Moving is already traumatic and expensive enough; the last thing
you want to worry about is getting ripped off by your mover. Yet
each year, the Better Business Bureau receives thousands of
complaints against moving companies, mostly alleging lost or damaged
property, not showing up on time, overcharging — or, in extreme
cases, stealing or holding customers’ possessions hostage while
demanding more money than originally agreed upon.
Before you spend hundreds or thousands of dollars and entrust
your valuables with strangers, here are a few tips for ensuring a
positive moving experience, as well as scams to avoid:
• Screen potential movers. All companies that do interstate
moves must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (
www.protectyourmove.gov.).
You can use its search engine to screen for complaints, safety
information and company contact information by company name or by
the state where its primary business office is located.
Moving companies that don’t cross state lines aren’t governed
by federal regulations, but rather, by individual state laws. Go to
the State/Local Resources tab at FMCSA’s site for links to each
state’s regulatory resources. Also make sure the company has at
least a satisfactory rating from the Better Business Bureau.
• Get written estimates. No reputable mover would ever give a
firm estimate by phone or Internet, sight-unseen. Always insist on
in-home inspections of your household goods and detailed, written
estimates from at least three to five moving companies so you can
get a sense of true market rates.
Movers need to know how much stuff you have, whether particularly
heavy, valuable or awkward pieces need to be moved, if stairs are
involved, and many other details that will affect their costs.
Beware if an estimate is significantly less: This is a common ruse
by unscrupulous companies to bind you to their service, then later
hit you up for hidden fees — perhaps even refusing to unload your
furnishings until you pay up.
By law, movers must assume liability for the value of property
they transport. Ask for proof your mover has insurance and make sure
you understand what’s covered. Base-line coverage they should
provide is called “released-value protection.” It’s free, but
if something is lost or broken, they only have to pay you 60 cents
per pound. For an additional fee you can purchase “full-value
protection,” where the mover must repair, replace or provide cash
settlement for damaged items. Also consider third-party moving
insurance.
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