A FURTHER LOOK INTO SOME OF THE MORE COMMON SCAMS SOME DISREPUTABLE MOVERS PRACTICE, AND SOME PRACTICES THAT ARE MISUNDERSTOOD AS SCAMS.
Movers got lost? What…..they never heard of cell phones, Google maps, map maps, how many 7-11s did they pass on their way? Give us all a break with this one, ill intentioned or not, unless the customer gave the wrong address, there’s no way the time lost should appear on the bill. This is akin to the easier scam of working reeeal sloooow. I never could stand this one either, not only for it’s dishonesty, but just personally couldn’t stand working that slow. This one has so many tricks built in, with the trucks loading process, packing and assemblies sometimes even unknown to some of the crew. Lastly for the easily obvious scam charges for additional mileage fees. This one, unless the customer truly misrepresents themselves, is simply ridiculous. If the estimator doesn’t add KNOWN mileage charges into an estimate, well he might as well leave out padding charges as well! Gimme a break with this one too. Of course theres no question surprise extra stops will be charged accordingly.
You Can Also Read Moving Company Scams Part One
QUESTIONABLE?
Some that can be a scam, but are oftentimes only perceived that way need to be looked at on a case by case basis. For instance, bulky fees. OK, probably a little overused, but oftentimes necessary even though distasteful…….to both parties. The movers don’t want to charge more for an extremely heavy or large piece because they would rather not have to. They know it causes tension with their customer, and causes extra exertion and difficulty, sometimes tremendous exertion and a higher chance of damage. The same goes for extra stairs, they would much rather not have to charge for this one but no one wants five unexpected flights. It seems that some people feel that the top floor is only three flights regardless.
Now the amounts charged might be suspect and abused just like with the bulky fees. I know customers dont want to pay these extra charges but they wouldn’t be so excessive if conditions were outlined accurately prior to move day. This can cause all sorts of problems with the movers schedules and even compromise other jobs that day. These are ways less than honest movers can really make their dough. If during the quote, these conditions aren’t made clear in writing, that bargain can turn around and bite you.
One that’s often difficult for customers to understand is the elevator charge. I’ve sometimes had a hard time explaining to people that elevators are more expensive. They seemed to think I was kidding or worse yet; scamming. This is not the case at all. Unless there are more than 3 flights, elevators are more expensive than stairs, if it gets to 4 flights though the charges even out. The reason is simple, it takes less than half the time to run steps as to unload the apartment, pack the elevator, unload the elevator and finally pack the truck. Twice the work really, and a lot more bending and picking up over and over, but the kicker to elevators is theres almost always long carries involved. Now add loading and unloading the dollies to the equation as well as the actual walk itself……weighed down with furniture. Using the stairs in a highrise is usually not an option either with most layouts. Elevators and building with over 4 flights are best done by the hour. Now add a loft in your luxury highrise with a spiral staircase as a finisher making for quite an expensive move.
Another questionable practice is for an hourly company to either pad the items in the house or remove all the items from the house and place them outside for an elaborate and time consuming padding and taping session. I find this to be a scam personally, but some consumers seem to like it. I’ve always found it riskier in most cases to carry pre-wrapped items, especially if you weren’t the one who wrapped it. Trying to lift a glass sided cabinet thinking its a dresser is a good example. A mover needs to know where he’s placing pressure on fragile items for the safest transport. Again, some consumers like this, so I guess it might only be questionable depending on your skill level and quality of helpers. Better to be ultra careful when employing day labor and temps with no experience in moving.
Some of these charges are totally fair and leave the movers scratching their heads wondering why the need to explain them. Fragile fees. I’m pretty sure that a broken lamp is gonna require some compensation. The fact that its light isnt much comfort when picking up the pieces to sheepishly return to a disappointed customer. Not to mention the fact that lamps and other fragile items need extra care when packing. Extra inventory……… another head scratcher. A four piece wall unit might look like one piece, but try moving it that way. Marble and glass do not come with most pieces and take considerable time and extra packaging to transport safely. One that can go both ways is disassembly and assembly charges. I think the majority of this should be performed as part of the service. However, some things require much time and thought to disassemble and assemble. Platform beds, vintage water beds, elaborate German Shrunks and the like cannot be moved without considerable disassembly time. Some items that may not need disassembly to be moved safely when new and tight, may require it now for safe transport. If you’re being charged by the hour, you’re paying for it regardless.
Hazardous fees are very difficult to comment on accurately. Every once in a while movers will be asked to perform acts of peril against their better judgement. The mover might find the task presented to be either dangerous to the item in question or himself. Maybe he’s not the cowboy you had last time. This is also a case by case judgement call, and I would disagree strongly that this a form of extortion in many cases. Just making it look easy isn’t always a good indicator of the degree of danger and difficulty.
So much of this can be avoided totally in the first place by asking the proper questions. Using a reputable mover, maybe not the absolute cheapest but a reliable and competitive bidder. When the movers arrive, showing them courtesy can go a long way. Sounds obvious and silly to say but, although infrequently, movers are sometimes treated less than respectfully and even with a bit of contempt. Some might find their movers to be a bit course, but I’m sure they’re trying and maybe haven’t concentrated on fully developing their social skills just yet. Most I’ve worked with are sincere at heart at least. Simple things like access to water and restroom facilities can make for a much smoother day too. No one wants their movers to keep taking trips to the corner store and wasting time. Again, I’m a mover and some of my opinions are obviously skewed on their side. But I feel its good to gain insight into both directions of thinking to understand some of these issues fully. The truth is that moving is very hard work at times, but movers are usually paid well for it. The customer should always get their moneys worth but also give accurate representation, and not expect more than a fair shake. More often than not, by doing some of these things, you might find yourself surprised at just how good a service a properly motivated mover can deliver.
The majority of us movers are very interested in our customer’s satisfaction and very much appreciate you’re patronage.
“The importance of verifying everything agreed upon orally is plainly stated in writing cannot be overemphasized. The oral contract you made with the estimator will be much stronger when it’s backed up on paper. I bet the friendly and eager to please estimator won’t be so quick to agree with your assumptions as to any extra charges and damage claim refunds when he/she may lose money if trouble should arise. Take the extra time to not only receive the written contract, but read it thoroughly to make sure nothing was left out, intentionally or not”
