Terms of Service

Company terms last updated: 23 May 2022.

Who you are dealing with

Gotham Moving Systems, 295 Greene Ave Ste 2, Brooklyn, NY 11238, phone 212-732-1234. USDOT 3453789, MC 1125197.

Rescheduling or canceling

• You can cancel an estimate or order, and your deposit is fully refunded, if you cancel before the scheduled pickup date.
• Once the physical moving services have started (packing, loading, storage, or transportation to or from the pickup or delivery address), the order cannot be canceled and the deposit is not refundable.
• Moving services cannot begin until you sign the contract for service, the bill of lading, authorizing us to start.

Payment

• A 10% deposit is required when you book, paid by credit card (Visa or Mastercard) and processed by Fast Movers Group (FMG), our accounting department.
• Before pickup, 55% of the balance is due in cash, money order or bank check.
• At delivery, the balance is due before unloading, by Post Office money order or cash only.
• We may collect up to 80% of the balance before your goods leave the origin state.
• Subject to federal law, all charges must be paid in full before delivery and before unloading, subject to the 110% rule where it applies. All charges are based on full tariff rates.

Packing your goods

• You are responsible for packing all boxes and fragile items (glass, mirrors, marble and electronics) unless your estimate says otherwise.
• For health and sanitary reasons, mattresses, box springs and futon pads must be protected in a mattress box or a plastic cover. Personal belongings in plastic bags are not allowed on the truck.
• Packing supplies are not included in the transportation cost and are charged if needed.
• Elaborate furniture that has to be taken apart or put back together may need a third-party professional or extra labor. Tell your estimator in advance so it is on the estimate.
• Disconnecting and reconnecting appliances is not included. Reassembly of any item is not guaranteed and depends on the tools and parts available at delivery.
• Packing, materials and unpacking are available at an additional charge, and are included only if they are listed in the services section of your estimate.

On your inventory, CP means carrier packed, PBO means packed by owner, and PO means a fragile item to be wrapped with pads only, at your request.

Certificate of insurance

Some buildings require a certificate of insurance from the mover. Please check with the building management at both your current and your new address about their requirements, then tell your relocation specialist, and we will be glad to assist. A fee may apply depending on the building's requirements.

Parking restrictions

Please confirm parking restrictions with the building management or the local police department at both addresses, so the truck avoids parking violations. If the truck cannot park close enough, whether physically or because of parking rules, long carry or shuttle truck charges apply and are added to the order.

Utilities and appliances

Make sure all utilities and appliances are turned off and disconnected from electric, gas and water before moving day. We do not disconnect or reconnect any utilities or appliances at either address.

Furniture, drawers and space on the truck

• All drawers must be emptied before moving day. Furniture with full drawers will not be transported, because of the high risk of damage to the furniture, walls and floors.
• Interstate moves are complex and schedules can change, so please keep your pickup and delivery dates flexible. Do not schedule your move on or close to the date you must leave your current home, and do not book flights, meetings, appointments or job start dates around the estimated pickup and delivery dates.
• We reserve space on the truck only for the items, or the cubic feet, listed on your estimate. Items not listed may not fit and will not be transported if there is no space. You are charged only for the items actually picked up and transported, not for anything left behind for lack of space.
• Your estimate is not an agreement to move all of your property. It is an agreement on a price per cubic foot or per pound for the property actually picked up and transported and the services performed. We will do our best to arrange a second pickup for extra items, but we are not obliged to.
• The best way to avoid problems, surprise charges or space issues is to tell your estimator accurately how many items you are moving and how big they are.

Valuation and liability

• We offer two valuation options: limited liability and full value protection (FVP). Both cover furniture and boxes packed or unpacked by us. The options and prices are on our valuation coverage page.
• Valuation is not insurance coverage, and we suggest you buy third-party insurance to protect your property. Valuation is the maximum amount you declare as the total value of your property, like the “blue-book” value of a car: in a total loss, that value is the most that can be recovered, however the damage happened.
• Basic liability of $0.60 per pound per article is included at no charge, and under 49 CFR 375.701(a) every shipment always has at least this minimum. It is considerably less than the average value of household goods. Full value protection costs extra and cannot be purchased after the move has begun.
• On boxes packed by the owner, on pressed wood (particle board) furniture, and on fragile or brittle items such as glass, china and ornaments, liability is limited to $0.60 per pound per article.
• We have the right to inspect and repair any damage that is claimed.
• For property that is not transported (walls, floors, ceilings, stairs, banisters, carpets, plumbing, sprinklers, doorways, driveways, walkways, lawns, trees and landscaping), you waive all claims against us and our agents.
• We cannot carry, and accept no liability for, firearms, jewelry, cash, bank notes, financial instruments, hazardous materials or liquids.

