Interstate movers used to be regulated by the Interstate Commerce Commission, but thanks to the ICC Termination Act of 1995, they are now under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation. Movers must register with the DOT and receive an identification number, but that does not mean they are "competent" movers, says John Grimm, director of the DOT's Office of Motorcarrier Information Analysis. "The license we give them makes them licensed movers, but only in the sense of their driving record. We do not have anything to do with evaluating their record as movers."

Because the DOT is mostly concerned with motor vehicle safety, complaints about damaged and lost goods often don't get anywhere. And the DOT does not have jurisdiction over local movers. In most states they are licensed by the state department of transportation, but some local movers are completely unregulated.

If a dispute arises, you may want to take the problem to a third party, advises Charles I. Underhill, senior vice president of alternative dispute resolutions at the Council of Better Business Bureaus. All movers are required, as part of the ICC termination legislation, to offer third party arbitration to consumers who claim lost or damaged goods valued at up to $1,000. Unfortunately, the offer does not extend to estimate fraud, in which a moving company knowingly gives you a bad cost estimate.

Your local Better Business Bureau likely keeps track of complaints against movers. There is a national BBB Web site that lists numbers. Luckily for residents of New York and Boston, however, those cities offer local BBB Web sites that list reliability and complaint reports about local moving companies. Cherico expects all 137 U.S. bureaus to have Web sites with local company information by the end of 1997.

2. "My Insurance Coverage Is Woefully Inadequate..."
Broken, lost or stolen possessions are the biggest complaints against moving companies. It's no wonder, with all that jostling, packing and unpacking. But interstate movers are liable for only 60 cents per pound; some local movers pay even less. Not surprisingly, movers often offer extra insurance for an extra price. There is Full Replacement Value, where you receive the amount you originally paid for the item, says Jerry DeSanto, director of information and investigations for the New York City Better Business Bureau. And there's also Assessed Value, a less expensive insurance option where customers and movers decide on the value of the items before the move takes place.

If you decide to buy insurance from the movers, be sure you know what you're getting. When Bruce and Nancy Sanderson moved the 26 miles from Rockland County to White Plains, N.Y., they agreed to pay Nice Movers an extra $80 for insurance. The salesman told the couple to pay the driver when he showed up -- but the driver wouldn't take the money.

That's when the trouble began. The driver accidentally released the hand-brake and the truck rolled into the Sandersons' deck and living room, smashing the furniture that was already loaded. Using a 30 cents-per-pound formula, Nice Movers offered to pay only $240 for what the Sandersons estimate is about $3,000 worth of damage. The Sandersons have sued, arguing that they tried to buy the extra insurance and couldn't. Nice Movers declines to comment.

3. "...And I Probably Won't Pay Your Claim Anyway."
There are lots of ways movers can sneak out of paying for the damage that they do. They'll insist that the objects were damaged before the move, for example. Or they will simply sit on insurance claims for months, hoping you'll run out of patience, warns Loretta Worters of the Insurance Information Institute, a trade group.

In addition, most movers won't insure anything you pack yourself. In order to insure your belongings, you're forced to hire the moving company to pack for you, which can easily double your moving bill. So people trying to save money usually pack themselves and forego the insurance. If you choose this route, make sure the mover is liable for lost or stolen goods. Also check with the company that wrote your homeowners policy. Many of these policies include "in transit" coverage that will reimburse you for lost or stolen goods, explains Worters. In addition, you can often add coverage for breakage and other moving damage for less than a moving company will charge you.

4. "My Estimate? Maybe It's In the Ballpark."
Before Interstate trucking was deregulated in 1980, most moving companies charged the same basic rates. Now prices are all over the place. Estimates for moving the contents of a three-room home from New York to Albuquerque, for instance, run anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000. "You need at least three estimates to get an accurate idea of what movers are charging," says Jose Gonzalez, a Hollywood, Fla., assistant attorney general who investigates moving complaints.

Whatever you do, beware the lowest bidder. Some movers lowball the bid to get your business, then demand more money on your new doorstep. Common ploys: claiming that "unloading" fees weren't included in the estimate, or insisting that you had more possessions hidden away in the garage, adding to the total weight of the move. A New York State Senate Investigations Committee found that while unregistered movers offer hourly rates as low as one-fifth of the rates charged by licensed movers, they routinely pad the bill by working slowly and adding hidden costs.

Interstate movers use two kinds of estimates. Binding estimates, for which many companies charge a fee, ensure that you'll pay no more than the estimate. General estimates, on the other hand, allow a mover to charge up to 10% more. These are a good idea only if you plan to sell or leave behind many large items and expect the total weight of your move to decrease. Never accept an estimate over the telephone -- a practice that in some states is illegal. It's impossible for a mover to get an accurate idea of how much he'll be hauling without looking at your goods -- and you have no written proof to back you up if your mover tries to charge you more. "Always, always, get it in writing," warns Jerry DeSanto of the New York City Better Business Bureau.

