How to Recognize and Avoid Moving Scams in Denver on Time
Unfortunately, moving scams are becoming more and more clever, making it harder for people to figure out they are being scammed. To learn how to survive your relocation without being scammed read this convenient article and rely on some of the most helpful tips and hacks that will save your sanity during these times.
How Do Moving Scams Work?
The most common reason for relocation stress is frequent moving company scams – they work in the most sneaky and devious ways, so you need to be really wise to recognize and avoid them. There are multiple ways of recognizing you’re a part of the scam, and the sooner you realize this, the better.
It will be much easier to avoid potential problems if you recognize something is wrong at the very beginning because once you get dragged into it, it might already be too late. There are several ways these fraudulent companies work, but in most cases, they represent themselves a bit too good to be true and promise you everything your heart desires for an unrealistically low price.
How Do You Avoid Moving Scams?
Luckily, as these frauds became so common, people started sharing their experiences and tips on how to avoid them, as well as reputable moving companies in Denver that don’t want to be associated with fraudulent activities. That is why we want to help you recognize all the signs that can be a signal that you’re a potential victim of a moving scam and share some tips you should use to recognize them before it is too late.
How Do I Know if a Moving Company Is Legit?
Moving fraud can sometimes be masked under great hospitality and amazing terms, so how to recognize this, you may wonder? Legit companies will always have their legal background – MC licence and registered US DOT number, so ensure you check these as well as to require a legal contract with all the parts of your move mentioned in it as well as the pricing options and payment methods.
Unrealistically Low Prices and Estimates or Large Deposits Are a Good Reason to Get Suspicious
If you’re looking for reliable Denver movers, you need to make sure their prices are reasonable – if they are too high or (more frequently) too low, this can be a red flag. Usually, crews that are plotting a fraud offer an unrealistically low bid as bait for naive and inexperienced people who are relocating in a hurry or for the first time. It’s easy to get scammed by low prices because who wouldn’t want to relocate to one of the best neighborhoods in Denver without breaking the bank?
Another reasons to get worried are unreasonably large deposits – for example, if they ask you to pay more than half of the expenses before the relocation even happens, that should ring a bell. True professionals usually don’t take deposits larger than 20% of the final price, plus they have refund options available if you make a cancellation during a certain period.
Check Other Companies Around the City and Compare Quotes
As one of your main responsibilities, to make sure you’re on the right path, you’ll need to compare quotes from several Denver moving companies. If all the other moving services in Denver will burden your expenses checklist because they are more expensive than the services your chosen team of experts offered to you – that’s probably a good reason not to make any further deals with them or at least look for some additional validation.
If a Company Changes Its Name Frequently, That Is a Major Red Flag
Best moving companies in Denver usually build their name and reputation through many years of good and hard work, so their recognizable name and logo aren’t very likely to change – at least not every other month. If you found a professional business that’s showing under different names and you can’t find a history of their previous work, this can be one of the warning signs.
Professional Crews Should Be Reliable, Not Suspicious
Of course, you can hire a company that started operating just recently, just because they haven’t existed for years, it doesn’t have to be something negative. Everybody has to start from somewhere. If you can’t find the necessary information online, try calling them to get all the information firsthand.Don’t be shy to research and ask questions about the guys who will be packing your furniture and helping you relocate to one of the best Denver suburbs.
Fake Reviews Are Important to Recognize on Time
Fake reviews are one of the most important signs of a scam – no matter if we’re talking about relocation experts or any other online commercials and businesses. Sometimes, it can be very easy to spot them because they arewritten by robots (or bots, how fraud inspectors tend to call them), and you probably saw them a million times while you were scrolling through any online page. These reviews are usually extremely enthusiastic and unrealistically positive, so if it is all flowers and rainbows – don’t be too naive.
Ensure You Look for Reviews on Other Websites
How to find real reviews, you may wonder? If the company does not exist or changes its name frequently, it will probably be hard to find their reviews anywhere else except on their website – which is their goal, to hide their true identity. Visit some independent websites and read real people’s experiences to get the real picture.
If Their Professional Website Seems Suspicious or They Don’t Even Have a Website This Can Be a Serious Problem
Another big red flag is the lack of an official website. We live in a digital era, now babies have social media profiles practically even before they are born, and a so-called amazing and tremendous team of experts doesn’t even have a website?
You have to admit this seems weird and unreasonable – because nowadays people are used to getting all information in two clicks. Some companies have fictive websites that are not really functional. If they are “under construction” or “down” for an unreasonably long time, there’s something going on, and it is probably not good.
Try Stalking Them Online if Their Website Is Down
Sometimes previously mentioned situations can happen even to reputable and trustworthy companies, you just stumbled upon them at the wrong moment while they are updating their website. Ensure you do your research properly, track them down like you are stalking your partner’s ex. You might be surprised in a positive way, so if everything else seems legit, you can proceed with relocating to some of the cool places in Denver.
If Professionals Don’t Offer You a Contract, You Shouldn’t Make Any Agreement Based on Their Words
Lack of professional contracts and agreements based solely on words are something you shouldn’t accept when you are about to hand them over your entire household. Even if most of your belongings are old and not particularly valuable, it is better to donate clothes than to let them get into the wrong hands and be a potential hostage.
If you don’t sign a paper with all of your household goods listed as evidence of your ownership, it is possible that you won’t see some of these items ever again – or even worse, they can ask you to pay additional fees to get them back. They can defend themselves by saying that was a part of the deal and you didn’t understand the terms correctly – which is unfortunately true because you won’t be having any written proof.
Extra Tips: Ensure You Carefully Inspect Every Part of the Contract, and Read the Fine Print
Sometimes traps can be hidden in the smallest and most “irrelevant” parts of the contract, such as the notorious fine print. Even if you do get a contract, pay attention to every detail and read all the parts of the agreement a couple of times. If you notice something suspicious such as saying that the company has the right to change the terms as they wish without you knowing – we guess you’ll know better than to sign that paper.
If the Team Lacks Professionalism, Knowledge, or Equipment, This Could Be Another Red Flag
What should professionals know, you may think to yourself – well, so-called professionals should know almost everything related to their job. If you, as a person with no experience in this business, think that they have no idea what they are doing and that they do their job vaguely – it’s probably because they are untrained workers who have no clue what professional movers do. You definitely don’t want to let these people relocate your piano, so check what skills professionals should have before trusting them with your valuable belongings.
Professional Services Include Trained Movers With Good Skills and Quality Equipment
Professional movers in Denver can help you achieve almost anything from your relocation to-do list. No matter what your requests and previous experiences are – they can offer you the right answers and show you useful relocation tips.
Your perfect life in Denver can be easily ruined if you become a part of a scam. So if you don’t want to start a new chapter in your life by having to file a complaint and trying to get your money or stuff back instead of getting around Denver to exploring places around your new home, here’s what you need to do if you want to get your justice:
Consult with a lawyer to see if you have enough proof to take the company that scammed you to court.
How Do I Not Get Scammed When I Move? Hire Denver Professional Movers and Avoid Becoming a Victim of a Moving Scam
No matter if you’re planning commercial relocation or you’re in need of a residential relocation service – you can say goodbye to worries. We are among a few trustworthy moving companies in Denver with all professional licenses and we follow all the industry regulations and laws. Our Denver movers can provide you amazing packing service and show you incredible relocation hacks that will help you move efficiently even if you’re relocating in a hurry. Feel free to contact us if you have any concerns or questions, and we’ll ensure you there’s nothing to worry about.
