7 Tips For Avoiding Moving Scams
Signs of Bad Companies and Possible Moving Scams.
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Now, these are the foremost prevalent moving scams that you just can avoid:
1. Name Changes
- One of the best ways to inform if a mover contains a murky past is that if it is having a habit of fixing its name frequently.
- Occasionally, true moving companies change their van line affiliations and names, which is fine.
- If they have done it 5 times in a few years, it should be a matter of concern.
Golden Tip:
- Sometimes all a corporation must do to distance itself from its shady past is to alter its name and repaint its trucks.
- Ask for a copy of their business license.
- Is the name different from that on their website? If yes, then find out the reason.
2. Unreliable Online Moving Brokers
- There is an enormous distinction to be made between movers and brokers.
- To make things simple, you must understand these things.
- Movers own trucks, and brokers do not.
- Moving companies also need warehouses and trained men and ladies to pack and move your items.
- Brokers need a post office box and some phone lines.
- They are in business.
- They often misrepresent themselves as actual moving companies to unwary consumers.
- Once they have booked a move with a new customer, they shop that move around to real moving companies.
- Do not dismiss an honest company simply because it is a broker. Be wary of the online brokers that appear to possess no footprint of being a reputable company.
Golden Tip: Discover if a mover is reputable by running a background check.
3. Lack of Attention to Detail
- After you have compiled a listing of possible movers, you will want to offer them a call.
- If you have landed on their website and cannot find a contact number, you will want to move on.
Golden Tip:
- Scam movers want your contact details. They do not prefer to give theirs.
- If you have chosen wisely and speak with a true person, they will want to understand the fundamentals of your move.
- Where you are moving to and from.
- The size of your home or apartment.
- When you will be moving.
- It is important information.
- Eventually, they ought to suggest sending an organization’s representative to your home to give an accurate estimate.
- If they are throwing numbers around and are unwilling to schedule a meeting, it is an honest sign of scamming.
Unexpected Costs at the tip of your Move
- It is legal for movers to charge customers for a few services that were not included within the original estimate.
- Additional charges could also be added for last-minute services like storage and truck inaccessibility issues requiring a shuttle.
- Most moves should not end with big surprises and larger headaches.
- Unscrupulous movers often add massive fuel surcharges, bloated insurance premiums, and jacked-up weights to the ultimate bill to induce unearned money.
- And sadly, they often target vulnerable consumers just like the elderly.
Golden Tip: Know your rights before you move.
Estimated Weight Discrepancies
- It is when companies intentionally provide a potential customer with an unreasonably low estimate with the express intent of accelerating the price later.
- It is more common than you would possibly think, but there are ways to safeguard yourself.
- First, get multiple in-home estimates from companies you have thought of being reputable.
- Though there is no way even for an experienced consultant to work out the specific weight of your items, they must get close.
- Compare the weights on each estimate.
- Ideally, they must be within 10% of one another.
- If one is far less than the others, it should be a scam.
- Interstate movers are required to weigh each customer’s shipment individually. They must do it with nearly full fuel tanks.
Golden Tip: Ask the driving force to indicate to you what is inside his tanks if you are worried about being scammed.
- If you are moving from one state to a different one, your estimate should be based on mileage, optional services requested, and the weight of your shipment.
- If a removal company provides an estimate according to cubic feet rather than weight, it can mean that they are not credible.
- They may justify it by saying that it is only fair to charge according to the amount of van space used.
- This is not reasonable.
- If an experienced driver can load your items into 1,000 cubic feet of space, why do you have to be charged more for an inexperienced driver who uses 1,300 cubic feet?
- It is not sensible.
Golden Tip: If your estimate is in cubic feet, ensure that you are hiring a mover you trust.
The “Guaranteed” Quote
- There are two sorts of moving contracts as per federal law.
- A non-binding estimate states that the ultimate cost of the move could also be more or less than the initial estimate.
- This is perfectly acceptable because customers often add items and services at the eleventh hour that legitimately increasing the moving cost.
- However, if the original cost exceeds the estimate by over 10%, movers cannot demand payment on the spot.
- They are entitled to the estimated cost at the time of delivery, but the remainder is payable within 30 days.
- A binding estimate may be a guaranteed price, but it is according to the precise weight, number of inventory items, and services requested on the initial estimate.
- Be warned, you still could be on the hook for added charges if you move more items than approved or need the mover to give additional services.
Golden Tip: Before booking your move, arouse a sample contract and read every word of it.