When the total is not what you expected
A moving bill can come in higher than you planned, carry a line you do not recognize, or include a charge nobody mentioned on the phone. Whatever the cause, a steady, written approach can help: gather the papers, read each charge, ask the mover to explain it, and keep a record of every reply. A sum still in question can then go to the company in one clear letter.
At the door, before you sign
- Read the delivery paperwork before signing, and ask the crew lead to explain any charge you did not expect.
- If you sign while a charge is still in question, ask whether you can note that on the paperwork, and keep your copy.
- Pay by card or check, or another way that leaves a trail, and hold on to the receipt.
- Write down the time, the names of the crew members and what each person said.
- Photograph every page as signed.
Connecticut's rule on filed rates
Under Connecticut's General Statutes, Connecticut household goods carriers must file an exact schedule of their rates and charges with the Commissioner of Transportation, and may not charge any amount greater or less than the rate in that schedule.
With your bill in hand, ask the mover in writing:
- Which rates and charges in your filed schedule does each line on my bill come from?
- Can you send me a copy of the part of the schedule that applies to my move?
- How was each quantity on the bill counted, such as hours, crew members or packing materials?
Set the replies beside the bill and the estimate, and mark any line you still do not follow.
A fuel line on the bill
CTDOT's Regulatory and Compliance Unit says that as of 1/2/2023 it no longer approves a fuel surcharge as part of a household goods mover's tariff.
If your bill or estimate shows any charge labeled fuel, ask the mover in writing what that charge is and where it comes from, and keep the answer in your file.
Back to the ad you answered
Connecticut law (Sec. 13b-396a) requires a printed advertisement for a household goods carrier to conspicuously state the carrier's CTDOT certificate number and any permit or registration number issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Find the flyer, mailer, directory listing or other printed ad that led you to the company, and keep it with your bill. Copy down the name, the phone number and any numbers it shows, and set them beside the details on your paperwork. Then ask the company: "Does this move call for a CTDOT household goods certificate, and if so, what is your certificate number?" Note the reply, the date and the person who gave it.
Damage found while unpacking
Some damage only shows once a carton is open. As you unpack:
- set aside any box that arrived crushed, damp or retaped, and open it with your phone ready to take pictures;
- keep the wrapping and the carton with a damaged item until the company says it has seen enough;
- look over furniture in good light, including undersides, legs and corners;
- check floors, walls, railings and door frames at both homes for marks from move day;
- send the company one email listing what you found, and ask for its claim form and how long you have to file.
Writing the dispute letter
Aim for a single page. Include the move date, both addresses, the estimate total and the billed total, each charge you question and the reason, any damage items, what you are asking the company to do, and a date by which you would like a reply. Attach copies of the estimate, the bill of lading, the final bill, photos and receipts, keeping the originals yourself. Send it in a way that shows when it was delivered, and keep a copy.
If the company stops answering
After your reply date passes, send a short follow-up that restates the request and attaches the first letter. If that brings nothing, you can ask CTDOT whether it can look into a complaint about a household goods mover, and ask a consumer agency what other routes are open. Call your homeowners or renters insurer too, and ask whether any part of a loss falls under your own policy.
Where Waterbury's water is treated
The city's water is treated at the Harry P. Danaher Water Treatment Plant in Thomaston, a conventional treatment facility the Bureau of Water says can produce more than 35 million gallons a day.
The file to keep
Keep the ad, the estimate, the bill of lading, the final bill, your inventory, the photos, every email and every receipt together, in date order. Hold on to the whole set until the bill and any claim are settled, and add each new reply as it comes in.
A checklist for the week after delivery
- Compare the bill with the estimate, one line at a time.
- Ask the mover which filed rates each line comes from.
- Ask about any charge labeled fuel.
- Save the printed ad and ask the certificate question.
- List any damage and ask for the claim form.
- Send one written summary with a reply date.