Movers need to know their rights and responsibilities before they hire professional movers, or they risk being taken for a ride as one family in Florida did last year. The family still shudders when they think about the problems that quickly ran out of control when they hired a Florida moving company to handle their relocation.

Despite the fact that Florida, as well as national, law states that companies must have proper licensure and insurance, plenty of consumers are still running into trouble. Even if the company has all the right paperwork, many people are finding that problems still come up. For the family, not knowing their rights cost them over a thousand dollars.

The contract for the move stated that the entire project would cost three thousand dollars, and it was signed and in writing. When the truck pulled up into the parking lot, however, the tune had changed. The family was presented with a new invoice, with a much higher price. The driver also stated that he required a few hundred dollars in cash as a tip before he would start unloading the goods. Faced with the loss of their entire life’s worth of things, the family felt they had no choice but to pay up.

Consumer service groups are trying to spread the word that these practices are wrong. What this family did not know is that they could have had the driver arrested on the spot, as he was trying to charge an illegal ransom for their goods. What’s worse, this Florida moving company is not the first to try this ransom tactic.

For those who are thinking of moving soon, knowing the laws and your rights can save you from problems such as this. Should you run into a problem like this, you should call the police immediately. This action from the moving company is just plain illegal. According to federal laws, if the price that the move costs is in excess of your contract or estimate, you are only obligated to pay ten percent over the original estimate on the day of delivery. The rest can be paid in payments over the course of time.

It is also vital for consumers to realize that they should never pay cash to any mover. “Always leave a paper trail and pay with a credit card or money order” says Janet Steniley. Having this trail will allow consumers to see money that was paid and the date it was paid on in the event that court needs to be brought into the picture.