Red flags to consider before you hire movers

Hiring professional movers should be a straightforward thing. Simply browse for local movers NJ and hire whoever you like. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Yes, most of the moving companies are, in fact, reputable ones but there are some that are “out to get you” so to speak. Usually, these movers will raise a couple of red flags that you can recognize. You will do well to spot fraudulent movers well before they have any chance to do you any harm. This article will be pointing out the most common red flags to consider before you hire movers alongside some other tips.

What are the red flags to consider before you hire movers?

Here is the shortlist of the flags you should be looking for:

• Bad moving reviews and lack of information on their website
• To-good-to-be-true estimate
• Movers demand to be paid upfront
• No full value protection offer
• Charging for every little thing on a local move
• You should verify the insurance and license information online

Bad moving reviews and lack of information on their website

Most moving companies that do not really wish to operate honestly will not put much effort into their website. Their reviews will also, of course, be pretty abysmal. You will not be able to find these reviews on their website, though. That is why you should always search for reviews of full service movers NYC at several places. Their website is going to have a minimum of information and you will need to call them in order to find out more.

That is when they will lure you in with low prices and outrageous benefits. In order to not even get into this situation, make sure that you do your review-checking thoroughly and to pay close attention to their webpage.

One of the red flags to consider before you hire movers – To-good-to-be-true estimate

Some moving companies will offer really good prices as part of their promotion deals for example. But for the most part, moving companies charge similar rates. It is the same in every industry, there are cheaper and more expensive options but you need to be wary of really good ones. What these companies do is offer you an estimate that is much lower than their competition. This may make you consider all that you can do with the “extra” money and you’re reeled in. In order to spot a lowball estimate, you need to have several estimates on hand. The best way to do this is to contact as many moving companies as you can and have them do an estimate.

The thing is: If a deal is too good to be true, it most likely is not true in the first place. The reason why so many people fall for this is that those deals usually come with a serious time limit. So, in order not to miss out, people choose to trust the company and hope for the best. And that is what these fraudulent companies live from. Don’t be a victim, always triple-check the facts. Where there is one red flag, there is bound to be more!

Movers demand to be paid upfront

If a moving company demands that you pay them before they do the job, simply take your business elsewhere. While some deposit payments are alright in some cases, never pay the full amount upfront. In fact, every single time that a moving company asks for a deposit, question them. Moving companies do not usually even ask for any deposits or anything. This is a definite red flag that you need to be aware of. If you want to avoid moving scams and protect yourself, never pay anything upfront without a really good reason. After all, most of the companies will not ask for a deposit so your options are quite open.

No full value protection offer

Most fraudulent movers will never offer you full value protection. Almost every mover will say that they are “licensed and insured” but if they don’t offer full value protection when you ask for it, something is definitely strange. If you did not know, the basic insurance plan will only pay for $0.60 per pound of your belongings. Which, most of the time, simply is not enough. If your belongings are considerably more valuable than this, full value protection is what you want, especially in interstate moves. If a company says they can’t do it, take your business elsewhere and congratulate yourself on spotting a red flag.

Another red flag to consider before you hire movers – Charging for every little thing on a local move

Local moves are a lot easier than interstate or international ones. Many of these shady companies will want to “milk” you for every small thing. The way they do this is by offering small rates on “regular” services and high rates on services they claim you will never need. And then, by some miracle, you end up needing those services on a moving day. This is how they make their money.

You should verify the insurance and license information online

The best thing that you can do in order to protect yourself is to do proper research. Do not trust anything that someone writes down on their website. There are registrars that you can search for the name of the company in question. All of the information about insurance and licensing you can find online. This is one of the best ways to figure out if the moving company is “on the up and up”. Check the BBB moving companies and also check at the FMCSA directory, as well. If a moving company is absent from both of these, that is a potential red flag. These are serious directories and most moving companies that are operating legitimately will have a presence at either one or both.

We hope that you will now have no problems identifying fraudulent movers. Happy moving!