You might find this of interest if you move in the future.
TMT
10 Things Your Mover Won't Tell You
1. "Your Complaints (and You'll Have Them) Will Go Nowhere Fast."
The Council of Better Business Bureaus ranks moving and storage
companies as the 17th most troublesome business out of the 327 it
ranked in its 1995 survey, says Holly Cherico, the Council's director
of communications. Part of the problem: The federal and state rules and
regulations governing the moving industry are largely unenforced.
Interstate movers used to be regulated by the Interstate Commerce
Commission, but thanks to the ICC Termination Act of 1995, they are now
under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation. Movers must
register with the DOT and receive an identification number, but that
does not mean they are "competent" movers, says John Grimm, director of
the DOT's Office of Motorcarrier Information Analysis. "The license we
give them makes them licensed movers, but only in the sense of their
driving record. We do not have anything to do with evaluating their
record as movers."
Because the DOT is mostly concerned with motor vehicle safety,
complaints about damaged and lost goods often don't get anywhere. And
the DOT does not have jurisdiction over local movers. In most states
they are licensed by the state department of transportation, but some
local movers are completely unregulated.
If a dispute arises, you may want to take the problem to a third party,
advises Charles I. Underhill, senior vice president of alternative
dispute resolutions at the Council of Better Business Bureaus. All
movers are required, as part of the ICC termination legislation, to
offer third party arbitration to consumers who claim lost or damaged
goods valued at up to $1,000. Unfortunately, the offer does not extend
to estimate fraud, in which a moving company knowingly gives you a bad
cost estimate.
Your local Better Business Bureau likely keeps track of complaints
against movers. There is a national BBB Web site that lists numbers.
Luckily for residents of New York and Boston, however, those cities
offer local BBB Web sites that list reliability and complaint reports
about local moving companies. Cherico expects all 137 U.S. bureaus to
have Web sites with local company information by the end of 1997.
2. "My Insurance Coverage Is Woefully Inadequate..."
Broken, lost or stolen possessions are the biggest complaints against
moving companies. It's no wonder, with all that jostling, packing and
unpacking. But interstate movers are liable for only 60 cents per
pound; some local movers pay even less. Not surprisingly, movers often
offer extra insurance for an extra price. There is Full Replacement
Value, where you receive the amount you originally paid for the item,
says Jerry DeSanto, director of information and investigations for the
New York City Better Business Bureau. And there's also Assessed Value,
a less expensive insurance option where customers and movers decide on
the value of the items before the move takes place.
If you decide to buy insurance from the movers, be sure you know what
you're getting. When Bruce and Nancy Sanderson moved the 26 miles from
Rockland County to White Plains, N.Y., they agreed to pay Nice Movers
an extra $80 for insurance. The salesman told the couple to pay the
driver when he showed up -- but the driver wouldn't take the money.
That's when the trouble began. The driver accidentally released the
hand-brake and the truck rolled into the Sandersons' deck and living
room, smashing the furniture that was already loaded. Using a 30
cents-per-pound formula, Nice Movers offered to pay only $240 for what
the Sandersons estimate is about $3,000 worth of damage. The Sandersons
have sued, arguing that they tried to buy the extra insurance and
couldn't. Nice Movers declines to comment.
3. "...And I Probably Won't Pay Your Claim Anyway."
There are lots of ways movers can sneak out of paying for the damage
that they do. They'll insist that the objects were damaged before the
move, for example. Or they will simply sit on insurance claims for
months, hoping you'll run out of patience, warns Loretta Worters of the
Insurance Information Institute, a trade group.
In addition, most movers won't insure anything you pack yourself. In
order to insure your belongings, you're forced to hire the moving
company to pack for you, which can easily double your moving bill. So
people trying to save money usually pack themselves and forego the
insurance. If you choose this route, make sure the mover is liable for
lost or stolen goods. Also check with the company that wrote your
homeowners policy. Many of these policies include "in transit" coverage
that will reimburse you for lost or stolen goods, explains Worters. In
addition, you can often add coverage for breakage and other moving
damage for less than a moving company will charge you.
4. "My Estimate? Maybe It's In the Ballpark."
Before Interstate trucking was deregulated in 1980, most moving
companies charged the same basic rates. Now prices are all over the
place. Estimates for moving the contents of a three-room home from New
York to Albuquerque, for instance, run anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000.
