Crown Offers Tips on Dodging Rogue Movers This Moving Season

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Apr 18, 2019, 09:17 ET

KEASBEY, N.J., April 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- With moving season just around the corner, Crown Relocations, a leading provider of domestic and international destination services, moving and administrative services, is urging consumers to be aware of "rogue movers" who can hold personal belongings hostage, demand ransoms and other extortion activities.

Crown offers these tips to avoid criminal activity by spotting common rogue-mover red flags:

1. Watch for fly-by-night companies:

No website, no address, no information about the mover's registration or insurance.
Telephone answered by generic movers rather than a company name.
Moving companies that only provide estimates over the phone.

The mover doesn't offer or agree to an on-site inspection of your household goods and gives an estimate over the phone or internet—sight-unseen. These estimates often are too good-to-be-true.
Doesn't provide an inventory of your items.

2. Be wary of unusual requests:

Movers that require large deposits or payment in full in advance.
Extremely low rates. While a large down payment may be suspicious, rates that are too low also may be suspicious. Compare competitive estimates from several companies.
Contact Better Business Bureau or local law enforcement if you fall into a situation where a company won't return your items without more money than you agreed to pay.

3. Get everything in writing:

Confirm insurance coverage.

The mover claims all goods are covered by their insurance. Most moves are covered by weight, but many items may not be covered and or may require additional coverage.
Consider purchasing full-value protection. If a company doesn't offer this, be wary.

Obtain a written contract with pickup and delivery dates spelled out and understand how your rate was calculated.

4. Research the mover's accreditation:

Go to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website and find your potential mover's Department of Transportation (DOT) number to ensures that the company is registered with the DOT.
Use this tool to check out interstate movers.
Work with accredited movers. In the U.S., work with companies that are affiliated with the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA) and internationally, the International Association of Movers (IAM).

5. Top Three Red Flags

Movers who demand cash or a large deposit before the move.
Company websites that have no address or information about a mover's registration or insurance.
Movers who claim all of items are covered by their insurance.

For more information and other moving tips, please visit www.crownrelo.com.

Crown Relocations
Crown Relocations (www.crownrelo.com) is a division of the Crown Worldwide Group. Crown Relocations operates from more than 200 locations in almost 60 countries, providing end-to-end relocation services. Crown Relocations provides a range of relocation and settling-in services for families on the move that help with housing and education, as well as the physical movement of household effects, online tracking tools, storage, transit protection and cultural support.

Customers include employees of multi-national and government organizations, diplomats and private individuals. Crown Worldwide Group's (www.crownworldwide.com) other divisions include Crown World Mobility, Crown Records Management, Crown Fine Art, Crown Logistics and Crown Wine Cellars. Established in 1965, the Crown Worldwide Group is a privately held company with global headquarters in Hong Kong.

SOURCE Crown Relocations