May is National Moving Month and the beginning of what is traditionally the busiest part of the year for Americans who are changing addresses. The downside is that there are a number of dishonest scammers and unlicensed movers who are lying in wait to try to take advantage of the unwary. The good news, however, is there are a number of good tips you can follow to make sure that you avoid any scams.
According to the Shorewood Patch online edition, over 1.4 million inquiries and more than 9,300 complaints were received by the Better Business Bureau last year in relation to movers. These complaints included missing or damaged items, late deliveries, possessions being ‘held hostage’ for extra payments, and price rises over the initial estimates.
“Finding a mover that you can trust for an efficient and stress-free move can be easy, if you just take the time to check a company out,” says the president and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin-based Better Business Bureau (BBB), Ran Hoth. “Check with bbb.org first. There are more than 17,000 business reviews on companies that provide moving-related services in our system.”
As well as checking out a moving company on the BBB website, customers should also make sure that an interstate mover has a license from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which assigns a number to legitimate interstate moving companies that can be checked at protectyourmove.gov. You should also make sure you acquire a minimum of three written in-home estimates.
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