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Who Will You Trust To
Drive Off With Everything You Own?
The Bottom Line Research, get a quote in writing, and
understand your rights and risks in this highly unregulated business
Congratulations on your move! Moves are very
stressful and expensive. I am writing this because I have moved more time in the
last few years than most people have in a lifetime. The moving industry is a
very unregulated and many scams and rip-off prevail. I have to say letting some
stranger drive off with everything you own is a pretty nauseating thought and
very risky if you don't know your rights and responsibilities.
Why
You May Consider a Mover
Although movers are more expensive than
do-it-yourself moves in town, they are actually very comparable in price when
moving out of state. Here are some very good reasons to consider a moving
company:
- You are moving far away
- Company is paying the tab
-
You don't feel like doing it yourself
- You can't risk getting hurt by
carrying heavy items
- Weather conditions
- You have heavy items like a
piano
- You have valuable items like antique furniture
- You have bulky
items
Picking The Company
Consider choosing a moving company
as carefully as you would any major purchase. You will be handing over ALL of
your belongings and memories that can not be replaced. Your best resources will
be word of mouth, the yellow pages, and internet websites. I've included some
website links at the bottom to save you a little time.
How Much Is
This Going To Cost?
The trusted companies send an estimator to your home
to estimate how much your items weigh. Some offer quick on-line calculators to
give you a ballpark (but will still need to be documented by the company). I
will say that if they don't want to come to your house to do an estimate then
you probably shouldn't use the company. The amount you will pay will be
determined by the following include:
- Distance
- Total Weight
-
Bulky/Awkward items
- Heavy Items
- Stairs and/or elevators
-
Certain times of the year especially holidays
- Requiring a certain
pick-up/delivery date.
Doing your Homework
The first place to
start is the Better Business Bureau: (
http://search.bbb.org/national/search.html ) Weed them out before you put any
effort into finding out what the companies offer. I have personally researched
many moving companies and you would be shocked and scared to find out how many
moving companies have MAJOR complaints out the wazoo. Check the address you are
using and also the address of their corporate headquarters. Also verify that
they are licensed and bonded with the Department of Transportation. Ask people
you know who they recommend. Find out how long they have been in business.
Write down a list of questions that you want to ask every company and
start calling. Write down what they say so you can compare them later. Make sure
you're not falling for the name scam. Some companies choose names very similar
to reputable companies but are indeed scam artists.
Specialties
Find out what the company specializes in. Not all companies will be able to
meet your needs.
Some companies are limited to travel area:
- Local
moves 100 miles or less
- Moves within the state only
- State-to-state
- International
There are different types of services:
-
Customer packs everything and Movers carry it out
- Customer packs up
everything and Customer moves it into the Mover's truck
- Mover packs up the
Customer items and Mover moves it into the Mover's truck
Negotiate
Your price will be different for corporate and
personal moves. If you are paying for the move yourself tell them so they can
give you a cheaper rate. Ask for any discounts or specials they may be running
(sometimes they have some). Line up at least 3 companies to come to your house
for a quote (free). Save your favorite company for last because they will
usually price-match or match weight. Leave the previous estimator's paperwork
where they will see it. When they ask you about it ask them why their service is
better. Estimators expect you to check out other services. You will also have a
chance to negotiate when they call to see what you have decided.
Quotes
You MUST MUST MUST have a written quote from the
moving company. By law, they can not charge you more than 10% over what they
have quoted in writing. If they will not give you a written quote, then it is
only because they fully intend to rip you off. Documentation is the only thing
you have to protect yourself in the court of law.
If you've interviewed
6 companies and 5 of them are around $1500 and 1 of them is $800 then you can
almost guarantee that the $800 guy will scam you.
DOCUMENTATION
If it's not in writing, than it has not been agreed upon. Do Not ASSUME
anything! Get everything in writing: Quote of weight, condition of items,
pick-up date, delivery date. Ask about and have them document any additional
charges that may occur such as gas, fuel surcharges, lay-over fees, anything to
do with weighing of the truck, customs, tariffs, and many more convenience fees.
Read and understand the Bill Of Landing before you sign it. Make sure
that it matches your quote.
Get a NOT TO EXCEED price documented
on the quote. This will save you a lot of pain, suffering, and money. This
means, if they company quotes you at $1000 -- and the weight is $2000 then you
will still only have to pay $1000. If they weight is lower, and the price would
only be $800 then you will only pay $800. This is the most important statement
you could possibly have on the contract.
Moving Your Automobile
It isn't cheap to move a vehicle. If you can't drive the vehicle yourself,
try a company that specializes in just moving vehicles because they are usually
cheaper. If a moving company does it, they will drive your vehicle up into their
truck. It's in the ballpark of $1000.
