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10 Ways To Avoid Moving Scams

10 Ways To Avoid Moving Scams

Moving from one place to another is major life event that can be as challenging as it is exciting. It can become a hassle to do everything by yourself, especially if you have no prior experience moving. Hence, most people hire professional moving companies to make this process easier for themselves. However, you should always ensure to hire a competent, reliable, and renowned moving company. It is an essential part of having a hassle-free and smooth move. It allows you to avoid falling prey to moving scams. Moving scams have started getting more common as ‘fly-by-night’ businesses get popular. You need to be mindful of how you choose your movers in order to effectively avoid getting scammed. Hence, this essay will walk you through the best ways in which you can avoid moving scams by staying vigilant:

10. Check For Company’s Legitimacy

Recruiting a reliable moving company is an integral part of the moving process. However, the ambiguity of a company’s legitimacy can slow down that process. Any moving company can pretend to be legitimate by creating a functional website. So, how would you ensure that it is genuine? You can start by asking around. Word-of-mouth travels fast which gives you the upper hand when checking for a company’s reliability.

Ask your family and friends for recommendations, especially the ones who may have recently moved. You can gain valuable insight simply from listening to their experience. Secondly, you can check the social media accounts of the moving company you are researching. It allows you to hear about the company directly from their previous customers. Moreover, there are multiple reliable customer review portals and recommendation groups on social media which you can join. It is the one space where people come together to discuss the pros and cons of diverse products and services. You can get unbiased and unfiltered reviews which will help you make a wiser choice.

9. Request On-site Inspection

You should ensure to meet up with the experts of your desired moving company. You can ask the movers to come to your house to inspect the belongings thoroughly and give you an accurate quote. If they seem to avoid meeting you in person, consider it time to look for other movers. Only scammers will hesitate showing their faces like that! Another clever scam technique includes providing an estimated price quote without asking about the size of your move. Such companies are waiting for you to take the bait. Once everything is packed and ready to move, the fraud moving company will show signs of their insincerity. Typically, such firms unveil hidden fees to their processes. They may raise the charges by claiming that the items to be moved are much more than they initially expected and quoted a price. Hence, it is crucial to mention on-site inspection.

8. Pay Attention to The Taglines

If a moving company claims to have, “One Price for All,” you should start hearing alarm bells and look for another mover! Legitimate moving companies will not charge the same price from everyone. The price of the move is determined by the size of the move. It may change depending upon the number of heavy and fragile items you need moved or how far you are moving. Moreover, price quotes usually depend on the weight of your moving item. Beware of the movers who claim to charge by cubic foot or volume during interprovince moving!

7. Extremely Low Price Quotes

Be skeptical if a moving company charges significantly less than the ones you had previously used in your research. If something is too good to be true, it is. Deceitful moving companies may use a low-price bid to lure customers into signing a contract with them. At the same time, they fail to deliver what they promised and end up charging much more than what was initially bargained! It is one of the easiest and most frequently used tactics for moving scams. Most people cannot back off from the deal by the time the movers reveal their surcharges. Hence, save yourself some trouble and look for a different moving company. Remember: you want to get a more reliable relocating experience and not a fraudulent one!

6. Frequent Name Changes

Often, a commonly used way of hiding criminal activities is changing the company’s name. However, it does not mean that every company which has undergone a name change is suspicious. Rather, it is the companies that change their brand names frequently are suspicious.

Businesses seldom change their brand names as brand image and goodwill are associated with it. You should be careful when choosing your movers and ensure your firm does not change its name often. Moving companies that change their names repeatedly might be a way of concealing their dishonest practices and getting rid of negative goodwill. For instance, a moving company that goes by the name, ‘ABC,’ gets negative reviews in the market from people who had poor experiences with them. If the same moving company goes through a revamping session and changes its name, logo, details, etc., its slate would be wiped clean! It will start as a new moving company with no lousy record again. If the name changes seem suspicious, you can even report it to a relevant authority.

5. Ask About Your Moving Rights

In Federal Law, there are moving rights mentioned. The moving companies are bound by the law to give you a booklet named, “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.” If the moving company does not provide you with this booklet or does not inform you about your moving rights, then you should inquire about it yourself. It is your right as a customer to know about your moving rights, so that you can hold the company accountable in case something goes wrong.

