It takes a lifetime to build a home, but it only takes one move in the hands of rogue movers to destroy your entire investment.
When searching for a moving company, you’ll come across many companies posing as legitimate professional moving companies.
However, not all of these companies are created equal. Some may be unlicensed, uninsured, or masquerading thugs. Rogue movers often give their industry a bad reputation, so it’s essential to spot the warning signs that the movers you’re working with could be scammers posing as movers. Here are eight signs that you should watch out for to help avoid rogue movers.
1. Lack of branding presence
A company’s branding is people’s external perception of the company. A professional, reputable company will have a solid online and offline branding presence. Look for features such as a business address, staff uniform, a company logo on their truck, packing boxes, and business cards.
If the moving company you’re dealing with doesn’t have these essential branding elements, it may not be as professional or reputable as it claims to be.
2. No physical address
A website alone is not enough.
If something goes wrong during your move, how will you track down your movers if you don’t know where they are?
When hiring a moving company, ask for their physical address. A physical address is necessary because it ensures that the company is legitimate and not just operating out of a P.O. box or storage unit. Rogue movers often don’t have a physical address on their website or anywhere else.
If they have an address, visit it in person to see if it’s a residential area or a commercial area. If it’s the latter, then that’s a good sign. However, it’s best to steer clear of that company if it’s just an empty lot or abandoned building. Rogue movers often don’t have a physical office or storefront that you can visit. This makes it challenging to track them down if something goes wrong during the move.
3. Poor estimation and quotations models
Rogue movers often give you a very low estimate to get your business. They may even tell you they’ll beat any other quote you’ve been given. Once they have your belongings, they can hold them for ransom and demand more money before releasing them.
In some cases, rogue movers will give you an estimate based on the weight of your belongings. They will then use a lower-quality scale than the industry standard to weigh your belongings and end up charging you more than what was initially quoted. Ensure to get proper estimates in writing before hiring any moving services.
4. Lack of reviews, negative reviews, and fake reviews
In today’s world, reviews and testimonials are everything. A quick Google search can tell you a lot about the moving company, so research before hiring any moving services. A rogue moving company will lack a review section on its website or will only have negative reviews. You can also check their social media pages, as comments from users will provide a better idea of what to expect from the company.
If you can’t find any reviews, that should be a huge red flag. Also, if all the reviews on their websites are positive, they may not be organic. Therefore, you can check on third-party sites such as TrustPilot or Google Reviews to get an idea of what other clients say about the mover.
With rogue movers, fake reviews are another area of concern. There are a few ways to spot fake moving reviews:
- All the reviews are overwhelmingly positive.
- Significantly more reviews than what you see on other companies’ Google profiles
- Repeated reviews – oftentimes copying the exact wording.
- When a relatively young moving company has more reviews than older companies
5. Asking for payments upfront
A major characteristic of rogue movers is to quickly give price quotes without understanding clients’ moving needs like volume, the fragility of goods, necessary special handling of items, etc. They always want to come out as cheap and most affordable but hardly take time to understand customers’ UNIQUE requirements which means they come on the move day unprepared – often leading to disastrous results.
When meeting with potential moving companies, they should give you an estimate of the total cost of the move. Rogue movers will try to get away with asking for payment upfront before any work has been done. They may give you a low estimate to entice you and then ask for the total amount upfront, often in cash.
If this happens to you, RUN AWAY, and don’t look back.
6. Poor customer service
How any company treats its clients indicates the type of service you can expect from them.
Rogue movers often have poor customer service, both over the phone and in person. They may be unresponsive to your questions or requests, act rudely or dismissively, and generally give you a bad feeling.
If you’re not treated well from the beginning, things will only worsen as the move proceeds.
A good litmus test is to pose a few reasonable questions to their customer service representative and gauge how they respond. If they’re not helpful or seem uninterested, it’s best to look elsewhere for your moving needs. If they also seem sketchy and don’t ask for details about your move, that’s another bad sign.
7. Lack of licensing and insurance
License and insurance are critical things to look for when hiring a moving company. An insurance policy shows that the company is financially responsible if your belongings are damaged during the move. Rogue movers often don’t have insurance, or they may have a policy that only covers a small percentage of the total value of your belongings.
Rogue movers also may not be properly licensed for operations or even incorporated. Rogue movers often cut corners by not following the proper licensing procedures. This puts you at risk if something goes wrong during the move.
Ensure to also check their credentials, such as their professional memberships. Since Kenya doesn’t have a local trade association for moving companies, the top moving companies in Kenya join international organizations such as the International Association of Movers and the British Association of Removers.
8. Lack of proper moving tools
When the movers arrive on moving day, be sure to take a look at their truck and equipment. Rogue movers often don’t have the proper tools to move your belongings safely. They may not have furniture pads, straps, or dollies, or they may use old and damaged equipment.
Rogue movers also often try to save money by renting trucks too small for the job. They don’t focus on the quality of the job. Instead, they want to get it done as quickly and cheaply as possible, which often leads to damaged belongings.
As a discerning moving client, it is essential to document all steps of your moving process in writing as proof should anything go wrong. If you get a “funny” feeling about a mover, err on the side of caution – listen to your gut and look elsewhere.
