Hiring A Mover

Finding the right place and finalizing the deal are only parts of what you’ll need to do to get to that new place that you’ve been looking at. There are some other things that will need your attention as well and one of these involves a little negotiating beyond the real estate people and the lawyers. You’ll need to hire a mover to get your things from one point to another in a safe fashion, and for that, there are certain terms and concepts that you should be aware of that have legal implications.

One of the most important of these is the idea of a binding estimate. These generally clearly describe all the shipment and other services provided. It’s important to remember two things here—that once you’ve signed a binding estimate you can’t be required to pay any more than the amount stated, and that you are responsible for paying the binding estimate by cash, certified check, or money order. It’s a legal document once it’s signed. To be effective this document must be given to you and another copy must be attached to the bill. Make sure to have the money ready on moving day as well—if you don’t the mover will take your articles and put them in storage until you pay the bill.

The other kind of estimate that the customer should be leery of is called the non-binding estimate where the mover can change the final price at their discretion. In one of these estimates, the mover can require you to pay the full amount plus ten percent and you’ve got up to thirty days to pay the bill. There are other requirements that you will need to be familiar with when dealing with moving companies.

Most moving companies are required to prepare an order for service on every shipment transported. As the customer, you are entitled to and should ask for a copy of this after it is prepared. However, this is not a contract. If the move gets canceled or delayed for any reason, you should inform the mover and the changes will be made on this document. One of the more familiar documents is the bill of lading contract.

This is a contract between you and the mover and once again, the mover is required to prepare one of these documents for every shipment they handle. Before he even loads the furniture, the driver who will be taking this load must give you a copy of the document. It is the customer’s responsibility to read the bill of lading before signing it. If you do not agree with something that you see on the document, don’t sign it until you are satisfied. Keep this document with you until the move has been finalized. Have it available until the shipment is delivered.

Olympian Civil Home and Building Inspections (866) 476-2056