Moving is considered one of life’s most stressful events, third only to the death of a loved one and divorce. Even a simple move requires significant time and effort. Moving across state lines can feel like producing a Broadway musical.

To combat the stress and cope with the logistics, many people turn to professional movers. Unfortunately, this often makes matters worse. In fact, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) received nearly 9,000 complaints about movers in 2014. The U.S. Department of Transportation receives about 4,000 complaints annually. The majority of grievances relate to pricing, uncooperative employees, and lost or damaged property.

Even with due diligence, consumers can still run into problems. In a recent 900-mile move, my fiancé and I experienced all of the above. Employees refused to give us the names of their supervisors or connect us to management after the price jumped $1,000 over our price quote and the movers arrived eight hours late. Time and again, the company declined to tell us where our belongings were or when they would arrive. Three weeks later, they appeared—with over $1,000 in damage. This all happened despite our checking the legitimacy of the company, reading reviews and calling the company to ask questions.