Research; and Reduce Moving Truck Scams

There seems to have been an increase in moving scams. When getting ready to move, one of our biggest fears is usually that a prized, valued or sentimental possession will get lost or broken. That the truck will be late arriving to load your household items for moving, or even maybe that something will get left behind accidentally.

But the one thing you probably are not worrying about is likely the biggest concern of all: that the moving company you hired is a scam company, and will hold your possession hostage until you fork over a lot more money than you were told would be due or the truck never shows up after collecting your deposit or worse yet, the loaded truck never shows up at your destination.

In a hostage-goods situation, somebody has already moved your household goods and quoted you one price. But by the time you meet the truck at your destination, they are holding onto the goods and they ask you to pay an inflated price.

In a deposit scam, movers ask for a lot of money up-front and then they never show.

What are some of the ways you can protect yourself from a moving scam? First there are a few “red flags” you should watch out for:

• The moving company has no interest in an on-site inspection of your goods, which is necessary to give you an accurate estimate to move you.
• The movers will accept only cash or a large deposit BEFORE they arrive to pick up your items.
• The company web site has no local address or information about licensing.
• They refuse to put everything in writing.
• The estimate is much lower than any other estimate, the reason it is always good to get three separate moving estimates.

Doing your research before you commit to a mover will help you avoid getting scammed. Some ways to help you do this are:

• Check with the Better Business Bureau www.bbbonline.org to see if the company has complaints against them and if they have been resolved.
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, where you can check out your mover on line at www.fmcsa.dot.gov
• Other helpful websites include; www.protectyourmove.gov and www.movingscam com

The FMCSA has a lot of information on their website to help consumers. Consumers who suspect they have a problem, who have had their belongings “hijacked” should call the FMCSA at 888-368-7238 to file a complaint.