Consumer Blog

If you're relocating soon and looking for a moving company, here are some tips:

• As with any business, work with companies known to you or recommended by someone you trust. Don't do business with a stranger, based on a good price quote, Web site or nice-looking ad in the phone book. You can check for complaints against a company using our KnowMO database or with your local Better Business Bureau.
• Get at least two estimates and three if possible.
• Consider a binding estimate. That means you and the moving company agree in writing on a price, and that's what you pay. If it's non-binding, you will likely be hit with a bill that's larger than the estimate.
• Ask what kind of payment the mover requires. Some consumers find that after their belongings have arrived at the new home, the moving company tells them they have to have a cashier's check or else they won't unload the stuff. If it's 6 p.m., you won't find a bank open to give you a cashier's check.

You may have heard horror stories about movers who hold belongings hostage while they ask for more money. Researching their background and getting a binding estimate should help prevent this.

The federal government has a Web site with tips and consumer rights. Also, the industry has a Web site with tips.