Virtual Movers
The Internet is supposed to make your life easier to manage, right? Okay, so they didn't plan on the deluge of spam or the hours frittered away at work reading Web sites like this one. But there are some Web-based ideas that could legitimately save you time and trouble. One example: Whitefence.
I spoke with the company's CEO, Eric Danziger, recently to discuss what his company's site offers. The essential idea is that when people move, they end up wasting a lot of time arranging for phone service, getting cable or satellite TV service, calling to get the power turned on, etc. As if packing up all those boxes wasn't work enough. So Whitefence created a one-stop site where people who are in the midst of a move can compare different services, say competing phone packages, and then just make the arrangements all through Whitefence. No waiting on hold for hours or calling multiple utilities. Just do it all through Whitefence and wait for confirmation e-mails to arrive later.
According to Danziger, Whitefence has about 1 million customers a year and covers all 50 states. However, there are some holes in that coverage, such as New York City (where everything is anything but transparent) and outlying rural areas where there aren't that many competing utilities. Nevertheless, Danziger hopes to eliminate those gaps soon and foresees adding new services. Why not compare and arrange for a new mortgage, for example, or change your car insurance through Whitefence?
Ah, if only all of life could be taken care of with just a few mouse clicks...
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