It doesn’t take much to start a company nowadays. All you need is an internet connection, a website, and a company name. So, as you can imagine, not all companies are created equally. This is incredibly important to remember when browsing available moving companies because movers come in direct contact with your most prized possessions. As such, you need to be able to trust that your items will be respected, handled properly and that they will arrive at the destination, without a runaround.
Since it’s so easy for one to call themselves a company, it can be difficult to determine which moving companies are legitimate. So, we created a quick guide to finding a trustworthy, legitimate and reliable moving company.
They Don’t Require You to Make Payment Up Front
It doesn’t seem unusual to have to make payment up front when scheduling a moving truck or hiring movers. After all, you’re booking a service in advance and it makes sense to pay to hold your place. However, illegitimate companies took advantage of this and created a scam where consumers paid upfront but never received a moving truck or movers.
As a result, many legitimate companies no longer require full payment up front. So, if you’re asked, you may be dealing with a dishonest company.
They Can’t Be Found Online
Any legitimate company should have a website online. Not only that but they should have social media accounts, customer service, and an impressive online presence. We live in a digital age, and reputable moving companies recognize the importance of staying current with the trends.
Now that’s not to say that a company who isn’t online isn’t legitimate. However, it does show that their service is outdated and possibly not up to standards for today’s modern world.
Their Online Presence Isn’t Swarmed with Bad Reviews
It’s always a good idea to do an online search on the moving company you’re interested in, along with the word ‘scam’ or ‘review’. This will instantly bring up any customer complaints and if it does, some red flags as well.
On the contrary, it’s important to conduct this search with an open perspective. Consumers are more likely to write a bad review than to provide positive feedback, and not everything you read online is true. However, if you find several scam reports and bad reviews saying the same thing, that’s something to pay attention to.
They Have a Department of Transportation Number
The United States requires every certified moving company to have a Department of Transportation (DOT) number. If you’re unsure of the legitimacy of a moving company, visit the DOT website and do a company search.
They Offer Valuation
Since moving companies are dealing with your prized possessions, legitimate ones know the importance of offering valuation. This is not only a benefit to the movers, but to you as well. Valuation ensures that your belongings are repaired, replaced or reimbursed if the damage was caused by the company. Without it, a moving company can misplace, break or steal your belongings and there’s nothing put in place to cover that.
Valuation is an optional service with most moving companies that comes with its own cost. Whether or not to use valuation is up to the customer.
As a rule of thumb, always go with your intuition. If something doesn’t seem right about a moving company, you may want to reconsider hiring them. After all, there are so many reputable, high quality and affordable moving companies to choose from, you should never settle for a bad one.
