“Protect Your Move” is a new initiative by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, to help families, companies and individuals hire trusted movers during this busy summer moving season. In addition to well respected, BBB accredited moving companies, there are a number of brokers, scams and rogue moving companies hoping to take advantage of the moving marketplace. Do you know how to spot their moving scams?
The FMCSA has set up a website with information to empower people with the ability to find quality movers. Moving families will also want to check with their local Better Business Bureau before using a moving company. To avoid the frustration of investigating all moving companies on these sites, you can filter out the companies you know are bad yourself. Here are some tips to quickly identify brokers, scams and rogue moving companies.
How to Identify a Moving Broker
Broker websites look dangerously similar to moving websites. They appear to have all the information you need, provide you with moving quotes up front and yet they move no one. Some brokers may have sales people to answer the phone, but what they don’t have are trucks, drivers or anyone who can actually move someone. Instead, they bid your move out to other companies and take a chunk of the price for themselves.
An obvious sign of a broker is an influx of phone calls. Some brokers do little more than hand your information off to many different moving companies, who then all call you to help with your move. If this happens, you know the website you put your information into was not a real moving company.
How to Identify a Moving Scam
Scams on the internet often try to get money without any intention of providing services. Worse than brokers, those who have been scammed may find themselves with no one to help them on moving day and the funds to hire someone, gone.
These scams take many forms, but there are a few ways to easily spot them. If they don’t insist on collecting some kind of inventory of your belongings or if their price seems too good to be true, you have likely found a scam. To be sure, ask for their Department of Transportation number (commonly called the DOT number) and search for the company on the Better Business Bureau and the FMCSA website. Lack of a DOT number is a sure sign you are not speaking with a quality mover.
How to Identify a Rogue Mover
If you have ever heard of a moving company holding someone’s belongings hostage, you’ve heard of a rouge mover. They often combine the tactics of brokers and scams into their moving practices. This is why you have to pay a lot of attention to price and do your research. Rogue movers routinely quote low prices, and pack and load all of your belongings, only to double or triple the original price they gave. They hold all the items they just loaded hostage, refusing to unload until their inflated price is paid.
Identify a rogue mover by collecting a handful of quotes from multiple moving companies. If one moving company seems to cost significantly less than the others, that is a sign of a rogue mover.
We at myBMS Moving & Storage want to make sure you have a safe, successful moving experience. As you investigate the right moving company for your move, watch out for the warning signs. Once you’ve narrowed it down to a handful of movers, double check with the FMCSA and the BBB.
If you have any additional questions about moving or want to speak with a myBMS Moving & Storage moving expert, call us at 877-594-1187.
