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In article <1992Sep19.094719.20778@panix.com> mara@panix.com (Mara Chibnik) writes:
>
>I'm looking for recommendations for a local mover in NYC.
>(The move is four blocks.)
>
>I'd like to hear about good and bad experiences.  Post or email;
>I'll summarize.

Well, here's my little two cents from the last time I saw this question here...
Whatever moving company you choose, or are thinking of choosing, run down the
checklists below and then make sure they have a valid license and that there
aren't too many outstanding complaints filed against them.
---

There is a large number of sleazy operators in the moving world.  You
definitely want to avoid them, since they may steal from you, lose or
damage your property without recompense, or otherwise mess around with
your life at a time when you least need such distractions.

Things to look out for -- 

	A moving company without an established address (e.g., just a beeper
number or a residential phone)
	A moving company that does not answer the phone with their name
(there may be several sleazy operations at the same phone number)
	A moving company that does not include their state DOT license
number in their advertising, or does not disclose it upon inquiry.
	A moving company that sends an estimator to your house who
then offers you a great deal if you only put down a deposit now.
	A moving company who turns out to be a single operator who
rents a van and calls in a couple of buddies when he has a job.

When you've narrowed your list down to a handful of companies, call up
the local state DoT office and ask for the inspector who monitors moving
companies.  The last time I checked, in New York City it was a Mr. Smolen
working out of the state DoT office in Queens.  They will tell you if
any of the prospective companies you are looking at have valid licenses
or have had complaints posted against them in the last few years.

I got slightly screwed by one moving company (who stole a Walkman during
the move) and found out afterwards that he had no license.  Since then,
I check with the state DOT.  The other tips are what I learned from
making a lot of phone calls and getting suspicious based on how they
answered the phone or responded to my questions -- when I checked with
the inspector, almost all the companies I was suspicious of turned out
to have license problems (or no license at all).
-- 
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