If the movers you are considering fail to answer you to your satisfaction, feel free to find another mover! It is better to find a reliable mover than get stuck with one who either has no knowledge of their business or plans to scam you once the payment is received. Moreover, you should keep in mind that a reliable company such as MPR Movers will inform you of your moving rights in the initial stage. It is unprofessional to reveal details about surcharges when you have packed and are ready to leave. It is a scamming technique that feeds on the customers inability to back off from the move after getting so close to moving. Hence, know your moving rights along with your moving contract.

4. Read Your Contract Meticulously

As a rule of thumb, never sign a blank contract! No matter how well-acquainted you are with the moving company and how sweet their disposition might be, signing blank contracts is a no-go. Ask for as many details as possible to be included in the contract. Do not let the wording of the contract lure you into a trap by leaving room for interpretation. It is wiser to have a lawyer advise you on it too.

The movers you hire should explicitly state everything from pick-up and delivery dates to all types of fees in the agreement. Always verify that all your possessions are enlisted in it, as you cannot claim a missing item if it is not mentioned. If the movers pack your stuff, check all the items in the boxes and whether they are correctly labeled. Make sure that the contract is straightforward and comprehensive to avoid moving scams.

3. Down Payment

Moving companies ask for a security deposit, either during peak moving seasons or in areas with a high shift rate. Generally, the security deposit is under only twenty percent of the actual price charged. You should be wary if a mover asks for a higher percentage of the total as a down payment. It is one of the easiest ways of moving scams and is followed by the movers vanishing once they have received the money! Authentic moving companies such as MPR Movers will not insist that you pay them a hefty amount before they have moved you. As a precaution, you should use a credit card when you pay because it records the transaction. You will be able to get the transaction reverted in case the deal goes wrong. Ensure to avoid paying in cash and be wary if the movers insist.

2. Check If the Movers’ Truck is Marked

Usually, fraud moving companies do not invest in buying moving trucks; instead, they rent trucks to carry out scams. Hence, you must ensure that the truck is marked before loading your belongings. A marked truck will have the logo of the moving company, along with the company’s name. It will also have the contact details. It shows that the truck is genuine and will not scam you when they are flashing their brand name like that. More often than not, the trucks are painted according to the themes of the company’s logo. If your moving company does not have their moving trucks, and the ones they show up with on the day of the move are not clearly marked, you may consider revoking the contract. It is better to be safe than sorry!

1. Ask Questions

Moving houses or offices is a tricky job with which not many people are familiar. If you are moving for the first time, you may not know the do’s and don’ts of relocation. It is likely that you will be unaware of numerous elements such as the right packaging, loading and unloading, and disassembling. Hence, genuine moving companies such as MPR Movers train their staff professionally to accommodate you adequately. You should use this to your advantage by asking as many questions as you are curious about. It allows you to clear any confusion you may have in mind while also eliminating the possibility of moving scams. If you are concerned about the safety of your belongings, the duration of the journey, and whether the movers have storage facilities or not, ask them straight away. If you are unsatisfied with their answers or what they offer, you can always change the moving company.

WHY MPR MOVERS IS THE IDEAL PICK

At MPR Movers, we provide you with a free quotation after we visit your house and scrutinize your belongings. We offer highly professional packaging to help minimize the risk of damaging your belongings. Our services are priced fairly and reasonably and have optional storage facilities. We have insured employees trained to cater to your requirements and are covered by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). If you want to pack your stuff on your own, MPR Movers can provide packing supplies and a set of guidelines on how to pack safely. We have our cleaned and well-equipped trucks to handle your materials reliably. You can rely on us to cater to your needs no matter the size of your move. We have the right skills and experience to ensure you have a smoother and hassle-free move. From disassembling your heavy furniture to packing fragile items, you can count on us to ensure professionalism in everything. We have a proven track record of having served hundreds of clients previously, so you can find it easier to trust our competence as movers. We take pride in being transparent about our service prices and have no hidden surcharges.

At MPR Movers, we also encourage an environmentally friendly lifestyle by responsibly removing unwanted items for you and disposing of them. If you wish to find a moving company who has it all and can provide you with the most reliable of services, look no further than MPR Movers. We will guide you throughout the process and encourage you to pay via credit card to eradicate any doubts about our services. Moving scams may be common, but there are always genuine companies around that offer reliable services. All you need to do is to filter the countless options you have and find the right one for you – and it can be MPR Movers.

CONCLUSION

To sum it up, every convenient shifting is set in motion once you find a reliable moving company such as MPR Movers. Find an authentic, certified, and reputable mover that makes preparations and moves your possessions swiftly without damage. It will make your experience much nicer and more memorable.

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