Looking for affordable local moving services? First, you need to protect yourself when moving is very important. Many people assume that as they are given a quote, it will contain the price for their move and this price won’t change dramatically after the move is over; or assume, that when a broker says it is a moving company, not a broker, this really is so; or that when they give their household belongings to a mover, the stuff will return on the agreed date… All logical assumptions that ought to be really correct but they aren’t. Find out the most popular and often used by scammers moving frauds and moving company extortion schemes here below. Take precautions before you have moved.

Moving Company Fraud and Extortion Schemes

• Most of the moving frauds happen over the internet. As people get a few quotes they choose the company to hire by the price. And many people, since they have no idea of the real prices in the relocation industry, choose the lowest quote which is very risky – sometimes scammers operate in this way.
• Afterwards extra costs appear and it happens so that people have to pay even more than if they had hired a legitimate company. This and other types of extortion scenario when moving are all about getting some money from a potential customer without doing any work back.
• Moving company extortion schemes may also involve request for a deposit in cash (a mover who requires to be paid only in cash should make you alert). Afterwards the delivery doesn’t come in time and the delivery person explains it with a mistake. As you keep arranging the date and time of delivery more excuses come up and finally you cannot reach the alleged “moving company” neither by phone or by e-mail – they are simply gone.
• The moving company extortion schemes then continue with holding the person’s belongings until extra money have been paid. Sometimes unfortunately people don’t even get their belongings back or the removal company return only the empty boxes. Movers used extortion against customer may also bring back damaged items due to unsafe handling of the household items given to them. If the location of the items in hostage is found usually only some of the household goods have been left behind while those that are more expensive have gone missing. Or the movers just say that their warehouse got on fire and then they disappear. Very important to investigate which violations are broken and how moving companies are being regulated. Read this valuable information and protect yourself from any mover’s extortion.

  Movers use different extortion schemes from suddenly applying extra costs to not returning the household things they’ve taken from you.

• Movers used extortion against customers are also likely to violate more regulations like they may have no license or hire underage labor, the labor may not get paid or may be hurt during work. Look for signals like a company that doesn’t have a website or an office. Adam Shaivitz, Public Information Officer at Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, gives other tips to be careful.

Moving Broker Scams

Moving broker scams are also another case. What happens is that people choose to trust an attractive website and contact the broker. In one of the cases they get a promise that after paying a deposit a moving company will come on a particular day and as that day arrives no one comes and the broker cannot be reached in any way. They are just away with the deposit. In another case people choose a moving broker because of the low quote. On a moving day a truck does arrive but after the person’s belongings have been loaded on the truck the estimate comes out to be much higher. The personal belongings are held hostage until the higher estimate is being paid. A common mistake that people make is that they consider the broker to be a moving company. The rogue broker offers a full move and gives a very low estimate – people think they’ve just found themselves a good deal and pay a deposit thinking that they have hired a moving company. But what happens is that as the broker finds a moving company, the mover wants to be paid too and asks for a much higher price than the first quoted. At the same time the moving company has also taken the household items and won’t return them until it is being paid. This extortion scenario when moving may make you feel helpless but there are a few things you could still do – see what they are at the end of this article.

Normally Who are Victims?

It can be anyone – many people think that it won’t happen to them but even very intelligent people can be misguided. That is why avoiding unlicensed moving companies is important for a safe relocation. Most of the people relocating are not moving regularly like the military for example and thus can be easily misguided on the prices and procedures of the moving. Don’t think that you are automatically insured against moving frauds or moving broker scam. In order to avoid being involved with moving company extortion schemes you need to stay alert and pay attention to any sign of something not going right. Finding a trustworthy moving company should not be difficult once you know what to look for and what to expect.

This  Moving Tips Should help You Identifying the Bad Moving Companies!

Now having these details on the most common moving frauds and moving company extortions you will know what movers used extortion against customers do and you will know how to be more careful.