"You need at least three estimates to get an accurate idea of what
movers are charging," says Jose Gonzalez, a Hollywood, Fla., assistant
attorney general who investigates moving complaints.
Whatever you do, beware the lowest bidder. Some movers lowball the bid
to get your business, then demand more money on your new doorstep.
Common ploys: claiming that "unloading" fees weren't included in the
estimate, or insisting that you had more possessions hidden away in the
garage, adding to the total weight of the move. A New York State Senate
Investigations Committee found that while unregistered movers offer
hourly rates as low as one-fifth of the rates charged by licensed
movers, they routinely pad the bill by working slowly and adding hidden
costs.
Interstate movers use two kinds of estimates. Binding estimates, for
which many companies charge a fee, ensure that you'll pay no more than
the estimate. General estimates, on the other hand, allow a mover to
charge up to 10% more. These are a good idea only if you plan to sell
or leave behind many large items and expect the total weight of your
move to decrease. Never accept an estimate over the telephone -- a
practice that in some states is illegal. It's impossible for a mover to
get an accurate idea of how much he'll be hauling without looking at
your goods -- and you have no written proof to back you up if your
mover tries to charge you more. "Always, always, get it in writing,"
warns Jerry DeSanto of the New York City Better Business Bureau.
5. "I'll Probably Be Late and Good Luck Finding Me."
When you sign your moving agreement, you and the company will no doubt
set a specific day for your movers to pick up your possessions and a
specific day for them to arrive at your new destination. The first part
usually goes smoothly. But getting to your new home on time is another
story.
Sure, sometimes the delay is legitimate. Movers are plagued with the
same problems that can cause a delay for any cross-country traveler,
such as bad weather and snarled traffic. But there are other holdups as
well. With most long-distance moves, you're sharing truck space with at
least one other family. For all you know, that delivery could be in a
city 500 miles out of the way. If your stuff is loaded into the truck
first, you simply have to wait.
Movers are only obligated to telephone or telegram customers with a new
delivery time. Unfortunately, you have no choice but to frantically
rearrange your schedule around the mover's. If you don't, it's
perfectly legal for the mover to sock you with extra storage costs.
About all you can do to avoid scheduling surprises is to ask the driver
exactly how many loads he has, where he's going and, perhaps most
important, where you are in the truck. Drivers will almost always have
a better handle on arrival times than the agent that signs you up for
the move. Once you have this information, you can at least try to plan
accordingly.
6. "I've Got Leverage. Go Ahead, Dare Me to Use It."
If you get into a money dispute with your mover, he's got the upper
hand -- since he's got your possessions. When Charles E. Hodge
contracted the A Aachen Aalborg moving company for a local move in
Pompano Beach, Fla., the written estimate was $560. But when the move
was finally finished, the company claimed the job took much longer than
anticipated and charged Hodge $1,353. Hodge balked. So the movers
advised him (using "some of the worst language I've ever heard,") that
his stuff would sit in storage and he would not get anything back until
he paid $1,600 plus the cost of storage. Hodge had to take the company
to court to get his belongings back.
Movers have been known to go even further. A few years ago, the New
York City Better Business Bureau investigated a case where a woman had
a terrible fright. When the movers arrived at the woman's new house
they told her they wouldn't take her belongings off the truck unless
she paid double the estimated cost of the move. Her response: "Fine,
I'll unload the stuff myself." But when she jumped into the truck the
movers locked her in. She wasn't released until neighbors, hearing her
pounding on the inside of the truck, called the police.
7. "I'll Try to Extort an Outrageous Tip."
Even if your moving company doesn't try to pad the bill, you still may
not be off the hook. The movers themselves may try any number of ways
to get you to hand over your cash. Their tactics may be subtle --
pointed comments about the stifling heat or how heavy your stuff is --
or they may resort to outright threats. One couple who asked that their
name not be used gave their three movers a $50 tip. They demanded $50
each or they'd break the stereo. In the end, the couple coughed up the
extra gratuity.
One way to head off this problem is to ask the moving company
beforehand what its movers typically make in tips. If they hit you up
for more on moving day, deflect the blame onto the home office. And if
that doesn't work, by all means call the moving company and complain.
Since the money is going in the employees' pockets, not the owner's,
firms are often quick to crack down on this practice.
8. "My Company Doesn't Exist."
Across the country federal and state regulators have noticed a rash of
Yellow Pages and newspaper ads for illegitimate moving companies.
