10 Tricks of the Trade of Movers

You were told it would cost $1,869 to move your belongings from Sterling, Va., to Carson, Nev. Instead, you paid $5,012.50. It took more than six weeks for your belongings to make the trip — and when they did, some were damaged or missing. To keep the same thing from happening to you, it is recommended that you research moving companies with the Better Business Bureau and similar resources, rather than just going with the cheapest option you find online. Otherwise, bad things can happen. Here are 10 of the worst things disreputable movers may do.

Estimates by Phone

Finding out how much your move will cost after a short phone conversation may seem convenient, but the quoted rate is unlikely to be honored. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a division of the Department of Transportation that regulates interstate moves, says that phone and online estimates are a red flag for fraud. These estimates are technically legal, but the Better Business Bureau and the American Moving and Storage Association trade group recommend that consumers get in-home estimates. The Better Business Bureau says you should get at least three estimates before choosing a mover.

Raise Prices on Site

Disreputable companies that win your business with a low bid over the phone often raise their prices when they start loading your belongings into the van. They may claim that your stuff is taking up too much space and will keep them from accommodating another client. By this point, it may be too late for you to make other arrangements.

Show Up Late

By law, movers must prepare an order of service for the transport of your possessions. It should include an:

• Agreed-upon pickup date and delivery date for your move
• An agreed-upon time period for the whole move or
• Guaranteed dates or periods of time for pickup, transportation and delivery, if you have a guaranteed-service mover.

Sketchy companies may not follow the rules.

Delay Delivery

Timing problems often occur at the back end of the moving process. A couple who needed to move across the country for a new job, had to call and cajole their movers by phone for more than six weeks before  their belongings were delivered to the new residence. The movers told him that they needed to make other stops along the way and that their truck broke down and needed repairs. The AMSA says that most contracts specify a delivery window of two to three days — certainly not weeks or months — to allow for weather or traffic delays.

Damage Furniture

Horror stories don’t end when  things finally make it to the new place.  Victims tell of couch and the matching chairs damaged; they had been stood on end, with other stuff stacked on top. An oak desk received by a relative was badly damaged. A shelving units was broken, and  kitchen chairs were scratched. A mover is liable for the value of the goods it is transporting, but there are different levels of liability.  A mover who claims that everything is covered by its insurance should be approached with caution.

Lost or Stolen Belongings

Damaged property is not your only worry. When  possessions finally arrive,  things come up missing. The FMCSA says that you should contact your mover immediately if your property is damaged or missing. It also warns that a legitimate mover may compensate you less than you expect. If you take the minimum level of insurance protection, you’ll only receive 60 cents for every pound of each damaged or missing item. A 42-inch, 50-pound flat-screen television, for example, would only net you a $30 settlement.

Masquerade Ball

Some movers that you find online are actually brokers. They are sales teams that book your move and sell it to a moving company. A 2012 report from the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation found that these moving brokers often deliberately confuse and mislead their customers. Consumers may be surprised when an entirely different company shows up on moving day than the one with which they signed up, according to the report. The also may pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars in deposits that are actually the broker’s fees.

Commit Extortion

When some companies raise their prices, you can refuse to pay. But disreputable moving companies have leverage: They can hold your property hostage until you cough up the extra money. Three operators of a moving company charged with doing just that were convicted of fraud by a federal court. Their company would bid low to get jobs and then demand as much as four times the agreed-upon price once their customers’ goods were in the van. If the clients refused to pay, their property was locked in a warehouse until they changed their minds.

No Licenses

Moving companies that cross state lines must have an FMCSA-issued license number. With that number, you can research the company on the agency’s website to see complaints, safety information and company contact information. Companies that only move within one state are not federally licensed, but they are typically licensed at the state or local level.  Unlicensed companies should be avoided; besides being hard to research, they are unlikely to have insurance.

Overbook

Timing is a key element of moving. Warm weather means that summer is the most hectic time of year for moving companies. But sometimes, movers may book a little too tightly. The last thing you want is to be stuck with a moving company that doesn’t show up on the day you planned or reschedules at the last minute. A military spouse whose husband was  deployed, was planning on moving from Florida to North Carolina. The moving company she had booked changed her moving date and didn’t deliver her goods until days later than expected.