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"You Load/We Drive" moves are usually much less expensive than full-service moves. You control your moving costs by loading your items yourself within the space you reserve. Charges are based on space used and distance traveled; weight is not considered. Because you load your own shipment, you are primarily responsible if scratches, dents, and breakage occur, although your shipment is covered for damage caused by company negligence or catastrophes.
Full service moving companies do the loading, driving, and unloading for you and also pack your items if desired. However, these moves are usually much more expensive than self-moves. Charges are based on the weight of the shipment and distance traveled. Items are covered for damage caused by company negligence or catastrophes and you can also buy enhanced valuation coverage for scratches, dents, and breakage from the company.
Auto transport companies These auto transporters own their own trucks and have their own drivers. They are not brokers that would shop your move to the lowest bidder and keep you waiting until someone agrees to move your car. If you ship your car with them, you can talk to the driver so you will always know where your car is. They are not cut-rate operators, but reviews show that they have performed very well for customers at reasonable cost.
Auto transport brokers do not own their own trucks. They book your car with the actual carrier and charge a small fee (typically $150-$200) to do so. A good broker with many contacts can be very helpful. However, choose one like ProStar that works with high-quality carriers and will not just place your car with the lowest bidder. The broker should also stay on top of your move so you know where your car is and when it will be delivered.
International moving companies arrange for your goods to be seen and measured, packaged, moved to port or airport, transported internationally, and delivered. For safety, be sure that any company you contract with is licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC).
MovingScam-Approved Companies There are many good moving companies besides the few companies that are formally endorsed by MovingScam. The following companies are properly licensed and insured. They have numerous excellent, believable reviews and few or no complaints, showing that they are committed to providing high-quality moves. They have each assigned a person to help MovingScam customers with any problems that may arise.  
 
In view of this, MovingScam has given these companies its seal of approval. This seal of approval is a step below formal endorsement only because, as van line agents, they are not able to control every move from start to finish, although they are able to control moves that they do using their own trucks and drivers. Especially for the latter type of move, MovingScam.com recommends these companies with confidence.
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  The Blame Game

By Tim Walker
MovingScam.com

Companies We Endorse

The following are the only companies officially endorsed by MovingScam.com at this time. Our endorsement is based on the positive experiences of many consumers who have used them.

Move your cursor over the headings for a brief explanation of each type of company and then use the links to read reviews of the companies. Click on the company name to go to that company's website.

You Load/We Drive Companies:
 
Full Service Moving Companies:
 
Auto Transport Companies:
 
Auto Transport Broker:
 
International Moving Companies:
MovingScam-Approved Companies

If you've been reading the message boards here at MovingScam.com for very long, you may have seen someone post something like the following:

"Consumers who hire a mover based on price deserve to get ripped off."

That's what I call the blame game, and there are lots of ways it's played. Federal Authorities and representatives from national organizations have even tried to play that game with me as well as other consumers.

It sound's logical doesn't it? I mean if Big Moving Company quotes you $3500 to move you from Dallas to Boston, and Little Movers quotes you $1800 for the same move, then you're probably just asking for trouble by hiring Little Movers, therefore you deserve what you get right?

Wrong. The problem with the blame game is that it automatically makes several assumptions, and doesn't take into account some of the little known facts about Little Movers.

For instance, that statement, and ones like it, are made by people who know the moving business. These people deal with moves every single day. A consumer may hire a moving company a few times in a lifetime, and they hire a moving company to make their move easier, not to become experts in transport law.

Another problem with the blame game is that people who play it forget that the scam moving companies don't play by the same rules as the rest of us. They can put logos on their slick web sites saying that they are members of the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA) or the Better Business Bureau.

How would I know not to trust them? What makes the moving industry any less trustworthy than any other service industry? Now, if you owned a moving company and told your sales staff that they could make any promise to the customer that they wanted to and they have no obligation to keep those promises, do you think that you'll get more business than the honest company? You'd better believe it. These companies are professional scam artists using professional sales people with less than professional ethical standards.

What? You don't think that a professional sales person can explain away the $1700 price difference for the moving example that I used above? Hmmm... "We operate a small moving company that specializes in moves just like yours. We keep our advertising budget low by only advertising on the web site where you found us, and in the phone book. Big Moving Company pays millions of dollars every year to advertise nationally. We only have to maintain a small number of moving trucks, unlike Big Moving Company who has to maintain an enormous fleet of trucks and vans. Our sales and support staff consist of a small and dedicated group who will work with you through your entire move, unlike Big Moving Company who has to pay for a huge sales and support staff..." How am I doing so far?

The problem with the blame game is the same problem that infects the rest of the moving industry: The moving company holds all of the cards. All Little Movers has to do is get your belongings on a truck. That's it. That's all, and it doesn't matter how they do it. They don't have to play by the same rules the rest of us do, and once they have your belongings, the game is up and it doesn't matter who you blame.

 

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How to Find a Reputable Moving Company - Our Most Popular Article!
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Planning an International Move - Michael Zlotnik
Your Rights & Responsibilities When You Move - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
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GAO: Consumers Still Held Hostage by Movers.
Congress Protects Movers at Expense of Consumers - Joseph S. Enoch, ConsumerAffairs.Com
FMC Obtains Injunction Against International Household Goods Movers - Federal Maritime Commission
The hidden costs of moving - Liz Pulliam Weston, MSN Money
Phony Internet Moving Brokerages Take Consumers for a Ride - Cindy Skrzycki, Washington Post
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Don't get scammed by your mover - Liz Pulliam Weston, MSN Money
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