Please read in full detail to prevent yourself from being scammed out of 1000s of dollars.

The moving industry is experiencing a large amount of long-distance moving scams. Unfortunately, for the public this isn’t making headline news. As a moving company, we hear it far too often. Customers are contacting us looking for a reputable company who they can trust after they’ve already been ripped off for 1000s of dollars.

We at AmericaM Movers do our best to warn as many customers as possible about these scams, but we can only reach those to whom we have provided a quote. Hopefully, by adding this content to our website we can educate unsuspecting customers from becoming victims of these crimes.

Knowing how these scams are orchestrated is power. The information below will educate you, so you don’t fall prey to these tricks. Scammers are setting up fake websites, impersonating brokers, or discovering leads from lead generation sites and contacting customers as Movers.

These scammers are becoming very clever with their cons. They set up fake websites and usually act as brokers who will subcontract your move to a local company. Everything seems legit at first. They will send you inventory lists, emails, and contracts to convince you this is a reputable company. Then they request a deposit, usually 1/3 or half of the moving cost upfront. Once they receive the deposit they disappear with your money never to be heard from again.

Another racket to be careful of is not-so-honest moving companies providing customers with estimates that appear to be a fair price but escalate in price by 1000s of dollars. Some dishonest moving companies are taking advantage of customers who are not familiar with how long-distance moves are charged.

Long-distance moves are charged by the weight of the load, not an hourly rate. How the shakedown works is the movers will provide an estimate either online, virtually, or in person. Then they provide you with a quote stating your load weighs X amount, so the cost of your move will be X amount.

However, once they arrive at your new destination they’ll inform you that the weight of your load was a lot more, so the cost is 1000s of dollars more. If you don’t pay the new amount, they won’t give you back your belongings back. Unfortunately, there are no laws against this racket. You can contact the police, but Law enforcement won’t and can’t do anything about it. All they can do is advise that you get an attorney.

So, what can you do?

There are several things you can do to protect friends, family, and yourself from these scams.

1. Research the company. And no, I don’t mean reviews. Yes, reviews can be helpful when it’s a legitimate company, but what if the company and the reviews are fake?

   Ask for license information like DOT#, UTC#, and MC#. If companies don’t have any of these licenses hang up and move on. Also, contact the Department of Transportation (DOT) to make sure their number is active and that the DOT# is assigned to the company you are speaking with.

2. Contact the Secretary of State in the state the moving company resides in to see if their company is registered with the state. If they’re not registered call another moving company.
3. Check the Better Business Bureau. Dishonest companies who are taking advantage of customers cannot erase bad reviews on the Better Business Bureau.
4. Ask for weight ticket receipts. Request that you receive a copy of the weight ticket receipts before you agree to a contract. Make sure this is added to the contract before signing anything. If they are unwilling to make these concessions move on.
5. Request a binding offer. A binding offer is a contract that states you won’t pay a dollar more than the price you were quoted.

   We at AmericaM Movers provide these contracts for all of our out-of-state moves. Yes, it’s more work for the mover, but it ensures honesty with the bid. If moving companies are unwilling to provide you with a binding offer request a reason if the reason isn’t reasonable move on.

6. Never pay half the move upfront, especially not to a broker. It is reasonable for movers to require a 30-40% down payment for the moving cost but that should only be paid after the truck is loaded. Never give a large amount of your money until you have the moving company at your home and loading. This ensures they are legitimate, and you won’t be ripped off.
7. If it seems too good to be true, it usually is! If a moving company or broker promises you to move your 2–4-bedroom home across the United States for $3500, understand this might be too good to be true. Movers have a lot of expenses such as gasoline, wages, hotels, per diem, maintenance, and insurance. Not to mention, we need to make a profit. Gasoline alone can be 1000s of dollars for long-distance trips. So, use reason when someone offers you a deal that may appear too good, to be true.
8. The Best Move you can make is to call AmericaM Movers. If you want to ensure a fair price or honest advice call us today.

   Our focus is to provide you with honest answers and options. Give us a call for a free quote. We will be 100% transparent while providing you with the best advice possible. Even if we don’t win your business, we can at least earn your trust.

   All we ask is to refer your friends and family to a company you know will take great care of them.