How to spot fake moving companies in Florida

Moving to a new house is something to look forward to, as it means the start of a new part of your life. In years behind us, there have been so many occasions where people who had a move in front of them got tricked. Scamming companies are not new, they exist for a long time now. And you should be careful when choosing from movers and packers Miami offers. Luckily, you can find out how to spot some fake moving companies in Florida and avoid this unpleasant experience.  

Signs of fake moving companies in Florida

The most important thing you can always check is their license, and whether they are registered with FMCSA. Scam companies will ask you to sign a contract before they do an in-home estimate, and they will offer ridiculously low quotes. Also, they will ask for a huge down payment. Reliable companies either won’t ask for any down payment or they will ask for a little percentage. If you can contact the office and they don’t have an address somewhere on their website, beware. The same goes if they have a van without their logo, as there is no reason for a real company not to label itself. Real commercial movers Miami has will want to be seen. Also, looking up reviews will tell you a lot, as other people will probably leave negative reviews and their bad experiences. 

What can be considered a moving scam 

It is also good to know what falls under a moving scam and what is something that can happen to all moving companies Miami Beach located. These are some of the examples:

• Altering or making a fraudulent bill of lading
• Making an extremely low estimate and then withholding or talking about withholding your things until you pay much more than what was agreed
• “weight bumping” or adding the weight on your shipment
• Charging for false number of packing materials and other supplies

Still, some of the things that can happen during the relocation are not enough for you to report a scam, as they can happen to anyone. These are things like minor losses during the move, and delivery being late by a few days. If you get packing services Miami companies offer, sometimes small damages can happen. And be aware that if small changes in price after estimate happens, this is normal.

What to do if a fake moving company in Florida scams you? 

If unfortunately this already happened to you, don’t worry it can happen to people. It is because fake moving companies in Florida already have experience in scams and manipulations. So, what should you do now? First off, you can file a direct complaint with the company handling your relocation. Secondly, you should contact organizations that can help you with this. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates interstate transportation of home goods and offers different information to help people planning to move. 

You can contact FMCSA’s National Consumer Complaint Database online or call them free of charge. Also, each state has its state agencies that handle state relocation scams. In Florida, you can contact the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services either through their website or by phone call.