10 ways to avoid moving scams |
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"Referrals are the key to good selection for a moving company, and using some reputable referral sources, such
as the Realtors with whom you're buying or selling your home," he says. "Realtors want to make sure that your (moving) transaction
is a good one."
2. Investigate the companies
Check with your area's Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been filed and whether there are reliable Web sites solely
dedicated to moving scams.
MovingScam.com maintains a "black list" with 376 movers currently on it. The site also endorses quality movers,
such as All Star Moving in New York and STS Movers in California. MovingScam.com maintains a message board filled with consumer
experiences, bad and good.
Through FMCSA's ProtectYourMove.gov, a consumer can learn if a mover's license is current and if the company has
ever had a federal complaint. Some states have consumer mover advocate associations.
3. Make sure the moving company visits your home
"They should always have a representative come to their apartment
or their house and physically look at the logistics and what has
to be moved," says Jim Molloy, CEO of Molloy Bros. Moving and Storage.
Good companies will spend 20 minutes or more with
a potential client answering questions and giving packing tips,
Molloy says, and should offer to show their warehouses for temporary
storage.
"Many of these Internet companies don't even have a facility," Molloy says.
Make sure the weight of the load looks right. O'Gorman says a low-balling company will claim a 10,000-pound load
is only 7,000 pounds so they can provide the low bid.
"They're not giving them a true, thorough description of everything that's being moved or planned to be moved,"
he says.
4. Get 3 estimates
When shopping for movers, it's best to get at least three estimates, says Jennifer Bonham, spokeswoman for MoveRescue.
"If you've got one that's really, really low compared
to the other two, you're going to know something's up," she says.
5. Demand a contract that covers everything
A moving contract should spell out all the details and there should not be any hidden charges, such as a "driver's fee."
"When you're really giving the customer information or protection, there's a lot more paperwork," Molloy says.
"The scam guys make it very easy and simple: 'You're moving from point A to point B; here's your price.'
"But once they start doing the services, the contract didn't include this and that. And all of a sudden
they're charging for pads, packing and all kinds of things they never mentioned."
Some movers demand a 20 percent gratuity on top of the bill -- even before they unload the truck -- with no
mention of it in the contract.
"Tipping is customary, but down to the level of the customer's own discretion," O'Gorman says.
If there's no contract on the move, there's no record of sale.
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