LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Moving is never fun but if you hire a bad moving company, it can be a nightmare. In some of the worst cases, you can end up paying a lot more than expected.
13 Action News Anchor Tricia Kean talks to the experts about the four steps to hiring movers.
"[It's] a terrible feeling," said Ginger Anderson. She knows what it's like to have a bad moving day.
She once hired a moving company who changed their estimate after loading everything in the truck.
"They charged us double what the estimate was... That was unfair. That was ridiculous," says Ginger.
STEP 1: FIND A REFERRAL
The next time she needed to move, Ginger asked around and found the Umbrella Movers.
"They were referred to us by some friends who just raved about them," she said.
That's the first step to hiring a mover. Ask a friend or read some reviews.
STEP 2: CHECK LICENSE
Once you find a company you like, step two is checking their license.
"If there's a company that is not under the NTA [Nevada Transportation Authority] or don't have a USDOT [U.S. Department of Transportation], then that sounds a little fishy to me," said Tony Quintanar with Umbrella Movers.
He says legitimate moving companies in Nevada have two things: One, a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, or CPCN, number issued by the NTA. Two, a license number with the USDOT.
"Do your right research. Make sure they're a legit company," said Quintanar.
It's easy to do. The NTA has a list online.
"Look up the company on our website to find out if they are a certificated carrier," said Todd Park, the NTA's chief enforcement inspector.
He says a lot of people aren't checking licensing and end up hiring bad movers.
"We've had a lot more complaints coming in. I would say within the last three or four months, it's gone up quite a bit," said Park.
STEP 3: PROOF OF INSURANCE
This leads us to step three. A licensed mover carries insurance, which protects the company and you.
"The insurance is required to get a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from our agency. They have to prove that they have insurance," said Park.
STEP 4: WRITTEN ESTIMATE
Once you confirm they're licensed and insured, you're ready for step four--getting an estimate.
"A written estimate is very vital to get right from the beginning," said Park.
Remember, a mover can provide a quote over the phone or online, but they're only legally bound to a written estimate.
As for Ginger, she admits she learned her lesson the hard way. But she's happy to know she's found a reliable company now.
"They do a fantastic job of wrapping everything, very careful when they're lifting things and moving things and they clearly care about what they're doing," said Ginger.
HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT
If you have a complaint involving a moving company, it's important to file an official complaint.
Click here if your move was within the state of Nevada. Click here if you're move was between different states.
