From Dan Lemkin, MD; Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine

As this is the time our seniors will be looking to find a mover, I thought this article (see below) was timely, and hopefully helpful. I got nailed by a similar company and wrote articles about this in EM Resident a few years ago. There are a lot of scamming companies out there. Please choose your mover VERY CAREFULLY.  One poorly chosen mover can make a normally stressful event much, much, worse!

Tips:

• DO:
  • Read movingscam.com carefully
  • check BBB for any mover you choose, and check the blacklist at the site above
  • realize that interstate movers have little oversight, and face no real threat from regulation
  • ask for a local reference
  • insist on a BINDING  or 'BINDING NOT TO EXCEED' WRITTEN ESTIMATE - (see article below, they did it to me also)
    • They will low-ball an estimate of the phone, then quote you a price based on their estimate. Then they charge your a greater price per unit/weight for anything over their low-ball estimate.
    • Binding written estimates are higher than non-binding - for obvious reasions - see above.
  • insist on a BINDING DELIVERY DATE (my stuff was held hostage for weeks, until they had enough to fill a trailer, justifying the trip) There are spaces on the standard forms for penalty's for late delivery.
  • read the ENTIRE CONTRACT BEFORE SIGNING - INCLUDING SMALL PRINT.  They will stand over your shoulder pressuring you to sign, so they can leave
  • insure your goods for the move - homeowners insurance usually doesn't cover move. If you don't insure the full value of your goods, the moving insurance will not pay out... ie you can't insure for $5000 anticipating that, they won't cause more damage than this...
  • consider using a POD service for local moves - see movingscam website
  • inventory each box you pack, keep an organized list and check off at loading and unloading. Label the boxes with big numbers - this can be difficult to track, if they have a bunch of guys carrying stuff. Interstate movers often load your stuff, unload it at a warehouse, then reload it when they have enough to justify their trip. They can misplace your goods during these loads/unloads. If you see them marking boxes with numbered tape - you can expect this is going to happen. They lost 6 of my boxes...
  • account for ALL missing inventory, before you sign off on the invoice - or insurance likely won't pay. Regardless of what they say-- make them wait until you have reviewed everything.
  • pack your stuff very carefully with lots of padding. You can get cheap boxes and rolls of bubblewrap, and stretchwrap (definately get this) from places like uline.com
  • pack things you will need for forseeable future - just-in-case
• DON'T
  • let them take your precious goods: jewelry, TV's, computers, small electronics
  • use online moving search engines or BROKERS!!!!!! - you will not know your actual mover until they show up... not enough time to research the actual company doing the moving...
    
    Good Luck!
    Dan
    
    

Keeping 'Furniture Ransom' Off Your Moving Bill

Kirk Condyles for The New York Times

Loading the contents of a home in Long Beach, N.Y. Experts say to research moving companies thoroughly. 

LEAH MOORE and her husband, Colby Nichols, assumed they would be in their new Chicago home in time for dinner. Why would they think otherwise? All their belongings were in boxes, they had little furniture and they were moving only a few miles away.

They were wrong. When the movers arrived, they spent the morning packing and unpacking the truck. Then, they took four hours to get to the new house. When they finally did arrive, they refused to unload the truck unless they were paid $1,300 in cash — $800 more than the original quote.

The couple refused to pay more than $500 and called the owner of the moving company for help. He told them to pay or risk losing their things. Afraid the cost would go up even more if they waited, they agreed to pay. Early the next morning, with broken glass picture frames, smashed wedding china, scraped walls and broken molding, the move was over.

"We were totally taken for a ride," said Ms. Moore, whose husband relied solely on the mover's Web site and license information. "You really have to go the extra mile and do real research, like local licenses and insurance coverage, not reviews on Yahoo."

Some Americans think the process of choosing a moving company is as easy as picking up a phone or trolling online for a price quote. While the moving industry has long been a favorite of con artists because of lax regulation, consumers' growing reliance on the Internet has made it even easier for the shady operators. Movers regularly appear on the lists of most complaints received by state attorneys general and Better Business Bureaus.

Consumers should not expect much protection from most states or the federal government. While some states, like Florida and Maryland, have strong rules protecting consumers for intrastate moves, many do not. And oversight is minimal at the federal level. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, though it oversees the moving industry, sends complaints to one of its regional divisions and that division decides whether to investigate. Even then, investigations can take months to complete.

