Moving can be stressful. However, it can become a traumatic experience if you get a moving company that takes advantage of you.
A Cartersville woman said she learned a hard lesson in trusting people to move her belongings to her new home without a written contract and based on trust because the company was owned by a church pastor.
In the end, she paid $5,000 more than agreed and the company left her with the majority of her belongings broken.
The lady is an older woman well past retirement who decided to move to Cartersville from a city near Atlanta. The decision was made because of long-term church friends and associates she knew. She asked her friend about how to move her substantial amount of belongings and he said he knew of a pastor who had a moving company.
The deal was struck where the owner of the moving company would charge her $6,000 to move all her belongings to her new home. The money was to be paid after all the items were moved and placed in her new home. There was no written agreement as the woman thought being a church pastor was enough to trust him.
The woman said problems started when the pastor’s son-in-law, who ran the daily operations of the company, came to start loading her things. He demanded almost $2,000 upfront in cash. Her money was tied up in the house closing and the lady told him she was advised not to pull any money from her account. Yet, he continued to harass her about paying him. She borrowed money from a friend to pay him.
Additionally, there were items she wanted to discard. That was a separate negotiated deal where she paid $2,100 for the company to haul that away. She said the son-in-law kept demanding more cash almost daily preparing for the move, threatening to not move her unless she paid. Bank tellers saw her stress and began to wonder if this was a legitimate transaction but gave her the money she needed anyway.
The day of the move came and all the items were loaded on the truck and brought to the Cartersville home, arriving after dark. Things were being unloaded and the woman began to feel better about the ordeal being over. Then, the son-in-law made another demand.
He wanted the woman to pay the rest of the money in cash before he would finish unloading the truck. She told him it was late and she couldn’t get to the bank until the morning. He began to argue with her, saying he would take all the boxes already in the house and dump everything in the garbage if she didn’t pay.
A relative called the police and a Bartow County Sheriff’s deputy came out. However, both women said he wasn’t helpful and also bullied them with threats to arrest the relative who called.
She called her friend who connected her with the moving company and he called the pastor who owns the company advising him of the situation.
In the end, the moving company unloaded everything into the home but just threw everything everywhere without any order. They didn’t set up any beds and there was no space for either the woman or her relative to sleep. It was well after 9 p.m. and the two women had to makeshift a bed in the living room to get some rest.
Those from the moving company were back the next day to get another $3,600 from her. They followed her and her relatives to the bank and stood at the bank doors watching her as she got money from the teller. Bank officials were alarmed at the encounter because they felt it was a threatening situation for the woman. The woman said she was frightened by them and just wanted to end the dealings with them.
The total paid for the move was $11,000.
Additionally, she said about 60 percent of her items were damaged or broken including some antiques, a lamp, and more fragile items.
Those planning a move should have a checklist of what to ask for when considering a company. This includes:
- Checking online reviews. Many reviews are available through Yelp, Google Business, and individually under the company name.
- Understand what you need and hire movers for that need. Some movers specialize in short trips while others move across the country. This includes asking about specialty needs such as moving large pieces, pianos, antiques, and fragile items. Movers who do those things should have all the necessary equipment and experience.
- Get a copy of their business license and professional license. All companies should have a business license and movers typically have some type of professional credentialing as well. Research that and ask for it. Also, make sure the company is bonded.
- Ask if they have insurance. Movers will need liability to cover any employees injured while on your property either at the original home or the new home. A good moving company will also have insurance that will cover any of your items that are broken or go missing during the move. Some movers offer additional insurance to cover damage to valuables. Consider that carefully and get a plan.
- Pack small items yourself. Moving companies will usually have boxes for you to use for items and even wardrobe boxes for clothes. The more you can pack yourself, the lower the cost. It also ensures that fragile items, heirlooms, or more expensive items are packaged correctly.
- Take your most valuable items with you in your car. Don’t trust those to travel on a truck.
- Make an inventory list. Do this before the movers start loading. An easy way to do it is to number your boxes as you are packing your things. Make a written list of the numbers with a short description of what the box includes as you pack. That way you know how many boxes should be unloaded and can track down any missing boxes. Then, list all furniture items.
- Take pictures of all furniture and valuable items before packing them in the truck. This shows that they weren’t broken or damaged before they were loaded and will help you prove your case if they end up being damaged during the move.
- Read your contract well before signing. Understand how many hours are included in the work and exactly what your money pays for. Some companies will add extra costs for things not included in the contract that you thought were, like moving a piano.
Some can shortchange you on hours. You may assume the contract includes all hours until the work is done but the contract may say eight hours, which is likely an impossible feat in a move. Reading over the small print will reveal much and allow you to negotiate or find someone else. - Prepare for drop-off from the beginning. Asking the moving company how to label boxes so they go into the correct rooms makes a huge difference. Ask them to include setting up beds so everyone can sleep the first night after the move. This should be a part of the negotiations from the beginning when you are choosing a company.
Following these guidelines and asking many questions can help you avoid a situation like what this woman faced. Never pay a moving company employee during the move. That should be handled through the main office and never paid in cash unless that is agreed to upfront with the owner or someone in the main office. Be sure the contract is clear on when and how payments are made.