Most of us have moved from one place to another, or one house to another in our lifetime. Just imagine, if the household shifting people had scammed you for more money, or had stolen a few goods, or had held your belongings hostage until you pay a higher price. You now realize how easily it could have all gone wrong. With the rise of packers and movers, with bona fide interest to help move belongings of their customers, there is an equal rise of fraud companies luring you in with their scams.
We all know how stressful home shifting can be. Therefore, planning the move is an essential step. If you are reading this, you are definitely doing a great job of researching the best packers and movers. Here are a few tips to recognize fraudsters and avoid them.
Cheap Deals
This is the easiest way a fraud company does business. Popularly known as a bait-and-switch scam. The company offers a low price deal which looks very attractive, because lets be honest, who wouldn’t like a cheap deal. However, it is certainly too good to be true. It will certainly have hidden charges. That is why it is always better to get multiple quotations from various packers and movers before you finalize one. Most importantly, to safeguard your cargo will have to spend some extra money. Therefore, cheap packers and movers are not always the best option.
Referrals
Ask around for top packers and movers from your friends, colleagues, relatives. It is always better to choose reliable packers and movers. But do not trust blindly. Do your due course of research. Read about their review online. There are many fake reviews that fraud companies put online. Be cautious about all five-star reviews, all reviews cannot be a five-star review. It is impossible that all the clients had a good experience. Watch out for such signs.
Cash Deposits
Packers and movers usually ask for an advance token amount. This is to ensure good faith between the client and the company. However, fraudsters misuse this agreement. They ask for a larger amount or sometimes even the full amount before the move and never show up. To avoid such a situation, never do large cash transactions before the move. Either give a cheque, or bank transaction or credit card. After that, don’t forget to get a receipt for the amount paid. Never pay the complete amount by cash before the move.
Contract
Professional packers and movers usually have a contract that should include the below attributes.
- The move date
- The estimated amount for the move
- Quantity of packing material
- Inventory of your household.
Read the contract thoroughly before signing anything. Make sure the contract mentions the house movers and packers by name. Moreover, never sign on a blank contract.
Inspection
Expect to get a physical inspection of your house to get a quotation. Packers and movers charges are even based on virtual inspection. However, make sure the packers and movers are noting down the inventory and not just a cursory inspection done in haste. Subsequently, make sure the packers and movers have a physical address and not just a website on the internet. In addition, if possible visit their office to make sure they seem genuine. Research about their reviews.
In conclusion, moving is a cumbersome process even if everything goes according to plan. Therefore, taking some time out to search for genuine packers and movers is a must. Read here to know more about hiring the best packers and movers.