If you plan to hire a moving company in the near future and thinking in your mind that “yeah, I’m just going to hire one of the movers near me ,” think again. Because, if you’re not careful enough, then you could get scammed very easily. Sounds shocking? Well, you better believe it, cause there’s a lot of such complaints we are receiving every year. Today in this article, we are going to tell you how people are getting trapped by a few fraudsters and what can you do about it to avoid such situations. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
How are people getting scammed? According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, there are over three thousand and six hundred complaints that come in each year resulting in an average loss of about eight thousand dollars per complaint. The most common complaints are for delays, lost or damaged items, and being charged more than what was quoted. But about 15% of claims are for movers who hold a customer’s contents hostage unless they pay big dollars to get them delivered. Quite often, people get taken because they were in a hurry to get moving without checking things out, and they get swayed by either a pushy or too-good-to-be-true salesperson. A lot of times, people do not know the questions to ask or how to check things out, so they miss some obvious signs that otherwise could clearly tell them to avoid these shady moving companies.
How to avoid getting scammed? Now, that brings us to the question a lot of people might be asking how they can avoid getting taken during a relocation? Before you hire a mover, make sure that they are licensed and registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Go to their websites and check whether they provide a local street address and phone number. And check if they are insured or not. You should further check out their reputation with consumer groups and other sources. You want to get more than one estimate for the total cost of the move and make sure that you read all the terms and conditions of the contract, including pickup and delivery dates. Now, there’s a surefire way to make sure you’re hiring a legitimate moving company. Ask your friends, colleagues, relatives, or neighbor who just moved. Ask them which company they selected and consider their suggestion as well. Here are a few red flags you must watch out for –
- Movers who are vague and will only provide a quote by phone.
- Moving companies that promise all items are going to be fully insured and pressure you to pay cash or a large deposit upfront.
Where can people turn for help if they run into a problem once they have had a move? In addition to contacting the call for action office for help, consumers can also file a complaint with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. They also have a lot of really great information on their website about hiring a mover and what you can do to help the process go smoothly.