If you are planning to move soon, you need everything to go smoothly. The last thing you want on your mind is worrying about whether you will be able to avoid fraudulent moving companies or not. The key is to have thorough preparation. So, start early and give yourself enough time to gather all the necessary information. That way you will decrease the possibility of running into fraudulent movers. Once you learn how to recognize the red flags, it will be much easier to avoid scammers. That is why we have prepared a guide to help you. When you know what to look for and what to pay special attention to, you will significantly lower the chances of someone scamming you. Maybe this sounds like a complex task, but you should be happy to do it if you want your belongings to be relocated safely.
Is it even possible to avoid fraudulent moving companies?
Of course, it is. How do you think all those people have actually good experiences otherwise? However, there are people who think that if someone has the intention of scamming you, you can’t do anything about it. Although it’s true that you can’t stop anyone from trying to scam you, that doesn’t have to be the end of it. And if you would like to learn how to avoid the 10 biggest moving mistakes, you can get our book here: https://www.amazon.com/Huge-Mistakes-Avoid-When-Moving-ebook/dp/B07QD2BKFX/ref=sr_1_1?
If you undergo proper preparation and do your homework, you can easily avoid fraudulent moving companies who try to make a move on you and not let them have their way. So, finding reliable and affordable movers such as Premium Q Moving and Storage Boston doesn’t have to be mission impossible. And here are the red flags to pay attention to:
- they don’t seem serious enough and they don’t answer all of your questions,
- a company doesn’t provide an in-person moving estimate,
- they ask for a big cash deposit,
- the company changed its name,
- they don’t have proper papers and licenses.
You should be really careful. Because, if you don’t manage to avoid fraudulent moving companies there could be some serious consequences. Not only you would have to overpay the service, but you could also receive damaged belongings afterward. Or even worse – they might not return them at all and you would lose everything you own or demand a ransom for your stuff. So, carefully go through these red flags and learn how to spot and avoid them. That will ensure the safe relocation of your belongings.
The company doesn’t seem serious enough and they don’t answer all of your questions
This is something that you can notice right from the beginning. Starting from the look of their website. If you can see that it’s not professional enough or that there are some contradictions, that’s not a good sign. Neither is the lack of information about the company. Furthermore, you should definitely try to get in touch with the company. If you can get an answer only by a voice-machine when you try to call them – bad sign as well.
But let’s say you get to speak to a worker. How will you know if they are scammers? In order to try to avoid fraudulent moving companies, you should really concentrate and learn what are the right questions to ask. If you take a look at any reliable, trustworthy moving company’s website, you will see all the necessary information about them on the contact page. The address, phone numbers, emails… the more information, the better. However, if you call the company and you can tell that the person on the other side isn’t very professional or doesn’t have all the information you need, you should move on to another company.
A company doesn’t provide an in-person moving estimate
This is really the basic service you need to be able to receive in order to have a realistic price offering. If the company offers a free moving estimate via their website, that is great. However, it is not enough. You need to get an in-person moving estimate if both you and the company want to know exactly how much belongings do you have. And what will the prices be, of course. That will also be a good time to ask all you want to know. A good moving company will help you figure out if you need some of the additional or special services as well.
They ask for a big cash deposit
Although it is not uncommon for companies to ask for some deposit in advance, you should be careful. If it is the peak of the summer season, the companies will ask for a small deposit, in order to ensure your time in their calendar. However, you shouldn’t agree with big cash up front. That will give you less chance to avoid fraudulent moving companies since they can just decide to not show up. And vanish with your cash. Nevertheless, even if you are giving some money in advance, make sure to sign documents and get a receipt, just in case.
The company changed its name
If you decide to go with a reputable company that offers a lot of services, that has many years of experience and maybe some awards under its belt, you shouldn’t have to worry. All signs will be clear that it is the right decision. However, if you are thinking of choosing the less known company, that isn’t in the business for long, you should be careful.
In order to avoid being caught and prosecuted for scams, fraudulent companies often change their name. If you can’t find any previous data about the company, that is a red flag. When you call them, pay attention to how they answer their phone. If they are using some generic phrase instead of the full name of the company, you better hang up immediately. Save yourself some time, trouble and money.
They don’t have proper papers and licenses
If you want to avoid fraudulent moving companies, you should really choose only between the ones that are registered and have licenses and insurance. Those are the necessary things for a company to be reputable. Check their USDOT number for interstate movers or MC number for intrastate movers, because every company that operates legally has to have one or the other. When you get the documents, make sure to read everything carefully and ask questions about the parts you don’t understand. Only when you agree with everything, should you sign the papers to avoid fraudulent movers.
If you would like to hear more about our business and moving tips, please subscribe to our Life Beyond Boxes Podcast.
