There is more to moving than just contacting a moving company and getting your things to your new home. There are people who have complained about bad moves and the frustration of dealing with them. It is therefore important that you know what your rights as a client are.
Many clients are not aware that the moving company should provide a booklet that has information about the rights and responsibilities of the client during the moving process. If your movers seem to have forgotten that one, they may need a little nudge. Read the information therein and learn about:
- The insurance cover a mover should have in place.
- What you need to do to limit the mover’s liability of your items.
- What binding and non-binding contracts are.
Need to Know
The law dictates that any mover working for you must provide you with a “Rights and Responsibilities” booklet. Therefore, a professional moving company will not even wait for you to demand one. They should not be moving your belongings if they have not furnished you with that.
Insurance
Your movers may have two types of moving insurance for you to peruse:
- Full Value Protection
- Release Value of 60 Cents per Pound per Article
These two are quite different and you need to be aware of the dictates of each to avoid conflict once the move is completed.
To ensure that you are not overcharged, ensure your moving company informs you of adequate forms of payment at the drop-off point once they have prepared for you an estimate. A non-binding contract may leave space for an unscrupulous mover to attempt a fast one on you. A binding estimate reduces the chances of any illegal activities such a mover may be intent on carrying out. You want to avoid issues at the end of your move which will leave you angry and frustrated, and most likely be seeking legal redress.
Legal Redress
Should you be put into such a position, that you have to file a court injunction against the moving company, you will need to revisit your Rights and regulations booklet. You will learn that you have nine months to file a claim against your moving company so that you can be reimbursed for any damages or losses you experienced during the move. If the nine-month window lapses before you have filed your claim, the company is no longer required to acknowledge your claim.
Before the moving commences, read the Rights and Responsibilities booklet that you were given by your mover and ensure that you fully understand what to expect from your moving company. There is a lot more information than this article has mentioned that you will need to acquaint yourself with. For instance:
- Information concerning the delivery of receipt.
- Requirements that the order of service should contain.
- The requirements of the Bill of Lading.
You can see now why it is important that you receive your Rights and Responsibilities booklet. There is a lot more in there that you will need to be aware of even after the moving company has completed their work and left.
A professional moving company will want to ensure that not only do you have your Rights and Responsibilities booklet but that you also understand what is contained within its pages. They will then go ahead to make sure that you have the best moving experience.
