Red flags when moving – how to notice them?

Do you need to move? Then, you must know by now how difficult it can be to organize one relocation, especially for people who never moved before. For this reason, you should find the best moving companies Miami Dade. It sounds easy. However, many rogue movers lure customers with an amazing deal that ends up being false. To save your hard-earned money, pay attention to details. What are the common red flags when moving? Find out by reading to the end.  

Red flags when moving – you cannot find information about a company 

When you are searching for moving company Fort Lauderdale, you can find all the necessary information about their work. Pay attention to their website first. Did they list all their services? What about moving quotes? Can you find their license? It is very important to find out if a moving company is registered or not. Fraudulent moving companies do not have a license. Therefore, if something happens during the move, you will not be able to ask for compensation. As you might have guessed, rogue movers will refuse to compensate you for any damage. They will either disappear with your money or items. 

Not having a proper license 

As mentioned previously, movers without a license are not reliable. Only reputable moving companies have a proper license. If this is your first time moving, you might be thinking “what license”. Here is what you need to look for. If you are moving long-distance, all interstate moving companies should be licensed with the United States Department of Transportation. It is your responsibility to ask for your movers’ U.S. DOT number. When you receive this number, you can look up your movers in the FMCSA’s system. If movers refuse to give out this number, consider this gesture as a red flag when moving. In addition to this, local movers do not need to have a license issued by the FMSCA. Instead, local movers have to follow the regulation of your state. Check if they have a license issued by your state.  

Red flags when moving – an estimate that is too good to be true

When you are searching for a moving company, pick three moving companies as potential candidates. Then, ask for an in-house estimate. Movers who only insist on the online estimate are potential scammers. An online estimate is a good start. However, it should not be the only estimate you receive. Movers cannot get a proper picture of your items if they do not see it in person. Additionally, pay attention to the estimates. Have three moving companies do the estimate, then compare them. Usually, different moving companies offer the same services within a similar price range. Therefore, if one estimate sticks out since it is drastically lower than the others, be suspicious. It is impossible that one moving company is significantly cheaper than others. For this reason, do not fall for too good to be a true estimate since it is not true in most cases. 

Movers only offer non-binding estimates 

There are two types of moving estimate – binding and non-binding moving estimate. A binding moving estimate is an official agreement of your price. Therefore, the initial cost of your move will not change even if the total weight of your shipment is lower or higher than the original one. On the other hand, a non-binding estimate is not official, but rather an agreement. This means your initial price will change depending on the last estimate. You can either pay more or less than originally estimated. However, rogue movers will offer a small estimate only to ask more money later. To protect yourself, find a moving company that offers a binding estimate or even a binding not-to-exceed estimate. Both estimates cannot exceed the original cost. 

Red flags when moving – bad reviews 

As a part of your research about your future moving company, you should read moving reviews. You should expect an occasional bad review to pop up. People value different things so it is hard to satisfy everyone. However, if a moving company has predominantly bad reviews, then consider this a red flag. You can check moving reviews at Yelp, Better Business Bureau, or similar relevant websites. In addition to this, you should also check how many official complaints one moving company has. If customers frequently file complaints against one specific company, do not hire that same company. It is highly likely that you will soon join those angry customers. 

More red flags to consider 

Here are more red flags to look for when moving.  

• No references – if movers cannot provide references, it means something is wrong. Usually, movers will show you good references even if you do not ask since it shows that people are happy with their services. 
• Movers without insurance – if a moving company is not insured, then do not hire them. They cannot protect their company from lawsuits or compensate customers for damage.  
• Valuation coverage – movers need to offer valuation coverage to protect customers’ items. If movers do not offer coverage, again, consider this as a red flag.  
• Unprofessionalism – if movers do not have a business address, email, business cards, uniforms, moving truck, proper manners, then they are fraudulent movers.  
• Questions and answers – you should ask questions about your move. If movers cannot provide an answer to your question or they seem unsure of everything, do not hire them. 

The last three red flags about a moving company 

If movers fail to produce a bill of lading, do not hand over your items. You will never see them again. According to law, you need to receive your copy of the bill of lading. Next, movers demand to be paid upfront. You should not pay a deposit, especially a large one. Movers can ask for money only after the move. Lastly, you cannot contact the driver during the move. It already sounds suspicious, so make sure you can always check the location of your items.