What is a lowball estimate, and how does it become a much bigger bill?

Published Read 4 min read

On this page

A lowball estimate is a quote set unrealistically low to win your booking, with the real cost recovered later through added hours, added weight, or new charges once your goods are on the truck. It works when the estimate is vague and the price can change after loading. A written estimate that lists your goods and services, read against Georgia’s rules, takes away most of the room it needs.

How the number grows

The low figure gets made up in a few ways, and each one depends on something the estimate left out.

  • Too few hours or too small a crew. On a Georgia move of 50 miles or less, the bill is hours times an hourly rate. A quote that assumes three hours for a job that takes six ends in a final bill twice the quote, even if the rate never changes.
  • Too little weight. On a longer move, the bill follows weight. A phone guess at weight can be well below what the scale shows.
  • Charges that were never on the estimate. Stairs, long carries, shuttles, and similar items appear on the final bill as if they had always been part of the price.
  • A new number at loading or delivery. The company presents a higher total when your belongings are already in its truck and saying no is hard.

The Georgia rules that cut those routes off

On a licensed move that stays inside Georgia, several of those routes are closed by rule.

The crew you were quoted is the crew you pay for. A carrier that told you how many vehicles and movers it would use may not bill at a larger crew’s rate unless you authorize it in writing before work starts, under Rule 570-38-3-.07(3)(c).

Stairs and long carries are not extras. The rate already includes carrying every item to and from the truck, padding, and furniture disassembly, and the tariff has no stair, flight, or long-carry charge. The narrow exception, an item that cannot be moved directly through a building the carrier checked in advance, still needs your agreement and is priced at tariff rates. Which extras can lawfully appear on a Georgia bill is set out in hidden fees and accessorial charges.

A carrier that did not look cannot charge for what it missed. Under Rule 570-38-3-.05(3)(a), a carrier must check the access at both homes before it estimates. If it did not, it “shall not be entitled to charge a customer for any ancillary services” and must finish the move as agreed without additional charge where that is possible.

The door price is capped. On a non-binding estimate, the carrier must release your goods once you pay no more than 110% of the estimate and wait 30 days for any balance, as explained in Georgia’s 110% rule. On a $1,000 estimate, the most that can be demanded at delivery is $1,100.

Charges not on the bill of lading cannot hold your goods. A carrier may not refuse delivery because you will not pay charges that “were unexpectedly incurred and/or not included in the bill of lading”, under Rule 570-38-3-.16(3).

What the rules do not fix

The 110% cap limits leverage, not the final bill. If a lowball estimate said $1,000 and the lawful charges come to $1,600, you can pay $1,100 to get your goods, but the remaining $500 is still owed after 30 days if the hours and rates are correct. The protection that matters most is an honest estimate at the start.

For a move across state lines, federal rules do similar work. A non-binding estimate must state that you will not pay more than 110% of it at delivery, and a mover that fails to ask about accessorial services before the bill of lading “must deliver the goods and bill the shipper after 30 days for the additional charges”, under 49 CFR 375.401(f).

How to spot one before you book

  • Look at what the number is built on. A quote that does not say how many movers, how many hours or pounds, and which services is not something you can compare. Ask for those numbers.
  • Line up several written estimates on the same scope. DPS’s moving guide advises getting “estimates from several qualified experienced movers.” When each one lists the same goods and services, an outlier stands out, and you can ask what it left out.
  • Check the estimate against the ceiling, not just against other quotes. For an in-state move, the hourly rate on the estimate should sit at or below Georgia’s maximum for that crew size; a very low hourly rate is lawful, so the question is the hours.
  • Treat a refusal to look as a warning. A company that will price your move without seeing it, in person or on video, is pricing a guess.
  • Confirm the license. A low quote from a company that does not appear on DPS’s licensed mover list has none of the protections above.

When a low quote is honest, it survives these questions: the hours or weight make sense for your home, the services are listed, and the company puts it on DPS’s estimate form.

Related posts:

  1. Who is responsible if movers damage a building common area? If the crew damages an elevator, hallway, or lobby during your move, the mover can be held responsible for damage it caused, but your lease or HOA rules may make......
  2. Are your belongings covered for damage on a Georgia local move, and to what limit? Yes. A licensed mover is liable for loss or damage on a move within Georgia, and the limit depends on the protection you pick in writing before the move: $0.60......
  3. How does moving to or from a rural Georgia county change logistics and pricing? A rural move changes three things: how far the move is, how many crews serve the area, and what roads the truck has to use to reach you. On a......
  4. What happens on moving day from arrival to sign-off? Moving day follows a set order: the crew arrives and walks the home with you, records the inventory, loads, drives, collects payment if your terms call for it, unloads and......
  5. What is a certificate of insurance (COI), and why does your Atlanta building demand one? A certificate of insurance, or COI, is a one-page summary of the liability insurance your mover carries on the date it is issued: who insures it, the policy numbers, the......
  6. What documents protect you in a dispute, and which should you never sign blank? Four papers do most of the protecting: the written estimate, the inventory, the bill of lading, and, on a Georgia move, the valuation Addendum that records your protection choice. Never......
  7. How do you verify a moving company’s Georgia license and standing before signing? Ask for the company's DPS certificate number, find the company on the Georgia Department of Public Safety's list of licensed household goods movers, and call DPS to confirm the certificate......
  8. How does a corporate relocation differ from a move you arrange yourself? The difference is who arranges and pays. In a corporate relocation, your employer organizes and funds the move under a written relocation policy, sometimes through vendors it chooses. In a......
  9. How does a moving scam work, and what is a hostage-goods situation? A moving scam wins your booking with a low or vague price, then raises it once your belongings are loaded and refuses to unload until you pay. That refusal is......
  10. What is a physical survey, and why must an interstate mover offer one? A physical survey is the mover's look at the goods you are moving, done in your home or by video, before it writes your estimate. Federal rules require an interstate......
  11. What is a USDOT number, and how do you use it to vet an interstate mover? A USDOT number is the federal identifier the U.S. Department of Transportation assigns to a motor carrier or broker. For an interstate move, look the company up by that number......

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *