Three former customers of the Plainview-based company Call My Mover have contacted News 12, claiming the business dramatically raised prices after their belongings were loaded to a truck.

According to the Better Business Bureau, more than 5,900 complaints were filed against moving companies last year. The agency has tips for anyone planning to hire movers.

- Get everything in writing, and read your contract carefully

- Keep an inventory of your belongings

- Watch for warning signs, including if a company uses a rented truck, or if they only give estimates over the phone rather than in person.

By law moving companies must unload your items if you pay the full amount of the estimate plus 25%. But there is an exception for added services like packing, or if more items are loaded on the truck.

The owner of Call My Mover says the customers who spoke to News 12 paid a higher price because they had additional items, and needed extra packing services.