Tips
For Avoiding Fraudulent Moving Companies
 Moving can be stressful, and the last thing you want to worry
about during your move is whether your belongings will arrive, and if so, in what
condition.
An estimated 1.4 to 1.6 million household moves take place each year. Most go smoothly
but a significant number don't. In fact, the U.S. Department of Transportation receives
about 3,000 to 4,000 complaints each year from consumers who contend moving companies
victimized them.
Here's what usually happens. Someone hires a moving company through the Internet
because of a low estimate. Once the truck shows up and loads everything, the estimate is
increased to two, three or four times the original bid. The consumer is then told that
unless the new bill is paid, their possessions will be sold at auction.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says in other instances moving
companies will fail to deliver or deliver damaged goods, then refuse to compensate them
for loss and damages claimed. Some may not even be legitimate carriers at all, but will
prey on those who can least afford it - the elderly and uninformed.
The horror stories are chronicled regularly in newspapers across the country.
In a May 2002 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article several moving horror stories are
profiled, including:
Jon and Tammy Marsh, who moved from Sacramento, California, to New Berlin, and paid
$8,000 more than the moving company had originally bid. Every piece of furniture they
owned was damaged in the move, including priceless family heirlooms.
- Larry and Elaine Youngerman, who moved to La Crosse from Holland, Michigan, using a
Plantation, Florida, company that wanted more than $15,000 ¾ instead of the $3,300
originally bid ¾ before delivering. Only legal intervention was able to get the company
to release the belongings, after the Youngermans paid $6,500.
- Tim and Angela Alsum, who moved from Sioux Center, Iowa, to Escondido, California, are
suing Advanced Moving Systems, of Sunrise, Florida (the same company that moved the
Marshes). The Alsums say Advanced forced them to pay four times their estimate.
- Bill Pokorsky, who moved from Brown Deer to Denver, received a bid from a Hollywood,
Florida, company that was originally $1,200. The bid increased to more than $2,100, once
Pokorsky's belongings were on the truck, he said.
- Ellen Goerke, who moved from New Berlin to Naples, Florida, and had to pay nearly $5,000
to a Hollywood, Florida, company whose original estimate was $1,200.
In addition,
television news shows like Dateline NBC are profiling this growing problem.
Among Dateline's stories was that of Tyrone and Regina Kelley, who moved from
Massachusetts to Las Vegas, Nevada. The Kelleys had found New York-based U.S. Movers on
the Internet.
Their original estimate, based on weight, was $1,482. The movers arrived in Las Vegas a
week late, claiming the shipment weighed more than the original estimate, therefore
wanting $3,600 or they were not going to unload the truck.
U.S. Movers claimed they Kelley's belongings weighed 4,650 pounds, but ultimately the
shipment weighed 3,460 pounds.
U.S. Movers had been trying to charge the Kelleys for 1,000 pounds they didn't have.
So what can you do to avoid falling victim to a scam like this?
The American Moving and Storage Association, the national trade association
representing the nation's moving and storage companies, has a Certified Mover Program that
identifies elite members, and a web-based mover referral service. Both tools are located
on the AMSA web site.
Their tips include:
- Make moving arrangements in advance.
- Check all companies with your local Better Business Bureau.
- Get at least three bids.
- Inform each company of the destination and timing of your move.
- Ask about the types of services they offer, and rates and charges that will apply.
- Ask what their liability is for your belongings and what claims protection you will
have.
- Ask how pickup and delivery will work.
- Ask them to explain their estimates in detail and give you a copy.
- If you get a non-binding estimates, actual charges may exceed the estimate, so be sure
you should have enough cash or a certified check to pay the estimated cost of your move
plus 10 percent more at time of delivery.
- Specify pickup and delivery dates in the order for service.
- The Bill of Lading is your contract with the mover, so read it carefully. If you have
any questions ask your mover.
- You have the right to be present each time your shipment is weighed, and you may request
a reweigh of your shipment.
- Unresolved claims for loss or damage may be submitted to arbitration.
- If you are moving interstate, moving companies should give you a copy of a consumer
booklet entitled Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move and information regarding
the mover's participation in a Dispute Settlement Program.
After you've gathered this
information, compare bids to see which mover best suits your needs and budget.
Written by
Michele Dawson
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