5 Ways to Tell If a Moving Company Is a Scam

There are at least five techniques to determine whether or not a moving firm is a rip-off. For starters, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will not issue it a license (FMCSA). Second, complaints about pricing being greater than the initial quote will appear in consumer reviews. Finally, the moving firm will bill you based on cubic footage (rather than weight). Fourth, before performing an in-home estimate, it will require you to sign a contract. Finally, if you can't find any independent evaluations, the moving firm is most certainly a con.

How can you know whether a moving business is a rip-off?

1. The FMCSA does not have a license for it.

Why is this a warning sign?

Did you know that the trucking sector is monitored and regulated by a government agency? Because moving businesses use vehicles, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) keeps track of the moving industry. There's a good probability a company is a fraud if it isn't legally licensed via the FMCSA.

How can I double-check this?

A USDOT (United States Department of Transportation) number should be listed in the fine print at the bottom of every professional moving company's website. You can use a company's USDOT number to check the FMCSA's database once you have it.

2. Customers are charged more money than they agreed to.

Why is this a warning sign?

It's possible that a moving company is a scam if the majority of clients say that they were charged significantly more money than they agreed to. While there are legitimate reasons for a business to increase your price (for example, if your move takes longer than expected or you have more belongings to transport than you declared), excessive price hikes and hidden costs are signs of a moving scam.

How can I double-check this?

Customer reviews aren't usually the most reliable sources of data. People are more likely to submit reviews if they have something negative to say, therefore reviews tend to underrepresent consumers' positive experiences, and you should treat them with caution.

3. It claims to be able to charge per cubic foot of space.

What is the significance of this?

One of the most typical relocation scams is this. Reputable movers (particularly interstate movers) charge you based on the weight of your package, not the number of cubic feet it takes up in a moving vehicle.

Be wary of companies that give you a quote in cubic feet.

What can I do to double-check?

Pay attention to the metric the organization uses to compute prices when you receive your moving quote. Choose a different company if your charges are based on cubic feet or another size metric (square feet, cubic meters, etc.). If the quotation is based on weight, you're probably dealing with a reputable company.

4. Before performing an in-home estimate, it requires payment or signature on a moving contract.

Why is this a warning sign?

Real movers won't ask you to sign anything or take any money until they've done an in-home estimate to determine the exact weight of your package. Watch out if a business skips this stage and demands cash or a signature right after you receive an instant moving quotation. It's most likely attempting to defraud you.

How can I double-check this?

Many moving companies will provide you with preliminary moving prices over the phone or online. This does not always imply that a business is unscrupulous. However, these are only rough estimates to give you an idea of how much your relocation will cost.

5. There are no third-party reviews.

Why is this a warning sign?

Scams involving relocation are usually short-lived. Scammers establish websites and create up company names to avoid consequences, but they quickly quit them after a few clients have been duped. Because of their brief existence, they don't have enough time to be rated by third-party moving websites (including Move.org! ), therefore if you can't locate any reviews of a company, it might be a scam.

How can I double-check this?

A simple Google search should suffice. Instead of searching for "[moving business name] brand reviews," try searching for "[moving company name] brand reviews."

You can also use Move.org to look for brand reviews. We undertake extensive research on every firm we review to guarantee we don't endorse any scammers or con artists. If we suggest a company, you can be confident that it is appropriately licensed by the FMCSA.