What dollar value would you assign to ...

• Your time, wasted waiting for hours ... weeks ... or worse after a mover promised to arrive and pack you up
• Your time wasted waiting -- without furniture or clothing -- days after they guaranteed they'd arrive at your new place
• The shock of hefty "hidden" costs demanded before they'll unload your possessions
• Your time, hunting around in an unfamiliar new area for a reliable repair shop or outlet to replace lost furniture, clothing, computers or other electronic equipment
• The distress of lost or ruined family heirlooms, photographs, other irreplaceable keepsakes
• Your time and frustration trying to settle claims for lost and damaged property

Because "best price" doesn’t exist in the moving business. All major movers, including Allied/Ryan, use a single rate book, Tariff 400-N. It's published by the Household Goods Carriers’ Bureau (HGCB), a committee of the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA). You'll see Tariff 400-N listed on every estimate you obtain from a reputable mover. It calculates how much should be charged to move a given weight of cargo a given number of miles. It takes into account the costs everyone has to face: packing, storage, transportation, etc. Rate increases are reviewed and approved by the Surface Transportation Board (prior to 1996 this was done by the Interstate Commerce Commission).

The only way someone can pack and move your goods for less is to offer a discount from the HGCB rate. Most movers, including Ryan, offer these, and the practice is fully legitimate. The size of the discount depends on their overhead, time of year, over-all volume of business, etc., but generally fall in the 50%-60% range.

HINT: Taking into account the Federal Government's Consumer Price Index (CPI), you as a consumer should be suspicious of any company offering discounts higher than 60%, because at that rate their revenues probably can't cover the basic costs of doing business. And that could mean that they're practicing Low-Balling . This means producing too low an estimate. And this isn't legitimate. It's meant to mislead you, the customer. Sometimes it's innocently done; inexperienced estimators often can't get it right. Sometimes, though, it's done on purpose to "hook" a customer who's looking only at cost. Eventually, the Low-Baller will force you to pay for the actual weight and miles charges. The estimate flies out the window.

'The good news is that you can recoup your moving costs by April 15th; they are tax deductible. Check with your tax preparer.

We weigh the van before pick-up (the "tare weight") and again after pick-up (the "gross weight"). The difference is the "net weight" for which you pay.

RYAN operates Fairbanks-Morse truck scales at our Irwin facility. They feature Tara Systems electronic read-out. Their accuracy is certified annually by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Ride and Measurement, Weights and Measures Division (BRMS).

If you request additional services -- or these are needed to insure a safe move -- costs over-and-above weight may apply. Ryan will give you a Binding Estimate so you'll know the exact cost of your move in advance. You'll have to tell the estimator honestly and precisely what you are shipping, but if you do, with Ryan you're 100% safe from surprises.

The media are constantly on the watch for juicy stories about crooked movers. Few companies are as bad as the one in this exposé (none around here), but it's worth looking at as you try to convince yourself that cheaper seldom means better!

We'll keep an eye open for more items like this one. E-MAIL us if you find any you think we should share.