Date: Tues, 11 Jan 2000
To: moving@avatar-moving.com
From: "Michael Perkins" <mperkins@hoflink.com>, "T.J. Carney" <tjcarney@cmcn.com> , "Paul Lopez" <Plrelo@aol.com>
Subject: Re: AMS-Forum Moving Auction
X-Hosted-By: http://www.avatar-moving.com


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Michael wrote:
I just had a thought. How about an e-bay type site where movers list their availability and people buying moving services can bid for it auction style? Or, conversely, a priceline type site where people put in their moving needs and state a price they are willing to pay and movers can decide [sic] if they want to fill their bill. What kind of information would have to be imparted in order to get a fair price and the seller and buyer would both be protected?

T.J. Carney replied:
There is no such thing as FAIR and PROTECTION in open, chaotic and anarchistic markets. This is an idea that might serve a particular niche, like re-positioning equipment, but only if the labor requirements for loading and unloading were obvious. There is an obvious need to have HHG's shipments surveyed for the van space and labor requirements necessary to do a relocation, and this begs for accountability from somebody doesn't it? I was a hog farmer years ago (simultaneous to being a mover). It cost me right around $38.00 for every hundred pounds of live hog produced. The market rate for live hogs went up and down, but for a couple years it stayed right around $33.00 per hundred. I don't ship hogs anymore. The market didn't care about fair, and it had no interest in protecting my small hog finishing operation, even though I had very high quality stock. The point is, to keep HHG's moving as a skilled trade and specialized service, we have to avoid commodifying the work.
T. Carney

Plaul Lopez Replied:
A very good point, T.J. One of my pet peeves today is the mover's web sites that offer you quotes over the internet. The quoting systems used have been proven highly misleading by A.M.S.A. It is another way movers have chosen to mislead the public by attempting to create a highly unscientific way of creating a pricing environment different from the norm.

The present system of analyzing household goods cost and size is a vital part of our industry. Like T.J. mentioned the human element of defining the size of shipments is still very important for operational purposes. We must continue to confirm to the public that this IS a highly specialized and skilled business, one which allows highly skilled individuals in both sales and operations to perform the art of handling other person's lifelong belongings just like they were your own.


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