Helpful moving tips! Years ago I moved cross-country to Florida. After booking I immediately started to have some concerns about the mover I selected, so I started doing some online research. I found a US Government website https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move. Most of the red flags the government site lists were present with the mover I selected. I immediately called to cancel and my concerns were further validated by their attitude. Another website I have since found for moving fraud is for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. Here are a few key red flags to look out for:

• The moving company does not give you an on-site quote. Think about it, how can they give you an accurate quote if they don’t know how many personal belongings you are moving. They have to see it in person to give an accurate quote.
• The mover requires a deposit. They have all of your belongings. If you don’t pay at delivery, you don’t get your belongings. Why require a deposit?
• The mover doesn’t provide a written estimate. You: “but you said it would be $4000”, the mover “no I said $14000”.
• The mover says they’ll determine the charges after loading. They now have all of your belongings and you are at their mercy.
• When the mover shows up they say you have more belongings than is typical. This goes back to why the first point is so important.

Before you do anything with any moving company check the website above and reviews of the company. The website has a search for the mover’s DOT number in addition to other information. Unfortunately the moving industry is plagued by scammers. There are some good companies out there, just be sure to do your research first.

We hope these moving tips help you have a less stressful move.