Along with the legwork, the moving process involves a lot of paperwork. Without a doubt, you are not looking forward to dealing with the relocation related papers and forms, but underestimating them can cost you a lot of money. Many people don’t pay special attention to the details, but understanding the moving company’s paperwork is important as you definitely don’t want to be victimized by rogue movers. All the papers and the documents which you sign are essential as they define the rules of the relocation. And if you are not well acquainted with the rules of this ‘game’, you are risking to lose a lot.
The first paperwork you will have to deal with is the estimate that the moving company will send you after you ask for a quote. There are two types of moving estimates:
Non-Binding Estimate
Non-Binding estimates are nothing more than an assumption of what the moving cost might be, based upon the estimated weight/cubic feet of your items and the additional services that you have requested. The final charges are based upon the actual weight of your shipment and the actual services provided. Your mover can demand from you to pay 10 percent more than the initial estimation.
Binding Estimate
Binding estimates guarantee the total cost of the move based upon the weight of your items and the services noted on the estimate according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. However, movers reserve the exclusive right to institute a ‘Revision Written Estimate’. This means that you cannot in all respects bank on the ‘binding estimate’ which thecompany initially gives you. If on the moving day it occurs that the weight of your shipment exceeds the initially estimated one, or if the company happens to provide an extra service for you (regardless of whether you request the service or the movers call the shot), you may not have the job done unless you agree on the revised estimate and pay extra.
You should ask your movers to arrange an in-home survey and to provide you with a written estimation. Estimates given only by email or over phone cannot be as accurate as on-site estimates. That is why it is preferable to work with a local moving company which performs in-home inspections. If the company refuses to provide you with an in-home estimation, take it as a sign that you might be dealing with unprofessional or even rogue movers. A reputable moving company would always send a company representative to inspect your home. Professional moving companies will not only give you an estimate, but they will also inform you for all potential increases in your bill such as hoisting, fees for handling bulky items, etc.
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Every licensed moving service provider must provide you with a ‘Bill of Lading’. The bill of lading serves as a contract between a carrier and their customers. You should pay attention to the clauses related to movers’ right to limit their liability. Your Bill of Lading must include:
Mover’s contact and license information
The name, the office address, and the phone number of the carrier and the third party carrier/s (in case your mover is working with a subcontractor/s), as well as the US DOT number, the MC number, and any other state licenses must be noted in the Bill of Lading. Confirm that the MC number on the truck(s) is the same one as the one on the Bill of Lading. The absence of physical address and license information should be a sign that something with the status of the company is not right. You might be even dealing with an illegal household carrier. Check the carrier’s USDOT number against the FMCSA’s database to confirm that your chosen moving company is a legitimate business.
Your contact information
Your contact information (or the contact information of the entitled person – in case you are not present on pickup and delivery days) must be noted properly too.
Origin and destination address of the shipment
Check if addresses are noted properly. If you give wrong or mistaken addresses to the company and hence impede the relocation process, be sure that this will affect your bill.
Agreed date or period of time for pickup and delivery
For a ‘guaranteed service’ – subject to tariff plan, your mover must specify any penalty or per diem requirements upon the agreement. Otherwise, only a time frame should be arranged. This means that if you pay extra money and arrange a date/time frame for delivery and the movers fail in keeping the agreement, you should be compensated according to the company tariff.
Services’ rates & method of payment
All the services with their respective rates must be included in the Bill of Lading. Professional movers offer packing materials & labor, storage and hoisting solutions along with the moving service. Any additional service which the moving company will provide for you must be included in the Bill of Lading. When you contact movers, let them know if there will be any obstacles for the truck to park at your place.
Most moving companies offer different methods of payment – cash, money order, certified check, credit and debit cards. Some movers ask for a non-refundable deposit on the moving job – beware if the deposit exceeds 10% of the final cost of your move. Do not pay cash – in case of an issue, you won’t be able to evince payment if you have paid cash.
