Beware Of Moving Scams
When you are in the middle of getting services from a moving company, you may often find certain signs that a scam is holding you. When you are dealing with a lot of stress of moving, the last thing you want to deal with is falling into a scam. Hence following are a few things that can save you from any big loss.
Extremely low rates:
While a huge down payment is quite suspicious, rates that are too low are quite suspicious as well.
Moving isn't something that may be done for very low rates. The company has to pay their employees and also pay for vehicle gas and upkeep. Hence you have to be sure that you compare cross-country moving companies estimates.
Scams of this kind may also double the price very last minute and rely on you when you cannot find someone else.
Let's say that any State-To-State moving quote you receive under $1200 might be a red flag for you and you might want to compare other prices with more long-distance movers to see if they offer you quotes that are close to the one you got.
Cash only payments:
Licensed moving companies will have credible sources of moving their money here and there. While it is true that you sometimes get a lot better deal playing with cash, be careful if movers aren't accepting anything but cash.
Credit card payments always leave a paper trail and give you the ability to dispute charges. Hence a legitimate moving company will have the ability to accept credit card payments at least when you pay the 1st payment when you reserve your move over the phone.
No logo:
If your movers show up on a moving day having an unmarked vehicle or a rental, there may be a reason for concern. There is no reason for licensed moving companies not to put their logo on their vehicles. A rolling billboard is ideal advertising while there are also getting paid to move their belongings.
But in exception, sometimes during busy times in the summer, a lot of moving companies don’t have enough trucks to do their scheduled moves so they rent trucks to do some of the moves, but you should check it carefully when movers have arrived at your home.
No address or office:
Many cross-country moving companies have websites. This presence allows you to have the ideal opportunity to check for any possible scam. If there isn't an address listed on the mover's website, you should question it. It is also a great idea to check if what looks like the real address houses a business or is only an empty spot.
No contract:
Any real moving company will have you sign a contract. The contract will have details like the delivery date, the estimated price, and required supplies. The contract must also specify that there aren't any additional and unexpected costs such as the mandatory tips or the driver's fee. A contract is highly important to keep all of your interests and belongings safe because it protects both you and the moving company.
If a moving company refuses to come to your house and do the on-site quote, you might have an issue. The chances are that the estimate they are giving you is highly unrealistic. As you are preparing for moving, do the right diligence needed to ensure that your movers have the resources to complete the move safely and efficiently. You need to make sure that you are always keeping a check on these points mentioned above.
During the COVID pandemic, a lot of moving companies do not send their estimator people to give an on-site estimate but giving the quotes over the phone.
The minimum charge a reputable and licensed national moving company can offer is around $1700-$2300, no matter if you have a 1 bedroom size, only 'few items' or small office to move. If a long-distance moving company is giving you a lower price than that to move from state to state you should consider it as a red flag and be careful before signing up with them to do your move.
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Learning more from the U.S Department of Transportation about moving frauds can be found here
