Many moving scams can be easily avoided. After reading this article, you’ll be able to identify the most common moving scams and how to steer clear of them.
Moving scams are increasingly common these days. A study by the Better Business Bureau reveals that there are over 13,000 complaints annually related to moving companies.
That’s why the USMPO is focused on educating consumers and raising awareness for potential shippers before they book their move with an untrustworthy company. Here’s the link to certified USMPO carriers you can trust.
Preparing for your move includes doing research, hiring reputable movers, packing, and many other things.
Common Moving Scams
The easiest way to avoid moving scams is to hire a reputable moving company. Here are the most common moving scams you can avoid.
1.- Name of the company
When it comes to hiring a moving company you have to be a critical thinker, a lot of moving companies operate with common names in the industry pretending to be one of the big companies, just by adding one word to the company name for example: allied (original name) allied services (possible fake company), the idea is that customers will think they’re working with the pros when it’s a scam company that just wants to take your money and run.
To avoid this moving scam it’s a good idea to ask for a copy of their business license to avoid this common moving scam. Is it less than 6 months old? Expired? Is the name different than the one on their website? If so, ask why.
Beware of Rogue Movers: Domain Deception
2.- Online Moving Brokers
It’s crucial to distinguish between a mover and a moving broker.
Are You a Broker? A Glimpse at a Moving Broker’s Sales Tricks
Movers own trucks; brokers don’t. Moving companies own warehouses, storage facilities, and employ trained professionals to pack and move your items.
Most brokers only pay for a post office box and a phone system, and they are in business. It’s a common moving scam for brokers to present themselves as moving companies.
Unveiling Moving Scams & Protecting Your Belongings
On the phone, brokers often sound very professional because they are skilled salespeople. Once they’ve booked a move with a new customer, they shop and move around to actual moving companies, usually ones that operate at the lower end of the respectability spectrum. Their criteria often boil down to finding the cheapest moving company, which might not be registered with the FMCSA or have any online reputation. They often have little regard for meeting the customer’s expectations or needs.
Insider Tip: Find a reputable mover here: Find a Carrier
3.- Fake Posts or Fake Advertising
If you submit your information on some possible fake advertising like moving cross country for less than $1,500 dollars or getting flyers with incredible discounts like move now and get 50% off, landing on a website that does not have a phone number, you may want to move on, scammers usually do not provide the phone number they just want yours.
Moving Scams: Guaranteed Delivery Dates & Fake Discounts
The USMPO always recommend if it’s possible to visit the moving company’s office in-person, do so to book your move in-person and see for yourself how they run their business.
4.- Possible Unexpected Costs
Since it’s legal for movers to charge customers for some services that weren’t included in the original estimate, a lot of brokers and bad movers prefer to agree to everything their customer is asking for and wait until the last minute to change the quote or even worst waiting until the move date to show up and reveal the real cost of the move.
Most moves shouldn’t end with big surprises. Unlocking a Seamless Long-Distance Move with USMPO
Unscrupulous movers often add massive fuel surcharges, bloated insurance premiums, and increased cubic feet to the final bill in an attempt to line their pockets with unearned money.
They may also ask for an overly large deposit and of course non-refundable in 100% of the cases.
5.- Cubic Feet Discrepancies
No moving scam is more prevalent than the ‘low-ball’ estimate. When you are comparing quotes you wanna make sure that does quotes are always kind of similar in price. Companies intentionally give a potential customer an unreasonably low estimate with the express intent of increasing the cost later. It’s more common than you might think, but there are ways to protect yourself.
First, get multiple in-home estimates from USMPO-verified companies you’ve already reviewed their profile. Why Choose a USMPO Verified Mover?
Compare the cubic feet on each estimate. Ideally, they should be within 10% of one another. If one is much lower than the others, it may be a set-up.
USMPO movers are required to facetime and take a virtual estimate for each customer’s shipment individually.
6.- Small Letters on the Contract
There are two kinds of moving contracts based on federal law (FMSCA.dot.gov has more info on this topic). A non-binding estimate states that the final cost of the move may be more or less than the original estimate.
This is perfectly acceptable because customers often add items and services at the last minute which legitimately increases the moving cost.
However, if the actual cost exceeds the estimate by more than 10%, movers cannot demand payment on the spot. They’re entitled to the estimated cost at the time of delivery, but the rest is payable within 30 days.
A binding estimate is a guaranteed price, but it’s based on the exact weight, number of inventory items, and services requested on the original estimate.
However, you still may be on the hook for additional charges if you move more items than agreed upon or need the mover to provide additional services.
Insider’s tip: Before booking your move, ask for a sample contract (or a blank contract) — and read every word of it, including the fine print.
