Hiring a Moving Company? Avoid costly mistakes
If moving is in your near future and you're considering hiring a moving company, do your research! Hundreds of moving companies are investigated every year by the U.S. Department of Transportation for violating federal consumer protection and safety regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration fined over 300 moving companies last year alone for violations. Unfortunately, numerous unscrupulous companies still fleece unsuspecting movers out of thousands of dollars. Often, rogue moving companies prey on those who dont do their homework prior to hiring a moving company. To prevent being a victim of a moving scam, there are several steps you can take.
First things first - do your homework on choosing a suitable mover. Picking the wrong movers could result in major financial losses due to bait and switch tactics, as well as damage to your precious personal treasures - not to mention potential theft. Prior to engaging a moving company, you will want to see if there are complaints against them at the Better Business Bureau. Also, check out this new website called www.movingscam.com, designed just for monitoring bad moving companies.
According to the FMCSA, there are several red flags to be aware when hiring a moving company:
1. The mover doesn't offer or agree to an inspection of your household goods prior to giving an estimate. These estimates are often too good to be true and are designed to bait unwitting movers. 2. The moving company demands cash or a large deposit before the move. 3. The mover doesn't provide you with a copy of Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move, a booklet movers are required by Federal regulations to supply to their customers. 4. The mover claims all goods are covered by their insurance. 5. The company's website has no information about licensing or insurance.
Long time moving company owner in Los Angeles, Stan Korski, says, "Many moving companies prey on last minute movers - most legitimate companies require weeks of advance booking, so when a last minute mover calls, some movers take advantage of the situation." An integral part of a low cost move is clearly advance planning.
Planning at least 7 weeks ahead in any season is beneficial according to Kukoba. If you have time to check out and negotiate with multiple operators, you will more likely avoid unscrupulous moving companies and get a good price. In some cases, you may need the time to work on special arrangements for long distance moves.
Experts recommend avoiding a move during the summer months. Often movers, moving vans, and moving trucks are in very short supply during the busy season and predatory business practices are at their peak. Most violations reported by the FMCSA were higher proportionately last summer than at other times during the year. It also helps to avoid weekends - this will often lower the cost of the move because of decreased demand.
Additional fees charged beyond the original moving quote are commonplace because of unanticipated special moving requests that were not disclosed when the moving company provided an in home quote. When the movers arrive to provide a quote, be as detailed as possible with your needs and always ask about extra costs, insurance policies, license numbers, and mileage costs.
When it comes to choosing a moving company, do your homework. Most companies are good at what they do and take a tremendous amount of stress out of an already stressful event. Take the time to do the right screening so you can have a safe and successful move.
First things first - do your homework on choosing a suitable mover. Picking the wrong movers could result in major financial losses due to bait and switch tactics, as well as damage to your precious personal treasures - not to mention potential theft. Prior to engaging a moving company, you will want to see if there are complaints against them at the Better Business Bureau. Also, check out this new website called www.movingscam.com, designed just for monitoring bad moving companies.
According to the FMCSA, there are several red flags to be aware when hiring a moving company:
1. The mover doesn't offer or agree to an inspection of your household goods prior to giving an estimate. These estimates are often too good to be true and are designed to bait unwitting movers. 2. The moving company demands cash or a large deposit before the move. 3. The mover doesn't provide you with a copy of Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move, a booklet movers are required by Federal regulations to supply to their customers. 4. The mover claims all goods are covered by their insurance. 5. The company's website has no information about licensing or insurance.
Long time moving company owner in Los Angeles, Stan Korski, says, "Many moving companies prey on last minute movers - most legitimate companies require weeks of advance booking, so when a last minute mover calls, some movers take advantage of the situation." An integral part of a low cost move is clearly advance planning.
Planning at least 7 weeks ahead in any season is beneficial according to Kukoba. If you have time to check out and negotiate with multiple operators, you will more likely avoid unscrupulous moving companies and get a good price. In some cases, you may need the time to work on special arrangements for long distance moves.
Experts recommend avoiding a move during the summer months. Often movers, moving vans, and moving trucks are in very short supply during the busy season and predatory business practices are at their peak. Most violations reported by the FMCSA were higher proportionately last summer than at other times during the year. It also helps to avoid weekends - this will often lower the cost of the move because of decreased demand.
Additional fees charged beyond the original moving quote are commonplace because of unanticipated special moving requests that were not disclosed when the moving company provided an in home quote. When the movers arrive to provide a quote, be as detailed as possible with your needs and always ask about extra costs, insurance policies, license numbers, and mileage costs.
When it comes to choosing a moving company, do your homework. Most companies are good at what they do and take a tremendous amount of stress out of an already stressful event. Take the time to do the right screening so you can have a safe and successful move.
About the Author:
Sydney Welkinson is a blogger currently investigating Los Angeles Moving Companies and recording his personal moving stories and tips on his blog.
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