The terms and the conditions for payment of the total moving related charges, including notice of any minimum charges, should be annotated properly.
Dispute settlement program
If an argument arises between you and your movers, arbitration might be a beneficial option to manage any issue. The BBB and the American Moving and Storage Association often appear as neutral arbitrators. Licensed moving companies provide their customers with a summary of the arbitration process. Remember that these dispute settlement programs are not free, and the third-party arbitrators cannot take lawful measures against your mover.
Ask movers to provide you with the paperwork before Moving day.
Licensed moving companies must provide you with Full Value and Released Value Protection plans to choose from. Under the Full Value option, in case of a property damage, your mover will have to repair, or replace the damaged item/s, or to make a cash settlement for the cost of repair for all the items that were damaged or lost while being in the carrier’s custody according to the current market value. Released Value option is offered at no additional charge, but the carrier won’t be liable for more than $0.60 per pound per item.
It is important to understand that these two levels of liability do not serve as an insurance contract. They are nothing more than a contractual tariff level of liability authorized by the Surface Transportation Board. Plus, there are circumstances which allow your movers to limit their liability. Your moving company won’t be liable for any items you pack on your own. Furthermore, your moving company won’t take any responsibility for items such as jewelry, china, fine arts or any such items of extraordinary value (when their value exceeds $100 per pound), unless a written agreement has been signed. Also, your household mover won’t be liable for items of great value that are not declared in the inventory list.
Inventory list
Make sure that the condition of all your items is noted properly in your movers’ inventory list. Otherwise, if it turns out that an item has been damaged while in carrier’s custody, you cannot prove that it is the carrier’s fault. If you want to file a claim in case of an issue, you won’t be able to prove actual loss of your property. This is why you should be meticulous while inspecting the Inventory List both on the moving day and on the delivery day. Usually when inspecting your items movers use the following abbreviations:
Company Tariff, Rules & Regulations
A reputable moving company should provide you with its tariff upon request. When asking for an estimate, request the company’s tariff. The estimate which the company will provide you with may not include prices for additional services such as (but not limited to) packing labor, packing materials, storage, hoisting and long carry. You should get acquainted with all the rates of the extra services which the moving company provides before hiring movers, as in the course of action, it may turn out that you are in need of such service. For example, if it happens that the moving truck cannot park near the entrance of your home (the distance between your home and the place where the truck can park is more than 75 feet), movers charge additionally for every 75 ft. Before deciding on a certain mover, find out all the company’s potential extra charges, as well as when and how these charges apply. Some movers give low price rate for the moving service, but utilize high rates for the ‘extra services’.
Research moving companies before hiring, otherwise you might end dealing with rogue movers.
As a result of the Carmack Amendment, household movers can limit their liability. If you are not acquainted with the disclosures of the moving company’s paperwork, then you will put at stake your ‘whole life’, risking to lose big. And the “best part” here is that you won’t get the Bill of Lading and all other moving related forms and documents before the moving day, and movers won’t start packing and loading unless you sign all the paperwork. So, if your movers put you in this kind of situation, you shouldn’t sign. Professional moving service providers should send you all paperwork in advance, so you can be aware of all the clauses that allow movers to limit their liability. Because of the ambiguity of the law, movers can avail of your unawareness and get away with it. So, the only solution is to research thoroughly your potential movers before signing the paperwork. If your movers breach the contract, you will experience a lot of troubles because suing a moving company is expensive and in most cases the results are unsatisfying.
If you think that the paperwork will be too much for you to handle, ask a friend of yours to help you on this, or even consult an expert. You shouldn’t sign any form or document if you don’t fully understand each clause. And remember – do not sign blank pages under any circumstances. If an argument arises on the moving day, do not hesitate to call the Federal Motor Carrier Administration hotline at 888-368-7238 (available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Make smart decisions and do not allow to be scammed by rogue movers. It’s not too late to ditch your movers even on the moving day if you have to. You’d better lose $200 for a deposit, than end dealing with a rogue business.
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