Posting Point
If you are considering a house move on short notice, do not finalise your moving company in haste. The moving industry is full of fraudulent companies that are the propagators of moving scams. You need to be cautious when you deal with the packers and movers before finalising them.
In this article, there are 12 most alarming scenarios during the house shifting that indicate a moving scam. Whether you want to hire packers and movers from Pune to Hyderabad or Chennai to Bangalore, these tips will protect you from possible moving scams. Check the below-mentioned pointers:
1. Not being impataient
Patience is the key to success, be it in any field. When you are choosing your packers and movers for carrying out a house shift, you can’t afford to be impatient. You need to take enough time to research several moving companies located in your vicinity. Checking the ratings and reading the reviews of the moving companies on the internet is another thing that you should do. Again, you need to get multiple free quotes after carrying out pre-move surveys through various moving companies.
All of the activities will take time and you have to be patient throughout the process. If you hastily choose the packers and movers for your house shifting, you have a high chance of landing on some fraudulent company.
2. Absence of a registered office
When you interact with a moving company for the first time, it is a telephonic conversation in general. But make sure that you visit the office of the moving company once you feel inclined to finalise them. In case you find that the moving company does not have a registered office of its own, they are most likely to be a fake one.
3. No IBA authorisation certificate
The most important document that proves the authenticity of a moving or logistics company is its IBA-authorisation certificate. “IBA” stands for Indian Banks Association. It acts as the quality check document approved by the government of India. If a moving company is unable to produce its IBA authorisation certificate, you should never proceed with them thereafter. Hiring a registered or certified moving company becomes more essential when it comes to preparing for a long-distance move. For example, if you want to move from Hyderabad to Chennai, you must want to hire a reputable and experienced company. In this case, hiring one of IBA approved packers and movers from Hyderabad to Chennai would be a wise decision.
4. Absence of legal credentials
When you visit the office of the packers and movers for the first time, you should ask them to produce their legal credentials. Some of the necessary credentials in this regard are a company trade license, GST certificate, and company PAN card. If the moving company can produce these documents without any sign of hesitation, you can go ahead with them.
5. Not willing to provide cost quotations in hardcopy
To know the tentative charges for the house shifting through a certain packers and movers company, you need to call them to perform a pre-move survey. After the survey, they will hand you their cost quotation. If the moving company you are dealing with is not providing you with the cost quotation in hardcopy, do not trust the company. There are maximum chances of the company hiding their costs which they will levy later on. So, steer clear of such deals.
6. Demanding a hefty booking amount
When you approach a moving company and you find their office and credentials to be fine, you think of booking them for your house shifting. As you book the packers and movers, you will be asked to pay a booking amount. The amount should be a small fraction of the entire moving charge. In case the moving company is demanding a hefty booking amount, you should be alert about their ways. Most of the fake moving companies collect a large sum of money in advance and then vanish in thin air. Don’t give in to such a treacherous situation leading to a moving scam.
7. Accepting only cash payments
If a moving company is asking you to pay all the instalments in cash, you should not go ahead with them at all. After demonetisation, most of the payments are made digitally throughout India. Even greengrocers and small businesses accept digital payments. If your moving company does not accept digital payments and insists you pay in cash, it may be a fraudulent company. Be alert before you become a victim of a moving scam. Cash transactions cannot be traced whereas digital transactions have instant records of them taking place, the time, and the details of the sender and recipient.
8. Reluctant to provide an invoice
When the packers and movers are not ready to provide an invoice after you pay them an instalment of the moving charges, you should not consider finalising them. An invoice is proof of a transaction being made. If your moving company is reluctant about the invoice, they are trying to nullify the proof of the payment. Beware of a moving scam in this case.
9. Unrealistic discounts
Discounts trigger everyone. No matter if you are an affluent person or a hardworking middle-class citizen of the country; you are bound to feel excited when you see discounts on products and services. Moving companies are no exception in providing discounts to allure their customers to avail of their services. But sometimes, some of the moving companies offer unrealistic discounts. The cost of the packing supplies, fuel cost for moving, labour cost, toll tax cost, and maintenance charges for the moving truck are some of the costs that one cannot avoid.
So, if you find that the moving company is offering a cost quotation that is much below the standard rate of the other companies, it is a matter of serious concern. This company is prone to fraud and you are susceptible to a moving scam.
10. Providing moving vehicles without any identity
Every moving company with a good reputation will have moving trucks with their labelling. The sides of the truck will have the complete name of the moving company. But if the moving company vehicle is not labelled, you should be alert about a moving scam. It is easy for an unlabelled moving truck to run away with your household goods leaving you in a disastrous state.
11. Vague company details on the internet
If a moving company does not provide many details on the Internet but claims to provide high-end services over the telephone, do not trust them to be genuine. If a company is genuine, they will provide complete details about themselves and their services on the internet. The ones with vague details may be contributors to moving scams.
12. Loopholes in the insurance papers
During long-distance house shifting, you should always avail of moving insurance. Before signing the moving contract and the moving insurance documents, you should read every word written on them. If you do not read the terms and conditions carefully, you may find that many of your household items are not covered under the moving insurance.
The Conclusion
Moving scams can lead you to a doomed mental and financial state. The worst part is that you will feel that you could have prevented it from happening if you had been more careful. The above-mentioned 12 pointers on the most alarming scenarios will help you to stay away from a moving scam during the house shifting process. Wishing you a safe move!