The American Moving and Storage Association, a trade group that represents interstate movers, said that research had become even more important and can spell the difference between a good and bad experience. While the Internet can be a good research tool, it should not be relied on exclusively. Web sites can be misleading and can make a mover appear reputable when it may not be. Many people who became victims of con artists, consumer advocates say, made their decision based solely on a moving company's Web site.

"These guys are smooth talkers and they'll tell you what you want to hear," said Tim Walker, who founded movingscam.com after his belongings were held hostage during a cross-country move. "Make sure you're not just going on their word."

Mr. Walker suggested checking the phone book and asking friends and relatives for recommendations if they have moved recently. Real estate agents can also be a good resource. Find at least three local moving companies and set up appointments for in-home estimates, he said. Telephone and Internet quotes, as Ms. Moore discovered, are notoriously inaccurate because room sizes and furnishings vary widely.

"Rogue movers can be hard to spot," Tom Joyce, a spokesman for the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois, said in an e-mail message. "They often give low-ball estimates over the phone or Internet without ever visiting your home or seeing the items you want to move."

A representative from a legitimate moving company should visit your house, take a complete inventory, approximate the weight of your belongings and provide a written estimate, said Linda Bauer Darr, president of the moving and storage association. These can take one of three forms: binding not to exceed, binding and nonbinding. With a binding-not-to-exceed estimate, a consumer pays only the amount quoted, never more. If the weight of their household goods is less than the estimate, you pay less.

In a binding estimate, you pay only the amount of the written estimate. A consumer pays the full amount of the estimate, plus up to 10 percent extra if their household goods are heavier than expected. This amount is due on the day of delivery, with the balance due within 30 days.

Do not pick a mover based solely on price, Ms. Bauer Darr said. Read an estimate closely and make sure which services and fees are included. When prices vary drastically, many things, like moving pads and boxes, are not included. A mover, she said, should also include a copy of the federal government's booklet, "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move," which gives tips on selecting a mover.

"We're finding the temptation for people is to get this done quickly at the lowest price," Ms. Bauer Darr said. "If you go with a low baller, God bless you and good luck."

Estimates should include the moving company's name, address, phone numbers and its Department of Transportation and Motor Carrier license numbers. This information, plus the company's insurance coverage and authority to handle interstate moves, can be found on the motor carrier safety administration's Web site at protectyourmove.gov. A secretary of state's office in your state can also provide information on the business and how long it has been in operation.

Mr. Walker, of movingscam.com, said the best way to make sure the mover does not have a long string of consumer complaints is to check with a state attorney general's office, the Better Business Bureau and the motor carrier administration. The American Moving and Storage Association, which started a new certification program for its members that strengthens admission requirements, can also be a good resource. Under the new program, ProMover, companies must sign an ethics agreement and submit to an annual check for state and federal felony convictions and verification of company ownership.

On the day of the move, said John Bisney, director of public affairs for the moving and storage association, the movers who arrive should be the same ones you hired and the name of their company should be displayed on the truck. The driver should give a bill of lading to the homeowner that includes the same information as the written estimate, like the company's address, price, delivery and pickup dates. If it does not match the estimate or is blank, do not sign it, Mr. Walker said.

Insurance is often not enough to pay for the full value of household goods, so a rider on homeowner's insurance can be a good idea, said Steve Sakamoto-Wengel, an assistant attorney general in the consumer protection division of the Maryland Attorney General's office. Standard coverage is only 60 cents a pound, not enough to pay for a heavy item, like a damaged computer or flat-screen television.

"When you do have damaged goods, the coverage the mover provides is usually only pennies on the dollar," Mr. Sakamoto-Wengel said. "They won't reimburse you the full amount of your things, and most consumers don't realize that."

When your things are delivered, check everything for damage before signing a receipt. If a mover refuses to deliver items or to reimburse for damages, complaints can be filed with the motor carrier administration at nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov or by calling (888)_ 368-7238. The Better Business Bureau and the moving and storage association, which has an arbitration process for its members, are also good resources.

Still, contacting these groups does not always solve complaints or result in payment for damages. Ms. Moore, for instance, lodged complaints with the Illinois Attorney General's Office and the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois about her mover but she has not received any compensation from her mover.

"They refused to reimburse me for damages, so the only option was to sue them," she said. "At the end of the day, I'm not a litigious person. Now I can just hope that people will know about them and will be informed."