Your boxes are packed and you’re ready to move—but wait! You need help getting all your stuff to your new house. You start to do some research, but find not all moving companies are alike. You notice there are moving companies and moving brokers. What’s the difference?
Moving brokers act as middlemen between you and a moving company. Brokers aim to book your move at the lowest price, and while this may sound like a good thing, they typically don’t own moving equipment or have a professional moving staff. Instead, they often hire inexperienced and uninsured subcontractors.
Download our quick reference guide to compare moving companies, if you suspect you may be dealing with a moving broker: Hiring Professional Moving Companies VS Moving Brokers
Here are 5 red flags to tell if you’re dealing with an untrustworthy mover.
1. You don’t Have a Choice in Movers:
When you hire a moving broker, you don’t know ahead of time who is coming to perform your move. At best, moving brokers will ask you to trust some random guy with a truck to move your family heirlooms. At worst, there’s a possibility that a moving company may not accept the job, usually due to a low estimate or lack of availability. This means you might have to carry that massive TV, along with your other belongings, on your own.
Move 4 Less handles your moving requests in-house, so you can focus on planning your move and leave the solutions to us. We’re ProMover Certified through the American Moving and Storage Association, because we believe in upholding the highest standards of our industry.
2. It’s Hard to Find Real World Reviews:
In this day and age of Yelp reviews and Tripadvisor scores, you can easily find out about every business’ customer satisfaction online. Just as you likely wouldn’t eat at a restaurant that has no reviews or only poor reviews, if you’re struggling to find reviews from people who have actually used a specific moving company, that’s a big red flag. If you’re suspicious of a company, don’t forget to check if customers have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau.
Move 4 Less is tried and true—we’re Las Vegas locals and we love our community. Our testimonials are easily accessible because we’re proud to serve every client, and we don’t need to hide bad reviews to convince you we’re your best friend for moving day.
3. Asking for a Large Deposit Upfront:
A moving broker is only in it for the money. They may provide you an estimate over the phone, which is great to give you a rough idea of the cost, but it doesn’t guarantee your final moving price. While an upfront deposit for a moving company is nothing to raise alarm bells, a large, cash-only deposit should make you reconsider.
At Move 4 Less, we support you through everything you need to make moving day stress-free. We offer free, no obligation quotes, and your move comes with free “released value” insurance, as well as options for packing and unpacking, disassembly and reassembly of furniture, short and long-term storage, and more.
4. There’s no Actual Brick and Mortar Business:
Not providing a physical address for a business is a big warning sign! If you can’t go to a real location, it’s likely those working for the company don’t want to be found. You might also notice when you call that they answer the phone with “Movers” or “Moving Company” instead of a real business name.
Move 4 Less provides you with a Bill of Landing with our company name and business license on it. You’ll always know where to find us, and who to speak to if questions or problems arise.
Don’t get scammed on moving day!
Being left in the lurch on moving day is stress that no one wants. Be sure to do your research and hire a professional moving company that provides the customer service you need to get from point A to point B. We’ve got you covered! To schedule a free visual estimate, just give us a call at (702) 381-1200 or drop us an email at [email protected].
