Hi world wide web. Just wanted to say, as I was reading through moving-related news today, I noticed most the articles were about moving scams. What frustrates me the most is that we’re now going on decades of this behavior without a clear end in sight. You’d think at some point the criminals would be caught and locked up leaving the rest of us a little less stressed about our next move. Moving is stressful enough even if it all goes perfectly. So I put together a quick note with some tips on how to avoid moving scams.

1. Get a quote in writing.

Ok, so not necessarily in the literal sense. There are lots of companies out there that will email you a quote. And if you’re just getting the big stuff loaded into your Budget rental truck, then an emailed quote on a couple movers for a couple hours will do just fine. Just make sure to have something documented, written, emailed or printed. If the need arises, God forbid, then you’ll have helpful information to show authorities what you SHOULD have paid. Don’t pay more than what was quoted, unless any extra charges (like extra hours) were also clearly quoted ahead of time.

2. Pay with your credit card.

Your friends over at Visa will be happy to work out any disputed charges between you and the mover before the movers get to go spend any of your money on their weekend. Visa (and most other credit card companies) have a strict policy to support the customer in case of fraudulent charges to the point of putting the money back where it came from. Cash doesn’t quite work that way. Once it’s handed over, it becomes significantly harder to get back. Plus, there’s something about seeing that green come out of your pocket that makes less-than-honest movers even less honest as “extra travel fees” start showing up on the final invoice. We (HireAHelper) charge for the whole order up front for two major reasons: (1) so that at the end of your move you know you don’t have to worry about handing over cash or a check for some erroneous amount the mover makes up on the spot, and (2) so the movers know this is a paid for job, no flakey customers that may or may not have enough cash at the end to adequately pay. Which usually results in the movers working harder, knowing you, the customer ultimately have to call HireAHelper to release payment.

3. Check their street cred.

Did I really just write “street cred”? I meant, instead, to write “reputation”. Time for another cup of coffee. But seriously, there are a few organizations out there that might have more info about your mover.

• The Better Business Bureau - even in light of it’s paid “accreditations” and complaints about it’s rating policies,  takes complaints on several thousand companies across the country and posts a grade for most companies.
• The American Moving & Storage Association – also a paid membership model, but definitely more committed to trying to raise the quality and ethical standards of the moving industry. Just because a mover is not a member of the AMSA doesn’t mean they’re a terrible mover. But movers that are members commit to adhere to a set of moving industry performance standards.
• www.ProtectYourMove.gov – a government site with one goal: to protect the consumer. This is by far my favorite place to vet movers. You can get all sorts of information about what a mover can and can’t do or can and can’t charge in extra fees. Definitely something to comb through before making your move. Get a copy of your moving company’s DOT # or Motor Carrier # (MC #) then you can check them out online by clicking on the “Search Movers/Brokers & Complaint History” link on the right of the page.

4. Call the Cops

Ok, I know this is supposed to be How to AVOID Moving scams, but just wanted to tack this on. If you think that a mover’s behavior is fraudulent, call the cops. If a mover asks for a dollar amount significantly higher than what was quoted, make them show you why. Did the shipping weight come in as more than the estimate? If it was an hourly quote, did it take longer? Or are the movers just scum bags trying to rip you off. If it sounds like the 3rd, politely let them know you’ll be calling the cops to help sort it all out. If the movers threaten to keep your stuff locked up, call the cops. You change your role from victim to hero when you participate in getting these rogue scam artists out of the moving industry.

Have you been scammed? What’s your story? Got any other tips to fight the growing tidal wave of scams out there?

**Photo Credit: pumthuggee.com

There is a lot of information to take into consideration when it comes to renting a truck for your move. From picking the right rental truck company that fits your needs to considering the cost of fuel charges. If you have to compare moving trucks, there’s a great free website here that will help you compare pricing from all the major competitors.

Some of the major things you will want to find out when choosing the right rental company is can you drop off the truck at a different location if you are making a long distance move. Find out what kind of insurance you should get through the rental company or what your own insurance covers. And what size truck you will need to make sure all your items will fit. There are several different truck rental companies to choose from.

• Penske-Whether your needs are for households moves or business moves, Penske covers it all. With 40 years of growing business, Penske has more than 1,000 locations and 200,000 vehicles worldwide. With this, they guarantee rental trucks will be ready for pick up. Moving is a stressful time, so Penske is here to help make things as easy as possible, eliminating some of the stress. They are prepared and equipped for those unexpected events that may arise. With Penske, the customer can select a different pick-up and drop-off location for one-way trips or use the same location for round-trips.

• Budget- Budget Truck Rental’s business is processed by a collection of over 2,800 locations, almost 1,100 employees, and about 30,000 trucks. The locations are comprised of corporate, dealer, and franchise offices. The trucks all under-go regular 10 point inspections to ensure a reliable and safe truck rental experience. The Budget moving truck organization maintains one of the most current truck fleets with trucks averaging between 2 to 2.5 years old. At Budget, you are able to do one way rentals or round trip rentals.

• Ryder- Ryder currently has a fleet of almost 126,400 trucks; however, part of the fleet is used for commercial leasing contracts, and the rest – approximately 30,000 trucks – are rented out for moving individual customer items and furniture. Ryder has over 480 truck rental locations across North America and the UK with just over 28,000 employees. All Ryder trucks must be returned to the location they were picked up from. Several different truck sizes are offered.

• Enterprise-  Helping your with your car rental for vacation needs or truck rentals for your household move, this is the company that has multiple options available. For commercial use, trucks can be reserved for daily, weekly, or even monthly basis and in any quantity from one truck to a fleet of several hundred. Whether your current vehicle is in the shop and you need a one day replacement or you need a delivery done, Enterprise can provide all types of trucks to cover your needs. Rental truck sizes range from cargo van to 24′ box truck.

FAQ’s

Just remember, some things will change depending on which rental truck company you use so make sure to ask specific questions to the company directly.

-Who can drive the moving truck?
Usually require 2 forms of ID. Additional drivers can be added to rental agreement.

-What insurance should I get?
Each person must check with their own insurance company to see what is covered as far as renting a truck. If your insurance does not cover it, you can purchase insurance for an additional cost with the rental truck location. Each plan verifies depending on which rental company you are using.

-What if I need equipment?

You can rent or buy equipment with your rental truck.
-How do I pay for my rental truck?
If booking online, a major credit card may be required to hold your reservation.

-What size truck should I rent?