Beware of Moving Scams
When moving out of your home, there are many unscrupulous companies (sometimes comprising only one person) who try to scam customers with low-ball pricing, well under what legitimate moving companies charge. The adage, “You get what you pay for” could not be more apt when making a move. The most important thing to watch out for are “moving brokers.” With the real estate market booming, and people on the move, this trend to contract moving brokers who over-promise and under-deliver is becoming popular, as it does in all strong real estate markets historically.
In addition to enticing relocators with low prices, the moving brokers promise to seamlessly handle all the details. But, in fact, these brokers often subcontract the move and the paperwork to third parties whose business practices are questionable, to be generous.
Often customers are fooled by a polished salesmen’s script and an impressive, highly professional website. But when the real bill comes from the actual moving company, it is often far higher than the price promised by the broker. When the customers then try to reach the broker for an explanation, he/she is nowhere to be found – often not returning calls or emails.
Dishonorable companies (brokers) like America Plus, have 55 complaints lodged against them to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in addition to 34 complaints to the Better Business Bureau. There are many other companies who are in their league in terms of dishonest business practices.
Joshua Swyers, managing attorney for Move Rescue, a nonprofit organization formed by the nation’s premiere moving companies to aid customers caught in this confusing maze of deception, and theft. Swyers alerts us that this year is setting a record setting pace for complaints to the organization, so far numbering 1,053. The previous record was in 2019, when for the entire year that number was 1,200. This year, when completed, will easily surpass that 2019 number.
Now, for some worse news for residents of South Florida: The southern regions are home to most of these brokers in the Sunshine State. Of the 238 Florida-based moving brokers, 190 are in South Florida.
So far, this year customers have filed complaints to the FMCSA against 111 South Florida moving brokers, 58 of whom have at least 10 or more complaints lodged against them. However, the Florida’s Attorney General’s Office has received a far higher 1,100 complaints filed. In 2020 that number was 890; in 2019 the number was 730. As we can see, with a third of 2121 still ahead of us, the 2021 number is eclipsing those previous years by a hefty amount already.
Let’s return to our earlier example (America Plus). Their website gives the impression of professionalism and friendliness, in an effort to ingratiate themselves to clients. For example, part of their website reads: “Our movers are specialists in what they do, and they need to meet strict criteria to be considered a worker – or like we say, part of the family.” Don’t be taken in by sweet talk and deceptions. A search of the company’s address turns up a 743-square foot apartment in a residential building. According to FMCSA, this company has no trucks. They are acting as actual movers, not brokers, but never inform customers this.
For the dishonest brokers (and not all brokers are dishonest), the pickings are easy. People don’t move very often, so all of us lack experience in dealing with movers, regardless of our level of education.
Many of these shady companies try to dodge their clients and the law by mastering a game of cat and mouse. For example, when complaints pile up at the Better Business Bureau, the attorney general’s office, or the FMCSA, they will often change the company name and the names of the firm’s officers, then they simply re-register under a new company name.
In the interests of my readers, let’s name some more names of companies to be leery of: Finest Movers Inc., Ocean Moving and Storage Corp., Moving and Storage Accounting Inc., and U.S. Moving Services.
The above list is by no means complete. Please be most careful when planning a move. And start panning well in advance. When folks are in a rush, corners are cut and mistakes are made.