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MOVING ANYTIME SOON? NOT TO WORRY...HERE'S BEN'S BRAIN-DAMAGE FREE MOVING TIPS!
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 Did you know that the average American family moves just over 1,000 miles with a load weighing 7,200 pounds, at an average cost of $3,669? Hmmmm, you might be saying to yourself that you wish you could get off that cheap. It's true...and with more and more American's going mobile in the April - August time of year, it's my job to try to make you smarter (and reduce the heartache) that goes with uprooting yourself and your family. First, some facts for consumers: Bad news for consumers! Since the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was shut down by the government in ‘95, there's been a huge spike in complaints/disputes about moving companies. (The ICC was the federal agency that handled these situations and enforcement.) And without the ICC, there are few penalties for moving companies that don't live up to their end of the bargain.
The large moving companies (Mayflower, Atlas, United, etc.) operate as cooperatives, with hundreds of independently owned agencies using a central dispatching office. One agency may "sell the move" while another provides the truck, a third handles the unloading and a fourth settles claims.
TEN STEPS To Keeping Your Sanity
- Dover's #1 Rule to Moving Success? Rely on referrals. Not references...REFERRALS. Think about it: If
 someone asks you for a reference, are you going to give them the name of a disgruntled client? Following that logic, get referrals from people you trust: Friends, neighbors or business associates are always a great starting point. A couple of months before you move, drive your neighborhood on the weekends and note those new neighbors just moving in. Write down the name/number of the movers they hired (it should be on their truck/trailer), knock on their door and quiz them about their recent moving experience. It'll be fresh in their minds and probably the best and most candid barometer.
- Get at least three written estimates! [...and get them in person, instead of via phone or over the Internet. You need to make sure the companies are truly separate, since some companies will operate under different names to gain market share; you might have to visit their offices to make sure.]
- Check with the local BBB, as well as the courthouse! [...See what their track-record of complaints or litigation really is.]
- Throw open your doors! [...and make certain the mover's estimators see all of your belongings that you've stashed over the years in attics, basements, storage spaces, garage, etc.]
- Discuss your destination in detail! [Be specific on how far and where your belongings are going; from winding roads that are difficult for the big moving vans to negotiate to lots of stairs on the delivery end. Disclose this now or whine later.]
- Be there when your shipment is weighed! [...Sort of like the butcher with his thumb on the scale, you've gotta be sure the weight assessed is righteous! And this means following the moving van to the nearest truck scales to be sure.]
- Understand your WRITTEN estimate! [...BINDING estimates guarantee the total cost of your move, don't accept anything BUT a written estimate.
- Make sure you properly insure your shipment! [...Don't rely on the minimum coverage required to be carried by all moving companies. While 60 cents a pound may sound good, do the math! That 32" inch TV set that weighs 60 pounds but cost $800 would only realize a $36 settlement from their insurance company. ONLY settle for Full-Value Protection; it'll add about $200 to the total cost of an average move, but is the only coverage that insures your possessions properly.
- Before you sign-off (and release your outbound shipment) on the Bill of Lading: Make sure it properly reflects all aspects of your deal with the movers, including pick-up date, pick-up weight, delivery date-address and location, as well as insurance coverage's!!!
Ben's Parting Shots:
- Be sure to give the movers a contact phone number for the move (friend, relative, office, cell phone, pager, etc.)
- Pay for the move with a credit card if possible! Not only can you pick-up some frequent flier miles, you've got an extra buffer to protect you from any unforeseen problems with the moving company.
- Use your head! Don't ship irreplaceable items like family pictures, computer disks, equipment, financial/tax records, jewelry, airline tickets, etc.
- Don't let the moving company put a gun to your head!!! If a mover asks for more money than what was estimated IN WRITING, under the law you're required to give only 10% more than the original estimate at the time of delivery. Then you've got 30-days to pay any remaining balance.
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