Owners of these fly-by-night firms have never seen the inside of a
moving van. Still, they'll come to your house, give you an estimate,
then ask for a sizable deposit. Come moving day, they've disappeared
with dozens of deposits like yours. These phantom companies usually
specialize in local moves, for which people are more likely to sign up
with an unknown name.
To avoid this scam, never agree to pay a deposit. It's also a good idea
to check with your state transportation department to make sure the
mover is licensed (although that won't guarantee it's a reputable
firm). Or check with your local state attorney general's office. In
addition, the Better Business Bureaus in most cities keep careful track
of moving companies. If your local office hasn't heard of the company
you're thinking about hiring, that should raise a red flag.
9. "I Charge a Lot Less For 'Off Peak' Moves."
Summer when the weather is cooperative and kids are out of school, is
the busiest and most expensive time for movers. That's why they'll
often offer up to a 30% discount on moves after Labor Day. Many will
also charge less for weekday pickups and deliveries, but they rarely
volunteer this information. You have to ask.
And while you're at it, negotiate a few extras. Movers often sell boxes
and other supplies. But if you're willing to pack with used cartons,
many companies will throw those in for free. That can save you a couple
hundred dollars. Ask for free packing tape as well. A typical move for
a five-room house runs through 10 to 15 rolls of the stuff. At $5 a
roll and up, that can add up fast.
10. "I Often Hire Illegal Temporary Workers."
Moving is a migrant business in more ways than one. Moving companies
often don't have enough staff to handle peak times, such as summer
weekends. So they take on extra hands for specific jobs, often paying
them off the books and far less than a staffer would make. This is
especially true for local movers. Too often, these workers are
inexperienced, says Jerry DeSanto of the Better Business Bureau in New
York City. DeSanto says the bulk of complaints about extorting tips and
damaged goods that come in to the bureau stem from illegal workers. Ask
your mover who will be packing and unpacking you, and whether they're
on staff full time
Another way to move that I have found to be very easy, is to use a
Ryder Truck or equiv. and hire day laborers to load and unload it.
Since one usually has to drive to the new house anyway, puit the wife
in the car, and you drive the truck. Day labor runs about $10-20 per
hour. and 4 hours, two guys, will empty most houses. And you, and your
friends, don't get sweaty!
Since you pack it yourself, any damage is due to your own ineptness,
and it's hardly worth stealing from yourself! My move this spring will
be in two phases, first to get all the junk, hobby stuff, trinkets out
of the old house to ease the sale, and the 2nd move to grab the rest of
the furniture. First move gate my wife's car out there, 2nd move gets
my truck out. I've got to drive anyway, so I might as well drive a big
truck, hang with the semi's, use the truck stops. Kinda fun.
Too_Many_Tools wrote:
> You might find this of interest if you move in the future.
>
> TMT
>
>
> 10 Things Your Mover Won't Tell You
I've always moved myself, althought i usualy have to rent a U-Haul.
I will not be moving again, I really like this house, and am perfectly
comfortable dying while still owning it.
Rich wrote:
>
> Having been in the Navy for 22 years, I've done no less than 10 moves.
> Fortunately for me the Gov't advocates for us. Non-the-less, its a painful
> and losing proposition. I've got one more upon retiring. I'm doing part of
> it by myself... the part that has all the woodshop stuff in it. I'm getting
> a tractor trailer container and will fill it myself.
> Funny thing everytime I move regardless of my rank, the movers have always
> charged me within 100lbs of the maximum allowed weight for my rank. This
> move I'll be over weight for sure, hence the container idea, that and I have
> control over everything.
> On my move from Germany, I had a box whith a hole in it... The only things
> stolen was my humidor full of Cigars (cuban of course) and a Waffen SS
> dagger I found in an excavation, two items I couldn't claim loss of....
> Bastards knew exactly where to look and what to take.
When I was crating my stuff to leave the US Army back in the '70s,
one of the jerks working with hold baggage said, "that's a really nice
stereo. Too bad it'll never reach its destination." I smiled and told
him, "I'll have all my weapons out of storage and ready to use by the
time the crates arrive, and I've managed to save enough to make a round
trip back here, in case something comes up missing. BTW, do you guys
build plywood coffins?" Not only did they arrive the way I packed them,
they stuffed some boxed office supplies as filler. I didn't need to by
pens or pencils for a couple years.
--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.
Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
"Trevor Jones" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:s7v3h.56133$H7.6743@edtnps82...
