Is the moving company you sign up with a real moving company, or just a moving-company broker, which merely finds customers for real moving companies?

Well this is an easy one, right?

All you have to do is ask Priscilla, when she answers the phone, if the company that employs her, "AAA World Wide Trans Van Lines Moving Company", is a moving-company broker. And, of course, Priscilla will answer "Yes" if the company that employs her is a broker; and she will answer "No" if the company that employs her is not a broker.

Moving-company brokers have a bad reputation. They don't actually own any moving trucks. A definite negative in the furniture-moving business. So what do they actually do? They find a moving company for you (which is what you're suppose to be doing). And they will charge you for that. So what moving-company brokers actually do is find a moving company for you, and collect your money. Oh, and they lock you into a contract. (More on these pesky little side-issues in future posts.)

When Priscilla answers you, write down in your voluminous, well-organized notes: "No, not a broker (per Priscilla)". Be sure to underline "not".

This will help you to feel better when "Joe the Handyman & International Moving Company", whom you've never heard of, calls you and tells you when he will be picking up your furniture. Of course you will say, politely: "Who in the Sam Hill are you?"

Joe will tell you that he has been hired to move your furniture.

At this point you should say: "No -- we hired 'AAA World Wide Trans Van Lines Moving Company' to move our furniture."

Joe will then say "I don't know anything about that. Do you want me to pick up your furniture, or not?" Or else he will say, if he's feeling chatty: "Did you read your contract?"

And if you then follow Joe's advice, and read your contract, here is what you will find:

• "Customer has hired AAA World Wide Trans Van Lines Moving Company as a moving coordinator / shipper agent and not to handle or otherwise participate in a move. In acting as a shipper agent only, AAA World Wide Trans Van Lines Moving Company is not responsible for any acts or omissions of the carrier or its employees or agents. Customer must pursue the carrier for all claims for property damage and personal injury or death, including without limitation, any claims for damage to property, lost or stolen goods, delayed pickup or delivery, actions of estimators, drivers, packers or movers, or other types of claims."

Not a good sign when the broker feels a need to bring "death" into the equation.

Summary for your moving-company review of potential moving-company problems:

1. Ask your contact if her company is a moving-company broker. If they are, you might want to find another moving company.
2. If your contact states that here company is not a broker, as her to email you the contract that you will sign. If she won't until after you have given her a credit card number, you might want to find another moving company.
3. If you receive the contract, read it carefully, looking for phrases such as "moving coordinator", "shipping agent only", etc. If you find phrases like that, you might want to find another moving company.
4. Ask your contact if her company ever schedules too many moves, and is therefore "forced" to "subcontract" your move to another moving company, which you would know nothing about. If so, you might want to find another moving company.
5. Your best bet is to find a moving company for your move (whether an interstate move or an intrastate move), that owns it own trucks, and which does not "subcontract" their moves.