Washington Administrative Code › Title 480 - Utilities and Transportation Commission › Chapter 480-15 - Household goods carriers › Part 5 - CARRIER'S RESPONSIBILITIES TO SHIPPERS › Part 5.2 - Estimates › Section 480-15-630 - Estimates

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
Every carrier is required to provide a written estimate to
					 every customer prior to moving a shipment of household goods and must issue a
					 written supplemental estimate when required by commission rule or tariff. The
					 carrier must provide estimates by following the requirements set in the
					 commission-published tariff covering household goods movers. The initial
					 estimate may be a binding or nonbinding estimate.
(1) A binding estimate is the promise of a
				  guaranteed cost of a move from the carrier to the customer. The carrier is
				  bound to charge only the amount of the estimate and no more.
(2) A nonbinding estimate is an estimate of
				  the amount the carrier will charge to move a customer's household goods. The
				  customer may pay charges in excess of the estimate.
(3) A supplemental estimate is in addition to
				  any other estimate. A supplemental estimate is required if the circumstances
				  surrounding the move change in a way that causes rates or charges to increase.
				  The customer must accept and sign the supplemental estimate prior to additional
				  work being performed.
(4) A carrier
				  may provide the hourly rate it charges and the amount of time it believes it
				  will take to make the move. A carrier may provide the rate per unit of weight
				  it charges and the total weight it believes a shipment weighs. However, the
				  carrier must provide a written binding or nonbinding estimate before making the
				  move.
(5) A carrier may not conduct
				  a move until it has visually inspected the goods to be shipped, unless the
				  customer completes a web site calculation or hard-copy calculation sheet as
				  described in subsection (6) of this section, and the carrier has provided a
				  written binding or nonbinding estimate to the customer.
(6) A carrier may provide an estimate based
				  on a customer-completed web site calculation or customer completed hard-copy
				  calculation sheet if:
(a) The estimate
				  contains all of the elements required by the tariff.
(b) The customer electronically "signs" the
				  information provided on the web site by entering the customer's name and the
				  date the information was filled out on the screen. The date must be present and
				  must be entered by the customer.
(c) The carrier provides the customer with a
				  current copy of the commission publication, "
Consumer Guide to Moving
				  in Washington State
."
(d)
				  The estimate discloses at the web site or on the hard-copy calculation sheet
				  that:
(i) The estimate is not
				  binding.
(ii) The cost of the move
				  may exceed the estimate.
(iii) The
				  customer will be required to pay up to one hundred ten percent of the estimate
				  upon delivery. Carriers must allow customers at least thirty days from the date
				  of delivery to pay amounts in excess of the one hundred ten percent.
(iv) The customer is not required to pay more
				  than one hundred twenty-five percent of the estimate regardless of the total
				  cost unless the carrier issues and the customer accepts a supplemental
				  estimate.