12 Pro Tips to Stay Protected from Moving Scams
Relocation or house shifting is a major sway in one’s life. It involves a lot of preparation and planning in advance. You have to prepare yourself mentally for the move to start a new life in a new place. You have to lay out a concrete plan to abide by during the move.
Conducting such elaborate preparations and its effective execution makes moving one of the most stressful activities in the world. Not only the preparations, but the risks associated with the relocation process also make you more anxious about the whole thing.
Packers and movers trade is one of the most complained about industry worldwide. The rising numbers of scams and frauds executed by the fraudulent packers and movers companies have produced a troublesome condition for the people who have plans to move.
As we already discussed that the relocation process is a cumbersome experience, and then if you fall prey to scams by some scoundrel packers and movers, it becomes a nightmare. As a relocation process involves moving expensive belongings, you need to take care and be cautious while finalizing a moving company for it.
Here are some essential tips which you need to follow before hiring a moving company for a safe and secure relocation:
1. Verify the legal documents
All the genuine and reliable packers and movers are registered and licensed by an appropriate authority and hold documents of being lawfully registered. Do not forget to go through the terms and conditions of the company while checking the documents. So, if you want to hire a moving company for your house shifting, then check the legal documents of the company such as:
- Shop establishment license
- GST registration certificate
- Company incorporation certificate
- PAN Card of the company
2. Hire IBA certified packers & movers
IBA or “Indian Banks’ Association” is a representative body of management of banking that authenticates the moving and transportation companies in India. IBA approves and certifies only those moving companies that are licensed and registered.
So while deciding on a moving company, consider hiring IBA-certified packers and movers so that your moving experience is convenient and fearless at the same time.
3. Visit their office
A moving company having a registered office address denotes trustworthiness. Before you finalize a moving company, visit their office and steer clear of any doubts in your mind.
You can further have a look at what amenities they have and how they treat their potential customers. Consider checking whether the premise is owned, rented, or leased. Take a note to analyze their gestures.
4. Ask for quotations in writing
Being a prospective customer of the moving company, it is your right to ask for the moving quotations in writing. Make sure that every element of the relocation cost is properly mentioned in the company invoice.
This will ensure that there are no hidden charges that may be later levied by the moving company after the move. The moving estimations in writing will be a testimony of a fair deal between you and the moving company.
5. Avoid payments via cash
With the advent of digital payments across the country, people still resent making payments using their debit or credit cards or online payment apps. Many a time customers are unsure about secure payments, especially through payment apps.
But since the past six years, post demonetization, this scenario has changed considerably. Remember that while making payments to the packers and movers, avoid paying in cash. There is a greater risk of scams or fraud involved in cash transactions.
When you pay via debit or credit cards, the payment goes straight into their banks after identifying their authenticity by generating a secure pin or an OTP. If you face any difficulty due to monetary transactions during relocation, you can trace them using their bank details.
6. Never pay the entire moving cost in advance
There are some grim mistakes we make in our lives that we regret forever. Paying the entire moving cost in advance can prove to be one of them. It will be a total blunder as the packers and movers who are into fraudulent activities have chances of running away with your money leaving you looted, depressed, and in a financially unstable condition.
Consider paying them only a certain percentage of the total moving cost in the initial period and the remaining payment after the completion of the moving process. Don’t forget to keep the bills and receipts after you pay them the initial amount.
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7. Ask for a proper invoice
Relocation is an elaborate procedure. For every single service that the moving company provides you, there will have an individual cost. Consider getting a detailed invoice that mentions all the costs separately. Hence, you can get a fair idea about the amount you are going to pay for the services you opted for from the moving company. The detailed payment breakdown stated in the invoice is the binding estimate about the entire moving process and saves you from any hidden charges.
8. Conduct a pre-move survey
The IBA-certified packers and movers perform a pre-move survey of the house of the potential client before giving them a final relocation cost estimate. The survey starts with the making of a checklist mentioning all the items in the house by the proficient packers and movers company. In this process, they note down the specific requirements of the client regarding the packing material and the moving vehicle.
They calculate the final moving cost based on the distance to be traveled and the size of the final consignment. Keep away from moving companies who calculate the moving cost without conducting this survey. Get estimated quotations from 3-4 companies to do a comparative analysis so that you can avail the best rates.
9. Get insurance coverage
The genuine and licensed packers and movers understand the value of the personal belongings of their clients. Their reputation is at stake if there is any loss or damage of goods. Hence, they always ensure that they are safely moved to the new location without getting damaged.
But just in case, there is any loss or damage of the belongings, the moving company offers in-transit insurance to their clients to save them from monetary losses.
10. Unlabeled Vehicle
A certified and authentic moving company will always have its moving vehicle. If your moving company provides you with an unlabeled moving vehicle (there is no identification or logo of a specific moving company), it can be a potential fraud company.
Moving companies using a leased truck for transportation can also be dangerous as it is easier for them to run away with the belongings of the clients without being noticed.
11. Consider hiring through the verified online platforms
You will find several websites that have come out in recent years has the verified details of the genuine packers and movers across the country. These online platforms help connect you to several packers and movers in the nearby area within minutes. You can save a lot of time on research.
Moreover, you have the freedom to evaluate and screen the information provided by the platforms to choose the moving company best suited for you. You can compare them based on the moving costs, amenities provided, cities served, etc.
12. Don’t get flattened by the low prices
Sale or discount seems to be the most sought-after option till the time you don’t have to pay higher prices for it later on! Chasing the moving companies offering discounted prices for relocation is never the best option. Most of the time it is a marketing tool to attract the customers initially and finally extract more money from them.
Entrusting such moving companies for shifting your valuable belongings can be risky as there is a chance of scams in such deals. After all, the cost of your valuable belongings is much more than paying a considerable amount to trustworthy and certified packers and movers. Do consider checking the Google ratings and customer reviews of the moving company before finalizing the deal.
Your Call After All
When you are short-listing the moving company according to your budget and preferences, consider IBA approved packers and movers from Bangalore to Kolkata. Consider checking and verifying the legal documents of the company and never make the full advance payment of moving costs in cash.
Visit the moving company office personally and ask them to generate an authentic bill for their services. If you follow these basic tips, you will be safe from being a victim of any moving scam. Stay safe and keep moving friends!
