Common Scams that Un-Ethical Moving Companies often employ to Separate Unaware Consumers from their Ca$h…

“Packing Pitfalls”

Even if you pack yourself, it doesn’t guarantee that you won’t be subjected to additional charges when it comes to packing.  It’s not unusual for the moving company’s original estimate to double just from “packing materials.”

Here’s what can happen.  You didn’t have time to pack everything, or you ran out of boxes.  No big deal, right?  You just ask the movers to do it.  While you probably expect to pay a premium for the boxes, what you likely don’t expect is paying a fortune for packing tape.

The trick that the movers use (to jack the cost of your move) is to use a TON of packing tape on the boxes that they pack and/or on the boxes that you packed that the movers feel needs more tape.  So they wrap, and they wrap, and they wrap.  Before long, your boxes have more wrapping than an Egyptian mummy, and you soon learn that packing tape isn’t cheap…about twice what you’d pay for it elsewhere.

Another packing scam used by some unscrupulous professional packers is the “half-filled box trick.”   The mover puts just a few items in the bottom of the box, and fills the rest of the box with packing paper.  That small item is now in a big box, and your moving cost just grew accordingly.

You might also catch the movers trying to use the more expensive boxes (like dish-pack boxes) with double-thick sides, for items that don’t need it.

To protect yourself from this very costly scheme, if you’re packing yourself, make sure you have enough tape and buy extra rolls in case you need more on Moving Day.

If you hire professional packers, be around for the packing so you can supervise the work.  And remember…on Moving Day, the movers will insist that everything is in a box.  They won’t take anything that you’ve thrown in a garbage bag.

Common Scams that Un-Ethical Moving Companies often employ to Separate Unaware Consumers from their Ca$h…

“Guaranteed Moving Quotes”

You did it right…you had the moving company come to your home and do a physical inventory (survey) of all your household goods (that you will be moving), and the moving company provided you with a “guaranteed moving quote” also called a “binding estimate” or “flat rate.”  You are told that you will pay no more than the quoted amount, and you could actually pay less if the estimate was too high.   So, you have nothing to worry about, right?  WRONG!

What if the estimate is too low?  Answer:  YOU PAY MORE!  Maybe a lot more.

Here’s how it works.  The moving company estimator comes to your home for an “in-home visual estimate,” takes an inventory of your household goods, and gives you a “guaranteed moving quote.”  No problem, right?  But what happens when the estimator accidentally misses listing some of your belongings on the quote?  What happens is the moving quote becomes void, and you end up negotiating with the moving company for a new estimate on moving day.

To protect yourself from this very clever and common scam, carefully scrutinize the inventory that the estimator uses to determine your moving estimate, and make sure nothing is omitted.  Attics, basements and garages are common sources for this deceitful practice.