Quick Tip: Save on Your Move
Elisabeth Leamy helps you save money and avoid scams.
July 19, 2010— -- Summer is peak moving season, so here are are some strategies to help you save money and avoid scams if you're moving. Three of the most important tips are things you should definitely NOT do when you move.
Never, Ever Hire a Mover Over the Internet
Every year, 43 million Americans move, and many of them now search for movers on the Internet. Watch out! There's a little-known industry you need to be aware of before you relocate. They're called "moving brokers." Many of the moving sites on the Internet are actually run by moving brokers. (Often they let you think they are movers when, in fact, they are just brokers.) These are middlemen who don't actually move you themselves. Instead, they give you an estimate and then find a mover to haul your stuff. Experts say the very structure of how they work can cause a lot of headaches for consumers. The problem can be that, when things go wrong, the broker blames the mover and the mover blames the broker and you blame them both.
Phone Estimates Are a Red Flag
Every moving broker I know of gives estimates by phone, after you request an estimate online. They ask you to walk through your house and describe what is in each room. There are a couple of problems with that.
First of all, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which regulates interstate movers and brokers, says phone estimates -- particularly estimates that seem too good to be true -- are a red flag that you may be dealing with a rogue mover who will pick your goods up and then hold them hostage until you've agreed to pay a substantially higher fee.
Second, you are not a professional moving estimator. When your move is more expensive than quoted, the broker can then blame you and say you weren't honest about how much furniture you had. Even if you're thorough, it's hard for a non-expert to know how many boxes it takes to hold all the books in your living room. And it's easy to forget about things like the grill out on your patio.
Third, the broker is not the one who actually has to transport your goods for the price quoted. So he does not have that personal motivation to make sure his price will cover it. If the quote is too low, loopholes in the law make it fairly easy for the mover to throw out the broker's quote and raise the price. Countless consumers have complained that they received lowball quotes from moving brokers and then the actual mover jacked up the price.
