Protect yourselfHere are steps to take to avoid trouble when moving. • Get multiple bids. Be skeptical of a company offering to do a job for a lot less than competitors. Online estimates aren't necessarily bad, but get some in-person ones, too. Experts say you'll get a more reliable estimate. Federal regulations require a moving company to do in-person estimates for all jobs within 50 miles. Chances are that nationally known movers will have an office near you. • Check on complaint history. Go to the Better Business Bureau, www.bbb.org, or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's site, www.protectyourmove.gov. • Know your rights and responsibilities. Two sites do a great job of laying it all out: www.protectyourmove.gov and www.moverescue.com. By the way, your mover should give you a copy of the federal handbook, "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move." If you don't get one, that's a red flag. • Understand your contract before you sign. Are there extra fees for going up or down stairs? How many stairs does the mover count as a flight? What insurance is being offered -- 60 cents a pound is standard -- and are you OK with that or do you want to purchase additional coverage? Is it a binding or nonbinding contract? If it's binding, the price is set. If it's nonbinding, you are responsible for all extra fees that are incurred, and 10 percent of that balance will be due at delivery. • Know what to do if your price jumps. Call the National Conference on Weights and Measures at 402-434-4880 for your local agency. You are entitled to ask a company to reweigh your goods -- at no charge -- and to be present for that. If workers think you've added items not in the estimate, the company can renegotiate a contract before loading the truck. Once they've loaded your stuff, their failure to rewrite a contract signifies that the original estimate stands, federal rules say. Experts say rogue companies frequently shut down and reopen under new names.
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