Q. My family is relocating this summer, I am searching for a reputable moving company. What advice may BBB provide?
A. For countless Americans, the month of May signifies a major transition in their lives. Whether it is gearing up for warmer weather, graduating from high school or college, starting a new job or receiving that highly anticipated acceptance letter, May marks the beginning of the busiest time in the nation for moving. So much so, that the month was designated National Moving Month in 1997.
In 2020, 38% of all business profile views on BBB.org for moving companies occurred from May-August and the moving industry was the third most-viewed industry in the nation for that year. Additionally, more than $230,000 was lost to fraudulent moving companies throughout the year, emphasizing the caution consumers should exercise when hiring a moving company. Of the 29.8 million people who moved last year, more than 25% were between the ages of 20-29.
With the amount of moving activity during summer, the potential of being a victim of a moving scam www.BBB.org also increases. There are several versions of moving scams reported to BBB every year, including:
* Consumers receive a quote and pay a deposit, but the “movers” never show up. The moving company provides a quote based on expected weight and, after loading the truck, they inform the consumer that the load is over the expected weight and an additional fee will have to be paid. Most of the time, the additional fee is significantly more expensive per pound, sometimes as much as double the original estimate.