Pickup and delivery dates

• Pickup and delivery dates are not guaranteed unless you buy our optional Premium Guaranteed Service (PGS).
• With Standard Service, delivery can take up to 30 business weekdays, not including storage time, weekends, or holidays. The delivery period starts on the date shown as first available for delivery, not the pickup date, and that date is the start of the window, not a promised delivery date.
• If your property must arrive by a specific date, we strongly encourage Premium Guaranteed Service.
• The per diem rate for a delay is a maximum of $30 per day.
• Arrival times can change because of traffic, weather, mechanical problems or other jobs, and we do not discount an account for those delays. We will keep you informed on moving day with a revised arrival time.

If what you are moving changes

Please tell us about any changes at least 3 business days before pickup to avoid surprises. If, before or on pickup day, you add property or change the order from what was estimated, one of two things happens:

1. We move the extra property. At delivery you pay no more than 10% above a non-binding estimate, or 100% of a binding estimate, and any remaining balance is billed after 30 days.
2. Or we both sign a revised estimate before loading or starting the job, and that becomes the only estimate your charges are calculated on.

Final charges are based on the actual weight or volume moved and the services provided. Charges can exceed the estimate if you add items or services, such as packing or storage. Do not let the crew load the truck or start work before you agree in writing to any revised estimate. If you have not signed a revised estimate and the truck is loaded, federal rules treat the original estimate as reaffirmed, and any balance above a binding estimate is billed thirty days after delivery. If you do sign a revised estimate at pickup, you are bound by it. If the weight or volume of your inventory has not changed and you add no services, the price stays the same as your estimate.

Agents

We may use agents or independent sub-contractors on any order. Unless you buy the exclusive use of a vehicle, your items may be temporarily stored, or unloaded and reloaded onto a different vehicle, and consolidated with other shipments.

Claims

• We are not liable for loss or damage unless a claim is made in writing, with proof of ownership, value and weight.
• All money owed to us must be paid in full before a claim can be made.
• Claims must be filed within 9 months of delivery.
• All damage and missing items must be noted, item by item, on the inventory logs at the time of delivery.
• If goods are damaged or missing, or you feel you were overcharged or charged for services you did not receive, you agree to give us the first right to fully investigate and respond in writing with a resolution.

For anything that goes wrong, please call us on 212-732-1234 first.

Law, venue and jurisdiction

If a lawsuit is needed to resolve a dispute, it must be brought in the circuit or county court for Kings County, New York. Disputes over interstate shipments are governed by federal law. Both parties submit to the jurisdiction of the New York courts, and you consent to jurisdiction in Kings County.

Neutral dispute settlement program (arbitration)

Federal rules (49 CFR 375.211) require a mover to offer an arbitration option. Arbitration is optional, it is not required by federal law, and it is designed to give neither side an advantage.

• How it works. Arbitration is an alternative to going to court. Each side presents its case and a neutral arbitrator decides. It is done by written submissions and, at the arbitrator's discretion, by phone. After the filing fees are paid and the arbitrator is chosen, the side bringing the claim submits a written brief with all supporting documents, copied to every party. The other side then has 30 days to respond. Later deadlines are up to the arbitrator.
• What it means. The decision made by the arbitrator may be binding, and it cannot be appealed in court. Decisions are based only on United States federal law.
• What it costs. Each side pays its own costs, including attorney fees, and 50% of the cost of the arbitrator. There is a $250 filing fee for each party and a $50 administration fee. Arbitration may cost less than going to court.

Call us on 212-732-1234 for the arbitration forms.

Using this website

• The text, photographs and layout on this site belong to us. Use them to decide whether to hire us, not to republish them.
• Please do not submit forms for someone who has not asked you to, and do not use the forms to send advertising.
• A page on this site describes our services. It is not an estimate for your move.
• Reviews quoted on this site are copied word for word from Google, and the rating and review count come from our Google listing.

If you are not happy

Call 212-732-1234. If you are not completely happy, we will make it right.