Arizona moving scam exposed by state department

Moving scams happen all the time.  With the number of moves that occur every year .  Granted, they do represent a very small percentage of the total moves every year it’s still likely that someone is being scammed right now.  Unfortunately many of the scammers are never caught but recently I came across this article from Phoenix news station KPHO Channel 5 regarding an instance of catching the foes in the act and a saved consumer.

The Arizona Department of Weights and Measures in conjunction with authorities in Kennewick Washington foiled a scam involving three different moving companies working together to pull a scam involving hidden charges and other violations.   Of course there was a moving broker involved which doesn’t surprise any of us here as you know we feel about them (check our article on moving brokers and tips for hiring a mover).

Struggling economy leads to price wars and dangerous moves in Chicago

The tough economic times have taken quite a toll on the moving industry.  The Chicago Tribune recently published this article about the effect of the economy on movers in Illinois.  The effect appears to be doubled for moving companies since not only have home sales and thus the overall need for moving services declined but the decline of needs for other services has lead to a  poaching of sorts of household moving jobs.  This is evidenced here by the case of the carpenter posting his availability for moving services.

Opportunities abound for the extremely price conscious looking to save a buck and willing risk their belongings.  “What’s a matter with saving money?” you may ask.  There’s always a cost and in this case it’s the gamble that your move will go well.  Here are the top three reasons to be concerned about hiring unlicensed movers for your next move.

No insurance – Even if you don’t pay for additional insurance, in most states and for all interstate moves, licensed moving companies must insure your belongings for some minimal value, typically $.60 per pound.  It’s not much but at least it’s something.  Furthermore, a licensed mover will inform you about this and supplemental coverage that provides more adequate reimbursement.

No experience – Hey, if I had a truck and maybe a trailer I could move your stuff too, but it might not arrive at your new home looking like it did when you left your old home.  At least some of the staff at a licensed moving company will have many years of experience and most larger van lines require fairly substantial training regarding proper packing and loading to ensure protection of your valuables.

No reputation and no concern about reputation – Fly by night operators won’t have a reputation to fall back on and they aren’t looking to build one.  They’re main concern is getting the next job and they’ll entice new customers with prices substantially lower than those of licensed movers.  They may change names as necessary to escape a reputation that has gotten so bad as to garner publicity.

The main point to all this should come as no surprise…buyer beware.

Tips for finding quality movers

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, the more you know as a consumer the more you can protect yourself from having a tragic move or getting scammed by a moving company.  If you’re in a rush and don’t think you have the time to review all of our previously written advice about how to help choose your moving company take a look at these great moving tips written by Rachelle Chong of the PUC and published at Asian Weekly.

Most of these tips we’ve included in past blog articles but it’s good to see our recommendations reinforced by someone in the industry.  She also adds one crucial step that we might not have mentioned before about visiting the moving companies place of business which will help protect against fly by night operations and allows you to get a feel for the type of company you’ll be working with.  And there are a few essential reminders that are worth repeating like not accepting over the phone estimates and making sure you get a “not to exceed” price.

For more helpful information on how to find quality movers in your area open an account at onesimplemove.com.

Cheap moving companies cost more in the long run

We’ve written before about how trying to cut costs on moving by hiring the cheapest moving company can turn out to be a bad idea and unfortunately it’s happened again.  In this article from KTVK Channel 3 News posted on azfamily.com we here about a bad move in Arizona where a Phoenix / Mesa  area family thought they were getting the most for their money but ended up getting even less than they bargained for.

It’s disheartening but it seems to be even more true now than ever during these tight economic times that poor quality, low balling movers can succeed in drumming up business while leaving families with even more to worry about.  Just another reminder that although it may seem like a good idea to bargain shop when looking for a moving company you may get what you pay for.  So do your research, search the web for reviews, check the BBB and ask for references.  Or just go to onesimplemove.com where we’ve done the work for you and you can find some of the best movers in your area.

How not to find a moving company: Moving Brokers

You’ve probably heard that hiring a moving broker is not a good idea and can lead to very rough if not tragic move.  As we’ve written about before in our article about avoiding moving brokers we recommend that you do not use moving brokers.   It’s not just us, you can also read this article by the Washington Post and this article on White Fence.  Or just Google “moving broker” and see the wonderful list of articles that appears.

The real question is how can you tell a moving broker from a moving company.  Unfortunately it’s not that easy but I do have a couple of tips to help you if you’re looking at a website and trying to find out if the company is strictly a broker.

1. Does the company appear faceless?  In other words, are there any pictures of employees, the office, their trucks or anything else that “personalizes” the company?  And I don’t mean stock photos of moving trucks or employees.  Seeing real pictures makes it very likely it is not a broker.

2. Is the company an agent of a major van line?  If you see any signs on the site that the company is an agent of United, Atlas, Allied, National, Global, Mayflower, North American, Paul Arpin, Bekins, Stevens, Joyce or any of the other major lines that I happen to be leaving out here it’s likely that it is not just a broker.

