People are on the move all over the nation. Many want to relocate to find lower-priced communities or to start a new job. And an increasing number are leaving blue states for red. Legitimate moving companies know this. But so do scam artists—and many people are falling for moving company scams and getting ripped off.
Motivated by supply and demand, even legitimate moving companies are hiking prices. A December 2021 survey of 63 moving companies by Movebuddha found that 76 percent of moving companies reported raising prices, from 5 percent to over 25 percent.
In states like California, where 280,000 more people moved out than moved in in 2021, 44 percent of the companies surveyed had limited or suspended services as they struggle to meet demand. That means people joining the exodus from the state are likely to be vulnerable to scams as they struggle to find moving services.
Scams abound in the moving industry. If you fall for one of them, you may end up having to pay a lot more than agreed upon when the “movers” hold your household goods hostage. There are reports of customers who have been charged thousands more than what they were initially quoted.
Pods warns that some scam moving companies will charge you and then never show up to complete the move. Here are some tips to help you avoid getting scammed by phony moving companies.
Red Flags
Phony moving companies—particularly long-distance movers—often tip you off, if you know what to look for. Here are some…
