Everyone knows that you should take some time to get moving quotes before you hire a moving company. Why? Because moving quotes give you an idea of how much your move is going to cost. They also allow you to see what kind of prices other moving companies are charging. Regardless of where you are moving, multiple companies will be able to provide you with the services that you need. In the end, it is up to you to make the choice as to which companies you want to choose and which ones don’t meet the standards you have set. Getting quotes is vital to the moving process so that you don’t find yourself in the middle of a moving scam too. By having quotes, you can easily eliminate the companies who are trying to get you to sign a contract by offering you super low estimates. And while all of these reasons make it very important for your to get moving quotes, most people never realize that a simple estimate is not the same as a real, binding moving quote.

The only time that simple moving estimates should be used is when you are just starting to look at the options and the various companies that are movers in your area. Getting simple quotes will allow you to amass a great number of price estimates from companies all over the place. It would be counterproductive to actually ask each one of these companies to come to your new home for a binding moving estimate. Instead, use the simple version to weed out any companies that are asking too much or too little so that you can create a short list of four or five businesses that you will soon follow up on.

Remember, these simple estimates are generally not offered by the moving companies themselves; they are given by brokers who are not bound to offer the real prices involved in moving. This is just another scam presented to consumers in today’s marketplace, which can easily be avoided by following up on things by getting a binding quote.

Any good moving company will  offer consumers binding estimates. Knowing this falls within your moving rights and responsibilities. These price quotes, quite simply, are binding, legal documents, that will cap the cost of your move. Once the movers have your things on the truck, they will not be able to raise the price or hold your things hostage. When you call a company, make sure to tell them that you are requesting a binding quote so that they can set you up with an appointment for someone to come to your home. The representative of the company will then come to your home and look at the things you are moving. They will list everything in a document and later return it to you with a price estimate on it. The price is generally good for so many days, so that you do have time to think about things and review your other binding estimates  in order to uncover the very best deals that are possible.

Whether your move is going to take you over long distance, or if you are just moving down the road, make sure that you opt for the binding moving quotes option so that you don’t have to worry about a moving scam. These simple, yet legal contracts can greatly reduce the trouble that you face and the stress involved in your moving from your old home to your new home. Therefore, no matter what your destination is, always go binding before you bind yourself to a mover.

One of the biggest problems associated with moving these days is the high incidence of moving scams. While all moving companies say they are the best at what they do, how can you be entirely sure that you are working with the very best movers that are out there? How can you be sure that you won’t become another victim of a moving scam? The answer may not always be simple, but there are a few things that you can do in order to make the chances of falling victim to a scam much smaller. Knowing what scam movers do and how they operate, perhaps, is the best method of avoiding problems when you are getting ready to move. Thus, consider the following five moving scams that are commonly executed around the country and learn what you can do to avoid the same kind of problems in your own situation.

1. Taken for a Ride - The most common moving scamout there today involves the convoluted process that an actual mover is assigned the job that you need them to do. Often, when you call to get moving quotes, you are going to speak with a broker. This broker offers a very low, and quite enticing quote that you probably find attractive. Once you agree to the terms of the move, often requiring a deposit, then the broker assigns your move to an actual company. This company does not, by law, have to agree to the terms that the broker offered you. In the end, it means that the bill you are presented with at the end of the move is often much higher than the original estimate, sometimes by thousands of dollars. And because the broker assigned the job to a mover, who often assigns it to a sub-company, there is no communication and the mover who actually transports your stuff doesn’t even know what’s going on until you refuse to pay them.

2. Held Hostage - While in the previous scam the movers and the brokers don’t communicate, resulting in you paying more for the move than you planned, there is another moving scam out there where the movers purposefully give you a low moving quote and then raise the price, sometimes by 200%, once your things are loaded onto the back of the moving truck. Some scam companies make it a policy to offer super low quotes to people who are moving, only to boost the price once the stuff is on the truck saying that you actually have more than what you were originally quoted for. If you refuse to pay, the company holds your stuff hostage and doesn’t deliver it until you pay up on the debt. Often, this can result in loss and damages that exceed the cost the movers are demanding, so people often end up paying just to get their things.