5. "I'll Probably Be Late and Good Luck Finding Me."
When you sign your moving agreement, you and the company will no doubt set a specific day for your movers to pick up your possessions and a specific day for them to arrive at your new destination. The first part usually goes smoothly. But getting to your new home on time is another story.

Sure, sometimes the delay is legitimate. Movers are plagued with the same problems that can cause a delay for any cross-country traveler, such as bad weather and snarled traffic. But there are other holdups as well. With most long-distance moves, you're sharing truck space with at least one other family. For all you know, that delivery could be in a city 500 miles out of the way. If your stuff is loaded into the truck first, you simply have to wait.

Movers are only obligated to telephone or telegram customers with a new delivery time. Unfortunately, you have no choice but to frantically rearrange your schedule around the mover's. If you don't, it's perfectly legal for the mover to sock you with extra storage costs.

About all you can do to avoid scheduling surprises is to ask the driver exactly how many loads he has, where he's going and, perhaps most important, where you are in the truck. Drivers will almost always have a better handle on arrival times than the agent that signs you up for the move. Once you have this information, you can at least try to plan accordingly.

6. "I've Got Leverage. Go Ahead, Dare Me to Use It."
If you get into a money dispute with your mover, he's got the upper hand -- since he's got your possessions. When Charles E. Hodge contracted the A Aachen Aalborg moving company for a local move in Pompano Beach, Fla., the written estimate was $560. But when the move was finally finished, the company claimed the job took much longer than anticipated and charged Hodge $1,353. Hodge balked. So the movers advised him (using "some of the worst language I've ever heard,") that his stuff would sit in storage and he would not get anything back until he paid $1,600 plus the cost of storage. Hodge had to take the company to court to get his belongings back.

Movers have been known to go even further. A few years ago, the New York City Better Business Bureau investigated a case where a woman had a terrible fright. When the movers arrived at the woman's new house they told her they wouldn't take her belongings off the truck unless she paid double the estimated cost of the move. Her response: "Fine, I'll unload the stuff myself." But when she jumped into the truck the movers locked her in. She wasn't released until neighbors, hearing her pounding on the inside of the truck, called the police.

7. "I'll Try to Extort an Outrageous Tip."
Even if your moving company doesn't try to pad the bill, you still may not be off the hook. The movers themselves may try any number of ways to get you to hand over your cash. Their tactics may be subtle -- pointed comments about the stifling heat or how heavy your stuff is -- or they may resort to outright threats. One couple who asked that their name not be used gave their three movers a $50 tip. They demanded $50 each or they'd break the stereo. In the end, the couple coughed up the extra gratuity.

One way to head off this problem is to ask the moving company beforehand what its movers typically make in tips. If they hit you up for more on moving day, deflect the blame onto the home office. And if that doesn't work, by all means call the moving company and complain. Since the money is going in the employees' pockets, not the owner's, firms are often quick to crack down on this practice.

8. "My Company Doesn't Exist."
Across the country federal and state regulators have noticed a rash of Yellow Pages and newspaper ads for illegitimate moving companies. Owners of these fly-by-night firms have never seen the inside of a moving van. Still, they'll come to your house, give you an estimate, then ask for a sizable deposit. Come moving day, they've disappeared with dozens of deposits like yours. These phantom companies usually specialize in local moves, for which people are more likely to sign up with an unknown name.

To avoid this scam, never agree to pay a deposit. It's also a good idea to check with your state transportation department to make sure the mover is licensed (although that won't guarantee it's a reputable firm). Or check with your local state attorney general's office. In addition, the Better Business Bureaus in most cities keep careful track of moving companies. If your local office hasn't heard of the company you're thinking about hiring, that should raise a red flag.

9. "I Charge a Lot Less For 'Off Peak' Moves."
Summer when the weather is cooperative and kids are out of school, is the busiest and most expensive time for movers. That's why they'll often offer up to a 30% discount on moves after Labor Day. Many will also charge less for weekday pickups and deliveries, but they rarely volunteer this information. You have to ask.

And while you're at it, negotiate a few extras. Movers often sell boxes and other supplies. But if you're willing to pack with used cartons, many companies will throw those in for free. That can save you a couple hundred dollars. Ask for free packing tape as well. A typical move for a five-room house runs through 10 to 15 rolls of the stuff. At $5 a roll and up, that can add up fast.

10. "I Often Hire Illegal Temporary Workers."
Moving is a migrant business in more ways than one. Moving companies often don't have enough staff to handle peak times, such as summer weekends. So they take on extra hands for specific jobs, often paying them off the books and far less than a staffer would make. This is especially true for local movers. Too often, these workers are inexperienced, says Jerry DeSanto of the Better Business Bureau in New York City. DeSanto says the bulk of complaints about extorting tips and damaged goods that come in to the bureau stem from illegal workers. Ask your mover who will be packing and unpacking you, and whether they're on staff full time.

• Tips for First-Time Home Buyers
• Before You Make an Offer, Inspect the Home
• Home Shopping Will Give You a Feel For the Marketplace

• Arbitrate, Don't Litigate, Your Neighbor Disputes