Moving house is a very stressful business, especially when you are looking to move over long distances. With all the stress you are under, getting scammed from the moving company is the last thing you want. Here are a few ways to detect and avoid moving scams.
1. They Don’t Own Their Trucks
A good moving company will have its own trucks because it is what their business depends on. The fake moving companies will have unmarked trucks to move your stuff from one place to another, which is a big red flag. Unmarked trucks are difficult to track and they aren’t reliable. Once your stuff is loaded onto the truck, there is no guaranteeing where it will stop and there is no easy way to track these trucks. Make sure that the company you are hiring has its own fleet of moving trucks.
2. They Ask for a Large Sum of Money Upfront
Any moving company will include a deposit fee to be paid upfront as insurance. However, if a company is asking a ludicrous amount of money to be paid upfront then you should probably quietly step away from the situation. The moving fee is one thing but asking the whole lot of it before even loading your belongings in the truck is fishy. A standard deposit that a company asks in its busiest season is between $200 to $500 so if an amount which is higher is asked then there is a chance they will run away with your money or claim that you never paid it.
3. A Low Sum of Money for the Whole Moving Process
This is one of the most common scams present in the moving business. Companies give you the lowest estimate that any other company would give you to move your stuff just to reel you in their trap. However, if you see that the asking price is unrealistically low then you might be getting scammed. Look out for these companies as they can either run away with your money or they can ask a higher final price which was promised at the starting.
4. Suspicious On-Site Inspection
Any moving company will come to your house in order to inspect the house and the things that need to be moved. Even if they don’t come to the house, they will require you to make an inventory of all the items in the house and then give you an estimate accordingly. If an estimator comes to your home and inspect the house quickly or they may not come at all to your house for inspection is a sign of getting scammed.
5. Incomplete Contract Details
Make sure that you read the contract that has been sent out to you to sign. You must make sure that all of the terms of the agreement are in your favor and properly defined. If you find any ambiguity like improper company name, contact info, delivery dates, etc. then you must walk away.
No that you know how to avoid getting scammed from movers, it’s time to think about how to lower moving charges. One way is to remove junk by employing Austin TX junk haul away service. Once you will have less stuff, moving cost will be reduced naturally.
To find Austin TX trash removal companies, a rule of thumb is to look for what other people are saying about them.
Conclusion
Make sure that you are well prepared to assess these issues of moving with care and precision. You don’t want your valuables to be lost or get scammed in the moving process.
