Choosing a legitimate moving company

Today’s guest post comes from Fullservicemovers.org, an online portal of local and long distance movers.

Recent news of sting operations and the arrests of unlicensed movers all over the country show how common this problem is. When you know what to look for in professional moving companies and what warning signs to be aware of, you can then make a more educated decision about who to hire for your move.

First, beware of ridiculously low offers. Find out the most current rates for moves by getting free quotes from several full service moving companies. Never pay for this estimate – it is a free service. Any mover who tries to charge you for an estimate is unethical. Another red flag to watch out for is online moving company advertisements that sound too good to be true, and promise to cost much less than other moving companies. You really have no way to know if the people who move your things are legitimate and are licensed and insured employees of that company. What legal recourse can you take if you cannot find the company? They can simply disconnect their number and you could be out any money that you paid them, and some people also lose all of their belongings to rogue companies posing as real movers.

Now that you have an idea of what your moving costs will be, decide which mover you want to use. Visit the moving company’s office and determine what services you want. Ask to see their licenses and proof of liability insurance, worker’s compensation and any other documents that show their level of professionalism.

There are online resources available, including movingscam.com, that publish recent moving scams, and lists of suspicious moving companies as well as companies that they recommend. You can learn a lot more about scams and warning signs, and connect with other people on the forums.

Professional moving companies will always make sure that you have copies of their policies and procedures. You can choose to have the cost of your move determined by weight volume or distance. Assuming that your carefully read each word of all contracts and other related documents, you can rest assured that there will be no unpleasant surprises, such as hidden or extra costs, fees or delays regarding the delivery of your household goods.