Hiring a mover is a wise decision for a stress-free moving experience. There are many companies claiming to offer removals in Gloucester. A simple search on search engines will provide you with hundreds of moving companies in Gloucester. However, you need to be cautious as some of the movers are scammers aiming at exploiting potential clients. How then do you avoid scam movers?
Check on legitimacy
Is the moving company legitimate? Does it even exist? Your first step before hiring a moving company is to know of its existence. Is it licensed? Where is it located? Where does it operate? All these details should be visible on the mover’s website. Pay attention to every detail included or omitted on the site. If you learn of something suspicious, don’t hesitate to go back.
Read reviews and testimonials
Have the company served other clients? How long has the moving company been in operation? Are there testimonials or reviews to prove its experience? Do they have a public discussion or testimonial page? Most companies will claim to be upcoming movers. Unfortunately, scammers use such claims to lure potential clients into exploitation. A reliable moving company should be proud to share its reputation with the public to gain their trust.
Insist on a pre-move survey
It is the role of the moving company to insist on a pre-move study before calculating a moving quote. However, you’ll come across movers that will provide online moving quotes without performing a pre-move survey. If you find such movers, chances are they are scammers.
Several factors determine a moving quote. Among the elements are the volume and value of items. These figures require a survey. Any moving quote before a review is probably a scam.
Check on communication
A legitimate moving company should provide fast and reliable customer support. First, a legit online mover will display its phone number, physical address and email address. Don’t trust automated responses. A reliable mover should respond based on your query.
Avoid unreasonable prices
How much have you budgeted for moving? Comparing quotes from different movers should give you an estimated cost. A moving company claiming to offer similar services at unreasonably low prices is probably a scammer. There are lots of scammers advertising moving services at low rates. Be wary of such movers.
Look for competitive prices
The three-quote rule should be your guide to avoid scammers. This rule dictates that you should receive quotes from at least three reliable moving companies. A quote too high or too low from the three quotes should raise the alarm.
Read the contract terms
Finally, don’t sign a contract before reading it. Scammers use these contracts to entice potential clients. Some of the conditions to be keen on are termination of agreement and insurance. Are there deposit requirements? What is the mode of payment?
A binding contract requires you to pay a certain percentage as a deposit. However, don’t send any amount before determining the legitimacy of the company. If in doubt, seek recommendations from friends and colleagues. You can also read blogs and independent reviews to know more about a company.
