How to Avoid the Most Common Moving Scams
Are you planning a local move and want to avoid any potential moving scams? You’ll find many interesting and useful tips and information on this subject in the following article - by acknowledging them, you should be able to protect yourself in the future and prevent any unpleasant surprises from happening.
Is It Better to Move Yourself or
Hire Movers?
This frequently asked question can be answered
depending on many factors. Some of them are related to your intentions, some of
them are related to your previous experience, and part of them depend on the
area you’re relocating to and what your budget is. Once you decide about all of
these matters, you should determine what works best for you.
For example: if you are planning a small local
move, you don’t need to relocate any heavy belongings, and your best friend
owns a van you can borrow - it is quite reasonable to do it without
professional help. On the other hand, even if you’re relocating locally, but
you’re relocating your whole residence, you are moving
with pets, or have small children you need to take care of, don’t have
previous relocation experience, and don’t have any help from your friends - you
should definitely consider hiring professional movers in your area who can show
you how to organize your move and teach you many
interesting moving tips.
If you’re having trouble finding the right
help around your local area, you can use the Mod24 moving app and find the
proper assistance. If you want to protect yourself from common moving company
scams and find out more about Mod24 features, keep reading.
Frequent Name Changes
Wonder how to spot a moving scam?
Unreliability is frequently connected to inconsistent information you get about
the hired professionals - this is only one of the many moving industry challenges and issues. If they
change their name every year and don’t have plenty of experience, this is a
significant red flag you should be aware of.
Prepare for Possible Fake Reviews
This is closely related to the previous point
- most reliable movers have many references and reviews that seem realistic and
do not exaggerate excessively the quality of facilities they provide. If that’s
the case, and you find a handful of reviews that seem too good to be true, they probably are.
Look for References on Other
Sites and Check if There Are Any Complaints
One of the best ways to prevent getting
shamelessly scammed is to be smart enough to do proper research on the validity
of these references and reviews. Check another website that the mover doesn’t
have control over and look for other people’s experiences. Moving industry stats and trends often change,
so you have to stay well aware and track only reliable resources and reviews.
Lack of a Professional Website
and Licence
If you can’t find a mover’s website or it is
of questionable quality - this is one more major red flag. Maybe you’ll find
some information, but it won’t seem legit, or you’ll only find a phone number
that you’d have to call to get any answers. If all of the information is not
visible for everyone, it probably means that they are not a transparent
business and that you can fall victim to moving fraud.
Check if the Website Lacks
Significant Information and Is It up to Date
Even if you’re not really into technology, in
the year 2021, you should be able to recognize if a website seems reliable and
if the provided details are up to date. Open your eyes wide, pay attention to
details, and think about everything that seems questionable. It’s probably better not to learn about this the hard way.
The Company Should Have a Valid
DOT Number or MC Licence
Your number one priority, even if the website
seems polished and impressive, should be the mover's DOT number and MC license
- without this, everything else is entirely worthless. Some businesses will
invest extra time to make a decent-looking web page to mask the other
weaknesses.
Does the Company Insist on an
On-Site Inspection
Another thing you should be aware of is the
inspection of goods you need to move - a reliable business will have no issues
sending their employees to your home to check your items in order to give you
precise estimates. If the business insists on doing this online or over the
phone, it usually means they are not professional, and you shouldn’t be
relocating with them.
An In-Home Survey of Your
Belongings is Much More Precise
Insist on this step to check how they will
react - if they hold out, you should be happy that you found out about a
potential scam before they give you an extra charge under the excuse that your
belongings are heavier than they previously estimated over the phone.
Unprofessional Equipment and
Movers
If the movers seem inexperienced, lack skills
and licenses, and don’t seem to handle your belongings with great care, you
should be suspicious about their intentions. If possible, check what equipment
they are using to pack your belongings, and don’t let them pack your fragile
inventory if they seem inexperienced in doing this.
Employees Should Be Experienced
and Use Reliable Moving Equipment
Professional movers are very conscious of your
needs and requests - they will kindly answer your questions, follow your
instructions, and do everything in their power to keep you satisfied and
protect your belongings.
Suspicious Documents or No
Contract
The
number one priority when making a deal with a relocation business is to seal it with a signed contract that includes all the necessary
details about your move. Read this contract carefully and keep an eye on
details. If they don’t offer any documents - you should be worried.
Pay Extra Attention to Fine Print
Another one of the tips you could use, even if
you get a contract, is to be extra careful about the fine print. Missing this
part and reading in a hurry is very common. You might find some suspicious
information there. For example, there might be a part that says that everything
written in the contract could change during unexpected circumstances that
aren’t precisely marked. This means that they can use this part of the
agreement for extra charges due to the delay they caused themselves on purpose
or do anything else they can think of to add more services to your final bill.
Unrealistically Low Estimate
Prices
A low-ball
bid can be used as bait for inexperienced customers who don’t find
unrealistically low estimates suspicious. There is no need to waste too much
money on your move, but there is a minimal chance that you’ll pay less than
necessary for a quality service.
