Frustrations in Moving

Moving is never fun. The idea of a new start in a new place is of course exciting, but the act of packing and physically moving is a chore and can be draining. So many little things to take care of besides packing up your life.

I’ll start with one of those little things. Being of a certain aga, I use newspapers to wrap dishes, cups, glasses and other fragile items. Since our local newspaper went online only, a supply of newspapers (also a prime source for starting fires in the fireplace) was not readily available. Thanks to a little online searching I found blank newssheet for sale in bulk. It was cheap enough but having to buy it was a reminder of things we don’t miss until they’re gone. I’m fine reading the paper online, but I took for granted the usefulness of the old papers.

On to the US Postal Service. I went to my local post office to file my change of address in person and was told it would take a couple of weeks for it to take effect. No problem as it was just over 2 weeks until my move and the house wasn’t going on the market for another couple of weeks after that. 6 weeks later, I got an email confirmation of the address change that I needed to confirm on the USPS website which I promptly did. In case you are wondering, no mail had been forwarded yet. Another week went by, and I got confirmation that my confirmation had been received. A few days later I got my first piece of forwarded mail – 4 weeks after I moved into my new apartment. Ironically it was an ad for movers. Had I moved far enough away that I couldn’t have checked the house for mail, I would have missed a lot of important items. Lesson to those moving – get the USPS change in early.

Now for NJMVC. It was easy to change my address online and I was even promptly automatically registered to vote at my new address. The wheels fell off though when I followed the instructions on the MVC site to get a duplicate license with my new address. According to the site I just needed to enter my new zip code, license number, birth date and last name. I received an error message that my inputs didn’t match MVC data. Huh?! I had the screenshot of the change, and I was registered to vote. I sent those screenshots as part of my help request that the site told me would be answered within 3-5 business days. That was August 5^th and I’m still waiting for a response. This issue continues almost 3 months later, now with a new twist. I went online to make an appointment to get a replacement license with my new address and got the message that I am not eligible since my license doesn’t expire until November 2026. What?? I’ve saved all the pertinent screen shots to my phone for proof of the change and MVC issues in case there is an issue. If anyone connected to NJMVC is reading this, please contact me so I can get a replacement license with my new address. I promise to respond to you within 3-5 business days.

Let’s move to the cable installation at my new place. We’re 0 for 2 so far, any bets on how this went? You are correct, it was FUBARed from the start. The short version is that the sales guy entered my order incorrectly. I’ll spare you the gory details, but the installer informed me that I was only setup for internet – at a speed I did not request – and Apple TV, which I don’t have. He got the internet setup at least and I was able to get another appointment 2 days later for the cable connection. Service set, phew. But wait, there’s more. My bill was 20% higher than what I was quoted for the service I got. MANY phone calls and emails, and 5 weeks later, it was finally straightened out. On the bright side I now have contact info for 2 VIP service reps – who were very helpful throughout. Lesson here is to demand everything in writing prior to committing. I tried that several times, but the sales rep was unresponsive. I guess he got his commission when he entered the sale.

While the physical move went smoothly thanks to a very efficient moving crew, many aspects of the transition have been difficult. Yes, I’m venting a bit, but I hope those of you reading this who are considering moving take the lessons I learned from dealing with the various agencies and providers that must be dealt with when changing addresses and it makes your move easier.

Post Script: The MVC issue finally got straightened out after I made a call to the agency and a little more than 3 months after my change of address on their website I had my new license.

www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com  12-01-2025