All of you expect to find a dependable relocation company with fair pricing. Even though you can come across the websites of the real, professional moving companies (like STI Moving and Storage), the internet is an infinite field that is filled with the scammer websites. Relocations should be worry-free, safe, and done by real, licensed professionals. We can offer you some easy go-to tips on how to detect and avoid scammers.
Who are scam movers?
The scam movers are the ones who present themselves as being the service providers for the ones who want to relocate, but in reality, they are not. The only goal is to find a way to take too much money or goods from the people, pretending to be the pro movers. In the previous years, especially with the help of internet websites, there have been reported too many relocation scams. So, What is the best way to fight scammers? – Education!
How can I be scammed?
There are some ways to be scammed by rogue movers, but we can name some of the most common scenarios to be mindful of.
- First one is the most common and ‘the easiest’ to carry out, and that is when the scammers make you pay for the service in advance (or partially pay, as a deposit) and never show up to perform a move.
- The second one involves them showing up, but it’s still uncomfortable – they can load all your belonging and prepare them for a move and refuse to carry out the move or returning your belongings without you paying for it, usually much more than planned.
- The last and maybe the most devastating one is when the scammers show up, load all your belongings and, instead of transferring them to your new home, they disappear without a trace. All your goods can be gone in a second!
Before you panic, do not be scared – there are ways to find reputable moving companies and surely avoid the scammers.
Scammer hints
There are many signs on how you can discover whether a relocation company is a scam or not, but here are a few ones that are the most obvious:
- No on-site estimates – if the ‘moving company’ states that it doesn’t estimate the cost by arriving at your home, it is a clear sign that something is going to go wrong, at least with the moving cost.
- No interactions, no customer service – any serious movers will do their best to answer all your questions in detail and handle all your doubts. The scammers won’t answer any of your questions.
- No marked trucks – if you can’t find one single sign of the moving company having the trucks marked with their logo, it’s a reason to doubt their professionalism. Certified movers usually have easily recognizable moving trucks ready for their clients.
- Not legal – run away from each relocation company that doesn’t have one sign of being licensed and certified. One of the easiest ways to check that is to ask them to share their federal motor carrier number. If they don’t offer any evidence of being certified, cross them out of your list.
