By Chris Noblit - Your highest weight estimate is your most accurate weight estimate! This statement fly’s in the face of the number one rule of purchasing: throw out the high estimate, throw out the low estimate, and go with the middle estimate. But if we dig a little deeper we will find out why this common rule of purchasing does not hold true for moving cost estimates, and here’s why...

All movers use one single set of industry standard measurements ....

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By Christopher Noblit - According to moving and relocation industry professionals there are 10 sure fire ways a consumer or business can determine if they will be satisfied with the company they select to handle their move to a new home or office.

Here are the 10 ways you can spot a qualified mover that you can trust...

1) Avoid booking your move with a internet based moving broker, most of whom hand your move over to a different company, a company you have ....

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By Michael Perkins - This page is dedicated to providing helpful tips for people who are planning to make a move of their household goods and personal effects. Included are tips for moving and storage, Van Lines, moving locally, interstate within the U.S. and international forwarding. In todays market place, a person who needs moving services can feel intimidated.

You have to trust all your worldly possessions to some company and hope they deliver them ....

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The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) wants to make sure you have the information you need to "Protect Your Memories. Your Money. Your Move." from moving fraud. The best defense against moving fraud is to be informed and aware of your options when choosing a reputable moving company. While most household moves go smoothly, there are dishonest or “rogue” ....

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Summary: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) regulations protect consumers on interstate moves and define the rights and responsibilities of consumers and household goods carriers. The household goods carrier (mover) gave you this booklet to provide information about your rights and responsibilities as an individual shipper of household goods. Your primary responsibility is to select a reputable household ....

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By Christopher Noblit - A customer recently expressed confusion as to how she might be able to make an "apples-to-apples" comparison of the many moving cost estimates she had obtained. While on the face of it the different wording, terms, and conditions of multiple mover estimates may be confusing, getting an apples-to-apples comparison of each movers cost is not difficult...but first we need some background information ....

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By American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry - Moving to a new community may be one of the most stress-producing experiences a family faces. Frequent moves or even a single move can be especially hard on a youngster, and this stress occurs even when there are siblings.

Moves interrupt friendships. To a new child at school, it may at first seem that everyone else has a best friend or is securely involved in a clique. The child must get used to a ....

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Table of Contents Introduction Materials You Will Need Some Things To Consider Packing In The Kitchen Packing Flatware Packing Cups And Glasses Goblets And Stemware Packing Small Kitchen Appliances Packing Pots And Pans More Kitchen Packing Tips Packing Tall Table Lamps Lamp Shades Packing Pictures Miscellaneous Packing TipsIntroduction

This document was prepared to give you some valuable and helpful tips ....

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An Opinion By Christopher Noblit - Abstract: "The author suggests that most Internet-based household moving brokers add an additional (and unnecessary) layer to the household relocation. This additional layer reduces overall household relocation quality, reduces the efficiency of consumer/service provider communication, and reduces service provider profitability. As a result, it is inadvisable for van lines, van line agents, or independent ....

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"Accidents Happen." But what most homeowners don’t realize is that if a worker is injured on their property, it is you -- the homeowner -- who can be held liable for all medical costs unless the employee is covered by workers compensation insurance. Hospital bills for serious accidents can be extraordinarily expensive and homeowner’s insurance policies normally exclude such injuries.

Here is a true story (based on the 2002 California ....

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Guest author Michael Maffucci talks about ethics and professionalism in the moving industry and explains ways in which private consumers can select a reputable mover. In addition to being a Certified Public Accountant, Michael is President and owner of Austin Verity & Son, an 80 year old professional Long Island moving and storage firm. Michael is also Vice President of The New York Movers and Warehousemens Association and The Long ....

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Time to vent, and I must preface this writing by apologizing to all the many professional COD/Private Transfer interstate household goods sales representatives out there: you have all heard these tales and battle this nonsense every day. Perhaps the problem is regional; it seems that in our market area (metropolitan New York - specifically Long Island, NY) the sales competition is at times underhanded, and at worst downright dishonest. Low estimates, ....