>
> I think this has a lot in common with the conversations that come from
> hiring riggers to move machines. Some get good ones, some don't, and
> usually the guy that goes cheap, gets what he pays for.
Indeed. When we moved into our current house, we hired movers. They put
some small scratches on a couple of pieces - no big deal. They hauled all
our furniture down 12 steps (or 24 if it was on the top floor) to our front
door, and then 67 steps to the street. Then they hauled stuff up 15 steps
to the front door and half of the stuff up to the second floor. They earned
every penny we paid them that day.
Peter
Having been in the Navy for 22 years, I've done no less than 10 moves.
Fortunately for me the Gov't advocates for us. Non-the-less, its a painful
and losing proposition. I've got one more upon retiring. I'm doing part of
it by myself... the part that has all the woodshop stuff in it. I'm getting
a tractor trailer container and will fill it myself.
Funny thing everytime I move regardless of my rank, the movers have always
charged me within 100lbs of the maximum allowed weight for my rank. This
move I'll be over weight for sure, hence the container idea, that and I have
control over everything.
On my move from Germany, I had a box whith a hole in it... The only things
stolen was my humidor full of Cigars (cuban of course) and a Waffen SS
dagger I found in an excavation, two items I couldn't clam loss of....
Bastards knew exactly where to look and what to take.
--
"Too_Many_Tools" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> You might find this of interest if you move in the future.
>
> TMT
>
>
> 10 Things Your Mover Won't Tell You
>
>
> 1. "Your Complaints (and You'll Have Them) Will Go Nowhere Fast."
> The Council of Better Business Bureaus ranks moving and storage
> companies as the 17th most troublesome business out of the 327 it
> ranked in its 1995 survey, says Holly Cherico, the Council's director
> of communications. Part of the problem: The federal and state rules and
>
> regulations governing the moving industry are largely unenforced.
> Interstate movers used to be regulated by the Interstate Commerce
> Commission, but thanks to the ICC Termination Act of 1995, they are now
>
> under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation. Movers must
>
> register with the DOT and receive an identification number, but that
> does not mean they are "competent" movers, says John Grimm, director of
>
> the DOT's Office of Motorcarrier Information Analysis. "The license we
> give them makes them licensed movers, but only in the sense of their
> driving record. We do not have anything to do with evaluating their
> record as movers."
>
>
> Because the DOT is mostly concerned with motor vehicle safety,
> complaints about damaged and lost goods often don't get anywhere. And
> the DOT does not have jurisdiction over local movers. In most states
> they are licensed by the state department of transportation, but some
> local movers are completely unregulated.
>
>
> If a dispute arises, you may want to take the problem to a third party,
>
> advises Charles I. Underhill, senior vice president of alternative
> dispute resolutions at the Council of Better Business Bureaus. All
> movers are required, as part of the ICC termination legislation, to
> offer third party arbitration to consumers who claim lost or damaged
> goods valued at up to $1,000. Unfortunately, the offer does not extend
> to estimate fraud, in which a moving company knowingly gives you a bad
> cost estimate.
>
>
> Your local Better Business Bureau likely keeps track of complaints
> against movers. There is a national BBB Web site that lists numbers.
> Luckily for residents of New York and Boston, however, those cities
> offer local BBB Web sites that list reliability and complaint reports
> about local moving companies. Cherico expects all 137 U.S. bureaus to
> have Web sites with local company information by the end of 1997.
>
>
> 2. "My Insurance Coverage Is Woefully Inadequate..."
> Broken, lost or stolen possessions are the biggest complaints against
> moving companies. It's no wonder, with all that jostling, packing and
> unpacking. But interstate movers are liable for only 60 cents per
> pound; some local movers pay even less. Not surprisingly, movers often
> offer extra insurance for an extra price. There is Full Replacement
> Value, where you receive the amount you originally paid for the item,
> says Jerry DeSanto, director of information and investigations for the
> New York City Better Business Bureau. And there's also Assessed Value,
> a less expensive insurance option where customers and movers decide on
> the value of the items before the move takes place.
>
>
> If you decide to buy insurance from the movers, be sure you know what
> you're getting. When Bruce and Nancy Sanderson moved the 26 miles from
> Rockland County to White Plains, N.Y., they agreed to pay Nice Movers
> an extra $80 for insurance. The salesman told the couple to pay the
> driver when he showed up -- but the driver wouldn't take the money.
