How to file a claim against a moving company

Moving can be complex, and part of that process is learning to file a claim against a moving company. Everybody knows that relocation is a multi-faceted event. With many factors working in unison to create a painless experience. At least, that’s the plan. However, as everybody also knows, moving is not perfect. There are simply too many things to take into consideration. And creating that perfect moving plan is simply not possible. You cannot plan on life to happen, and that’s why sometimes… Accidents happen. A belonging gets misplaced, a glass gets shattered. However, sometimes a moving company can be really grueling. Unprofessional and not friendly or helpful. Although that doesn’t mean you have to endure such treatment. You can always file a claim against a moving company. And that’s exactly why we have written this article!

Why should you file a claim against a moving company?

There are plenty of mistakes that can happen during a move. However, when is the time when enough is enough? Where do you draw the line? We here at Homegrown Moving and Storage Company CO recommend these types of scenarios when you should lodge a claim:

Scenario number 1 – Movers damaged your belongings

Imagine the following happening. You have just hired a moving company to provide you with some packing services. However, after the move has happened and you’ve started unboxing all your belongings you realize that one of your precious family heirlooms was damaged. What should you do now? Well, it’s rather simple. Immediately after you found out about the damage, take a photo of any breaks, cracks and the like and send it to the moving company.  Hopefully, they will be able to work everything out with you. However, what should you do if they do not want to help you? Don’t worry, keep reading on.

Scenario number 2 – file a claim against a moving company because of cost

We have a lot of experience with commercial movers Denver. Also, we take pride in our low-cost moving quotes. However, we are aware that some moving companies offer ridiculously cheap moving quotes. The reason they do this so that they can smoke out the competition and get hired for the job. However, once they do get hired, they bombard you with unexpected costs. Leading you in the end to pay much more than you’ve anticipated. Do not fall for this ploy. It is simply unacceptable. This is a great reason for failing a claim against that moving company.

Scenario number 3 – the moving company was late

Even the companies that offer the best moving services can be late sometimes. It’s the nature of the job. Weather, technical difficulties with the truck, etc. There are many reasons why a moving company can be late. So don’t immediately jump to the conclusion that they proceeded unethically. We recommend that you always give them a ring first, and try to inquire about why they are late. Before actually filing a complaint. Sometimes there is nothing they can do about it. So with that being said, if for some reason they do not answer your calls, or had no justified cause for their being late, you know what you need to do.

How to file a claim against a moving company

We have mentioned above the three most common reasons why you should file a claim against your moving company. However, those are not the only reasons when you need to do that. There are plenty of examples we didn’t mention. For instance, the movers were being rude and disrespectful, they worked slow, etc.  As these reasons in-and-of-themselves require a special blog post just to be sufficiently elaborated. However, the meat of this article is not those when, but how. How to actually file a claim against a moving company. That’s why we present to you the following.

Try to resolve things peacefully.

Right so, before we delve deep into muddy waters we recommend that you try to resolve any dispute you might have with the moving company peacefully. This will save both parties a lot of effort, time and money. This might actually mean that in order for them to take you seriously you file a complaint officially, to the company, through propper channels in writing. However, if they ignore you, it’s time to take this to the next step.

File a claim against a moving company by contacting the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

So if your movers didn’t pay much attention to you, it’s time to seek help from the government. What we mean by this is that you are going to go through the proper channels which will force the moving company to either formally deny or accept your claim. This is done by firstly, filing a claim with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. They will give a period of 120 days for the moving company to acknowledge your claim or for them to deny it.

What if that doesn’t work?

What will happen if nothing of the above gives productive outcomes? Are you doomed? Thankfully, no. You still have one option remaining – the Court. However, if you do decide you want to take it up this road, you might want to consult with a legal representative so they can give you a calculation of the costs of the trail. Since the actual cost of the trail will in most cases outweigh the compensation the moving company needs to pay.

The best way to file a claim against a moving company is prevention!

However, a take-away piece here would be prevention is better than cure. Okay, but how does that translate to this situation you might ask? Well simple. Find reliable movers from the get-go and you won’t be having any problems later down the line.