The carrier is required to contact you at least 24 hours
in advance of their arrival. Be present to receive your shipment
or have an authorized person wait on-site.
If the carrier is held up from completing the job, through
no fault of their own and basically waiting on you, you will
be charged accordingly. The carrier gives you a window of
2 free hours.
If you are not available to receive your shipment after
the 2 hours, your shipment will be placed into a storage
facility at your expense. This means you will have to pay
for a number of additional charges, including, but not limited
to:
- The effort it took to place your items into storage.
- The renting of the storage space.
- The time, manpower, and the truck that will be required
for the carriers to retrieve your items from storage and
deliver them to your place.
Read all paperwork carefully. Don't sign anything until
you are in full agreement with what is written. Does the
final price match the estimate that you were given? Write
down the carrier's reasons for any discrepancies.
The carrier has the option and legal right to bill you before
he unloads your items. If you refuse to pay, he has the legal
right to place your items into storage at your expense.
Unloading
- Check off the items on the inventory sheet, as they are
unloaded into your place.
- Check the condition of each item and look for any damages.
If you should find any damages to your items, write them
down in 'exceptions' column next to the item on the inventory
sheet. Take photographs if you must.
- If there is external damage to boxes that you packed
yourself, write it down next to the box number listed on
the inventory sheet. You won't know if there is damage
to its contents but in case there is, the poorly handled
boxes may help determine if the movers are liable. Save
all damaged boxes to help validate your claim.
- List all missing boxes and items.
- If it is stipulated in the bill of lading, make sure
the movers reassemble all items that they disassembled.
- If you notice damages or missing articles, it doesn't
help to argue with the carrier. Your claim must be filed
and settled with the moving company. Contact them immediately.
Request that they send a representative or hire an independent
adjuster to inspect the damage.
- Do not attempt to repair or polish any furniture that
is damaged. You may either cause further damage or alterations
to the scratches that make the damages look old.
- Call the moving company and request a claim form. You
must file your loss or damage claim against the moving
company within 9 months after your shipment has been delivered.
- Move-in day is a very busy time. You may not notice all
damages immediately. Don't think that you have to unpack
and scrutinize everything all in one day. Remember that
you have up to 9 months from the delivery date to claim
damage.
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Moving
Tip #35
DON'T polish your furniture! This makes the furniture slippery for the movers or yourself, also when the movers wrap pads around the furniture it can leave marks on the furniture where the pad was placed, do to buildup of cleaning residue!