>
>
> That's when the trouble began. The driver accidentally released the
> hand-brake and the truck rolled into the Sandersons' deck and living
> room, smashing the furniture that was already loaded. Using a 30
> cents-per-pound formula, Nice Movers offered to pay only $240 for what
> the Sandersons estimate is about $3,000 worth of damage. The Sandersons
>
> have sued, arguing that they tried to buy the extra insurance and
> couldn't. Nice Movers declines to comment.
>
>
> 3. "...And I Probably Won't Pay Your Claim Anyway."
> There are lots of ways movers can sneak out of paying for the damage
> that they do. They'll insist that the objects were damaged before the
> move, for example. Or they will simply sit on insurance claims for
> months, hoping you'll run out of patience, warns Loretta Worters of the
>
> Insurance Information Institute, a trade group.
>
>
> In addition, most movers won't insure anything you pack yourself. In
> order to insure your belongings, you're forced to hire the moving
> company to pack for you, which can easily double your moving bill. So
> people trying to save money usually pack themselves and forego the
> insurance. If you choose this route, make sure the mover is liable for
> lost or stolen goods. Also check with the company that wrote your
> homeowners policy. Many of these policies include "in transit" coverage
>
> that will reimburse you for lost or stolen goods, explains Worters. In
> addition, you can often add coverage for breakage and other moving
> damage for less than a moving company will charge you.
>
>
> 4. "My Estimate? Maybe It's In the Ballpark."
> Before Interstate trucking was deregulated in 1980, most moving
> companies charged the same basic rates. Now prices are all over the
> place. Estimates for moving the contents of a three-room home from New
> York to Albuquerque, for instance, run anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000.
>
> "You need at least three estimates to get an accurate idea of what
> movers are charging," says Jose Gonzalez, a Hollywood, Fla., assistant
> attorney general who investigates moving complaints.
>
>
> Whatever you do, beware the lowest bidder. Some movers lowball the bid
> to get your business, then demand more money on your new doorstep.
> Common ploys: claiming that "unloading" fees weren't included in the
> estimate, or insisting that you had more possessions hidden away in the
>
> garage, adding to the total weight of the move. A New York State Senate
>
> Investigations Committee found that while unregistered movers offer
> hourly rates as low as one-fifth of the rates charged by licensed
> movers, they routinely pad the bill by working slowly and adding hidden
>
> costs.
>
>
> Interstate movers use two kinds of estimates. Binding estimates, for
> which many companies charge a fee, ensure that you'll pay no more than
> the estimate. General estimates, on the other hand, allow a mover to
> charge up to 10% more. These are a good idea only if you plan to sell
> or leave behind many large items and expect the total weight of your
> move to decrease. Never accept an estimate over the telephone -- a
> practice that in some states is illegal. It's impossible for a mover to
>
> get an accurate idea of how much he'll be hauling without looking at
> your goods -- and you have no written proof to back you up if your
> mover tries to charge you more. "Always, always, get it in writing,"
> warns Jerry DeSanto of the New York City Better Business Bureau.
>
>
> 5. "I'll Probably Be Late and Good Luck Finding Me."
> When you sign your moving agreement, you and the company will no doubt
> set a specific day for your movers to pick up your possessions and a
> specific day for them to arrive at your new destination. The first part
>
> usually goes smoothly. But getting to your new home on time is another
> story.
>
>
> Sure, sometimes the delay is legitimate. Movers are plagued with the
> same problems that can cause a delay for any cross-country traveler,
> such as bad weather and snarled traffic. But there are other holdups as
>
> well. With most long-distance moves, you're sharing truck space with at
>
> least one other family. For all you know, that delivery could be in a
> city 500 miles out of the way. If your stuff is loaded into the truck
> first, you simply have to wait.
>
>
> Movers are only obligated to telephone or telegram customers with a new
>
> delivery time. Unfortunately, you have no choice but to frantically
> rearrange your schedule around the mover's. If you don't, it's
> perfectly legal for the mover to sock you with extra storage costs.
>
>
> About all you can do to avoid scheduling surprises is to ask the driver
>
> exactly how many loads he has, where he's going and, perhaps most
> important, where you are in the truck. Drivers will almost always have
> a better handle on arrival times than the agent that signs you up for
> the move. Once you have this information, you can at least try to plan
> accordingly.
>
>
> 6. "I've Got Leverage. Go Ahead, Dare Me to Use It."
