Tips for countering a moving scam

There are several key steps to a successful relocation. One must work on moving logistics, prepare an adequate budget, organize packing, sort out documents, and find a reliable Mississippi moving company. But finding a moving company sometimes can be harder than you think. Simply because like in any other business, there are scammers and frauds involved. If you do not know how to search for a moving company, you can easily get mistreated and in the end, pay more. One way or the other, you won’t like the outcome. So, let us show you the best practice of countering a moving scam.

A few ways of countering a moving scam

Let us firstly cover the basic ways of countering a moving scam. Before you even contact moving companies Gulfport MS you can spot so-called “red flags”. Red flags will help you notice irregularities and simply avoid the moving company in front of you and move on to the next one. Why waste time when there is a ton of other choices out there? So, check out the following and always apply when searching for movers:

• Official website – Your moving company must have all the details displayed on their website. The physical address, contact info, and all services they provide.
• Licenses – All moving companies should be permitted and licensed to work. Be mindful of different licenses for local and cross-state moves. You can check this on accredited websites like FMCSA, the US Movers Association, or Better Business Bureau. Or you can call your movers and simply ask them.
• Tools and equipment – Obviously, a competitive moving company must have all the tools, equipment, manpower, and vehicles at its disposal.
• Moving service – What your mover offers is debatable. But the price of a moving service shouldn’t be too low or too high. Unless you are using white glove movers or a high-end moving company to relocate something specific.
• Rules and regulations – Your moving company must follow all rules and regulations tied to the moving industry. Also, they must enforce all safety standards according to the law. Do not forget to check this as well.

Now, you will confirm most of it by talking to movers. If they fail to provide an answer or you see any uncertainties to provide a legit answer, there is something fishy going on.

The moving service and the costs behind it

As we mentioned already, movers offer various moving services. Yes, packing and unpacking services are amazing. But you must be aware of what you are purchasing. If you are purchasing the packing service along with the batch of materials, you can pay much more for the materials than you should. Simply because, if you are not cautious, movers can add much more material than you need into the whole story and charge you extra. So, right from the start packing service can be cheap, but in the end, when you add the packing materials you will actually pay extra. It is a common scam and you should be aware of it.

The same goes for all moving services. You should communicate clearly with your moving representative and politely ask them to explain what each service brings to the table. At least explain those that you are purchasing.

Reading feedback is another way of countering a moving scam

Reading reviews and feedback is one of the best ways of countering a moving scam. Hence, go online and read reviews on their website, on social media, and find external sources on various blog posts. Stick to the moving-related content and eventually, you’ll gather enough info about your moving company. This way you will figure out how they treat their customers. But more importantly, you will realize if they have any smudges on their record and if they are running a legit business or not. It is easy to find moving help Oxford MS online but to find a reliable and reputable one is a bit harder. You must invest a bit of your precious time to research and learn more about moving to secure your investment. It is highly recommended.

Mind the payment method

Payment method is something that is the same with all moving companies. All payments are processed via credit card. Hence, if your movers ask for cash on hand, there is something wrong. Although, they maybe want to avoid paying taxes or something similar. But still, you do not want to conduct business with someone that can get you into trouble when you can hire hundred other legit companies for the same money. Therefore, keep in mind that the initial deposit is always around 20% of the overall moving price. Everything else is paid upon delivery and your movers won’t release your cargo before you process the payment. As far as going for the cash on hand, all you can do is to give $20 to your movers to fetch beverages and have a snack after hard work is done.

You can leave a review as well

Lastly, if you encounter a moving fraud and you are sure about it, you can report it. But we encourage you to write a moving review instead. This is more productive no matter which one you write. Positive and negative reviews are helping the moving industry grow and protect customers from frauds and scams. So, if you have an unpleasant experience, leave a review on an external website or social media where movers can’t remove it. People should know about the mistreatment you had. This way other customers will stay away from fraudulent companies. And the same goes for extremely good companies. Leave a good review if you had a pleasant moving experience so people can give them a call and purchase their services.

Now you know what countering a moving scam should look like. Do your research and inspect moving companies thoroughly before you hire one and you shouldn’t have any problems. Good luck and stay safe.