Things To Look Out For When Hiring Movers
When you hire a moving company, there are some things you should check for to make sure they are legitimate. The unfortunate reality of the moving industry is that there are a handful of so-called “moving companies” out there that are not operating legally and that can create a whole host of problems. In many cases, these problematic companies can cause long delays in delivering your items and request additional payments to transport your belongings, both of which are a bad practice, unnecessary, and against industry standards.
Full Payment Is Requested Up Front
This is a big issue that almost always signals something out of the ordinary is going on. Sometimes a small deposit may be requested to hold your reservation, but it should never be the full amount of the moving cost requested in advance. This is almost always a recipe for getting scammed and, generally speaking, a bad way to do business. The companies that want full payment up front are usually the same ones that resort to underhanded tactics like the “bait and switch” and holding your goods hostage in order to try and get more money than was initially agreed upon. If a mover wants all the money in advance, you should definitely keep looking at other options.
You Do Not Receive The Rights & Responsibilities Document
By law, any moving company has to give you a document known as your moving rights and responsibilities. This document lays out the legal requirements of moving companies, as well as your rights as a customer and must be provided to you by any moving company. If a company does not provide you with this document, it’s likely because they themselves do not follow the proper legal protocols set out in the document and required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
No Written Estimate Is Provided
If a mover you’re considering does not provide you with a written estimate, you should not use them. There are different types of estimates (most commonly, binding and non-binding), but you should always receive a written estimate before anything is agreed to or any money changes hands. No agreements should be set over the phone or even verbally in person with a contract that states what services are going to be fulfilled and what the cost expectations are.
They Do Not Have Proper Operating Authority
Moving companies should be registered with the same two bodies mentioned in the “rights and responsibilities” section above: the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). The FMCSA is a wing of the USDOT and any mover operating in the United States should have a USDOT number and you should be able to find their company information listed in the FMCSA database of registered movers. If you can’t find a listing for the company you’re dealing with, they are not a legally registered moving company and you should not work with them.
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