subject: Home Moving Companies Need the Cooperation of the Customers [print this page] Home Moving Companies Need the Cooperation of the Customers
When people decide to move into a new apartment or house they can find a list of local moving companies online or in print from which to select. There may not be time or inclination to prepare for making a good selection and this is a gamble; without doing some homework you'll be just bothering every phone number for a price quote and causing frustration for all concerned. Estimates for residential moving services are based on the weight of furniture items, number of boxes, cubic feet or weight of other items requiring special care such as pianos, distance of the move, tax, and other factors.
Courtesy should be kept in mind when dealing with the moving company. They may be on a tight schedule so you should be ready to roll when they arrive. Although charges are added for hours that the movers have to wait, it may cost them a higher amount in schedule disruption. Preparations should be ready on the other end - an elevator should be booked with the new building to avoid complications. Keeping good records of your possessions and tagging them will prevent disputes later on. The consumer should definitely avoid trying to get away with loading extra items and weight.
To measure the weight of each shipment a certified scale is used at the point of origin and that weight can be quoted to the customer. When the actual weight exceeds the estimated weight by more than 10 percent, the mover upon request will perform a "re-weigh" of the shipment and provide evidence of the re-weigh to the customer.
There are different types of estimates that are typically used: the Binding Not-To-Exceed Estimate, the Binding Estimate, and the Nonbinding Estimate. The most favorable for consumers is the Binding-Not-To-Exceed Estimate. It means that even if the true weight is more than the original written estimate, you still pay for only the amount of the estimate. But if your actual weight is less than the estimate, then you pay less than the amount of the estimate, according to your actual weight times the agreed upon price per pound. It can only go lower, not higher.
Next is the Binding Estimate, based on a fixed price. This means that you agree to pay the fixed amount and the actual weight is irrelevant. This only works when both mover and those being moved are honest. The risk to the consumer is that the estimator could quote the estimate high to get extra money for pounds that don't exist. The risk to the moving company is that the customer could sneak in extra items that were not included on the first estimate. The risk to the mover is less than the risk to the consumer, because the truck driver has the right to challenge the binding estimate on loading day, before actually loading if he thinks that the estimate is too low.
A nonbinding estimate, usually done using a set price per pound, is the most likely to keep both parties honest. If there's a serious discrepancy this difference is adjusted. If the party being moved has misrepresented the load then the balance is billeddepending on where you live 10% may be payable at the time of delivery and the balance due in 30 days. The invoice amount is lowered if the discrepancy is favor of the customer.
Efficiency and common courtesy can make the transition much less traumatic for those doing home moves. The local moving service you choose should supply a pamphlet educating consumers about the moving business and there is information posted online under "Good Practice Guidelines for Canadian Movers".
