Quote:
Originally Posted by DAVES
My view includes information from my sister who used to work for a moving company. My experience, my view is based on long distance movers not PODs.
You will likely call for estimates. They send a SALESMAN. He/she looks over your stuff armed with a laptop and gives you an estimate. That estimate is based on, "estimated." weight. Obviously, if they underestimate the weight the estimate for the move will be lower. It means NOTHING. In the contract you sign
it gives them the right to adjust the weight and the price based on actual weight. Have you ever noticed signs on the highway that say weigh station? The truck must get off and get weighed on a regular basis. Whatever the quote is, what you pay is actual weight not what they estimated. They will duck the question.
Likely they will not tell you. What you want to know is THE TARIFF WEIGHT PRICE. This number is filed with the government overseer. You can easily calculate it as the estimate they leave you is estimated weight and estimated quote.
You will likely, as we did, get three estimates. Mayflower and United Van lines will tell you that they will overestimate the weight but credit you back later so it doesn't matter if they are higher. No one, INCLUDING ME, reads all the fine print. I later discovered that first of all Mayflower and United Van Lines are owned by the same company-corporation. Perhaps, more important my calculated, by me tariff rate was .57. In the fine print, I foolishly trusted the salesman, the credit is .13. The difference due to his stated overstated weight came to, if I recall $800 in overcharges.
|
Insurance-reminder my info is five years old and based on memory.
By law, the moving quote includes minimal insurance. If, I recall it is like ten cents per hundred pounds. Your couch, say it weighs 150 lbs. If, they loose it, destroy it or? If is covered for FIFTEEN CENTS. Buy full replacement insurance. If, I recall it cost us ????
$600. When, where, why there was so much damage to our stuff, I can only guess. Typically, ours was not the only stuff on their huge truck. Apparently stuff was not properly secured in the truck and it slid around. My industrial quality steel desk was destroyed-crushed. My antique, table lost some carving. Driver CLAIMED he had noticed it was not there. Three boxes were never delivered to Florida, You too should take pictures of everything in each box. Otherwise any claim the moving company will and should ask you to prove it. I took pictures of everything before the move-A GOOD IDEA BY THE WAY. I went on to his truck and found what was left of the carving on the floor of his truck.
You will, as we did, number each box and on an inventory sheet record what was in each box. Based on our experience, the mover will apply their own numbers which will not match yours. They will simply deliver a pile of boxes to your home and expect you to sign on their bill of lading. DO NOT SIGN-by signing you agree that you received all the goods in good shape-YOU HAVE NO CLAIM FOR DAMAGES. Of course the driver will TRY to insist. Put as I did before your signature that you received a pile of boxes in no order and you were not allowed to count or inspect the shipment
Moving can be an adventure. Oh one last thing, this one went fine for us. Your delivery says ON OR ABOUT. You want to be at your new home before your goods arrive. Suggest you have an air mattress or???????