Will Your Moving Van End Up Where You Are?
How moving companies can take off with more than your money
Is there anything less pleasant than moving? Making matters much worse is the fact that the moving industry has a black eye, thanks to deceiving and downright illegal business practices that can leave the consumer frustrated, ripped off, and powerless to do anything about it.
I've assembled some myths about moving companies that ought to shock you into doing your homework the next time you're moving from one place to another.
1. The moving company you hire will show up at your door.
This is unfortunately a myth. Not all moving companies will do the actual moving. Particularly during the busy summer months, a mover might be so busy that it asks another company to help out with jobs. Many consumers expecting one company will get another, and the van simply shows up at their door on moving day.
Consumers who fall prey to this scam often feel powerless to do anything about it, because they have made their plans. The problem is that this scenario sometimes means that the moving van that took their belongings never shows up at their destination. Hard to imagine, but true.
2. The people who move your stuff are employees of your moving company.
Another myth! Even if one company handles your entire move, don't assume that the movers who show up are employees of that company. Some moving companies, especially small companies, hire day-laborers off the streets on moving day. Day laborers are neither licensed nor insured, and inexperienced workers are more likely to damage your possessions.
3. Once you sign a contract with a moving company, their guaranteed price will not change.
This is definitely a myth. Guarantee is just another word for some moving companies, and consumers have found themselves at the mercy of movers who produce extra charges while the move is being done.
If parking is a problem at your destination, movers could try and charge a "long carry" fee, and if the contents of your move weigh more than the mover expected, you will pay extra. The problem is that once your stuff has been loaded or delivered, you have no choice but to pay, and the movers know this.
4. Movers show up on time.
Unfortunately, this is not always true. Even though personal moves are often timed to the nearest minute and involve lengthy travel, moving companies are notorious for being late on arrival. This will ruin even your best-laid plans.
Try to find a company that will guarantee arrival time and estimate the time it will take to load your belongings. Some disreputable companies will purposely show up late in the day, just to make it impossible for the disappointed consumer to call another mover.
5. The consumer can count on the government to go after moving companies that scam the public.
This is, unfortunately, the biggest myth of all. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is a U.S. Department of Transportation division that oversees safety, licensing and regulation of trucks and buses, but it has a small number of investigators to police more than 3,700 companies.
The agency fined 12 carriers last year at an average amount of $41,500, but that's in an industry where the top 92 carriers make a combined revenue of $41 billion a year.
Even if they are fined, some companies simply avoid the fine by shutting down and opening under a new name. It's best to do your homework about movers before you hire them.
The DOT's website provides a guide to moving rights and you can research movers registered with the Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Complaints can be reported to the agency's hotline at 1-888-368-7238, filed online at www.1-888-dot-saft.com, or sent using a form on the website.
