JohnMackeze
New member
Hi Every Body,
How are you all? Using a moving company to relocate from one city to another -- or even within the same town -- doesn't have to be the nightmare that many people expect it to be. While the moving industry is different from most other service industries -- it has its own ground rules, and some of them are counter intuitive -- once you understand the system and its traps, your next move is likely to go very smoothly. What you need to know about hiring a mover...
Selecting the right mover
*
Don't rush. Take your time in selecting a mover -- a bad choice can be very expensive. Example: A mover delivers your goods and presents a bill that's far above the agreed-upon price. If you refuse to pay the full amount, a disreputable mover might drive off with your property, essentially holding it hostage for money it claims you owe. (There's a federal law aimed at stopping this practice, but it's rarely enforced.)
*
Get recommendations from friends and neighbors who have had positive experiences with movers. Other good sources of recommendations are your current or previous employers. Few moving companies will risk losing a corporate client by overcharging someone who has a relationship with it.
*
Check out movers with the Better Business Bureau (United States and Canada BBB Consumer and Business Reviews, Reports, Ratings, Complaints and Accredited Business Listings) and your state department of transportation. Don't deal with companies that have more than two or three complaints over the past year.
*
Contract directly with the company that will actually be doing the moving, if possible. In many cases, the booking agent -- the one that gives you a quote -- isn't necessarily the one that operates the truck that moves your possessions. If it isn't, check out both companies.
*
Make unannounced visits to the companies, once you've identified a few promising candidates. Say that you're considering a move, and ask to see the premises. Don't deal with a mover that doesn't welcome you in and show you an operation that appears clean and well organized.
*
Check out the mover's insurance certificate. This shows that its insurance company is liable for mishaps, such as property damage or worker injury, during the move. Don't deal with a mover that doesn't have insurance coverage, especially workers' compensation. If you have any doubts about the authenticity of the certificate, check with the insurance company shown on it.
*
Visit Web sites that post the latest advice for customers of moving companies. One of the most popular sites is Moving: How to avoid Moving Company Scams. Among other types of information, the sites often list movers with high rates of reported customer satisfaction.
Caution: Don't use any of the growing number of Internet sites that let you enter details about your move and then compare on-line bids from moving companies.
Reason: Though most of these sites try to keep disreputable companies out of the bidding procedure, they're rarely successful.
Example: I recently went to a Web site and entered information about my upcoming move from a village on Long Island to another that was only a few miles away. I said I had 18,000 pounds of household items, which I knew should cost about $4,500 to move.
About a dozen moving companies responded -- with bids that ranged from $1,000 to $4,000. The low bids were scams in the sense that if I chose any of them, the company would still bill me for around $4,500. I know that because I'm in the business, but the average home owner doesn't.
Realistic estimates
The biggest problem with moving nearly always involves a final bill that's higher -- sometimes much higher -- than the original estimate.
Ironically, the disparity usually happens because the customer asked for quotes from several movers and then selected the one with the lowest estimate. It's often smarter to pick the mover with the highest weight estimate.
Here's why: When you tell a mover what you want to ship, the sales rep uses an industry formula to estimate the total weight of items you name -- a six-foot sofa, a 19-inch television, etc. But, because the moving business is highly competitive, sales reps are under pressure to give you the lowest possible estimate.
Example: You're relocating from Baltimore to Miami and ask for bids from three movers. You receive bids based on three different weight estimates -- 8,000, 12,000 and 16,000 pounds. You take the low bid based on 8,000 pounds that would typically be about $4,000, depending on insurance and packing costs.
Result: Your goods arrive in Miami, where the company presents a bill for $8,000 -- twice what you expected to pay. When you ask for an explanation, you're told that the actual weight of your goods was 16,000 pounds. What the company doesn't tell you is that, in order to get your business, it based its estimate on a deliberately understated weight.
That's also why a "binding estimate" can be an advantage -- or can be completely useless. The term implies that the final bill won't vary from the estimate. However, the binding estimate is only good for the items listed on the inventory, which often does not accurately reflect the final count of articles that you want to move. If you put more onto the truck, the mover will charge for the additional weight -- or refuse to move the items.
To prevent these problems: Go with the company that makes the highest weight bid. High bidders are more likely to give honest weight estimates, while many low bidders intentionally understate the weight or try to cut costs by not carrying insurance.
Ask to witness the actual weighing of the truck on moving day. Most home owners are unaware that they have a legal right to see the truck being weighed before and after loading.
When you tell a moving company that you want to exercise this right, it will tell you when and where the van will be weighed -- usually at a state-certified site on the outskirts of town.
Go to the site before the van picks up your goods, watch it being weighed and ask for a copy of the weight certificate. Then return to the site after your goods are loaded, and again watch the scales and get a written record of the added weight.
Movers usually put more than one customer's goods on a truck, but you'll still know the weight of your own goods because the truck is put on the scales immediately before and after it's loaded.
Moving companies that know the customer is aware of the actual weight will rarely try to bill for a higher amount.
Another smart move: Always take out "full-replacement loss or damage liability," offered by the company that moves you, on goods that you ship.
Typical price: About $300 to insure the full-replacement value of a shipment valued at $50,000, with a $250 deductible.
You may also want to check out what moving coverage is offered by the company that carries your homeowner's or other insurance.
Caution: If you ship any high-priced items, such as antiques, jewelry, a stamp collection, etc., always have proof of value, such as receipts or a letter from a licensed appraiser.