3. Does the company provide you with a history of the business?  For example: when it was founded, if it’s a family business, how it started etc.  If there’s any type of history provided it’s most likely not a broker.

4. Do they have a physical address listed on their website?  This is not a for sure but most moving companies will list a physical address and most brokers will not.

Determining whether the company is a broker or not by reviewing the website is not an exact science but by looking at these elements you can usually get a good idea.  And in most cases you can determine if it definitely is a moving company.

One last thing to remember is that many movers will still have to broker some moves but it doesn’t mean that they are strictly brokers.  They still have trucks, workers and experience with their own moving company and have more knowledge about the industry than a strict broker will.  And if a moving company has to broker your move they are still a better bet than a strict broker. The ideal situation, however, is using a mover that will complete the entire move by themselves, with their workers and their trucks.

Understanding moving insurance and valuation

A big concern to everyone when hiring a moving company is “What happens if the movers break something or lose it all together?” and the answer is that it depends.  It depends on what state you’re in or if it’s an interstate move and whether you decide to pay for extra insurance or not.  This may seem complicated but it is actually fairly straightforward.

For all interstate moves the movers are required to provide you with what is called “Released Value Protection” at no extra cost to you.  This is very minimal coverage and the moving company is only liable for $.60 per pound for every item.  So for example if they break a 25 pound TV they pay you $15.  Not very reassuring but it’s free and it’s better than nothing, but just barely.

For intrastate moves it varies state to state with many states also offering some sort of minimal protection similar to the $.60 per pound coverage offered for interstate moves.  If the moving company has not said anything about this coverage you should definitely inquire about it and review the contract closely.  It should mention this minimal coverage somewhere in the contract.  Again, not that this coverage offers a tremendous amount of protection but gives the movers some incentive not to thrash your stuff.

In many cases the moving company will offer you additional insurance for additional cost.  They usually want to offer this because they can make a little extra money on it even though the insurance may be provided by a third party insurance company.  The amount you’ll pay for this will depend on a deductible amount (typically either $0, $250 or $500) and the total value assigned to your belongings.  It can cost a few hundred extra bucks for this coverage but does provide you with some assurance.  With this insurance coverage the mover must either: repair the item; replace with a similar item or make a cash settlement for the cost of the repair or the current market replacement value of the item.

One more thing to consider is that if you pack your own boxes, it may be more difficult to make a claim against the moving company for any breakage that occurs in those boxes, regardless of how well you feel you packed them. In fact many movers will flat out say, we will not cover any boxes you packed.  Some, however, will say if the outside of the box is damaged they’ll cover it, if the box is still in tact, they won’t.

Even though you’d like to think that your belongings are safe, accidents do happen and it’s good to know what happens when they do.  This is just one more reason to pick a moving company with a big name, they have more incentive to be careful with your belongings because they want to keep their name clean.  If you picked your moving company blindly and because they were the cheapest they just might not care as much.
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Written by the One Simple Move Team

Detecting Scam / Rogue Movers – Your Rights

Remember, you have rights!
Unfortunately, only ethical movers follow the rules and allow you your rights. There are many, many good movers out there. Most movers are good people and want to help. They do not need laws to enforce ethical business practices. The only effective way to avoid trouble with your move is to detect a criminal mover before they are allowed to touch your items.

What to do and who to call
Check up on a mover’s license:
http://www.safersys.org/
You can type in the company name or the license # and find out if they have a valid license and if they have insurance coverage:

Dept. of Transportation Hot Line:
(888) 368-7238
Call this number to file a complaint with Department of Transportation. The DOT needs to know about the unethical practices of movers.

Watch Dog Committee for Moving Companies:
(202) 366-4553
This is part of the Division of Office of Enforcement & Compliance under the Federal Motor Carrier & Safety Administration. These folks have the authority to do something about it.

Division of Office of Enforcement & Compliance:
FMSA
400 7th St. S.W.
Washington, DC 20590
Ph: 202 366-4553
Fax: 202 366-3462

Special thanks to Jay Clithero of Sterling Van Lines for all the helpful information on scam and rogue movers.

Happy and safe moving this summer!

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Sterling Van Lines, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based moving and storage company specializing in small moves. With over 50 years of combined moving experience, over 10,000 moves, and a reputation for quality in our industry, our goal is to customize our services to the needs of each customer — whether you’re moving your home or office, or just a few pieces, we’ll make your move worry free! Visit us at www.sterlingvanlines.com

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Detecting a Rogue / Scam Mover – Part 3

Why are pounds important?
The known tariffs are based on mileage and pounds. You always have the right to have your things weighed at a certified weigh station. You can witness the light weight (before pickup) and the heavy weight (after pickup).

You meet the driver at the closest scale to your home and follow them back to the scale after pick up. You will have a certified weight ticket; you will then know the exact pounds.
Standard movers will be perfectly willing to accommodate you.

Is your “estimated” cost significantly lower than other estimates from major moving companies?
Your costs between movers should not vary that much, if you have an “estimated” cost that is too good to be true – it is too good to be true. The normal method of operation of these “Movers” is to quote very low, sound very nice and professional, then you will be informed on the day of pick up that you have a significant amount more than you reported and the cost will go up – usually about 2-3 times the original estimate.
By following the above guidelines you should be able to avoid “rogue movers”.

