Important Tips for Out-of-State Moves
If you are relocating to another state and plan to hire a mover, take special care with your choice. Experience has shown that you will get little help from federal regulators or the courts if things go wrong.
Some important tips:
* Begin making arrangements for your move at least four to six weeks in advance. Get several estimates in writing. Do not allow a mover to base an estimate solely on contact by e-mail or the telephone. Reputable firms will inspect your goods, because that is the only way to make an accurate estimate.
* Consider a binding rather than nonbinding estimate. The binding contract may be more expensive, but theoretically keeps the mover from jacking up the price later. Cost should be based primarily on distance moved and weight of goods, but customers should seek a full explanation of charges.
* Beware of firms that offer to move you for a song -- they may have no intention of honoring their low-ball estimate.
* Make sure you know whether you are dealing with a mover or moving broker. Many firms that bill themselves as full-service movers are actually brokers or “relocation specialists” that charge a fee to arrange your move. They will farm out the move to other companies that you will have no chance to investigate. Brokers’ contracts often hold them harmless from overcharges or damage caused by movers they hire.
* Don’t equate a sophisticated Web site with professionalism or integrity. Some firms are little more than a Web site and several people manning the phones. Consider visiting the mover’s office.
* Consider hiring a firm from the American Moving and Storage Assn.’s certified mover and van line program. These firms have agreed to adhere to a set of voluntary standards. Information on the program and other moving tips can be obtained at www.moving.org, or by calling the association at (703) 683-7410. Moving tips also are available on the Web site of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, www.fmcsa.dot.gov (keyword: Moving), where you also can check whether a mover is licensed and insured (keyword: Licensing and Insurance System), though this does not guarantee you will be treated well.
* Your mover is required by federal law to give you a booklet that spells out your rights and responsibilities. Make sure you receive and review the booklet; don’t deal with a mover that fails to provide it.
* Never sign blank documents.
* Beware of firms with names nearly identical to those of established movers, a common deception by fly-by-night firms.
* Consider buying extra insurance, and don’t deal with firms that don’t offer it. Standard coverage is free, but pays only 60 cents a pound for items damaged, lost or stolen. If a family heirloom weighing 20 pounds is lost, standard coverage pays you just $12.
* Create an inventory and check the mover’s inventory of your goods. Consider photographing or videotaping your belongings to verify their condition at time of pickup. Also at pickup, carefully read the bill of lading, which is your contract with the mover. Don’t allow the movers to start loading the truck until you’re satisfied that everything is in order.
