Georgia moving company rules

Estimates

An estimate is binding only if written on the DPS Uniform Estimated Cost of Services Form, which must say whether it is binding or non-binding. With a non-binding estimate, the mover must deliver once you pay no more than 110 percent of the estimate and must wait 30 days to collect any balance. With a binding estimate, charges for the listed goods and services may not exceed the estimate, and the mover must deliver once you pay it; added services you request or approve can be charged extra. All estimates must follow the DPS Maximum Rate Tariff.

Liability for loss or damage

Before the mover accepts your goods, you must choose in writing on the Addendum to the Uniform Household Goods Bill of Lading either released value protection at 60 cents per pound per article, at no extra charge, or full value protection based on current replacement value up to the amount you declare, for an added charge capped by the tariff. Loss or damage claims must reach the mover within 90 days of delivery, and the mover must resolve them within 90 days of filing.

Insurance or bond

DPS rules set baseline minimums of $100,000 bodily injury per person, $300,000 per accident, $50,000 property damage, $25,000 cargo per vehicle, and $50,000 cargo per occurrence, carried with an insurer licensed in Georgia. Proof of insurance must be on file with DPS, and a certificate becomes void if required insurance lapses.

Where to complain

• DPS complaint form for a household goods mover
• Georgia Attorney General Consumer Protection Division (deceptive practices only)
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (moves that cross state lines)

Other Georgia rules to know

• For moves under 50 miles, charges are based on the number of workers and hours; for longer moves, they are based on weight and distance.
• The mover must give you the DPS moving guide pamphlet and get your written acknowledgment that you received it.
• DPS generally cannot help with a complaint when the pickup and delivery are both within the city limits of the same incorporated city; those disputes go to magistrate court or a private attorney after a claim with the mover.
• The Attorney General's office handles mover complaints only when they involve deceptive practices such as false advertising; DPS handles other in-state complaints.
• Ask for the mover's DPS certificate number, which should appear on its paperwork and advertising.