What happens if the movers don’t show up?

A deadline stopwatch.

Your moving day is finally here! All of that hard work you have put into planning and preparing for it now gets a chance to finally pay off. In a perfect world, your movers will be in front of your house exactly at the agreed-upon time. In practice, this doesn’t always happen. Sometimes, the movers won’t even show up, and you will be left standing in front of your house for hours, waiting for their arrival. So, how are you supposed to act if the movers don’t show up? As experienced local and interstate movers Florida who are almost never late, we have all the details on this subject.

Don’t panic the first few minutes you notice your movers are late

Even the most reputable moving companies that have never been amid a moving scandal are not immune to being late. There are plenty of justified reasons why a moving company is late for the pick-up or delivery.

A watch on a wrist.
If the movers don’t show up at the agreed-upon time, your first instinct will be to panic. DON’T!
  • The traffic is congested, as it usually is during the holidays.
  • The weather outside is not suitable for moving, such as winter, when there is a lot of ice and snow.
  • Some mechanical problem occurred with the moving truck and it’s causing a slight setback.

Don’t be too quick to judge nor to panic if your movers are late for a few minutes, even half an hour. If you were careful and you chose a reputable moving company such as Moving Kings Van Lines FL, you will see that truck parked in front of your house in no time. And, if for some reason it doesn’t, follow the necessary steps to figuring out what happened.

If the movers don’t show up, try to get in touch with them

In case you see that your movers are late for more than 20 to 30 minutes, it’s time to pick up your phone, and call them. This is really the only way to get precise information on what is going on. Once the dispatcher on the other side answers the call, you will most likely be able to find precise reasons for the delay. If they don’t pick up on the first call, don’t panic – try again. But, if after calling for a few times you still get no answer, it is a huge red flag indicating that you have stumbled upon fraudulent movers. And that really isn’t a situation you want to be in for many reasons.

A person holding a smartphone.
A simple phone call can solve all of your worries and answer all of your questions.

What to do when the movers are late for the pickup?

There are two situations when the movers can be late – for the pickup and for the delivery. If you had to choose, you definitely want to be in the first category. In this situation, you at least have your possessions next to you, so you don’t have to worry about not seeing them ever again.

  • Find out how long it will take your movers to arrive.

If you are lucky, your moving company will only be late for a few hours. If you get on the phone with your movers and find out they will arrive on that same day, you are not in such a bad situation. You will still be able to relocate your belongings with only a short delay. But, if you can’t get in touch with your movers, or you find out they will be late for very long, you have only one option.

  • Find last minute movers in your area.

In case your first movers of choice can’t make it, your only option is to look for last minute moving companies in Lake Worth, Boca Raton or any other place you live. These companies specialize in relocating you on short notice. Of course, if you already gave a deposit to the other moving company, you will be facing a financial loss. But, that’s something you will have to deal with once you are settled in your new home.

A red alarm clock and euros falling on the ground.
Parting ways with that large deposit you paid won’t be easy.

What to do when movers are late for the delivery?

The situation gets from bad to worse if the movers don’t show up after picking up your items. You are not just facing a setback in your relocation. No, you are facing a huge financial and emotional loss. So, if you call and your movers don’t pick up or you can’t get any relevant information, here’s what you should do.

  • Contact FMCSA.

Before taking any other actions, you should first get in touch with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. They can give you the best possible advice on what you should do, and whether your moving company’s vehicle is registered with them and, therefore, legal.

  • Think about calling the police.

In case the movers don’t show up but contact you asking for more money, you have no other option than to bring authorities into the matter. Asking for ransom money is a criminal offense, and you cannot deal with it on your own. It would be best to contact the police and let them deal with fraudulent movers.

A man at his desk, thinking what to do if the movers don't show up.
Sometimes, you need to leave it up to others to help you handle the situation.

Trust that everything will be alright

At the end of the day, all you can do is hope that your movers will show up as previously agreed. But, hope won’t do you much good unless you keep your eyes open when choosing your Florida household movers. That’s the moment that decides whether you will hire reputable or fraudulent movers. And, more often than not, the movers don’t show up when they are fraudulent. So, be careful and good luck – you will need it!

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