May 14 • General discussion
Moving Brokers: Beware!
Beware of “moving brokers”.
When people make the decision to move long distance, because it happens so infrequently, they often log onto the internet and begin searching for information. Perhaps they google “how much does it normally cost to move from Las Vegas, Nevada to say Houston, Texas. They will get pages of search results offering “move calculators” or online estimates. None of these results are actual moving companies. They are lead generation companies. They all require the end user to put in their contact information which they sell to moving brokers.
Immediately their phone will begin to ring nonstop. If you have done this, you know exactly what I am talking about. These salespeople normally represent themselves as actual moving companies, or if they do disclose they are brokers they represent their services as a positive, that they have a lot of moving companies at their disposal and they can help their customers get the best rates. On the surface it sounds great, top-notch service at rock bottom prices. Who wouldn’t want that?
The truth behind the broker service. First off, these people are good salespeople. They usually begin with a short inventory of what the customer needs to move cross country. Next, they throw out bigger numbers as a baseline to say what the move “normally would cost”. Then comes the discounts, “sir, today we are offering a 25% discount for all moves booked today”. Are you a senior citizen? Veteran? First responder? Government employee? Do you have green eyes? Brown hair? Man? Woman? Child? The discounts go on and on. Then comes the close… Mam, we are only able to offer all these discounts today. We need a deposit to hold your spot because tomorrow the rates will go way back up. You get the idea.
That moving deposit is the only money that the broker gets out of the transaction. They send you the quote in writing with a big emphasis on the quote amount. It usually is the largest thing on the page and the most eye-catching. What they put in small print is that you’re contracting them per pound, or per cubic feet. The brokers then post your move on an internet load board specifically for moving companies. Any moving company can select your load and get transferred the contract. What that means to you is at the end of the day, you have no idea who is supposed to show up to your house to do your move.
Here is where things get ugly. First off, nobody outside the moving industry walks through their house and says to themselves “yup, I definitely have about 865 cubic feet”. Or “yeah, I for sure have 9,435 lbs. worth of household goods. No one knows that! You have relied on the guy on the phone to tell you how much you have. So, moving day arrives and the truck and the crew show up (hopefully). They load everything you own into their truck. Then they either go re-weigh the truck or show you how many cubic feet your stuff occupied. It is then that you realize that your quote that showed up in a big bold reasonable amount is completely irrelevant! They show you that in the contract you signed you agreed to $9.25 per cubic foot. They estimate from the broker may have said 750 cubic feet ($6,937.50) but your belongings clearly occupied 1,200 cubic feet of space on the truck. It is only at this moment that you realize that your moving bill is now $11,100! All your stuff is already on their truck and they’re showing you the contract you signed. Right after that, they jump in the truck and drive away. They will not give you your stuff back until the bill is paid in full, usually in cash before they agree to open the doors of the truck to unload your belongings.
You may be so upset you call the cops! You have just been completely taken advantage of. The police or sheriff will be happy to come out and explain to you that you signed the contract, it is a civil matter, and your only recourse is to sue the moving broker. These companies get sued all year long. They rack up judgements against them month after month and at the end of the year they simply file bankruptcy and open the next day under a new name and start all over again. It’s a vicious cycle and they take advantage of a lot of people.
Things you can do to protect yourself:
1) Require an in-home estimate. Most of these brokers are based in Florida. For whatever reason Florida’s laws are very lenient towards moving brokers. They can’t and won’t come to your house.
2) Verify they are an actual carrier. (an actual moving company) A simple google search of the companies name asking for their DOT and MC number will direct you to a website called safer.fmcsa.dot.gov with their company information. It will show you the number of units (trucks) they operate. If they’re a broker, they will have a DOT number but not an MC number.
3) Make sure they have a local office.
4) Check their reviews and ask if you can contact previous customers to ask them about their experience.
5) Ask who in your social media world has had a good experience with a certain moving company. Those are probably the best sources of who to hire as the moving company has no way of affecting anyone’s opinion in your sphere of influence.
They say next to death of a loved one and divorce, buying and selling a home and moving is one of the most stressful, arduous experience a person can go through. Hopefully this information will contribute to a less stressful experience and make your transition to your new home a lot less painful.
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Moving Brokers: Beware!
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