3. Now You See It, Now You Don’t - Although less common than the first two kinds of moving scams, this third kind of moving scam is still heard about from time to time. Because there is little regulation from the government on the industry of moving, there are often companies that operate without licenses or government knowledge. As such, these companies can often fade into and back out of existence. What’s that mean for you, the consumer? You may never see your things again if you accidentally choose such a company. Because they fade in and out of existence, it can be super hard to track these companies, and thus, your goods. Often, your things are sold to make more money for those who are operating the scam.

4. Damaged Goods - While all legit moving companies are supposed to have insurance liability to a certain amount, there are some movers who refuse to pay out for damages that are incurred while the move is happening. Instead, these companies claim that your things were damaged when they were loaded onto the moving truck. Often, because there is no real paper trail or proof, these companies can get away with such things leaving the consumer to deal with the repair or replacement of often expensive items. While this kind of scam isn’t as prevalent as some of the others, it is still something to look out for when you are moving and you have hired a special company to transport your things.

5. Missing in Action - Finally, one of the last common moving scams out there today occurs when things you had packed in your boxes are missing when your goods are delivered to your new home. Moving companies always reserve the right to inspect your things and open your boxes. And there are many occurrences where this is something that should be allowed. For example, when something is shipped that begins to leak, or when dangerous substances are thought to be packed in your boxes, then such an inspection is warranted. However, some shady movers will use this provision to go through the things you are shipping to find things that may be worth a lot, but not immediately missed. In the end, you might find yourself missing anything small, from jewelry to electronics, but it may take you a while to really miss them resulting in the question of whether they were really taken or if you just misplaced them.

While outlining these types of moving scams might make moving to a new home seem like something you want to avoid, you need to really consider methods of avoiding them while getting your things to your new home. In order to protect yourself from these scams, consider the following steps.

1. Binding Moving Quotes- The best way to avoid problems when it comes to how much you pay for your move is to get a binding moving quote that will legally limit the amount of money your movers will be able to charge you for your move. Getting a binding quote means that an actual representative from the moving company will come to your home and see just what you are moving so that the quote they do offer is more in line with the actual costs of the move. Regardless of where you are moving, getting this binding quote legally limits the end cost of your move to 110% of the amount quoted, protecting you from the horrors of many moving scams.

2. Moving Insurance - In order to protect yourself from damage and theft of your things, always get extra moving insurance from a company that is not associated with the movers. While many moving companies offer insurance liability for your move on a per pound basis, getting insurance from another company ensures that you will be able to file a claim easily without the hassles that might come from filing one with the movers themselves.

3. Know Your Rights - Above all, it is vitally important that you realize what your rights are when you move and who to contact if you have problems. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the government entity that oversees moving companies throughout the country. They also have a database of rights and responsibilities that all people who are moving should be familiar with. Make sure that you take some time prior to choosing a moving company to find out what these rights are and who you should contact if any of your rights are infringed upon. While you might not always be able to get what you deserve, the FMCSA will open an investigation and follow up on the complaints that you file. Furthermore, share your experiences online so that other people can learn from whatever went wrong in your situation.

Every one’s heard about moving scams, but with the housing market as it is and with so many people having to move out of homes quickly, CBS news reports that moving scams are on the rise. And it’s not just a trend either; it’s more  of a plague. According to their research via the Better Business Bureau of America, many of the forty million Americans moving this year will face some kind of moving fraud. Take, for example, Tyler Green, a man who needed to move his family from Arizona to New York. And while Green thought he was taking the proper steps to avoid moving fraud, he was actually walking right into the thick of it.

Fake Binding Estimates

Moving experts everywhere agree that consumers need to get a binding moving quote from any movers they are considering hiring. Sadly, fraudulent moving companies have also caught onto this trend and they have adjusted their practices to dupe innocent consumers into believing they have a binding quote when they really don’t. In the case of Tyler Green, the company he contacted over the phone, Budget Van Lines, offered him a binding estimate of under four thousand dollars. When his goods were delivered, however, that estimate when up to nearly ten grand. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration guidelines state that actual costs cannot exceed 110% of a binding estimate, but what Green got wasn’t really this kind of moving quote. It was a fake binding estimate, which put him and his family at an automatic disadvantage.

