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Fighting with a mover over quotes and damaged items is no fun. Moving to a new home can be a stressful enough, let alone running into a problem with a rogue moving company. Consumer organizations receive several complaints each year from people who are in dispute over delayed, missing, or damaged merchandise, or worse yet, their entire belongings being held hostage until the consumer pays a fee that is much higher than that quoted. Before you contract and agree to use a mover, look for some of these telltale signs that could signal trouble in the future. • A price that is too good to be true. • Requests for a large deposit or payment in full, before the move takes place and without an onsite inspection performed. • Company ads that lack the mover’s street address or other pertinent information such as insurance and bonding, professional affiliations, etc. To avoid running into problems with a move • Only deal with reputable movers and get estimates from more than one. Check out their reputation with state, federal, and local consumer organizations. • Make sure that the mover does an on-site inspection and get a written estimate of the charges and time needed for delivery. • Consider packing and moving some of your more fragile or valuable items on your own. If you run into a problem with a mover, contact the owner of the business first. If you get limited or no results, contact the state’s department of consumer protection, police, or our Call For Action office. You can also obtain free copies of some great moving brochures, “Protect Your Move” and “Tips for a Successful Interstate Move” by contacting the Consumer Information Catalog at www.pueblo.gsa.gov .