For Immediate Release – May 19, 2010 –
May is National Moving Month, the start of the busiest time of the year for changing residences. More than 37 million Americans -- or about 13 percent -- move to a different home every year, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau statistics.
Unfortunately, every year, BBB receives extremely serious complaints from consumers who have fallen prey to dishonest and sometimes unlicensed moving companies.
A Cleveland woman found herself in a bind when she hired movers she found on Craigslist. Need Help Movers quoted a reasonable price of $235 for three hours to move her to a new home - approximately two blocks away. She was surprised to see them pull up to her home in a rented U-Haul truck. They did not bring a dolly, which delayed their moving time considerably.
“(They) arrived an hour early and I noticed they did not have a dolly,” she told BBB. “I was moving as many boxes as I could in my vehicle to not go over my time limit. It took (them) almost an hour and a half just to load the truck, mind you there was no bedroom furniture being moved. To make a long story short every time I came to the new residence I noticed that (they) were standing around, coming from the store across the street, talking on their cell phones or just sitting on the back of the truck. The very next day I noticed that the jacks to my surround sound were broken off, and my entertainment center had deep scratches on the side.”
Need Help Movers did not respond to the complaint. BBB discovered that the company did not have its required licensing as a household mover with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Its ad can no longer be found on Craigslist. BBB did find an ad for Mister Mover listed with the same phone number, however. The company also directs potential customers to a website for JM Movers Inc.
Nationally, BBB received more than 8,400 complaints against movers in 2009. Complaints to BBB about movers are primarily about damaged or lost goods and final prices in excess of original estimates. In a common worst-case scenario, the moving company will essentially hold the customer’s belongings hostage and require potentially thousands of dollars to unload the truck.
“Virtually anyone with a truck and a Web site can claim to be a mover and they can’t all be trusted to adhere to standards for honesty and ethical conduct,” said AMSA President and CEO Linda Bauer Darr. “When it comes to such an important decision, you can save a lot of heartache by doing just a little homework to track down the companies that put customer service and integrity first. For interstate moves, that means an AMSA certified ProMover.”
“Checking a mover’s credentials is critical and easy. Last year alone, consumers relied on BBB more than 1 million times for finding a trustworthy mover,” said David Weiss, BBB President and CEO. “When making the final choice, go with a BBB Accredited Businesses or, at the very least, choose a business that has a good rating with BBB.”
BBB and AMSA offer the following checklist for finding a trustworthy moving company:
- Research the Company Thoroughly. Ohio requires that household goods movers register annually with the PUCO and include their company name and PUCO number on all their advertisements and vehicles.
- Interstate movers must, at minimum, be licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and are assigned a motor carrier number you can verify at www.protectyourmove.gov.
- Check the company’s BBB rating at cleveland.bbb.org. BBB maintains more than 17,000 reliability reports on movers across North America.
- Get at Least Three In-Home Estimates. No legitimate mover will offer to give you a firm estimate on-line or over the phone. Also keep in mind that the lowest estimate can sometimes be an unrealistic low-ball offer which can cost you more in the end.
- Know Your Rights. Research your rights as a consumer with both the state you currently reside in and where you are moving to. Also enlist the help of BBB or local law enforcement if the moving company fails to live up to its promises or decides to hold your belongings hostage.
More tips and information on how to choose a mover and plan your move are available at AMSA's consumer Web site, www.moving.org; and the U.S. Department of Transportation's site, www.protectyourmove.gov. To research a mover or find your nearest Better Business Bureau, visit www.cleveland.bbb.org.
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About BBB
BBB, the leader in advancing marketplace trust, is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization’s high standards of ethical business behavior. BBB provides objective advice, free business BBB Reliability Reports® and charity BBB Wise Giving Reports®, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust.
About AMSA
The American Moving & Storage Association, headquartered in Alexandria, Va., is the trade association representing the nation’s moving and storage companies, which provide household goods moving services, specialized transportation for sensitive freight such as computers and trade show exhibits, and warehouse storage services. The association has 3,200 members, including more than 200 international members, and sponsors programs and activities that promote consumer protection, professional development, safety, and operational efficiency