Brokers and Hand Offs

Perhaps one of the biggest problems in the moving industry, and certainly the cause of the confusion in the case of Tyler Green, is the fact that many moving brokers exist, but they don’t represent actual moving companies. Laws in the US state that brokers are not movers and do not have to abide by the same rules. In fact, brokers cannot give binding moving quotes and movers don’t have to complete moves for the prices quoted by the brokers. It’s a pure breakdown in communications that can land a consumer right in the middle of a world of hurt. Brokers often quote overly low prices and bait consumers into signing a contract and providing a deposit. When they hand off the job to an actual mover, however, the moving companies often get paperwork with an incomplete moving inventory. Thus, when they arrive to deliver the goods, the actual price of the services far exceed the quotes.

Finding the Problem

For Tyler Green, the problem was pinpointed only after investigators from the Department of Weights and Measures got involved. After some research, it was discovered that the initial broker only took down a list of some of the things that his family was moving. This incomplete list was provided to a company that the broker outsourced to, but that wasn’t who actually completed the move. In fact, his goods arrived in an unmarked Ryder truck; a far cry from a professional moving company with a name and reputation to protect. When questioned, the movers who arrived on delivery stated that they didn’t even have any paperwork. Instead of following good business practices, the men were simply told to deliver the shipment to an address for a certain price. They had no idea of the so called binding estimate that the family had originally received.

Avoiding Moving Fraud

In the wake of the Tyler Green situation, the Better Business Bureau and the FMCSA have come together to offer three simple ways to avoid moving fraud. Keep these things in mind so that you can avoid becoming another statistic in the realm of moving scams and unscrupulous moving company practices.

• Do Research: This is your first and last line of defense when you are looking for a good and honest moving company. Research who you are dealing with before you sign any contracts. Also realize that most professional movers will not charge a deposit; that’s something that brokers do to get you and keep you under their control.

• Get a Real Binding Estimate: All real binding estimates involve a representative from an actual moving company coming to your home to see what goods you have to move. Make sure that you get this kind of estimate rather than the fake ‘over the phone’ binding moving quote regardless of if you need long distance or local moving quotes.

• Get Help: If you feel that you have become a victim of a moving scam, learn what your rights are and get help from the authority that governs the moving industry; the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Don’t let your move become a nightmare. Take these simple steps to avoid problems at a time when you really need things to run smoothly. In the case of Tyler Green, enough investigators and news outlets were involved to reach an amicable solution; the company that finally delivered his goods agreed to the original moving quote. Your story might not end so well, however, so always take some time to ensure that your binding estimate is real and that the movers you hire are true to their word.

We all know that there are plenty of things involved in the moving process, such as gathering moving quotes and packing boxes, but very few people every look into the legal rights and responsibilities that are associated with such an event. Despite the seemingly transparent process of moving to a new home, there are really plenty of legalities that you might not have known about before reading this article. Yet, to make sure that your things and you are safe throughout a move, you need to have these things in the back of your mind. Thus, remember the following when you are planning and executing a move.

Every consumer has certain rights that movers have to legally abide by and adhere to. There are actually quite a few rights consumers have, though the industry is not always regulated and many consumers aren’t always told when they have the right to something. Therefore, consumers should be proactive in finding out just what their rights are before they hire a company. Here are a few of the most important rights that all consumers should be aware of.

• All consumers have the right to a binding estimate that is both legally binding and limiting of how much money the moving companies can charge the consumer.

• Consumers also have the right to refuse to sign any contracts that are incomplete. This is why reading contracts and the things that you sign is so important.

• Consumers looking for movers also have the right to multiple moving quotes from multiple companies. It is important that you not disclose any estimate from one company to another, however.

• All consumers have the right to basic liability coverage as outlined by the current Released Rates Order (which can be requested by contacting the Surface Transportation Board).’

• Consumers have the right to acquire more moving insurance as needed to cover the full cost of repair or replacement. Keep in mind that this needs to be done before your goods are actually moved.

• All movers must provide consumers with an inventory list as well as a final contract called the Bill of Lading. This is not optional and it must be completed by the company that you hire.

Moving companies must always weigh your shipment. There are a few different methods of weighing your shipment, and your mover doesn’t have to use all of them, but they must determine the weight of your shipment and provide you with documentation of such. Consumers also have the right to observe this weighing if they so choose.

There are also responsibilities that consumers must be accountable for when moving. It is important to fulfill these responsibilities so that the move is completed correctly and in a timely manner. You also have to realize that if you choose not to meet all of your responsibilities when moving, you may forfeit any claim to insurance money that would otherwise cover damage done to your goods while they are in transit. As such, be sure to know your responsibilities before you move. Some of the most important are as follows.

