Don't let your moving company take your furniture hostage. Here are the best ways to ensure a smooth move -- and why using Internet brokers is extra risky.
By Elizabeth Razzi, Kiplinger's
Here's the situation: The movers quote a reasonable price, pack up all your belongings and drive off. Then the bill begins to grow. Maybe the load mysteriously gets heavier, or delivery dates get pushed back, adding storage fees to the bottom line. Refuse to pay? Well, they'll just hold your household goods hostage, and continue to raise the ransom.
Out of the nearly 1.4 million interstate moves in the United States, about 4,000 end in complaints, according to the U.S. General Accounting Office. The problem is aggravated by the rise of "brokers" -- Internet-based companies that take your money and then contract with other firms to do the heavy lifting -- who aren't subject to federal regulations governing movers. Because you don't contract with the movers themselves, you can't touch them -- and the feds aren't prosecuting them, either.
One critic, Robert Julian, assistant attorney general for the state of Florida, says the Internet funnels people to the nine or 10 worst offenders he knows. These unscrupulous movers deliberately low-ball the price to get a consumer's business. Then, on arriving at the new address, they hold the shipment hostage until the owner forks over thousands of dollars more than the original quote. "These movers know we don't have a whole lot of jurisdiction to go after them," he says.
If you're the victim of such a company, time is not on your side. You could sue, but that's faint consolation when the mover has everything you own in storage under lock and key, and storage fees are mounting while you squabble. Calling the police won't help because the problem is civil, not criminal. In most cases, says Julian, consumers "don't have a lot of choice. Everything they own is on the truck."
Your first steps for a smooth move
To make sure your next move goes smoothly, keep the following steps in mind.
Start with a well-known, national van line or its local agent. The American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA), which represents the moving industry, sponsors a Certified Mover and Van Line Program. Movers who volunteer for certification agree to disclose consumer information, provide written estimates and ensure timely resolution of disputes. Five of the largest household-goods movers in the country hold the certification: Allied Van Lines, Atlas Van Lines, Mayflower Transit, North American Van Lines and United Van Lines. (Be on the lookout for companies with names that mimic the big van lines' names.) The full list of certified movers can be found on AMSA's Web site. (Click on the link at left under Related Sites.)
Be sure you are not dealing with a broker, who will subcontract the move to someone else (they often call themselves "moving services"). Brokers, such as Vanlines.com and National Moving Network, are not covered by federal rules designed to protect consumers. (For example, interstate movers are not permitted to collect a deposit to hold your moving date, let alone collect in full on the estimated bill before the move date.) Two of the most popular referral sites, Monstermoving.com and Moving.com, do not act as brokers, but you could find yourself working with a broker thanks to them. Both Web sites may refer you to brokers and have advertising links to brokers.
Once you have a couple of prospects, ask the companies for recent references. Call the references and inquire how responsive the movers were to any complaints, how close the estimate was to the final bill, and whether the delivery was on time. A clean record with the Better Business Bureau may not be enough. Rogue movers frequently change their corporate names and may not have any complaints filed against the new name -- yet.
Making sense of the estimate
The next big hurdle is the estimate. Do not accept an estimate determined over the phone or Internet. Unless someone from the moving company shows up to take a preliminary inventory of your possessions, you're begging for trouble.
Estimates come in two forms: binding and nonbinding. With binding estimates, the company quotes a figure after surveying your stuff, and then can charge no more than that on delivery, unless there are unanticipated fees, such as those for carrying furniture up stairs. Movers can charge you for providing a binding estimate, but, in practice, several of the largest movers provide such estimates free.
With a nonbinding estimate, the mover gives you a ballpark number. What you actually pay is based on the net weight of your shipment and the distance traveled, plus extra services. You have a right to accompany the truck driver to the weigh-in or to request a reweigh at your destination. Nonbinding estimates should be prepared without charge.
Each method has its merits. A binding estimate offers more certainty but may end up costing you more, if your goods weigh less than the estimate. A nonbinding estimate may save money if your actual shipment comes in lighter than expected.
In either case, interstate movers are supposed to give you a copy of a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration-prepared booklet, "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move." Brokers are not obliged to give you this information.
Examine your contract in detail before you allow the movers to load the truck. Make sure all charges that you incur at the origination site -- and those you may incur at the destination -- are listed on the bill of lading. Extra fees for climbing stairs, walking long distances, and for packing services and materials can be collected from you at your new doorstep.
Do not be rushed into signing an incomplete document, no matter how badly you need to keep your move on schedule. Bad movers are well aware that most consumers are under pressure to complete the deal, and they take advantage of that. "As soon as they have your belongings in the truck, they've got control," says Julian.
Cry foul
If you feel you have been treated unfairly, where do you turn? If the move starts and finishes within the same state, you may be in luck: State laws may offer some recourse against movers who flout the rules of fair trade. Check with your county consumer affairs office or your state attorney general's office.
For interstate moves, you can file a complaint, although it will do little to help resolve your own situation. Call the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration at 888-368-7238, or download a complaint form from its Web site (see link at left).
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