Check Other Websites and Compare
Estimates
If something seems unreasonable because it’s
too cheap, you should check the prices on other websites and compare them. If
the business in question is the only one with significantly lower prices than
all the other candidates, it’s probably a moving scam.
Large Deposits Are a Common Part of Scams
Sometimes, businesses take deposits to ensure
themselves, but in most cases, that doesn’t go over 10% of the estimated price.
If your chosen company demands you to pay unreasonable
deposit fees before the move even happens, you might be in a dangerous
situation.
Disagree on It and Always Pay
With a Card
Before you make a payment - think twice and double-check everything. In case you decide to give a business a large amount of money, make sure to make this payment with a debit or credit card - that way, the bank can track your records, and it’s easier to get a full refund if things go south.
Extra Charges at the End
This, unfortunately, happens frequently if
you’re not paying attention to details included in facilities' prices.
Sometimes, additional charges can be added at the end due to realistically
unexpected circumstances, and the mover explains precisely what service they
had to add and why - so there is no use to be mad about it. However, an extra
charge can also be accompanied by a shady explanation that doesn’t make much
sense, which is when you’re in trouble. If you spent a lot of time wondering how to save money to move and decided to invest all of
your savings in this process, better be careful about this potential fraud.
Use a Card for Payment and
Double-Check the List of Services Provided
The only way to prevent unexpected charges is
to make sure you sign a contract that includes all of the services you
requested. You’ll know the estimated price for these, and apart from that, only
a 10% higher payment is negotiable. If you stay careful while making these
arrangements, you should avoid unexpected charges at the end.
Cubic Feet Estimates Instead of Weight
Do movers charge by weight or volume? The most important rule every professional mover follows is to charge according to distance, the weight of your shipment, and the additional services you require. If you’re being charged by cubic feet - the business might have some unethical intentions and want to charge you more than necessary.
Holding Goods Hostage Until a New Payment
One of the cruelest things some customers
experience is that vicious fake agencies hold their belongings hostage until
they pay a huge amount of money to get their goods back. If this happens to
you, it’s one of the valid reasons to take them to court. No mover has the
right to do this, especially if you weren’t familiar with these conditions
before making an agreement.
Do a Backup Check on Companies:
Contact Appropriate Organizations
Wonder how to do a proper investigation? Here
are some suggestions:
●
Check AMSA
- American Moving and Storage Association
●
Check with the city, state, and
federal regulators
●
Contact FMCSA's Safety Violation
and Consumer Complaints Hotline
●
Check the database of
movingscam.com
●
Check Yelp
●
Research other reputable resources
in your area
●
Check previous experiences based on facts
Lost and Damaged Items
Sometimes, companies can lose (or steal) your
most valuable items if you aren't careful. They can tell you that your jewelry
got lost during the transportation to your new home or damage fragile items
they didn’t protect in the first place. Without insurance, which they usually
won’t provide, there is nothing you can do to get a refund for these losses.
Keep Your Most Valuable Items
With You
One of the best ways to protect yourself is to
always keep valuables with you. Don’t leave jewelry in a dresser - pack it in
your bag so it can’t mysteriously disappear while in the care of a suspicious
mover.
What to Do if You Have Been Scammed by a Moving Company? 101 Guide
If you ran into this article too late and have
already been scammed by a relocation company, you should definitely file a
complaint. Unfortunately, if you're experiencing minor losses, damage, delays,
and costs increases (less than 10%) - this is not enough of a reason for legal
action. You should file a formal
complaint if:
●
You've been overcharged
significantly - for the weight of your belongings, the distance of your move,
or additional services you haven't agreed on, didn't know about, or that
weren’t necessary.
●
Your items are held hostage, and
the company demands payment higher than originally - it's illegal to keep your
belongings hostage until you agree to their unreasonable demands.
Steps on Reporting a Scam in a
Hurry
If you're planning on reporting a scam, here's
what you need to do:
●
File a complaint with the relocation
business itself
●
File a complaint with the
appropriate organization, including Better Business Bureau, American Moving and
Storage Association, and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
●
Consider taking the scammers to
court - unfortunately, this may lead to more financial losses and stress and
take you a lot of time and energy.
Who Is the Best Moving Company? Find Out With Mod24
If you want to hire
someone to do the hard work for you and show you how to
move efficiently but aren’t sure about your choice - consult
professionals and make the right decision. You’ve probably already made a packing list and a new
apartment checklist and can't wait for the relocation to happen, but
don't rush into the process and avoid potential mistakes. Use the Mod24 moving
company app and find local movers who are licensed and reputable. Are you
wondering what can Mod24 bring to the industry? Using our app to
compare moving companies, you can decide whose services meet your needs best. Contact us
if you have any questions, learn details about our incredible features,
and we’ll be more than happy to help. Our website can help you find movers in Seattle but also smaller areas like Mountlake Terrace.
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