• The most important responsibility involves understanding the liability that the movers hold over the things that they are transporting. You must understand their policy and opt for extra moving insurance if you so choose.

• All consumers have the responsibility to ensure that their shipment is safe for travel. That means that you cannot pack any hazardous items including cleaning chemicals, paints, or any other such goods. The temperature in the back of a truck can reach some extremes, and when subjected to the bouncing of a truck and the temperatures involved, these chemicals can cause fire, explosions, or worse.

• Consumers are responsible for coming to an agreement on pickup and delivery dates before a moving company is actually hired. You should always agree on a set date and time, rather than anything vague like ‘pickup as soon as possible’.

• More importantly than anything, perhaps, is the responsibility that you have to communicate to the movers. This starts when you hire them officially and should continue until your goods are delivered to your new home. Communication will often save heartache when you are moving.

Understanding the legalities of moving is not a difficult task. Thankfully, these days, much of this language is plain and simple, allowing everyone to understand just what they are getting into. Be sure to review your rights and responsibilities before you choose a moving company and begin the relocation process. This is the only way to ensure that your goods make it to your new home without any trouble at all.

Different moves have different requirements, different moving quotes, as well as different challenges that you will have to overcome in order to successfully complete the process. Experts agree that no two moves are just alike, but many moves can be placed into a certain category. Knowing which category your move falls into will only allow you to approach the process without stress or hassle. Following are some of the more popular reasons for moving, as well as a few tips that will help you handle things without worry, stress, or trouble throughout the duration of the move.

Moving Away From Home for the First Time

Many young people look forward to a move away from the home they have known their entire life. While it is an exciting time, it is also a confusing and difficult time as well. Make sure to consider this advice to make the process easier.

• Know if you are going to need interstate movers or local movers and budget your money accordingly. Remember, state to state moving costs are based on weight, while local moving is a per hour charge.
• Get multiple moving quotes from movers in the area so that you can shop smart and save money. Make sure that these are binding quotes that are given in writing only after a moving representative has come to your home to see what you will be moving.
• Plan early so that you are well prepared for this new event. Be sure to ask your parents for help, as they have done this before and will be able to at least point you in the right direction. Remember to make a schedule so that you don’t end up behind on moving day.

Moving In With a New Spouse or Significant Other

Moving in with a girlfriend/boyfriend or a new spouse by completing a local move can be a lot like taking a blind leap. You never really know what to expect, other than the fact that you will have to be smart and combine your things with theirs so that you do not have to stress or worry about inflated costs or paying for things and services that you don’t need.

• Take stock of what you each have. There is no need to pay for service to move duplicate furniture that will only get sold or thrown out once you arrive in your new home.
• Make sure to tell any movers you get moving quotes from that they will have two stops prior to the unloading stop. This may change the price slightly.
• Map out the location of where everything will go before moving day and be sure to label any boxes so that the confusion is limited when it comes time to unload and ultimately unpack.

Moving with Young Children

All kids have trouble moving because of the change involved in the process. That’s why you need to consider the following so that your kids don’t have to deal with much stress throughout the move.

• Get your kids excited about the move by showing them pictures of the new house and allowing them to make plans for their new room.
• Have your kids help with the packing process so that they can feel as if they are really a part of the move and the moving process. This will help get their mind off of the changes going on around them.
• Consider having someone watch your kids on the day of the move so that they are out of the way where they won’t get hurt or suffer from boredom.
• Make sure to give your kids a way to say goodbye to their friends in the place where you live currently. Closure will help them adjust to the new home faster.

Moving to a Smaller Home After the Kids Leave

Downsizing is often a good idea for seniors who want to save money and live in a place that is better suited for their limited mobility and abilities. Thousands of seniors move to smaller places each year. Here are some tips that can help make the process simpler.

• Go through everything so that you don’t have to worry about paying for movers to move things that aren’t going to get used. Having a big garage sale before the move and donating the leftovers can be a very handy plan.
• Ensure that the new place is really big enough for the things that are going to be kept so that you don’t have to feel cramped.
• Make sure to arrange special shipping and moving for things that might be considered antique or worth quite a bit. Remember, seniors might have lots of these items, so be sure to protect them throughout the move.

Moving to a new home is never cut and dry, but there are some things that you can do to make the process a bit easier. Make sure that you figure out what kind of move that you will need to complete so that you can approach it in the most appropriate manner.