Moving day. When you say it, it already sounds somewhat stressful. There are a lot of things that could go wrong when you’re relocating. Moving mistakes happen, especially if you want to do everything yourself. No wonder more and more people hire professionals to help them. When you find the right moving company, you don’t have anything to worry about, right? But what if you’re wrong? What if the deal with the company you chose turns out to be a fraud? Don’t panic! There is a solution to every problem. And we’ll help you out with some instructions. A guideline to filing a complaint against a moving company – how to do it?
Take a deep breath and prepare your fingers
Oh, there’ll be some typing, so crack your knuckles. But have in mind that you’re not alone in this. According to the Better Business Bureau, there are almost 6,000 complaints against movers per year. And there are different reasons: damage, shipments being held hostage, loss, scams. But before you start filing a complaint against a moving company, check if there have been any potential misunderstandings with the movers.
Filing a complaint against a moving company
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to protect your belongings during the move, especially the fragile items, they can get damaged. And that’s just one of the reasons to complain about your movers. Here’s a short list of things that usually lead to a complaint:
- damaged items
- lost items
- late delivery
- excess/unexpected charges
- rogue mover
So let’s proceed to the steps to take when filing a complaint.
Check your contract
Review the terms and conditions of your contract. Find the agreed price. Check if there’s any time limit to fail a complaint. Look if you have to notify the company about the damage and if there’s a limit on the amount of money that can be claimed.
Contact your movers
Get in touch with your moving company and try to explain the problem the best way possible. That’s the fastest and the most efficient way to solve the problem. Note the date you initially contacted the company and describe your complaint. Sometimes it’s necessary to prove what has happened, which leads us to the next step.
Gather evidence of your claim
Photograph anything that can back up your claims. Also if you talk to them on the phone, make sure to send them an e-mail in which you’ll repeat what you talked about and to what conclusion you came to. That way you’ll have everything documented: when and to whom you talked (time, date, person), and what was the outcome. Just in case you need to show it to someone.
File a moving complaint
In some cases, just talking to a moving company is not enough. But don’t worry! There are other resources at your disposal:
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration – in case of a state-to-state move, you can file a complaint online or over the phone
- American Moving and Storage Association – if your mover is a member of the AMSA, you can notify their group about your issue
- Better Business Bureau – file a complaint, and it will be forwarded to the moving company within two days. If they do not receive an answer within 14 days, they’ll send it again
What else can you do?
In most cases, filing a complaint against a moving company should do the work. But sometimes, it doesn’t work that way. In that case, make sure to write a review, so that other people know what to expect. And the next time, try finding verified professional movers, to avoid scams and unwanted expenses.