Regardless of whether you’re moving to Tampa or somewhere in Alaska, one thing remains certain – moving is definitely a difficult time. And it’s a process most people need some help with; which is why moving companies exist in the first place. Of course, the trouble is – as with any other type of business, you can’t always be sure that you’re dealing with honest people. Especially in a market as crowded as the moving industry is; which is why you must be wondering – how to know if a moving company is legitimate? Don’t worry – we are here to help you out with that.
How to know if a moving company is legitimate when it comes to law
As we’ve mentioned; choosing the right moving company is extremely important. After all, you’re not just choosing any kind of service providers; these are the people who will be handling your personal and intimate possessions. And before you want to put most of your household in the hands of people you don’t really know; you definitely need to learn how to know if a moving company is legitimate or not. But where to start, while analyzing your potential movers? Well, with the closest cousin of legitimacy – and that’s legality.
Like most other industries and businesses, the moving industry is also regulated, at least to an extent. And in this case – by federal law. Although many of these regulations aren’t important to you, there is one that directly pertains to the customers of moving companies. More specifically – moving companies have an obligation to present their clients with a particular document, named Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move. This is a particularly useful brochure, that contains a lot of crucial information about moving. And furthermore; it’ll help you get a sense of whether you’re dealing with a legitimate moving company. If you’re dealing with unregistered frauds; they probably won’t provide you with this.
Learn everything you can about your movers
As you can see – learning how to know if a moving company is legitimate is extremely important. The last thing you want is to make a miscalculation here; you might be giving your valuable items for safekeeping to people you actually shouldn’t trust. And furthermore; you’re also providing them with a lot of your personal information; let alone your old and new addresses. Because of all of this, do everything you can in the effort of finding the best movers; trust us, this will pay off immensely. At the end of the day, you’ll be happy knowing that you’re in business with a truly great company.
So, what are some of the precautions you should take? For one; you should obtain as many moving quotes as you can, before settling on one moving company. You definitely don’t want to jump on the first offer you get; because you have nothing to compare it to. And having a solid frame of reference in this case is important. For example; you may get an extremely enticing, incredibly cheap moving quote. But it may be just too good to be true; you could be looking at a way that shady movers attract honest customers. So, make sure that, while you want a good offer; it’s still realistic in the context of the market.
Some red flags to steer clear of
As mentioned above; although the moving industry is generally an honest one, not all movers out there want to do business honestly. So, while hiring someone to help you with relocation, you should definitely stay on alert. Don’t worry, there are a couple of warning signs that you’re dealing with dishonest people; which we’ll give you a quick run-through below:
- Lack of transparency: We’ve already mentioned that you might be getting some truly amazing estimates in your search for movers. And while many of these are actually precise moving quotes, some of them are simply a way of attracting clients dishonestly. Once you’re in the middle of your relocation, these people will list out much larger hidden costs that you’ve apparently agreed to.
- Withholding the shipment: Here’s another way how to know if a moving company is legitimate; in this case, the company may load your shipment onto their vehicles like a mover normally would. But then, they’ll demand more money in order to complete the relocation, than previously agreed to. These are fraudulent, unregistered movers; so make sure you report them!
- Lack of information online: Usually, a real moving company would be keen to advertise their presence wherever possible. So if they don’t have a website, social media, or even any other kind of online information on them; you might want to avoid that company. In this day and age, most companies advertise online at least in some capacity. And while this doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s not legitimate; it’s certainly not a good sign in terms of professionalism.
Pay attention to the contract
Whatever kind of business you’re conducting – paying attention to the legal side of things is incredibly important. Really, if you’re wondering how to know if a moving company is legitimate; our advice is reading the fine print. And not only that; but thoroughly going through any kind of moving contract before you sign it. If you’re in business with a respectable company, there’s probably nothing to be wary of; but there’s no reason not to be careful. Because if you want to hire reliable cheap movers, you could always run into a moving scam. So, in light of that – remember that your contract is your best safeguard against legal troubles!