> If you get into a money dispute with your mover, he's got the upper
> hand -- since he's got your possessions. When Charles E. Hodge
> contracted the A Aachen Aalborg moving company for a local move in
> Pompano Beach, Fla., the written estimate was $560. But when the move
> was finally finished, the company claimed the job took much longer than
>
> anticipated and charged Hodge $1,353. Hodge balked. So the movers
> advised him (using "some of the worst language I've ever heard,") that
> his stuff would sit in storage and he would not get anything back until
>
> he paid $1,600 plus the cost of storage. Hodge had to take the company
> to court to get his belongings back.
>
>
> Movers have been known to go even further. A few years ago, the New
> York City Better Business Bureau investigated a case where a woman had
> a terrible fright. When the movers arrived at the woman's new house
> they told her they wouldn't take her belongings off the truck unless
> she paid double the estimated cost of the move. Her response: "Fine,
> I'll unload the stuff myself." But when she jumped into the truck the
> movers locked her in. She wasn't released until neighbors, hearing her
> pounding on the inside of the truck, called the police.
>
>
> 7. "I'll Try to Extort an Outrageous Tip."
> Even if your moving company doesn't try to pad the bill, you still may
> not be off the hook. The movers themselves may try any number of ways
> to get you to hand over your cash. Their tactics may be subtle --
> pointed comments about the stifling heat or how heavy your stuff is --
> or they may resort to outright threats. One couple who asked that their
>
> name not be used gave their three movers a $50 tip. They demanded $50
> each or they'd break the stereo. In the end, the couple coughed up the
> extra gratuity.
>
>
> One way to head off this problem is to ask the moving company
> beforehand what its movers typically make in tips. If they hit you up
> for more on moving day, deflect the blame onto the home office. And if
> that doesn't work, by all means call the moving company and complain.
> Since the money is going in the employees' pockets, not the owner's,
> firms are often quick to crack down on this practice.
>
>
> 8. "My Company Doesn't Exist."
> Across the country federal and state regulators have noticed a rash of
> Yellow Pages and newspaper ads for illegitimate moving companies.
> Owners of these fly-by-night firms have never seen the inside of a
> moving van. Still, they'll come to your house, give you an estimate,
> then ask for a sizable deposit. Come moving day, they've disappeared
> with dozens of deposits like yours. These phantom companies usually
> specialize in local moves, for which people are more likely to sign up
> with an unknown name.
>
>
> To avoid this scam, never agree to pay a deposit. It's also a good idea
>
> to check with your state transportation department to make sure the
> mover is licensed (although that won't guarantee it's a reputable
> firm). Or check with your local state attorney general's office. In
> addition, the Better Business Bureaus in most cities keep careful track
>
> of moving companies. If your local office hasn't heard of the company
> you're thinking about hiring, that should raise a red flag.
>
>
> 9. "I Charge a Lot Less For 'Off Peak' Moves."
> Summer when the weather is cooperative and kids are out of school, is
> the busiest and most expensive time for movers. That's why they'll
> often offer up to a 30% discount on moves after Labor Day. Many will
> also charge less for weekday pickups and deliveries, but they rarely
> volunteer this information. You have to ask.
>
>
> And while you're at it, negotiate a few extras. Movers often sell boxes
>
> and other supplies. But if you're willing to pack with used cartons,
> many companies will throw those in for free. That can save you a couple
>
> hundred dollars. Ask for free packing tape as well. A typical move for
> a five-room house runs through 10 to 15 rolls of the stuff. At $5 a
> roll and up, that can add up fast.
>
>
> 10. "I Often Hire Illegal Temporary Workers."
> Moving is a migrant business in more ways than one. Moving companies
> often don't have enough staff to handle peak times, such as summer
> weekends. So they take on extra hands for specific jobs, often paying
> them off the books and far less than a staffer would make. This is
> especially true for local movers. Too often, these workers are
> inexperienced, says Jerry DeSanto of the Better Business Bureau in New
> York City. DeSanto says the bulk of complaints about extorting tips and
>
> damaged goods that come in to the bureau stem from illegal workers. Ask
>
> your mover who will be packing and unpacking you, and whether they're
> on staff full time
>
Peter Grey wrote:
> "Trevor Jones" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:s7v3h.56133$H7.6743@edtnps82...
>
>> I think this has a lot in common with the conversations that come from
>>hiring riggers to move machines. Some get good ones, some don't, and
>>usually the guy that goes cheap, gets what he pays for.