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By The International Society of Appraisers

Table of ContentsMake an Educated ChoiceISA Training Makes an Important Difference to You!Seven Questions to ask When Hiring an AppraiserA Competent Appraisal Report Has:Do not Accept an Appraisal if:Test your "Appraisal IQ"Make an Educated Choice, There’s Too Much at StakeWhenever there’s a question about the value of your personal property, there’s also a risk involved.It may be ....

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First, set a date and time when you can devote your full time to this sale, for gathering up various articles as well as being able to attend the sale full time.Second, plan just what you’re going to put in this sale, if you are going to have the sale alone, or with two to five more families.Third, have plenty of change on hand - both silver and paper money.Now, get down to business. A sale is work - a lot of hard work, but the returns more than justify ....

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Overview - The Household Goods Descriptive Inventory If any of your household goods are lost or damaged while in permanent storage, storage-in-transit, or during transportation, it is the customer’s responsibility to correctly document that such loss or damage occurred while the shipment was in the mover’s care and custody. This is accomplished with the "Household Goods Descriptive Inventory,” a document that is prepared by ....

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Although every effort is made to handle all your belongings with care, occasionally an item may be lost or damaged while in transit of storage. Atlas offers you several levels of liability protection should anything happen while your shipment is in Atlas’ care and custody. The cost to you varies with each level of protection. This is not insurance coverage. Rather, it is an agreement between you and your Carrier as to your carrier’s liability ....

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Movers like to say that comparing estimates is like comparing apples to apples -- but it doesn’t always work out that way. You did what you were supposed to do. You let three sales reps from three companies traipse through your house, eyeballing everything you have -- only to come up with three estimates that aren’t even close. Here’s what often goes wrong when getting an estimate -- in no particular order of blame. The customer underestimates what’s ....

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By Ken Gallacher, Specialized Repair Company - American Moving & Storage Association - While seated on the witness stand in court, a judge once asked me, "How can you tell if damage to furniture is transit related or not?" Even though the judge was satisfied with my lengthy reply, have never found a simple, pre-packaged answer to that question when challenged by a shipper who disagreed with my findings; especially when it involves damage caused ....

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Dogs, cats, and most other warm-blooded animals transported in commerce are protected by the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) enforces this law.

APHIS’ shipping regulations help ensure that people who transport and handle animals covered under the AWA treat them humanely. Airlines and other shippers are affected by regulations established to protect the well–being ....

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"SPLIT LIABILITY" - THE BAD NEWSWhen a local moving company/agent visits your home to provide you with a moving estimate, and you advise the agent’s representative that you are want to place you goods into storage, you need to understand (because it is most likely that you will not be told) that you are really dealing with two (2) separate moving companies. The local moving company/agent (acting as a representative of their van line) will accept your shipment ....

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Professionalmoving and storage companies rarely cause significant damage to goods that are placed into their care and custody. However, it is in your best interest to know the protection options are available to you so that you can make an informed decision about the liability you want your moving company to accept. Here are the options that are available to you...

Automatic Transportation ProtectionFor hourly basis moves, protection ....

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By Christopher Noblit - Taken at face value, a binding estimate can appear to be a very attractive to consumers. However, a flat-rate or not to exceed Binding Estimate can easily be employed as a scam-tactic to lure consumers with a price guarantee, only to become a bait and switch tactic on moving day. I like to refer to this as "the myth of the binding estimate." Allow me to expand on this thought if I may.

All too often consumers ....

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By Ronald V. Claussen - Storage Specialist, MTMC - Mr. Ronald V. Claussen, a storage specialist at MTMC (Military Traffic Management Command), wrote an article about MILDEW, that was first published in Translog Magazine. Translog is a monthly publication by the Military Traffic Management Command. The article is being presented here for your use. Statistics are not readily available on the extent of mildew damage to personal property. While all ....

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