When the afternoon runs past the estimate
A local move can be priced for a morning and still be going after dark. The crew may arrive late or short-handed, the boxes may outnumber the list, or a sofa may refuse to turn the corner on the stairs. By the time the last carton is down, the bill can look very different from the estimate you signed.
Write the times down while you remember them
Before you sleep, make a note of what happened and when. Your phone's call log, texts and photos can help you fill the gaps:
- when the crew arrived, and when it was meant to arrive;
- how many people came, and how many the estimate named;
- when loading started and finished at the old place;
- when the truck left, when it reached the new place and when unloading ended;
- any breaks, second trips or waits for keys or an elevator.
Keep the note with the estimate and the bill.
A crew smaller than promised
If the estimate named a crew size and fewer people showed up, write down when you noticed and whether anyone explained it. Ask the company, by email, how a smaller crew was reflected in the hours billed, and whether the hourly rate on the bill is the rate for the crew that came or for the crew that was booked.
A load that outgrew the truck
Sometimes the truck fills before the house is empty. The crew may come back for a second trip, call in another truck or leave items for a later day. Each choice can add time or charges. Ask the company:
- Was the household count you gave reflected in the truck it sent?
- Who decided on the second trip, and when were you told?
- How was the extra drive time billed, and at what rate?
- If anything was left behind for later, when will it be picked up, and is that pickup on the same terms?
If the load grew because more items turned up than you listed, say so plainly in your note. It helps to be clear about which part of the gap came from your side.
Furniture that would not fit
A piece that will not go through a door or up a staircase can eat a lot of clock. If the crew spent time taking a door off its hinges, removing table legs or hoisting something over a railing, ask whether that time was billed at the hourly rate or as a separate charge, and whether the estimate said anything about it. If the piece never made it inside, ask the company what it recommends and what that would cost, in writing, before you agree to a return visit.
Reading an hourly bill against the estimate
Lay the estimate, the contract and the bill side by side, with your time note beside them. Check each line:
- Does the start time on the bill match when work actually began?
- Is drive time between addresses counted, and does the estimate say it would be?
- Are breaks included in the billed hours?
- Are packing materials charged by the piece, and does the count match what was used?
- Is there a fee for stairs, a long carry or a heavy item that the estimate did not name?
Circle anything you cannot match to a term you agreed to.
Asking about the extra time, in writing
Send the company one email with the circled lines. For each one, ask how it was worked out and which part of the estimate or contract covers it. Keep the tone plain and the facts in order. If a balance is still owed, settle it by card or check rather than cash, and file the receipt.
The license question
Whether or not you asked before booking, ask now: "What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?" Add the answer, and the name of whoever gave it, to your time note. While you are asking, request proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation.
The city's Water Treatment Plant
Running 24 hours a day, every day of the year, the city's Water Treatment Plant is a lime softening plant with a design capacity of 30 million gallons per day.
Damage noticed late in the day
Tired crews and dim rooms can hide a scrape until morning. As you unpack, give priority to cartons with crushed corners or fresh tape, and take a picture of any damage while the item is still where you found it. Walk the crew's path at both places in daylight, looking at corners, banisters and thresholds. Send the company one list with the photos, and ask how its claims process works and how long you have to file.
When emails stall
If replies stop, gather everything into one letter: the move date, both addresses, the estimate and the billed total, the lines you question, any damage, and what you are asking the company to do, with a date for a reply. Mail it in a way that gets you proof of delivery, and hold on to the originals of everything you enclose. If anything was damaged, a call to your homeowners or renters insurer can tell you whether your policy has a part to play.
Papers to keep together
Put the estimate, contract, bill, time note, license answer, photos, emails and receipts in one place, oldest on the bottom, and keep them until nothing is left open.
A short list for next time
- Sort first, then give each company the same household count.
- Ask for the crew size and the truck size in writing.
- Ask how drive time, breaks and second trips are billed.
- Note the arrival time and the crew count when the truck pulls up.
- Keep your own log of times through the day.