For more than decades, people complain about those who moved them. However, is it because of their haste and desire to enter their new home as soon as possible, even when something has been broken, scratched, stolen, and sometimes and charged far more than the agreed price – they agreed. That’s why we decided to give people who need to move or transport goods a detailed guide on how to spot moving scams before it’s too late. So here they are: a few dirty tricks that are used by individuals… That thus cast a shadow of doubt on those honest local movers Hong Kong who are more than fair in this business. So let’s dive right in!
Spot moving scams right from the start
Hey, we know your thoughts. I should move… But – who should I call? How do I pack my things? What can I do to protect them? What kind of vehicle do I need? How much does it all cost? How do I spot moving scams? And a million more questions you have no answers to. Then you start nervously typing relocation in your favorite search engine. And once you hit ENTER – there are millions of sites and so many paid ads. Who to choose? And there are so many options!
Moving, transportation, packing… You start browsing pages, first, second, third. You will click from one site to another. And there are more or less the same texts saying to hire JUST them. You try to find relevant information on your social media, and there are a bunch of posts with bad photos and a bunch of likes and comments from fake profiles. So – how to choose?
Well, for starters, don’t think that cheap movers Hong Kong mean bad movers. Price is determined by many factors, and affordable prices don’t mean that it’s a moving scam. Second, use the option of free moving estimate. That will give you the idea of just how much the relocation is going to cost. After that, read the reviews. If the site seems reliable and has many positive recommendations, the chances are it’s not a scam.
Another thing, if you are looking for international moving chances of moving scams are way lower than for local move. People who are frauds just don’t have the time and money to invest in such a complex task so you may be more secure when it comes to moving abroad.
How does a moving scam look like?
Let’s see how to spot moving scams by showing you how one looks like. For example, nowadays everyone offers van transportation. They convince you that this is the best solution. Because of the traffic jams, truck bans, easier maneuvering, easier access to the building or house, etc. There’s a lot of truth in that. Now you’re wondering: what are you saying? Again, some conspiracy theories… So where’s the trap? Well, here how it goes. You looked at a couple of sites, and one, in particular, caught your eye: good design, and in the photos a nice, clean, relatively new van. Workers are tidy and smiling. So you choose them. You dial the phone and it turns out the price is right! Great!
But then – the moving day comes. Not a very cheerful crew arrives. You are looking at a vehicle that is definitely not the one from the photos, but ok. You say to yourself: Well, after all, all those vans look like each other. And then this happens. One of them says to you: Well, you see for yourself, not everything can fit. There are a lot of things. We can come twice, you just have to pay an extra charge of…
And yes – 99.99% of people will pay without saying a word for what they ask, just to get the job done as soon as possible. People usually think: that’s too much work… I don’t move every day. There’s no harm in paying an extra. What to do, it happens. I just need to get into my new home as soon as possible. And those who are willing to cheat you – are counting on such a reaction.
At the end of the day, you end up feeling cheated because you paid extra who knows how much. Of course, they didn’t tell you the right price because maybe you would call someone else and not hire them. The same goes for truck transport. And this is just one of many ways people can scam you. Yes, there is more to believe or not!
Helpful tips to spot moving scams:
- Make sure that the advertised transport and moving company is registered. You can also check the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if there are any complaints against moving companies. They are a non-profit organization that helps people to find companies they can trust.
- Insist that you get the vehicle you have asked for. Check the dimensions of the vehicles on the site, and if there are none – ask! Let them see that you are informed.
- When arranging moving or transporting services, be sure to mention that you need a bill or an account. Most fraudsters give up at the very mention of the invoice and start stuttering, or say that they do not have free time.
- Ask for the bill upon completion of the move. Look at every item on the list and check is it some fictitious company that doesn’t really exist. You also need more than a bill in case of an incident, breakage or damage of things, so take as much info as you can.
In the end, we hope you know how to spot moving scams. Basically, the best thing you can do is to contact reliable moving company who proved their reputation right. In any case, be careful and don’t haste with your decisions.
