Did you know that May is National Moving Month? It’s the jump start of our busiest time of year – the summer! Today we’re not here to tell you about how to move, or what to move, or how to move it – we want to tell you how to stay safe and avoid the fly by night / shady movers who are out there and will, more than likely, try to get your business. Moving is stressful enough, the last thing you need is a shady rogue mover to scam you!
Listen now, we don’t want to scare you, we just want to make sure you know how to protect yourself from rogue movers. Below are a few tips and tricks for making sure you’re on the right track to finding a reputable mover.
1. Always request quotes from at least 3 different moving companies. This will help you get a feel for the pricing and to determine what’s reasonable and what’s not. Never accept an estimate that is too high or too low. Ask the move consultant to help you compare apples to apples when reviewing the estimate pricing and services. Love knowing this kind of stuff and want to dig deeper? Visit our FAQ article on questions to ask local movers.
2. Don’t wait until the last moment to secure a mover. Reputable companies will book weekends and end of the month quickly. Allowing yourself lead time for booking can help ensure you get the date you want, at the price you want with the company you want.
3. Ask your friends and family members for referrals. Sometimes word of mouth is the best guarantee that you’ll find a good, trustworthy moving company. Be sure to also check company reputation with consumer protection groups and through social media. Finally, a good indication of a mover that wants to comply with government and industry regulations is one that can supply you their DOT number, Motor Carrier number and demonstrate that they support the professionalism of moving by being an American Moving and Storage Association member.
4. Be sure to get everything in writing. A reputable mover will be able to tell you estimated volume of your move, provide a list of the items you want moved, list the services and supplies you need, offer additional valuation protection, as well as make you aware of the terms and conditions of your move contract. Don’t put down a deposit or agree to anything until you have the information that you need, and the contract, in writing.
As we said earlier, we’re not here to scare you, we’re here to educate you about finding a mover that will treat you like they would like to be treated. As long as you take your time to find a reputable mover, and ask all of the right questions, you’ll be in good hands.
Do you have questions on moving scams? If so, call Beltway Movers, we’re a moving company in Washington, DC, today at (800) 966-8348. We look forward to working with you!
Resource: promover.org
