---
title: 'Not Bloody Likely'
date: '2002-07-12T06:38:04-04:00'
permalink: /not-bloody-likely/
tags:
    - grousing
---

Um, hi. I’m trying to get an estimate on a small move.

— *Where from?*

— New Orleans.

— *And to?*

— Southern California.

— *How small a move?*

— I’m in a small one-bedroom, but it’s really sparsely furnished. So not much stuff at all. Like I’m not even taking my bed, right.

— *So…*

— I’ve used some online inventories and they estimate that my stuff would come in at around 1500 pounds.

— *Let’s say 1700, to be safe.*

— Okay…

— *So, if that’s 1700 pounds… and roughly 1800 miles… let’s say 1850 to be safe… and if we add the origin…* \[inaudible mumbling, backed up by the sound of an adding machine\]*… and destination… and* \[inaudible, followed by much production from the adding machine\]*… it comes to right about $1700.*

— Okay, 1700. That’s based on the weight, right? So what if my stuff actually weighs more, or less?

— *Oh. No. This is a binding estimate.*

— Based on…? I mean, you haven’t seen my stuff.

— *Yeah, but I’m giving you the TPG rate. I could give you the 400N, sure, and then we could deal with the actual weight, but then I wouldn’t really be free to discount the price.*

— Mm-hm. And in terms of insurance…?

— *The price includes a valuation of 70 cents per pound per article. You can buy more if you want more, up to $2.50 per pound per article. Or you can get replacement coverage, up to $10,000, for $264 for no deductible, or $60 for a $500 deductible.*

— And what are your windows like for pickup and dropoff?

— *We’ve got a three-day pickup spread. And then there’s a five-day transit time. So counting the actual day of pickup as day 1, the dropoff window begins on day 6 and extends to day 18.*

— Uh-huh. Great. That’s what I needed to know.

— *Call us back when you’re ready to get this started.*