WAYS TO AVOID A MOVING SCAM
You have finally found your dream home. Now, all that is left to do is to move into it. There is a slight problem, however. You have decided that you will be hiring a moving company to help you move your belongings. How do you make sure that the moving company won’t make off with your belongings during the move? How can you be sure that the company you are hiring is who they say they are? Below, we list just a few practical tips to help you avoid scams as you prepare to move into your new home.
Research:
While one can Google “moving companies near me” easily, doing so might not necessarily yield the best results. Before asking Google, try inquiring within your circle of acquaintances for recommendations. Or, you could use the “Looking for Recommendations” feature on Facebook. Perhaps one of your relatives or Facebook friends can recommend a good moving company to you. Using Facebook to ask for recommendations could spark discussion among your acquaintances who have experienced hiring moving companies, and if so, all the better for you! They may not only be able to recommend you some companies, but they could also give you tips on how to deal with them. If not, then you can turn to Google.
Once you have a few companies in mind, turn to Google and check if they have any websites. If a company has a website, go to their website and explore it. If their contact number is listed, call the number to make sure that they are legitimate. Check as well if their company name registers some hits on reddit.com. And if it does, check to see if the feedback is good or bad.
Quotation:
Depending on the company, you may need to either make a call or schedule an in-house appointment to ask for a quotation. Beware of companies that charge by volume instead of giving a proper quotation based on the kinds of items you will be having them move.
Some important questions to ask are the following: Will they be moving your pets? Will they be charging extra to move certain kinds of furniture? What is the value of the insurance? Will they be subcontracting another company to move your belongings, or will they be doing the moving themselves? Ask as well if they have the necessary equipment to move your appliances and furniture, and if they have special charges for the use of such equipment.
Red Flags:
A possible ref flag is if they will be subcontracting another company to do the actual moving. This is a red flag because there could be loopholes in the contract you sign that will not be covering the third party doing the actual moving.
Another red flag is if they do not seem to be interested in the kinds of furniture and appliances you will be having them move. Be sure to ask if they have equipment specifically used to move your furniture and appliances. If you receive vague replies, it may be best to move on to the next company.
Remember, you will not only be trusting these companies not to make off with your belongings. You are also going to trust them to be as careful as possible while handling your things. Do not be afraid to ask many questions, because as their possible client, you have every right to know if you can entrust to them your belongings. It is better to be slightly delayed moving into your new home than to lose your belongings to scammers along the way.
