How to Identify Moving Scams and Avoid Them

Embarking your journey to new place is both exciting and stressful. But too much exhaustion can hamper the smooth transition of your relocation. An added barrier to achieve this is the rise in the number of fraudulent moving companies who try to trap you with their tricks and tactics. This is why it becomes important to choose trusted Packers and Movers who will help you achieve a fruitful move without any hassle and worry.  

When you start looking for moving companies to assist your relocation process, the compelling part about this is how scammers capture your attention to sustain their business by publishing all the required moving documents. This is why it becomes important to be cautious while choosing a relocation company.  

Keeping in mind, the increase in the number of potential scammers engaging in these unlawful acts, you may have multiple questions that bother you. So, let’s dwell on common questions customers usually have before choosing the right moving company.

Q1. How do I know if a moving company is authentic?

An authentic moving company has these characteristics:

• Licence, certifications and credentials from verified sources. 

• Excellent ratings, reviews and recommendations. 

• Registered logo of company.

• Website with secure padlock.

• Years of experience.

• Insurance coverage. 

Doing thorough research helps to a great extent, when you search more about a hired company’s credentials and track it at its mentioned address, you may find out that the moving scammer does not have any office there.

Q2. How to spot a fake moving company?

Here are common signs of a fraudulent moving company:

• They provide services at extremely low costs.

• They obtain forgery documents by claiming possession of relevant ones like visiting card, identity card and brochures.

• Attractive phishing portals that copy the names of reputed companies.

• Uncountable fake promises like delivering your consignment within a short span of time and providing multiple complementary services to procure money from you.

• Fraud companies falsely claim associations with brand names.

• False Paid Ad Listings on Search Engines and B2B portals has made these scammers get noted among the masses to gain credibility.

Beware of all these points to avoid booking a fake moving company that will evade your money and valuable goods.

Q3. How do I avoid getting trapped from fake customer reviews?

Unfortunately, the ratio of fake moving reviews has significantly risen on various search engines. This has made people more aware about the fake reviews. So, to identify a fake review here are ways to spot it:

• The easiest way to identify a fake rating is when all of its reviews are posted all at once. It is likely that scammers have falsely paid random people who are willing to engage in this act of dishonestly to get a few bucks in return. They simply do this by adding strangers in a random Whatsapp group and get multiple reviews all at once by sending them money through online payment gateways.

• Remember human errors are bound to happen and the best of companies also strive to be better than before. Excessively positive reviews that leave no scope for improvement are usually the ones that are fraud. Because they want to show they are the perfect moving company in the market they will praise themselves to the fullest.

• Adding barriers to a reputed moving company’s success is done by posting unbelievably negative reviews with harsh language by the fake moving companies to nullify its competition. 

Q4. Is getting a quote from a single moving company enough?

No, always get quotations from multiple moving companies to compare and choose what best suits your requirements. Furthermore, this is what allows you to differentiate between a fake and a genuine moving company. The ones quoting you very low moving estimate even before evaluating your household belongings are potential scammers.

Q5. Is it true that when a moving company provides insurance coverage they are legitimate?

This is true, as movers always provide comprehensive insurance options for damaged items during transit with the allocated percentage for coverage. They do this with proper documentation, paperwork and fee structure. If a moving company is not ready to provide coverage, it’s a no-brainer that they are potential scammers as they would at least suggest you to do it from a third party source.

Q6. Are all the services provided by the moving company chargeable?

While most of the services are definitely chargeable, a pre-move survey or a quote for you is usually free. But beware that if a moving company is quoting you without conducting an in-person inspection, on top of that charging you for the same; it means that they are trying to scam you. Never opt for a moving company that offers estimates without seeing your belongings as this can cause misunderstandings at the last moment.  

Q7. Do moving companies ask for complete payment before the move itself?

No, if a moving company is legitimate it will never demand you to pay the entire amount at one go. They might require an initial payment amount to start your relocation service and later on once your consignment is received, you will be expect to pay the full amount.

Furthermore, a warning sign of a fake moving company is when they bait and then switch. They often say that the transit delivery will be halted mid-way unless you pay additional money.

Q8.What should I do when I have been a victim of moving fraud? 

Report any suspicious activity right away to the authorized persons, like consumer protection organizations. Acting quickly can help stop other people from being victims of similar schemes and chances are they get arrested for their wrong doings. You have to be vigilant against signs of fraud, so you can safeguard your belongings and ensure a successful move.

 

Conclusion:

When you are moving to a new place, it is indeed a significant endeavour, and entrusting your valuables to reliable and trustworthy Packers and Movers is paramount for a successful move. These answers to your queries will give you a sense of peace and also empower you to be vigilant against signs of fraudulent practices, which safeguard your move from potential scams. Keep in mind, that thorough research, clear communication, and careful scrutiny of contracts and ratings are pillars of a smooth and safe relocation.