The Moving Planner Blog

MOST people would agree that moving is one of life’s more stressful events. There’s no point to making it even more stressful by hiring an incompetent moving company.  

David Sparkman, a spokesman for the American Moving and Storage Association in Alexandria, Va., said that different laws apply depending on whether the move is from within a state or beyond.

For interstate moves, federal rules govern. If you live within 50 miles of a mover’s place of business, he said, the mover must visit your house, make a survey of what you want to move and provide a written estimate.

The charges will be based on the weight of the shipment — the customer has the right to watch as the truck is weighed — and the estimate will be either binding or nonbinding, at the customer’s option. With a binding estimate, he said, the truck must be unloaded if the customer pays the estimated amount at the destination. (Many movers will not accept checks or credit cards.)

With a nonbinding estimate, which will reduce the cost of the move slightly, the truck will be unloaded if the customer pays up to 110 percent of the estimate.

(In both cases, the mover can bill later for legitimate charges over and above the estimate — for example, if the actual weight was more than estimated.)

Mr. Sparkman said that unlicensed ‘’scam movers,'’ as well as some unscrupulous licensed movers, will give a customer a low estimate and then charge several times that estimate at the destination and refuse to unload the truck unless the entire amount is paid. Since local police will usually not get involved in such disputes, victims of such scams will often agree to pay just to get their belongings off the truck and into the house.

The best way to get an accurate estimate, Mr. Sparkman said, is to have three licensed movers come to the house and take an inventory. The bids should all be in the same ballpark. ‘’If one is much lower than the others,'’ he said, ‘’that should set off alarm bells.'’

Mr. Sparkman said that under federal law, a federally licensed mover must insure what is being moved at its full replacement value. And while the customer can opt for a lower level of coverage — in return for a reduced charge — the minimum that must be provided under federal law is 60 cents per pound, per item, an amount that is unlikely to approach the actual value of many items.

Moves conducted entirely within one state are typically covered by state law. In New York, for example, movers must be licensed by the State Department of Transportation, and consumers can call (800) 786-5368 to determine if a mover is licensed. In New Jersey, the number is (973) 504-6442, and in Connecticut, a listing of licensed movers can be searched at www.ctmovers.com.

Jon Katz, the sales manager for Flatrate Moving in Manhattan, said that for intrastate moves, movers have different ways of computing their charges. Some base the cost on a per-hour rate. Others charge based on weight, and still others on volume — how much room the items take up in the truck.

Paying on a per-hour basis can be risky, Mr. Katz said, because the mover controls how long the job will take.

If you are paying the mover to supply packing materials, find out what the charges will be beforehand. ‘’You don’t want to find out that you’re paying $10 for every roll of tape on the day of the move,'’ Mr. Katz said.

Mr. Katz’s company bases its charges on volume, and its standard service includes wrapping all large pieces of furniture and packing electronics, pictures, mirrors, lamps and wardrobe boxes.

‘’And the flat-rate quote we give you is the price you are going to pay,'’ he said.