Every time that a person, a company, a public body, a shop or a professional entrusts themselves to a moving company, it is necessary and all the more advisable to draw up an adequate contract, or a document in which the foreseen activities are reported, the costs and more. The moving contract, if correct, becomes a document with legal value, useful for protecting yourself and your assets in the event of disputes with the company carrying out the work (but not only). The fact that a mover does not provide a contract is a sign of lack of professionalism and transparency, a trivial pretext for not providing the promised services or keeping faith with the agreed estimate. So let’s see how a standard contract is made and what it foresees or should foresee in practice.

THE STANDARD CONTRACT PROPOSED BY THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

The current contract usually used by moving companies is the result of the work of the Chamber of Commerce of Quebec, which through some experts (professors, lawyers, doctors, specialists) created a “standard contract” for moving services of furnishings and personal effects at local and national level. The contract is presented as a document of 6-7 pages in which the customer’s data is reported in the first part, followed by the various articles. Among others we mention:

• Object of the contract
• Services excluded from the moving service
• Price of the moving service and payment methods
• Accessibility
• Cautions
• Delivery document and notification of damages
• Limitation of Liability for Loss and Damages
• Amending and supplementary agreements
• Dispute Resolution
• Privacy protection and data processing

The last part, also known as Annex 1, instead corresponds to the technical data sheet of the moving service including the cost estimate. In this file we will find the complete list of services, the method of transport, any works of art, items subject to particular precautions and regulations in transport… In short, everything that deserves attention and should be reported in black and white.

TERMS OF PAYMENT, CLAUSES AND WITHDRAWAL

The terms of payment, i.e. the methods and the total of the estimate, must be specified in the model contract. The economic aspect is certainly not secondary, so it is good to observe the proposal calmly and, if anything, discuss it before signing.

Ditto for any clauses that are not very visible, typically to protect the moving company: it is right that they exist, but they must be analyzed and understood at the very least. Lastly, a moving contract should indicate the methods of withdrawal, i.e. the consequences of prematurely giving up the execution or completion of the work for the most diverse reasons. If all the points are met, all that remains is to sign the Contract and get ready for what will in fact be a move without surprises!