Consumers should never sign blank documents. However, in some cases it is acceptable to sign incomplete documents.
Since the final charges for the moving services cannot be determined until after goods have been loaded and weighted (When based upon weight) some of the documents a customer/shipper is required to sign at the time of pick-up will be incomplete and not contain the final charges.
Signing a Bill of Lading at time of pickup that is incomplete and does not contain the final charges is not illegal or unusual since the final charges are not known at the time of pick-up.
However, the estimate or revised written estimate must NEVER be signed blank or incomplete. At the time the estimate or revised written estimate is signed it MUST contain an itemization of all services and the total estimated charges. A customer/shipper should NEVER sign an estimate or revised written estimate that does not list the total estimated charges. See 49 CFR Section 375.501(d).
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Moving Claims is not an insurance company and the employees of Moving Claims are not acting as your insurance adjusters. Moving Claims does not practice Insurance laws and does not give legal advice. This site is not intended to create an insurance claim, and by using the Moving Claims websites, no insurance claim will be created with Moving Claims. Instead, you are filing a Household Goods claim with the carrier who moved you via Moving Claims Websites. Moving Claims websites information as well as any advises of its employees is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. The information contained on this website is designed for informational purposes only. Nothing on this website is designed or intended to constitute legal advice. Federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing the moving industry change frequently and may be interpreted differently by different people. If you need specific legal advice you should consult a lawyer directly or a representative from the US DOT.
