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Old 08-08-2019, 05:57 PM
 
Location: Southwest Washington State
30,585 posts, read 24,938,892 times
Reputation: 50788

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Quote:
Originally Posted by MayMoveInFuture View Post
Silibran - so even if I hire a national company the "local" division may have different rules?
I really don’t know. I assume they might have different practices, but have to meet minimum standards.

What I was trying to point out was a great mover operating under a national brand might be better that another mover in another city operating under the same brand. Check the local BBB and other rating services for a track record.

I learned a lot from interviewing different companies. I recommend you do that. One thing I learned is that if you need to store your stuff before sending for it, make sure to take your personal records with you. Don’t store birth certificates, adoption records, passports, or any other personal papers. You will likely need these things before you get your stuff. And of course, you should always keep these things under you watchful eye, anyway.

Ask the same questions to all the companies you interview. Make sure to find out how you are protected, and what your rights are.
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Old 08-08-2019, 05:59 PM
 
Location: Southwest Washington State
30,585 posts, read 24,938,892 times
Reputation: 50788
Quote:
Originally Posted by twinkletwinkle22 View Post
Hemlock140
That is interesting (even if it's a long time ago). Impressive that you got money back!

My concern is movers having our furniture and "holding us up" for more money over the agreed amount.
We will definitely get a quote from 2 movers and read the fine print in their contracts.
Won't be overcharged this time.

Also going to look for moving insurance coverage since I've read how ridiculously low movers insurance pays for damage or loss.
We paid up front. We had a contract. The contract is your safeguard. Deal with a reputable, established mover.
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Old 08-08-2019, 06:19 PM
 
15,477 posts, read 15,449,978 times
Reputation: 21762
Quote:
Originally Posted by twinkletwinkle22 View Post
We're moving soon and it brought up an old memory (over 12 years ago) of the moving company guy presenting us with a much bigger bill than we had been quoted. We had no experience with long-distance moving and although we put up some resistance ended up paying about $500 more (they wanted $1000 more).

This was from a "name" company which I won't name because I might get it wrong (due to passage of time and not having proof).

Funny that both my hubby and I had the same thought this week because he said he'd seen an investigative report about this scam being done in Canada. That led me to google the subject and I found out that this is not legal and we should NOT have paid anything extra than quoted and agreed to. But when someone says they won't unload your stuff without payment you give in.

Has it happened to you?
It's supposedly very common. I heard a funny story about this happening to a women who was a lawyer. The mover said that the extra charges involved something legal/contractual, and she coolly said, Okay, tell me which clause you mean, and I'll have my office look it up. Naturally, he backed off.
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Old 08-08-2019, 07:22 PM
 
6,503 posts, read 3,388,927 times
Reputation: 7903
Quote:
Originally Posted by twinkletwinkle22 View Post
We're moving soon and it brought up an old memory (over 12 years ago) of the moving company guy presenting us with a much bigger bill than we had been quoted. We had no experience with long-distance moving and although we put up some resistance ended up paying about $500 more (they wanted $1000 more).

This was from a "name" company which I won't name because I might get it wrong (due to passage of time and not having proof).

Funny that both my hubby and I had the same thought this week because he said he'd seen an investigative report about this scam being done in Canada. That led me to google the subject and I found out that this is not legal and we should NOT have paid anything extra than quoted and agreed to. But when someone says they won't unload your stuff without payment you give in.

Has it happened to you?
"Name" company is irrelevant if they're all independently owned and operated. The "Name" takes their flat %, sends franchisees some annual updates in a nice little packet, and is otherwise hands-off.

Just call the cops, and if they drop, you know they were scamming.

If not, have the initial statement on hand to refer to if they press.

