8 Great Tips to Protect Your Family and Possessions During Your Move

New York, NY, April 24, 2010 --(PR.com)-- If you’re looking for a moving company on the Internet, do your homework first or your furniture may not be the only thing taken for a ride.

Criminals posing as professional movers are commonplace, especially this spring at the beginning of the moving season. In response to this problem, Movage Moving + Storage has earned an industry certification as a ProMover, and is providing these tips to help you avoid Internet moving scams:

1). Don’t be fooled by slick websites. Anyone with a few bucks can build a professional-looking website, but that does not ensure a professional move.

2). Check on the firm’s operating license. Every professional interstate moving company is licensed by the U.S. Department of Transportation and has a Motor Carrier Number issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This number must be displayed on the company’s Web site.

Intrastate movers have varying licensing requirements. To find a reputable intrastate moving company, contact the industry trade association in your state.

3). Look for the “brick and mortar.” Professional movers will proudly post their full contact information, including a street address and phone number. The absence of any evidence of a real company should raise concerns. If the site does post the street address, do a MapQuest and Google search to see if that address really exists, or contact your local Better Business Bureau to see whether the firm is associated with customer complaints.

4). Get at least three written in-home estimates. The Internet is full of “moving cost estimators,” but the only estimates that counts are offered by a professional mover who visits your home. If someone offers to do an estimate over the phone, chances are high you may be getting scammed.

5). Use a ProMover. Use a certified mover who is a member of the American Moving & Storage Association, like Movage Moving + Storage. To find a local ProMover and to learn more about protecting yourself visit AMSA. For more tips on how to prepare for your move, visit their Website.

6). Check references. It’s wise to use companies that display the ProMover or Better Business Bureau logo. But many swindlers will use those logos without authorization. Do your homework to verify that the companies using these insignia are doing so legitimately.

7). Avoid companies that require large deposits or down payments. In fact, interstate movers are not allowed to require you to pay large deposits or pay before you move. Remember, once a con artist has all your worldly possessions locked in a truck and you’ve handed over payment for the move, you’ve lost any bargaining power.

8). Avoid Internet brokers. Many people who enter their contact information on Web sites that promise to find qualified movers find themselves inundated with aggressive scam artists. It’s best to avoid these sites. If you do use them, create a new e-mail address to be used only for the move. Avoid giving your real phone number of possible.

About Movage: Movage Moving + Storage offers a full range of moving services, and has been a certified ProMover since 2006. Movage Moving + Storage offers the following services: Local and national moving, residential moving, commercial moving as well as international relocation services. We also offer services that include long or short term climate-controlled storage as well as moving of fine arts, pianos and custom crating.

Movage Moving + Storage is a member of the American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA), the trade organization for the moving industry and also accredited by BBB.

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