Unfair pricing, furniture breakage, and stolen items are some of the signs that you’ve hired a rogue moving company.
When you first land in UAE, your priority is to settle down as fast as you can!
And this time shortage often leads to making a wrong decision and hire fake movers. Later, when your move concludes, there’s a long list of damages that you’ve to bear all by yourself.
How can you stay away from these bogus moving companies? And keep your belongings safe from the point your move starts till you’ve all your moving boxes with you?
Let’s break down each signal to identify a fake mover and find the right one, below!
Signs of a Fake Moving Company
Today, setting a moving company has become easier than ever and scammers take advantage of this ease. It’s not like they dress as pirates (as in old times) but try harder to look professional.
But there are certain signs that you can spot when hiring a moving company in Dubai. We’ve narrated each red flag for you to master the art of locating the rogue movers. And guess if you’re in talks with a fake moving service provider or not?
Let’s go through each red flag of a bogus mover, below!
Sign # 1: Insufficient Licensing/Registration
The very first sign to look for a rogue moving company in Dubai is they don’t have proper licensing!
Usually, a business would have proper documentation to operate within UAE from relevant authorities. Most businesses have registration from DED (Dubai Economic Department). And for moving companies, they’re usually associated with IAM (International Association of Movers).
Ask for these essential license and registration documents to ensure they’ve followed legal channels to form the company.
Sign # 2: Inaccurate Moving Estimates
You usually are in hurry while contacting a moving company and decide everything on call!
A professional moving company would take your address and decide the time for visit. On contrary, a fake moving company would give you a vague moving price estimation. This would cost you more later when you’re in middle of a move and require more services.
Alternatively, they’ll offer an extremely lower pricing that’s too good to be true!
The price is lucrative enough that you instantly say “Yes” but end up paying more later.
Sign # 3: No Sign of Written Contract
Ask your friends or family living in Dubai for years, every business gives due importance to written deeds.
When hiring a moving company in Dubai, do notice if they ask you to sign a contract or not!
Written contracts offer a transparency to both service providers and customers. And every reliable moving agency provides a written contract before commencing the process. This written deed not only helps them in getting your concern but also gives you an opportunity to negotiate.
Sign # 4: No Social Presence/Branding
Whether you’re a small pawn shop or a large logistics firm, having a social presence is a must!
Since a social presence is traceable by anyone with a phone, rogue movers tend to avoid this aspect. They’d come up with vague reasons for not having a social presence or even a website. And that’s another cue for you to stop conversations with them sensing they could be a bogus moving company.
Any company with a decent social media presence and a website is easy to assess. You can simply go to their social handles, check website, and read reviews about them before making a hiring decision.
Sign # 5: Fake Customer Reviews
They’ve licensing, the estimation appears to be fine, but something still feels off about your prospective company.
It’s a very rare event if a moving company doesn’t have any flaw!
And while researching about them, you don’t find a single complaint by any previous customer. They’re either an angel or trying to hide something with all positive reviews about them.
See if all the reviews are written in same pattern (meaning they’re fake) or check reviewer’s profile. This would give you an idea if they’ve actual customers rating their services or fake reviews.
Sign # 6: 100% Upfront Payments
100% upfront payments are another red flag that you need to spot in your prospective moving company.
No trusted mover would ask you to pay in full instead they’ve several payment stages for the ease of customer. If a mover insists on full advance take it as a red flag and move to a different agency. Because you’ll be at the risk of getting robbed of your money that you’ve set aside for these services.
Don’t jeopardize your moving by paying full advance instead, ask them to divide the bill in several stages.
Moving Company Hiring Checklist
We discussed red flags to spot a rogue moving company in Dubai, let’s talk about hiring the right one. Here are some useful tips to locate a reliable mover and ensure your moving plan is headed into right directions:
- Start your moving company screening with verification of their legal documents.
- Study their pricing in detail before proceeding further with a moving service provider.
- Always ask for written price estimation from the moving company for total transparency.
- Ensure to go through the reviews of your prospective mover and see if they’ve genuine customer feedback or not.
- Always hire a moving company that offers multiple payment stages.
Conclusion
And with this, you’re all set to hire the right movers in Dubai to execute your moving plan with ease!
If you’re still not sure from where to start your moving journey, connect with our moving experts. Dial 800 668348 and get the best moving price estimations and start your move on the right footing.
