Being hit with last minute fees can move you to tears
This scam starts out very pleasantly. Moving companies will try to beat each others low bid to move your possessions for you. You’ve gotta love competition. In most cases this is exactly what you would want to have happen. You would take the low bid and the mover would come and move your stuff to your new home and when they were done you would pay them the agreed upon price.
But this is the moving business and you are not going to believe what can happen to you if you aren’t careful! While some moving companies are completely legit, more than a few will try to trick you into paying a lot more money than you expected.
Use the web, but be careful
You’ll find a lot of movers like this on the web. While doing research for your move you can find many websites where all you need to do is enter some basic information to get a quote or send a request for more information. This is a good way to do research and we hardly think people should stop doing cost comparisons on the web but you do have have to be careful. A move is a big deal. It can be very stressful and tiring. You want everything to go right and finding a reputable mover is a key step in the moving process. So how can you tell the honest movers from the crooks? The good news is that there are a lot of things that might tip you off that the mover you just hired is a crook.
Cubic Feet or Weight?
If your mover gives you a quote based on cubic feet rather than weight you should start worrying. This alone is not proof that the mover giving you a quote won’t be honest but it’s definately something to ask about. If the movers quote is based on the weight of your household items then they have to prove that at no cost. There are no laws or regulations in the moving industry for square footage. You should definately ask a prospective mover why they are quoting you in square footage rather than weight before anything is signed. Just asking this question might cause the mover to refuse to move your things and this save you a lot of money and headache. Remember, there are plenty of other movers out there that want your business and a many of them don’t engage in shady business practices.
Always ask for a quote
Make sure that before anything is signed and before you pay any money you are given a quote for the complete job of moving your things to their new location. Once this quote is made and agreed upon the mover has to stick to it. Don’t give in to their pressure and if you think the mover thried to rip you off don’t hesitate to call the authorities.