Best Regards....
How are you all? Using a moving company to relocate from one city to another -- or even within the same town -- doesn't have to be the nightmare that many people expect it to be. While the moving industry is different from most other service industries -- it has its own ground rules, and some of them are counter intuitive -- once you understand the system and its traps, your next move is likely to go very smoothly. What you need to know about hiring a mover...
Selecting the right mover
*
Don't rush. Take your time in selecting a mover -- a bad choice can be very expensive. Example: A mover delivers your goods and presents a bill that's far above the agreed-upon price. If you refuse to pay the full amount, a disreputable mover might drive off with your property, essentially holding it hostage for money it claims you owe. (There's a federal law aimed at stopping this practice, but it's rarely enforced.)
*
Get recommendations from friends and neighbors who have had positive experiences with movers. Other good sources of recommendations are your current or previous employers. Few moving companies will risk losing a corporate client by overcharging someone who has a relationship with it.
*
Check out movers with the Better Business Bureau (United States and Canada BBB Consumer and Business Reviews, Reports, Ratings, Complaints and Accredited Business Listings) and your state department of transportation. Don't deal with companies that have more than two or three complaints over the past year.
*
Contract directly with the company that will actually be doing the moving, if possible. In many cases, the booking agent -- the one that gives you a quote -- isn't necessarily the one that operates the truck that moves your possessions. If it isn't, check out both companies.
*
Make unannounced visits to the companies, once you've identified a few promising candidates. Say that you're considering a move, and ask to see the premises. Don't deal with a mover that doesn't welcome you in and show you an operation that appears clean and well organized.
*
Check out the mover's insurance certificate. This shows that its insurance company is liable for mishaps, such as property damage or worker injury, during the move. Don't deal with a mover that doesn't have insurance coverage, especially workers' compensation. If you have any doubts about the authenticity of the certificate, check with the insurance company shown on it.
*
Visit Web sites that post the latest advice for customers of moving companies. One of the most popular sites is Moving: How to avoid Moving Company Scams. Among other types of information, the sites often list movers with high rates of reported customer satisfaction.
Caution: Don't use any of the growing number of Internet sites that let you enter details about your move and then compare on-line bids from moving companies.
Reason: Though most of these sites try to keep disreputable companies out of the bidding procedure, they're rarely successful.
Example: I recently went to a Web site and entered information about my upcoming move from a village on Long Island to another that was only a few miles away. I said I had 18,000 pounds of household items, which I knew should cost about $4,500 to move.
About a dozen moving companies responded -- with bids that ranged from $1,000 to $4,000. The low bids were scams in the sense that if I chose any of them, the company would still bill me for around $4,500. I know that because I'm in the business, but the average home owner doesn't.
Realistic estimates
The biggest problem with moving nearly always involves a final bill that's higher -- sometimes much higher -- than the original estimate.
Ironically, the disparity usually happens because the customer asked for quotes from several movers and then selected the one with the lowest estimate. It's often smarter to pick the mover with the highest weight estimate.
Here's why: When you tell a mover what you want to ship, the sales rep uses an industry formula to estimate the total weight of items you name -- a six-foot sofa, a 19-inch television, etc. But, because the moving business is highly competitive, sales reps are under pressure to give you the lowest possible estimate.
Example: You're relocating from Baltimore to Miami and ask for bids from three movers. You receive bids based on three different weight estimates -- 8,000, 12,000 and 16,000 pounds. You take the low bid based on 8,000 pounds that would typically be about $4,000, depending on insurance and packing costs.
Result: Your goods arrive in Miami, where the company presents a bill for $8,000 -- twice what you expected to pay. When you ask for an explanation, you're told that the actual weight of your goods was 16,000 pounds. What the company doesn't tell you is that, in order to get your business, it based its estimate on a deliberately understated weight.
That's also why a "binding estimate" can be an advantage -- or can be completely useless. The term implies that the final bill won't vary from the estimate. However, the binding estimate is only good for the items listed on the inventory, which often does not accurately reflect the final count of articles that you want to move. If you put more onto the truck, the mover will charge for the additional weight -- or refuse to move the items.
To prevent these problems: Go with the company that makes the highest weight bid. High bidders are more likely to give honest weight estimates, while many low bidders intentionally understate the weight or try to cut costs by not carrying insurance.
Ask to witness the actual weighing of the truck on moving day. Most home owners are unaware that they have a legal right to see the truck being weighed before and after loading.
When you tell a moving company that you want to exercise this right, it will tell you when and where the van will be weighed -- usually at a state-certified site on the outskirts of town.
Go to the site before the van picks up your goods, watch it being weighed and ask for a copy of the weight certificate. Then return to the site after your goods are loaded, and again watch the scales and get a written record of the added weight.
Movers usually put more than one customer's goods on a truck, but you'll still know the weight of your own goods because the truck is put on the scales immediately before and after it's loaded.
Moving companies that know the customer is aware of the actual weight will rarely try to bill for a higher amount.
Another smart move: Always take out "full-replacement loss or damage liability," offered by the company that moves you, on goods that you ship.
Typical price: About $300 to insure the full-replacement value of a shipment valued at $50,000, with a $250 deductible.
You may also want to check out what moving coverage is offered by the company that carries your homeowner's or other insurance.
Caution: If you ship any high-priced items, such as antiques, jewelry, a stamp collection, etc., always have proof of value, such as receipts or a letter from a licensed appraiser.
Best Regards....