Packing
The success of
your move will depend greatly on YOUR packing. Poor packing will result in a lot
of damage. This is where you will not want to cut corners because many movers do
not reimburse for items inside of boxes since they had no control in packing
them. Buy sturdy boxes (can be purchased from U-haul, storage facilities,
stackable Tupperware containers). Mark the boxes clearly so the movers will know
what room to drop them in when you get to your destination.
Consider
this: If the movers find that they have misplaced/lost 3 of your boxes, how will
you know what you lost or how much you should be compensated? We numbered all of
our boxes and had a spreadsheet in the computer of basically what was in each of
the boxes. In the event we needed something back out of the boxes we knew
exactly where it was. This method also intimidated the movers (I know because he
said so).
Most movers require EVERYTHING be packed including hanging
pictures and bulky items. If it is not considered "furniture" it will need to be
packed.
Your boxes will most likely be stacked 3 boxes high. Pack your
breakables so they will not get broken when the box is thrown, dropped, or when
100 pounds is stacked on top of it.
"FRAGILE" markers and stickers. Yea,
whatever. If it's fragile, you better take it yourself or pack it good. They
just want to get the job done and don't read the boxes. It's not their stuff so
they don't care about it as much as you do.
I have found it best not to
put all of your eggs into one basket. I put the fragiles in the centers of many
boxes so if one box gets lost or destroyed I'll still have something left.
Insurance for Your Belongings
The first place to start is by
calling your insurance company. My items were insured once they were placed in
the storage facility, but not while on the company's moving truck (because it
was out of our control).
The Moving Company will offer you high-priced
"coverage" so you can be assured that they will do what you are already paying
them to do and reimburse you for their negligence. Of course if you don't give
them extra money then you have to pay for their negligence yourself. This is not
insurance, it's coverage.....which in the court of law they don't have to follow
any laws about reimbursements.
Read the insured coverage section VERY
carefully and decide for yourself what you need. If you feel that you can not
trust the movers at all with your items then you have chosen the wrong company.
Storage Facilities
It costs more for the mover's to move your
items into a storage facility. I don't know why, they just toss it in but it's
going to cost at least $100 more. Ask your estimator what size storage facility
they recommend just to double check that you have chosen the correct size.
When choosing a storage facility ask them specifically if a semi
can pull up in front of the area you are renting. It will cost you a lot more if
the mover can not park the truck next to where it will be unloaded. You may have
trouble finding a storage facility that can offer that.
Delivery
Day
You better come with money because you will not see your stuff until
they see the money. Most companies ONLY accept money orders. Most companies
collect at delivery and will require full payment.
Give your movers some
options to get in touch with you. Don't depend on a cell phone (experience
speaking). Give the movers the number to the hotel you are staying, relatives,
etc. If they can't get a hold of you, you can't get your stuff. If you miss your
moving time you will have to pay for the re-delivery.
Mark the boxes off
of your own list while they are unloading to make sure that they have unloaded
all of your items. Watch them closely, they're not as professional as you may
think.
Plants, Pets, and Kids
Determine how you will move
your plants and pets. You may need to find a new home for them depending on your
moving situation.
You will need to take your kids...the mover won't take
them at any price I'm sure :) Moves are stressful for kids too! Most of them
don't know what to expect and only can see the worse (loosing their friends,
going to a different school, so forth). It may help to let them see their new
town on the internet. Show them links to their school, neighborhood, and
attractions. Let them pack their own room or help you pack something. Give them
a chance to make a decision on something.....perhaps where to eat supper the
night before the move and if you're afraid they're going to say McDonalds let
them choose from 3 places you are interested in. They also have books and
coloring books to explain moves. Our kids got to pick out a special item each
time we went shopping to add to their trip bucket. It gave them something to
look forward to.
Unpacking
You're on your own there. Wouldn't
wanna be ya! :)
Tax Write Offs!
Did you know you can deduct
your move?! Woohoo!
If your company is paying for the move make sure
that they pay for it directly and not just adding it to your base pay otherwise
you will be paying income taxes on the $3000 or so dollars.
Even if you
are moving by yourself you can deduct the moving company, packing supplies,
mileage, hotel stay, storage facility, more! I dare not go into detail because
I'm not a tax accountant but you can get all the information by visiting the IRS
Website and searching for Publication 521 titled Moving Expenses. You will be
using tax form 3903. I would suggest you write down everything you plan on
deducting in detail at the end of your move because you may forget all of the
details by tax time.
Helpful Websites:
* Better Business
Bureau (BBB) - To find out if the company has consumer complaints or is backed
by the BBB.
http://www.bbb.org/
* Consumer Affairs - an article you may want to read about
regulation http://www.consumeraffairs.com/movers/consumers_hostage.htm
* Yellow Pages - Phone book in case your phone book is already
packed.
http://www.yellowpages.com/
*
IRS - Get compensated for your move.
http://www.irs.com
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