Making sure your belongings will arrive to your new home is often very frustrating or very expensive, and if you are really unlucky both can happen. Should you hire a moving company or plan and move yourself?
Why would you move yourself? For many the answer is simple, I cannot afford to pay anyone to do it. Other than looking to save money many choose to move and pack themselves because they may have had a bad experience with a moving company or do not trust any one with their valuables (stuff).
In America moving companies are goerned by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), part of the Federal Department of Transportation (DOT). The FMCSA has only nine investigators handling the thousands of complaints against US moving companies each year.
Most of the complaints against the moving company are ignored while the consumer becomes a statistic with no action taken against the moving company.
When Congress dissolved the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) in 1995, they also removed the authority from the FMCSA to step in on a consumer’s behalf if they are taken advantage of by a moving company. In other words, they don’t have the authority to help you even if they want to.
If an investigation does occur, it takes months if not years for the FMCSA to take action and they can only fine the company not recover damages to you.
There are in fact laws governing moving companies, but the moving industry is unique in having special privileges and protections that no other industry could even imagine enjoying.
When looking for a moving company always get references and remember BUYER BEWARE!
