Are you planning on moving anytime soon?

Before you hire a mover, you may want to take a few precautions.
Karen Stiles of the TODAY’S TMJ4 Call For Action office has a few tips on how you can avoid moving day nightmares.

We see a lot of ads and moving trucks on the road, especially this time a year. Before you hire a mover, take some time to check out their reputation with consumer agencies, family and friends, or even property managers and realtors. They are often the first people to hear if something goes wrong.

To avoid having problems, get multiple, written estimates and make sure that the mover is fully aware of everything that you have to move. Watch out for companies that want a large down payment or will only provide estimates via the phone or internet. If you have items that are expensive or irreplaceable, such as family heirlooms or important documents, pack and move these things yourself.

Before the truck closes its doors and takes off down the road with your possessions, make sure that you do a final walk through of the premises, making sure that everything is moved out and accounted for. Check over the bill of lading and inventories to make sure that everything has been included and is correct. Most importantly, make sure that you have all of the contact information for the moving company, such as the phone number, the license number of the truck and if possible, a cell phone number for the truck driver. Also, make sure that they have your correct address and contact number as well.

If something is missing or broken, or the moving company wants to charge you more than what was agreed upon, contact the owner or manager of the moving company first, and try to negotiate a resolution. If this does not work, contact the TODAY’S TMJ4 Call For Action office or state or federal consumer agencies immediately. The longer you wait, the harder it could be to get things resolved to your satisfaction.