Me? I'd make sure I charged it to a CREDIT card (one that's extremely biased in favor of cardholders, like American Express) and just dispute the ENTIRE charge.
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Old 08-08-2019, 08:01 PM
 
13,256 posts, read 8,338,082 times
Reputation: 31427
True story. Two years ago we helped my cousin pack things for a move south on the east coast. The van arrived. And gave him the itenary for the route. It was to arrive two days later. Well,a major storm hit and the truck was involved in the major highway wash out. The route for 40 miles ...was pretty much impassable. It would take 4 more days for the van company to hear back on the status. My cousins concern was for the drivers. He said ..I know how rough it was for us to make it down to the house...I'm sure it was far worse for them. The guys didn't charge him extra. They said it's insured and the company apologized . He said...no one could have gotten thru that storm. You did the right thing by delaying. Lesson learned that no matter who ya hire some times mother nature is driving the load.
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Old 08-08-2019, 08:21 PM
 
Location: North Carolina
2,996 posts, read 1,960,873 times
Reputation: 11169
Quote:
Originally Posted by reed303 View Post
OP, you might find some useful info & reviews here:

https://www.movingscam.com/

Now I'm scared.
I also started reading moving company reviews at www.consumeraffairs.com
Can't rely on some of the glowing reviews because some reviewers point out they suspect they are fake reviews.

Maybe filling up several pods or a giant pod is the way to go but we have a lot of stuff. We've used very good local guys who could do the loading here, but would have to find unloaders at the other end.

In 2 major moves it's never been a horror show, but the shakedown on one of them rankled. No major damage in previous moves, we always pack our own stuff. I'm constructing crates for big artwork, one completed today, 7 to go. Home Depot has wonderful TV boxes for art and mirrors (and TV's haha) in several sizes (I've bought many) but some of the art doesn't quite fit them.
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Old 08-08-2019, 09:12 PM
 
Location: OH>IL>CO>CT
7,468 posts, read 13,469,765 times
Reputation: 11758
Quote:
Originally Posted by twinkletwinkle22 View Post
Now I'm scared.
I also started reading moving company reviews at www.consumeraffairs.com
Can't rely on some of the glowing reviews because some reviewers point out they suspect they are fake reviews.

Maybe filling up several pods or a giant pod is the way to go but we have a lot of stuff. We've used very good local guys who could do the loading here, but would have to find unloaders at the other end.
There are 2 trucking companies that will provide a 28' trailer that you load (like a pod/relocube) and pay by the foot used.

https://www.upack.com/moving-service...ng-trailer.asp

https://www.odmove.com/ODMove/

They both provide on-line pricing.

https://www.movinghelp.com/ can help with unloaders.

My own move with Upack was flawless and price quoted was price paid.
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Old 08-08-2019, 10:00 PM
 
Location: GA
2,791 posts, read 10,776,329 times
Reputation: 1181
We hired a "big" moving company. They subbed the job, and the sub also subbed it. The actual weight is a joke. How do you know if it's accurate? We received a quote that was subject to weight. We actually ended up moving less things and the weight was supposedly over by quite a bit. Don't know what the answer is.
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Old 08-08-2019, 11:55 PM
 
3,154 posts, read 2,032,937 times
Reputation: 9288
Quote:
Originally Posted by brook2ga View Post
We hired a "big" moving company. They subbed the job, and the sub also subbed it. The actual weight is a joke. How do you know if it's accurate? We received a quote that was subject to weight. We actually ended up moving less things and the weight was supposedly over by quite a bit. Don't know what the answer is.
Our group of friends always pitched in to move each other. Any more, now that everyone's older (and my back isn't what it used to be) I'm not sure what will happen. I can tell you that as I've gotten older, I'm less enamored with having lots of "stuff". I will probably anticipate my next (and final?) move well in advance, and not buy any new furniture years before, and give away or sell most of the crap I already have before I make the move - why waste the gas moving a five-year old heavy sofa across the country? The sentimental stuff, or expensive things, I'll still probably move myself in a smaller truck. I can make ten trips with forty pounds, but my days of moving a four hundred pound piano in a single trip is over.
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Old 08-09-2019, 06:22 AM
 
Location: Ft. Myers
19,719 posts, read 16,703,330 times
Reputation: 41861
Many years ago, we moved from NC to CA, and used a well known mover. It was a disaster. They offloaded our stuff somewhere in route to take another move, and , in the process, lost a lot of our boxes. Then, when they got to CA, they were asking for more money than quoted.

We fought it and got the amount reduced and also put in a substantial claim for lost articles, but, if we had not planted our feet, they would have run right over us.
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