>
>
> Indeed. When we moved into our current house, we hired movers. They put
> some small scratches on a couple of pieces - no big deal. They hauled all
> our furniture down 12 steps (or 24 if it was on the top floor) to our front
> door, and then 67 steps to the street. Then they hauled stuff up 15 steps
> to the front door and half of the stuff up to the second floor. They earned
> every penny we paid them that day.
>
> Peter
>
>
Indeed!
On one of my later moves one of the loaders was picking up two 60 to
eighty pound boxes and trotting with them down my 40 odd yards of
driveway and up into the truck.
This guy was not big, a bantamweight boxer.
He said that the guys that went to the gym three or four times a week,
pretty much didn't know what hit them, once he got in the ring after the
moving season!
Great guy, careful and fast. Was on the crew that unloaded at my new
residence, too.
Cheers
Trevor Jones
On Mon, 06 Nov 2006 01:08:48 GMT, "Peter Grey" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>"Trevor Jones" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:s7v3h.56133$H7.6743@edtnps82...
>> I think this has a lot in common with the conversations that come from
>> hiring riggers to move machines. Some get good ones, some don't, and
>> usually the guy that goes cheap, gets what he pays for.
>
>Indeed. When we moved into our current house, we hired movers. They put
>some small scratches on a couple of pieces - no big deal. They hauled all
>our furniture down 12 steps (or 24 if it was on the top floor) to our front
>door, and then 67 steps to the street. Then they hauled stuff up 15 steps
>to the front door and half of the stuff up to the second floor. They earned
>every penny we paid them that day.
Right - Let the pros do the heavy work, but get as much of the
little stuff done ahead of time so you don't have to pay them for it.
Get a pile of apple boxes from the local market, or ask Karl to ship
you a pallet of those out-of-date printed apple boxes from 3 years ago
he's been stuck with. ;-)
Pack up all the fragile and everyday stuff yourselves first - take a
few weeks and get everything that you can packed securely ahead of
time.
As for hiring movers, use caution. The games they play on you with
under-estimating costs and holding your stuff for ransom are endemic
in the industry. The workers might be great at treating your stuff
with care, but the supervisors and owners are even better at
separating you from your money given half a chance.
Get a step ahead of them - Know pretty closely how much your stuff
weighs and the volume it will fill when packed before the movers
arrive (you can weigh and mark all the pre-packed boxes) and compare
that to the estimate.
If you don't mind signaling that you'll play hardball, know where
the closest certified scales are and offer to meet them there before
they arrive at your house for loading, and again as they leave. That
can cut off the issues of "your load was way over weight!" as you
know the true weight.
--<< Bruce >>--
rich wrote:
> Another way to move that I have found to be very easy, is to use a
> Ryder Truck or equiv. and hire day laborers to load and unload it.
> Since one usually has to drive to the new house anyway, puit the wife
> in the car, and you drive the truck. Day labor runs about $10-20 per
> hour. and 4 hours, two guys, will empty most houses. And you, and your
> friends, don't get sweaty!
>
> Since you pack it yourself, any damage is due to your own ineptness,
> and it's hardly worth stealing from yourself! My move this spring will
> be in two phases, first to get all the junk, hobby stuff, trinkets out
> of the old house to ease the sale, and the 2nd move to grab the rest of
> the furniture. First move gate my wife's car out there, 2nd move gets
> my truck out. I've got to drive anyway, so I might as well drive a big
> truck, hang with the semi's, use the truck stops. Kinda fun.
>
My experience in four long distance moves, is that the day labour
plugs are the source of almost all the damage suffered.
They drop stuff, whang it off corners, and generally don't really give
a damn about your stuff, because they are just lift and carry labour.
After all, "Whatch gonna do, fire me!"
The guys that were full time with the moving Co. have been much better.
On my last move, we lost one china teacup, and had a couple scratches
on some very used bookcases. Total damage costs came to far less than
the cost of the lunch I bought these guys. I was very pleased with the
service that they provided.
I did one move recently out of my own pocket (vice work related) and
hired a four man crew and a truck, from the same van line, to move
anything that was too heavy to lift myself, furniture, shop tools, and
appliances.
Cost me a grand for the one day, had zero problems or damage, and all
my friends are still talking to me. Best of all, they were insured, both
against damage to my stuff, and damage to my house.
I think this has a lot in common with the conversations that come from
hiring riggers to move machines. Some get good ones, some don't, and
usually the guy that goes cheap, gets what he pays for.
Cheers
Trevor Jones