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We’ll have more helpful information on scam and rogue movers from Jay Clithero of Sterling Van Lines throughout the summer – subscribe to our RSS feed to stay up-to-date!

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Sterling Van Lines, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based moving and storage company specializing in small moves. With over 50 years of combined moving experience, over 10,000 moves, and a reputation for quality in our industry, our goal is to customize our services to the needs of each customer — whether you’re moving your home or office, or just a few pieces, we’ll make your move worry free! Visit us at www.sterlingvanlines.com

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Detecting a Rogue / Scam Mover – Part 2

Does the “Mover” demand a deposit or ask for half the money up front?
Standard movers do not demand half of the money up front. Their service speaks for itself. Unless you require a very specific day or time it is highly unusual for a standard mover to need a deposit.

Did the “Mover” give you a guaranteed price?
If the mover guaranteed a price for cubic feet*, now you must know how to determine cubic feet, very few people know this or take the time to do it. You are thus under the complete mercy of the “Mover” and you could be taken advantage of. This should not be debated after the “Mover” picks up your things. If they are criminal, it is too late. The best rule if you are quoted in this fashion is to find another mover. If you really want to keep working with that mover there are a couple of ways to solve this:

1. If you have a decent size move, say, more than 2 bedrooms, have the mover come out and give you an estimate. If they won’t, have another mover who may be closer to you come out and see your things and give you an estimate. You want to know how many cubic feet and how many pounds the mover saw. That mover should be able to fix a price for you and the “Mover” who would not come out may be able to fix a price now. The point is, now you have data that you can share with other movers to get a quote.
2. If you have a smaller move, will the “mover” allow you to list your items and guarantee the price to move those items, in writing?

*Cubic Feet: Length X width X height, example: 2’ X 3’ X 4’ = 24 cubic feet. In inches the equation is: 24” X 15” X 30” = 10,800 cubic inches. To convert to feet do this: 10,800 ÷ 1728 = 6.25 cubic feet.

All movers want to know your cubic feet so they can convert it into pounds. The equation is generally 7 pounds per cubic foot so in the above example 24 cubic feet would convert to 24 X 7 = 168 pounds. 6.25 cubic feet would convert to 6.25 X 7 = 43.75 pounds.

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We’ll have more helpful information on scam and rogue movers from Jay Clithero of Sterling Van Lines throughout the summer – subscribe to our RSS feed to stay up-to-date!

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Sterling Van Lines, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based moving and storage company specializing in small moves. With over 50 years of combined moving experience, over 10,000 moves, and a reputation for quality in our industry, our goal is to customize our services to the needs of each customer — whether you’re moving your home or office, or just a few pieces, we’ll make your move worry free! Visit us at www.sterlingvanlines.com

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Detecting Rogue / Scam Movers – Part 1

Did the “Mover” “Quote” you by Cubic Feet?
If so, it is a virtual certainty that they are not operating from any known tariff. By law movers must have and subscribe to a published tariff. The tariff has all charges laid out and accounted for. You should find another mover!

Definition of a Tariff
List of charges for moving services published and filed with the surface transportation board (DOT).
(This definition is gleaned from existing data and experience in the moving industry.)

The American Heritage Dictionary defines tariff as:
“n. 1) A list or system of duties imposed by a government on imported or exported goods. 2) Any schedule of prices or fees.”

In order for a mover to get his authority to move, he must first file a tariff and it must be approved. Most U.S. movers used to use the tariff called the 400N. This is because it is a monumental task to formulate all the possible charges for all the possible moving services in all the possible cities of the U.S. Nowadays the movers are using a version of that or have made their own since 2008 saw the de-regulation of this tariff. The mover should be able to state what tariff he uses and the tariff must be published and available to the public for inspection.
It is almost unheard of for standard movers to quote customers by cubic feet. Movers who have been around a long time sometimes quote customers by the pound. This practice is dying out and you will usually get a quote that is based on a rate. The rate is based on mileage to your destination and the estimated number of pounds in your shipment. The mover will give you a discount off of the rate. No one will charge you 100% of the rate. The discount is driven up by competition. The older movers were used to giving a price per pound – this is done by simple division and is still based on the rate in the tariff.

Can the Mover tell you what tariff he is quoting from?
If not, you should run screaming into the night!

Continue to Part 2: Detecting Rogue / Scam Movers – Part 2

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We’ll have more helpful information on scam and rogue movers from Jay Clithero of Sterling Van Lines throughout the summer – subscribe to our RSS feed to stay up-to-date!

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Sterling Van Lines, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based moving and storage company specializing in small moves. With over 50 years of combined moving experience, over 10,000 moves, and a reputation for quality in our industry, our goal is to customize our services to the needs of each customer — whether you’re moving your home or office, or just a few pieces, we’ll make your move worry free! Visit us at www.sterlingvanlines.com

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