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If you are like most people, chances are you’ve moved atleast once in your life.
Chances are also that you consider moving as a small and menial task, one that doesn’t require a lot of attention and care.
Well today, I’m here to tell you that you can’t be more wrong!
Moving, as small and menial it may sound, could easily become a nightmare if not taken seriously and handled with proper planning and care. As a writer in the moving industry, I come across this all the time. When I tell people that I write tips to help people plan and save on their move, I’m always faced with questions like:
What’s the big deal with moving?
Why do I need to read moving tips?
All these are valid questions and the truth is that there’s a chance you may never need to read moving tips. Until you hire the wrong mover, who disappears with all your household belongings.
Just imagine you hiring a moving company, only to find out that your actual moving cost is 4 times what you were initially quoted.
Or, a mover simply disappearing with all your stuff, with no way for you to track or contact them.
Sounds scary, doesn’t it???
The internet is full of horror stories of moving scams where people have lost thousands of dollars because of the moving companies they hired. Unsuspecting customers are targets of such scams all the time simply because they aren’t aware of the loopholes and details that they need to pay attention to.
Don’t believe me?? Check out MovingScam.com
The good news is that all this can be avoided by just doing your due diligence before moving and paying attention to the details.
How to Spot a Rogue Moving Company
As a consumer of moving companies, you need to understand your rights and what to expect from moving companies. As soon as you’re aware of your rights and expectations, anything that falls short of that will ring a caution bell. There are several resources available today for consumers to educate and protect themselves against moving scams.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) which is the governing agency for all the moving and trucking companies, provides detailed information about the rights and expectations of moving companies’ consumers. Some of these information include detailed lists of how to spot rogue moving companies.
Moving Company Red Flags
We’ve compiled a summarized list of pointers that FMCSA recommends and that will help you identify rogue movers easily and avoid moving scams:
- The moving company never visits your home for onsite inspection and assessment of your stuff.
- The moving company requests cash or a large deposits to book your move.
- The moving estimate provided by the company is based on cubic feet and not on weight. Estimates based on cubic feet i.e. truck space is false. Always try and get moving estimates based on the weight of items rather than cubic feet.
- The moving company has tons of complaints, negative reviews and comments on their message board on movingscam.com.
- When you call the moving company, their don’t answer the phone with the company name.
- The moving company website does not contain genuine contact information, licensing information or information on insurance.
- The moving company fails to provide a copy of the booklet titled “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.” A copy of this booklet is required by Federal regulations to be given to moving company’s customers.
- On the moving day, the movers show up in an unmarked truck or a truck with a different company’s name on it.
Other Ways to Identify Shady Movers
- The moving company provides an offer or discount that is too good to be true.
- The company is quick to say YES to everything you ask just to book your move and get a deposit from you.
- They are hesitant in providing references from previous customers.
- The moving company has no record with the Better Business Bureau. Or a very low rating.
- The license info on the moving truck doesn’t match the license info on your moving estimate.
Play safe and play smart!
The real truth is that nobody can protect you and your belongings from scammers better than yourself. Don’t take chances or unnecessary risks. Educate yourself on the moving process by checking out our several moving tips articles and make sure you are aware of the pitfalls. You can start your search for a genuine moving company by requesting for a free moving company quotes from our website.
All our moving quotes are from licensed moving companies that are BBB rated and have a high standard for customer satisfaction. You can also take a cue from these essential moving questions to ask a moving company before hiring.
Good Luck and have a safe move!
