Keeping a cross-country move smooth: Plain Dealing Sheryl Harris, The Plain Dealer 12/08/2012 12:00 PM
We contracted with Oasis Moving and Storage of Las Vegas for our move from Arizona to Ohio. A sales representative said our goods would be delivered no later than 14 days from pick-up.
It's been almost three weeks, and we can't get any answers about where our possessions are. We finally got through to a manager who told us the company has 30 days, not 14, to deliver. But she would only tell us the load was "in transit." We have no idea if they're still waiting to add another load to a truck in Las Vegas or whether the truck fell over a cliff on the highway in New Mexico.
Any chance you could help us track down our furniture, with the reassurance that we're going to receive it by the "estimated" delivery date?
Janet D'Agostino, Reminderville
I didn't fare any better than you did.
Customer service manager Morgan Brooks said that the company has 30 days to deliver and that you had been kept apprised of the move's progress. She said the company would deal only with you directly, but she added that you were due for an update.
When she called you the following Monday, you said, you still didn't get a firm date or answers about where your possessions were. Instead, you said, you were advised again that you would get a call 24 to 48 hours before the truck arrived at your home.
In the end, you got your furniture the Sunday before Thanksgiving, almost five weeks after the company picked up your possessions in Arizona.
Your real gripe with the company boils down to a lack of clear communication.
For starters, you were baffled about the delivery date -- and no wonder, because it's a bit of a moving target.
There are two contracts you sign when you move: an order for service and a bill of lading.
Oasis's initial contract gave you a binding estimate of the cost and reserved the date of your move. This contract says deliveries to the Midwest usually take one to 14 days, but that's just an estimate. And if you read the fine print, the clock doesn't run from the date your movers pick up your stuff. It runs from your "ready date," the first date you indicate you'll be available to accept shipment at your new home.
The second contract, which you and the mover sign when the mover picks up your possessions, is called the bill of lading.
The fine print in this Oasis contract estimates delivery about 21 business days from your ready date. Business days, according to the contract, don't include Saturdays and Sundays, even though, as you point out, the company clearly does business on those days. After all, you got your furniture on a Sunday.
Although the contract dangles 21 days as a possibility, it says the company may take up to 30 business days to get your stuff to you.
My understanding from regulators is that this is pretty standard across the industry, but no wonder you felt you couldn't get a clear handle on when your stuff would arrive.
It should have been obvious to Oasis that you were worried about your possessions. If the mover had done a better job of answering your questions, I doubt you would have been as dissatisfied with the experience as you were.
As you summed up when the move was all over: "If they had just been honest with us, said your stuff is sitting in a warehouse, we need to get enough stuff to move it across country -- but for three weeks all we heard was this lingo, your stuff is 'in transit' or in 'delivery process,' which means it's just sitting."
Consumer Wise The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is charged with regulating cross-country household moves, but the agency isn't known for its consumer-protection muscle.
That means the burden of protecting yourself falls on you:
• Check out movers' reputations before you sign anything. Ask friends and neighbors for recommendations. Additionally, search for reputable movers and check companies' complaint histories at the Better Business Bureau (bbb.org/us). The BBB gives letter grade ratings to companies, and the reports will let you see whether a mover has trouble with a particular issue, like contracts or services.
• Be aware that rogue movers are a problem in this industry. These are fly-by-night companies that offer low rates for moves but then hold people's possessions hostage to extort more money from them. Avoid companies that don't have a U.S. Department of Transportation license (they should display one on their websites, sales materials and contracts) or who answer the phone with a generic "movers" rather than the company name. Don't let movers who show up in rental trucks or unmarked vans take your stuff.• Spend some time at www.protectyourmove.gov– preferably when you first suspect you'll be moving. The carrier safety administration's site contains helpful materials on hiring movers, understanding moving contracts, insuring and protecting your possessions and heading off trouble.
Additionally, the site lets you verify an interstate mover is licensed and insured. (Movers who operate only inside Ohio are licensed through the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.) Always check – some movers are unlicensed. You'll also be able to see whether customers have complained to the agency. Even small numbers of complaints can be telling. The agency gets only a fraction of the complaints the BBB gets.
You'll also find a "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move" on the site. Cross-country movers are required to provide you with a copy of this pamphlet (in online contracts, they only need to provide a link). It's not the most reader-friendly publication, but it does contain important information. If you don't have Internet access, call the agency at 1-888-368-7238.
• Get bids from three reputable movers. A binding estimate means the price is locked in. A nonbinding estimate allows the company to charge you 10 percent more than the price quoted. When you're comparing costs, don't forget to factor in insurance. The standard coverage movers provide for broken or damaged goods is 60 cents a pound, which isn't going to do you much good if your prize possessions are damaged in a move. It's free, but your mover also has to offer you full-value protection insurance that will cover replacement costs for damaged goods. That costs extra. (See the insurance information at www.protectyourmove.gov to weigh your insurance options).
Many movers' contracts offer a nominal per-day payment to make up for inconvenience if they deliver late, but there's no federal rule that requires this. If you want a guaranteed date of delivery, you may be able to pay a fee to get a firm date.
• Don't rely on verbal promises. Ask the movers you're considering hiring to provide you with copies of their contracts (especially the bill of lading) so you can read the terms and conditions well before moving day.
• If you have questions about moving across state lines or want to file a complaint about a cross-country mover, visit www.protectyourmove.gov or call 1-888-368-7238.
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