Best Movers List

Advice From a Professional Mover

Here is an aticle from a porfessional mover with some great advice!

By James Murray

I am a mover of 30 years experience, we are a small local moving company serving upstate New York. I have a few tips for people relocating to a different state.

I gave up representing the big guys almost ten years ago, due to the poor quality service I was seeing provided to my customers. Claims, claims and more claims.

Anyone who moves interstate should contact at least three different movers for estimates. ask for references in writing from previous satisfied customers, ask what the claim ratio for each company was the previous year.

The math is simple -- how many moves did the big company make, how many claims were involved. Take a look at the numbers.

Ask for a Written Binding Estimate or a Best Price Quote. If someone is trying to lowball the price or does not have the experience to figure the cost of the move accurately, the agent will have to eat the difference in cost of the move not the consumer.

Do not sign any paperwork without reading it completely. If the driver or the sales rep has to wait while you do so, make them wait. If there is anything on the form you do not understand, ask for an explanation.

If you are having a moving company pack your belonging in boxes, before the packing begins, ask each packer, "How many years of experience do you have in the moving industry?"

The same question should be asked of the driver and his help.

Never leave valuables in dresser drawers. Carry any articles that can be easily stolen with you when you move, especially if you are going to store your goods in a warehouse.

A long distance driver once told me of a warehouse in New Jersey, where the furniture went in one door and out another to be sold for the highest price.

I believe it was in 1983 that the Interstate Commerce Commission deregulated the interstate moving industry. This allowed the movers to offer discounts to prospective customers. Back then a 10 to 20% discount was common. Today, I hear the discounts have reached up to 60 to 65.

Our industry is highly competetive, with a sales force out there that only cares about the commission they get for each job sold. The industry has lost a lot of movers to the freight industry, I see this on the highway, where tractors that once pulled a household goods trailer are now pulling freight trailers. You can tell by the way the different tractors are painted the various colors of the big interstate haulers. Take a look for yourself when you are on a long trip, I am sure you will see the orange, gold and white and blue, blue and white, green and yellow, etc. tractors.

People who are moving can protect themselves from claims and rip-offs by asking questions, getting references and making sure the inventory form they sign is accurate. To me, it really does not matter what color the truck and trailer are painted, it is the people who are performing the work inside the trailer that make the difference.

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Jim Murray is president of John Murray and Sons Moving in Watertown, NY.

Congress Protects Movers at the Expense of Consumers

Joseph Enoch writes a great article for ConsumerAffairs.com about how consumers are still "held hostage" by interstae movers.  According to Enoch:

The SAFETEA-LU Act, enacted in 2005, by the Governemnt Accuntability Office (GAO) put in place more stringent licensing requirements for interstate movers and increased state authority. However, states are still not given authority to regulate interstate household goods movers and there is no indication that any state has taken advantage of the limited authority the act provides, according to the GAO.

Meanwhile, although the FMCSA has increased its efforts, the agency is precluded from resolving individual complaints and has no authority to force moving companies to do anything after the move has begun.

As a result, consumers who move from one state to another are still being ripped off.

Moving companies continue to quote one price and then jack it up after crossing a state line, if you don't pay, your possessions are held hostage by the moving company.  There are very few protections for consumers once you cross the state line.

According to the article, one consumer claims she paid $1,400 deposit and $1,400 when her stuff reached california via credit card, then the movers demanded another $3,500 in CASH! 

Clearly the Department of Transportation needs to develop a better controls...

How do I file a Complaint about my Mover?

Q: How do I file a Complaint about my Mover?

A: You should file complaints with the following companies / websites:

• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) -  1-888-368-7238 - http://www.1-888-dot-saft.com/CC_Info.htm
• Department of Transportation's Office of the Inspector General - hotline@oig.dot.gov
• If the Mover is part of the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA) - 703-683-7410 - amconf@amconf.org you can file an Aribtration with AMSA through www.moving.org
• The Better Business Bureau - www.bbb.com
• MovingScam.com's online complaint form - http://www.movingscam.com/fileComplaint.shtml
• ConsumerAffairs.com Consumer Complaint form - http://www.consumeraffairs.com/php/a_report.php

How Do I Find a Good Moving Company?

Q. We're looking for a reliable moving company for an August move, but no one we know has been able to recommend one. What can we do to find a good mover?

A. Our best advice is to get written estimates from at least three moving companies. The estimate should be based on an inspection of your household goods. Be cautious if the mover doesn't offer or agree to an on-site inspection before giving an estimate. Make sure each moving company has an address on its estimate, not just a phone number and/or Web site. Consider it a red flag if the mover's phone is answered with a generic “Movers” or “Moving Company” rather than the company's name. Make sure the mover has insurance and is licensed. You can double-check a mover's license on www.protectyourmove.gov.

Make sure your the Mover isn't on the Moving Company Black List, and Check MovingScam.com's forums for any conversations about the mover you are considering hiring.

The company also should provide you with a copy of “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.” Federal regulations require movers give customers this booklet when they're in the planning stages of interstate moves. Ask for it if the mover doesn't provide it. Consider it a red flag if the mover demands cash or a large deposit before the move or claims all your goods are covered by the company's insurance.

Small Movers find Niche in Online Auctions

Trying to sell Big Stuff in Online Auctions?  Furniture, Appliances, Home Excercise Machines or other Household Items?  What about those shipping costs?  Shipping costs on these items, can kill an online auction, which is one of the reasons sites like LiveDeal.com have started to profit on local auctions.

But what if you still want the national audiance for bidding on your ads?

A handful of moving specialists have started to offer solutions, they offer the careful handling of a mover with the low pricing of a freigh shipper.

TSI is one such specialist. The company will ship items that are too large for carriers like FedEx or DHL and too small for movers. “With over 18 years in the industry, we’ve developed strong business relationships with a variety of eBay and other auction house shippers,” says TSI President Chris Smith. “We are able to offer discount pricing on shipping 1-10 large items nationwide for both consumers and small business owners. And we make sure that they get efficient and cost effective service.”

For large item shipping, TSI provides inside pickup and delivery by a two-man crew, who will take care of preparing your large items for transport. Smith says, “You give TSI the list of items to be shipped and we’ll provide an exact price quote without hidden charges or surprises.”

To find out more about TSI’s Large Item shipping service, visit TSI on the web at www.transitsystems.com.

Finding a Reputable Moving Company that won't Scam You

Michelle Singletary, a personal finance columnist for the Washington Post, wrote a great article entitled "Beware Of Movers Who Take You For a Ride" where she talks about the high stress and high expenses of moving.  She then goes on to explain about some of the moving scams and steps you might consider taking to avoid getting scammed by your moving company.

"The really serious complaints are rogue movers or scam movers," says David Sparkman, vice president of communications for the American Moving and Storage Association, which represents the interstate movers. "These people are thieves who are pretending to be movers."

The classic moving scam is when a moving company will give a low estimate to pack up someone only to substantially hike the quoted price once the items are loaded on the trucks. If the consumer doesn't pay the new price, the belongings are held hostage. Last year about 15 percent of consumer complaints filed against movers involved hostage goods.

Read the full article...