Scam movers rely on the Internet to get their customers. They know you are looking for the cheapest price and they know what the real cost of a move should be so – they lowball their bid and reel you in.
Here’s how moving scams work
Moving scams are very simple. Scam movers give you a low ball quote and once they have your property on their truck, they raise the price and demand to be paid in cash before they will unload. If you fail to pay, they will drive off and either sell your valuables to pay their new bill or, more often, will drive to the nearest self-storage facility that will rent to them where they will unload your property into a storage unit. Since they will default on the self-storage lease, the self-storage owner will auction your property to pay for the unpaid rent. You might think that you can buy your property back at the auction but you would be wrong. Any proceeds from the auction in excess of the unpaid rent due must go the renter (the scammer), or deposited with the county clerk of court.
“The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming”
This was a very funny 1966 movie but the moving scams perpetrated by the Russian scam movers, usually from the Bronx or Queens New York, is anything but funny. We strongly recommend not using them under any circumstances, regardless of their quote.
Do not accept quotes based on cubic feet
Moving contracts are based on weight, period. If a mover gives you a quote based on cubic feet you can be sure you are being set up for a scam. Do not fall for the excuse that it is easier to quote by cubic feet, which can easily be converted to weight. This is just nonsense. Consider the fact that interstate moves based on cubic feet are illegal. Moves within a state – intrastate – are not subject to federal laws but common sense tells you that there is a reason the federal government outlawed such quotes.
Here is a website to visit for more information: www.movingscams.com.