Are you preparing for a cross country move?
It is time to turn on your scam detector to save yourself from all kinds of
scams.
Moving your office furniture and equipment when shifting or expanding your business to a new country can actually save the majority of setup costs in the new location, but only if you find the right movers, and it is not that easy!
Yes, finding the right moving company
is not an easy task especially when it comes to cross country moves because you
have to choose a company which has to go thousands of miles to deliver your
belongings in the perfect condition and the scams existing across the globe
make the task more difficult.
You must be aware of the fact that there
are plenty of unethical moving companies present around who are more interested
in draining your cash rather than delivering the possessions at a new place. So,
protect yourself from such shady movers by knowing the potential scam signs.
This article will discuss the tips and
ideas to avoid cross country moving scams.
Signs of Moving Company Scams
When it comes to finding the long
distance movers, most of the times, it is not feasible to visit the physical
address of the company and this makes it even more difficult to know whether a
company is legit or not. There are some obvious signs such as poor phone
manners, but you must also look for these:
- Poor communication itself is a big red flag, i.e. the representative does not have clear idea of the rates, delivery time, process, documentation etc.
- Moreover, if they do not reply to your queries in short time, consider them inefficient.
- Having a general feeling that a company is disorganized is also another sign. For instance, they do not have a business website or else their website doesn’t answer your basic questions.
- A lower experience of the company in cross country moving could be a scam alert. Do check online reviews to see where they stand.
- If a company charges you exceptionally low prices as compared to the competitors, it is a big red alert. The shady company may be doing this just to attract your attention and may have hidden charges that you are supposed to pay when your goods arrive in the destination country but not delivered to you yet. You must do rough calculations at your end to know the feasible rate, i.e. a company has to pay its professionals, truck rental, equipment repair and much more so the cost can’t be that low.
- If the company has no logo or name on their trucks, you should avoid hiring such movers. They may be involved in some other legal complications.
- Most of the companies have a website but if the website of the company does not list the physical address of it then it is again a red flag. If the address is not on the website, you can ask it over the phone. If they are not happy to answer you then you know that the company could be a fraud.
Although there are no hard and fast
rules for a particular company to be a scam, you should be well equipped with
the knowledge to spot the red flags and trust your gut feelings.
So, How to Choose the Right Cross Country Moving Company?
So, the question is what steps you can
take to choose the right one out of the all available cross
country moving companies.
You should check the reputation of the company as well as the business license
as a top priority. Many moving companies claim to be legit but these are not
licensed and therefore, can be considered as a scam. Also, don’t forget to make
sure that the company does the in-person visit to your place so they can know
what things they have to move.
If a company gives you a moving quote
without visiting your home or office, then it is a bad sign or you can consider
it as a scam alert. There are plenty of sure-fire signs that lets you know that
a company is not up to the mark.
Apart from that, if a company demands a
high proportion of amount in advance than usual then it is again an alarm and
again if the company asks for cash and does not want any paper trail then there
is a big no to such moving companies. These are the things that indicate that a
company is a scam and you should avoid hiring such companies.
Some More Tips on How to Avoid Scams
Similar to the other tasks related to
moving, you also have to do some homework before hiring a moving company.
Consider these tips to make your cross country move hassle free:
- Before you commit to any mover, it is advisable to get
references from your friends and family. - Do not forget to check the online website reviews and
testimonials. Make sure the website should contain the physical address of the
company. If possible you should also visit the physical address of the company
to avoid any big fraud. - Do as much as research you can do about the company before
commit via online as well as offline. If a company does not have satisfied
clients then someone must have written about the company online. So, try to
find out the information about the company and don’t just commit on the first
phone call you receive from a mover company.
The Bottom Line
You can’t take a chance, after all, it
is a task to move all your belongings to which not only monetary value but as
well as lots of sentiments are attached which makes them invaluable. No one can
take the risk when it comes to the moving of their all belongings. Do your
research as much as you can to save yourself from shady movers.
