Moving scams are for real. Every other day an innocent person gets trapped under these scams. From suspicious billings to partial theft, no insurance of goods to missing a deadline of delivery, the fraud moving companies committing frauds at an extreme level. If you are relocating your household goods, especially on a partial basis, then it is very important for you to take the required precautionary measures at the time of hiring a professional moving service. Though you can trust Agarwal packers with closed eyes still there are some steps that you should take for sure.
Even if the percentage of cases where the movers have scammed the customers is low, it is better to be safe than being sorry later. If a home relocation is in your mind and you are not sure about how to avoid getting scammed by a moving company, then here is the information that you need.
Few common moving frauds are listed below:
Always remember that fraudulent moving companies often try to induce you, but you need to judge them well before actually assigning them the packing and moving tasks.
- Over-billing- This is the most common fraud because, in the end, it is only about the money. They will start small and then they will increase the quoted price later. The excuse that they give is charging extra handling charges, extra articles, change of route at the time, and many more. So, whenever, you are considering or bargaining the rates with a moving company to relocate your home, office, etc, just don’t fall the extremely low rated quotes.
It does not mean that you are not allowed to bargain the moving price, you have the right to get some reduction in the price, but then analyze that your estimate gets submitted. You should ask for a quotation and invoice with the costs mentioned. If you don’t see the final rates in front of you understand the heads for all the costs that you have been charged for.
The spurious moving companies will share an estimate, and once you have hired them, they will submit the invoice with different numbers. Therefore, you should get a detailed quotation with the overall costs mentioned in it.
- Demanding extra money- The condition is the same as in case of overbilling, but the rogue movers will charge more for unloading, or by giving you some other excuses. The mode of shipment is the same as the overbilling scenario.
In the beginning, the quotes will be too low so that you hire them and once the goods are packed, they start giving you surprise with extra cost before delivering your goods. The best way to not t fall for this trap by movers and packers is again the clarity. Only your best judgment can come in handy, so do check the rates of other moving companies to check the differences in price.
The difference in rates should not be hard to trust. If the quote rates are too less, then that is the first sign of demanding an extra amount of money later. So be careful and make sure of which company you are dealing with.
- Delayed delivery of goods- Leaving a day or two is fine because there may be some problems during the transit. Nobody has control over traffic or some clueless diversion or natural calamities. But delaying the delivery for weeks is just not done. So, ask the questions about the route they are taking, genuine date of packing, in transit, and delivery date, and that should be in writing. So, finalize the actual date of packing, in-transit period, and delivery date and that must be in writing.
- Damages and losses- It is another issue that one might face when relocating. Actually, it happens in the case of shred consignment shifting and by mistake or negligence. Whatever, be the reason, you should always insist on getting the exact packing list made and signed before letting them load the articles. Make sure that the boxes are properly sealed and packed and do not sign the delivery list without counting the packing list.
- No transit insurance- Insurance is essential, but in certain cases, even after charging you for the insurance the movers may not insure your goods and keep the money. But don’t forget that your goods are actually secured. Ask for the insurance payment receipt and policy documents or some proof to establish that the actual insurance is done before leaving a lot of goods.
- Wrong contact details- One of the very crucial things to notice is the contact numbers where you will be connecting in case you need any assistance or want to know where your goods are located. Now imagine, if you are stuck for an update, your mover will stop taking your phone calls and you don’t have any other way to reach out to the moving company.
So, always work with companies that are genuine. Ask for alternate contact numbers of the manager and other executives and talk to them to ensure that you have a variety of contact numbers to seek help when in need.
- Low quality of packing- This is one of the most common tricks that the rogue moving companies apply. They will quote you low rates in the beginning and when you agree and hire them to complete the task, they will say yes and proceed with the packing and moving of your goods. But when the delivery date arrives, they increase the dates and deny delivery till they receive the desired amount. If you want to avoid this kind of scam, you better discuss the packaging material quality and also examine if they are packing goods properly. Remember, any negligence with packing quality can turn out to be expensive.
Follow the 7 simple tips to prevent yourself from getting scammed while appointing a moving professional to handle your upcoming moving affairs. Also, you can directly get in touch with Agarwal packers and movers to sure the move becomes hassle-free.
Happy Moving!