVER 20 people I've shared their information with and EVERYONE's RAVED about them!!!

MY EXPERIENCE:
They moved me May of '06 from Pozos de Santa Ana to Escazu and they were AWESOME!! 

First off, AMAZINGLY, they showed up 30 minutes EARLY (
and of course I was not ready, even my other helpers were not there yet.  To me it's SMART to be their first one of the day and also NOT be on the last or first day of the month whenever possible).

They said they would have 4 guys
and SIX showed up (all hard workers - Sebastian [he was the hardest worker!!],  Rolando Drucer [he speaks English], Freddie, Harley, Eddie and Luis Fernandes)! 

They did an EXCELLENT fast job, NOTHING broken, NOTHING missing.  I tipped each guy $10 to $20 depending on how hard they worked, plus I bought LOTS of pizzas
and sodas for them so I know they were VERY happy.

They had a large 24 foot truck fully equipped with a dolly, a ramp, blankets, etc. to protect my stuff
and it initially was 85,000 colons (remember - this was in 2006 - plus it ended up being more because we ended up having to do a second load as I bought a bunch of things [beds and big plants mainly] after getting the initial quote, but they only charged me about $20 to $25 more).


Oh, and they are LEGALLY licensed
and insured (something you do NOT get with some movers and haulers so what happens IF something gets broken???  If you have ANYTHING of value [including emotionally•sentimentally of value] - is saving a few $$s going with the cheaper hauler worth that??)
 

I deal with their son Manuel•Manny who speaks GOOD English and GETS the concept of the level of CUSTOMER SERVICE that many of us have been used to! 


They have 4 different sizes of trucks for moving (10', 16', 24', 26') as well as trucks for Hauling and can assist with moving your Shipping Container WORTH of goodies from the docks even (meaning they unload it from the container and put it on their truck)!!  They usually bring a dolly (so you can get more done faster with less stress on the movers body!!) and their two largest vans have ramps.  They also have the service where they can come in and pack everything up for you.

If you agree to allow me to make the introduction, I'd love to share their information with you.  So send me an email to
LivingLifeInCostaRica@gmail.com
with the name of who is going to be moving, where from/to and approximately when and I'll be happy to share with you their information!


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HINTS FOR WORKING WITH PROFESSIONAL MOVERS:
#1  -  For the best results (for them being on time and the workers having the most energy) be the first move of the day.  That helps, as if not, sometimes the previous jobs take longer which is NOT the fault of the movers (that is often the responsibility of the movee!!!). 

#2  -  WHEN TO•NOT TO MOVE:  Also, if you don't have to, do NOT move at the end or beginning of the month as that's their BUSIEST TIME, hence they book up for that time in advance often, PLUS you have a better chance of there being delays!!




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LOCAL TRUCKS • HAULING
 Finding a local guy off the street can be cheaper BUT - they are usually NOT insured to move things and/or covered for breakage, etc. so are your things REALLY worth that risk, just to save a few $$s - especially since collecting on it in Costa Rica could take YEARS!!

FINDING SOMEONE TO MOVE • HAUL MY THINGS
I've often seen trucks hanging out around Hardware stores•Ferreteria's so go there and check them out.  Especially if you go later in the afternoon, you can see if the driver has alcohol on his breath as this can sometimes be an issue (I've observed that a few times when helping people find drivers).  Be as SPECIFIC as you can - NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING!!  If you need 2 people to move the table - YOU MUST ASK for 2 people - as sometimes they're just the driver (and the quote he gives is just for him)


$$$ SAVING TIP - GETTING THE LOWEST PRICE
Have one of your Tico friends that does NOT look like they have $$ or drive a nice car go and negotiate the price for you as MY experience (and what MANY have shared) is often they are NOT real negotiable and/or they see that "ALL gringos are rich" in us.  But if you have the $$ - ignore what I've said and spread the wealth!!

As with my tip on Professional Movers, IF you have some flexibility on the date, I think the best times to get the best/lowest price is when they REALLY NEED the money - ESPECIALLY say a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday - of a NON-pay check weekend. 
My logic with this is more people will be using them on a paycheck weekend and the driver probably wants to make sure he has extra $$ for that weekend.



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DO YOU KNOW ANY OTHER MOVERS TO ADD TO THIS LIST?
 Do YOU have any leads on movers that were EXCEPTIONAL for you as well as people that do LOCAL hauling and moving?
(note that the smaller people usually do NOT have insurance so good luck recouping any $$ if something happens!)

Please email me DETAILS (there's no such thing as "too much information" to me!!  The more details the happier I am!!) at:
LivingLifeInCostaRica@gmail.com


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WHERE TO FIND MOVING • PACKING SUPPLIES • BOXES, etc!!
Check out my article on ideas on where to find:
MOVING • PACKING MATERIALS - Where to find Moving Boxes, Packing Material like Bubble Wrap, Peanuts + in Costa Rica
LivingLifeInCostaRica.blogspot.com/2012/09/moving-materials.html


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Please share this link with anyone you know looking to move within Costa Rica or that need help bringing their things from the docs!!
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