National Moving Month is a time to recognize America’s mobile roots and kick off the busiest months in the moving industry. This year, however, National Moving Month kicked off with consumer warnings about moving scams.

The American Moving & Storage Association joined US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Anne S. Ferro, and other public and private representatives in Houston for a news conference May 1 to warn consumers about con artists and unlicensed movers who “come out of the woodwork” to take advantage of people during this busy moving season. The officials urged consumers preparing to hire a mover to protect themselves by only hiring moving companies in full compliance with applicable laws. Consumers should also visit www.protectyourmove.gov for tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of a moving scam.

Red Flag Warnings

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration outlines red flags to watch out for when hiring a mover. Those red flags include:

• Answering the phone with generic rather than company name. If you call a moving company and the person answering says “Movers” or “Moving Company” instead of a specific company name, hang up and look for another company.
• No local address on the website and no mention of license or insurance.  Don’t hire a mover without verifiable license and insurance, or one without an office location you can visit. If you visit the office and it is in poor condition, look for another mover.
• Low estimates given over the internet or phone without an in-home inspection of household items. The mover should come to your home to provide an estimate. While you may accept an estimated cost if you trust your mover, you should only hire a moving company that offers a guaranteed, binding estimate with no hidden costs.  Read more in Things You Should Know about Moving.
• False insurance claims. If the mover tells you the company’s insurance covers all of your household goods, look for another moving company. Professional movers will, however, offer insurance packages. Read about Loss and Damage Liability.
• Payment or large deposit required before the move.
• The mover does not provide you with a copy of Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move. If moving state to state, federal law requires the mover provide you a copy of the booklet.
• No company name on the moving truck/van. If your mover arrives in a rental truck or unmarked vehicle, you could be in trouble.

Hire a Mover You Can Trust

Planning a move takes time and careful consideration. Avoid falling victim to a moving scam. Hire a moving company you know you can trust.

In business since 1939, Chipman Relocations, a BBB Accredited Business, is the moving company you can rely on to provide the services agreed upon at a competitive price.  Read testimonials about our safe and reliable movers and see verification of our ProMover certification on the AMSA website. Feel confident your move is in good hands with Chipman Relocations.

Whether relocating across the city or around the world, there are many things to consider when moving. From hiring the right mover to checking door and window locks before leaving your old home, the list of tasks to complete can seem overwhelming.

Proper planning before the move makes a tremendous difference. Below are a few things to consider when moving that might help:

1. Hire a licensed & insured professional mover after in-home estimate.

Each year the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration receive thousands of complaints against movers. The number of moving scams continues to increase as more people find, request estimates from, and hire movers online without an in-person meeting and verification of license and insurance.

Don’t become a victim of a moving scam. Although finding a mover online and requesting an estimate is an acceptable, convenient practice, you should not make any commitments to a moving company before verifying its legitimacy. Visit the office to see if appears to be an actual business. Search by company name online here to see if the moving company is BBB Accredited or has complaints against it on file. If moving state to state, you can verify license and insurance here.  To verify local moving companies for an in-state move, contact your state’s moving association to find out the best way to check for license, insurance and complaints.

Keep in mind that reputable, professional movers come to your home to provide a free estimate. Do not accept estimates provided online or by phone from a mover who has not visited your home to prepare a proper estimate.

2. Organization is key, lists help.

Organization will help ensure your move is successful. Make lists of what you plan to take with you, who you need to contact, and what you need to do. Chipman Relocations provides a variety of moving aids, including checklists, to help get organized and stay on schedule.  Print the lists, add to them, and check them off as completed.

3. The more you move, the more it will cost – get rid of stuff!

Some people will pack everything they own, move it, and then throw away or donate whatever they don’t want to keep in the new home. Doing so increases the cost of a move.

It’s time to de-clutter your home. The general rule is ‘if you haven’t used it within the last year, get rid of it.’

4. Think about your pets and plants in advance of the move.

You know you can’t put your pets in a moving truck or van, but did you know your movers will not take plants either? Unless you plan to haul plants yourself, consider giving them to family and friends.

Moving to another state? Know the regulations. Read about moving state to state with pets and plants so you can prepare in advance.

5. Good-byes can be depressing without a farewell party.

Saying goodbye to family and friends who live nearby can be the most difficult part of a move. A festive party can change that. You may still shed a few tears, but a party atmosphere will lift the mood and help make saying good-bye less depressing.

6. Budget for extra expenses.

Moving can really cut into a budget, and there may be expenses pop up that you had not thought about. You may decide to eat out before and after the move. If moving long distance, you will have transportation and lodging costs. You will want to make purchases for the new home, and will need to restock perishable goods you were unable to transport in the moving truck. You may need storage after moving into your new home. Budgeting for additional expenses will help.

7. Moving expenses tax deductible? Save receipts.

If your move can be considered job-related, save your receipts! At least some of the expenses may be tax deductible. Read this post and this one for information about tax deductible moving expenses for the last two years.

Have something to add to this list of things to consider when moving? Share it in the comments section below!

The California Moving & Storage Association (CMSA), a nearly century-old non-profit trade association representing hundreds of licensed and insured California movers, says calls to its consumer information line are at an all-time high. A majority of those calls – 80 percent – are from victims of “bandit movers,” and most of the victims hired their movers online without first checking them out. (Click the link above for tips.)

Bandit movers may appear legitimate online. They draw unsuspecting consumers in with low estimates, but then demand payments three to four times higher when the move is in progress. Some movers will hold belongings they are relocating hostage and threaten to sell them unless the higher bill is paid.

This illegal bait-and-switch is a common moving scam, one which recently resulted in a New Jersey court ordering two moving companies to pay $21 million for defrauding dozens of customers. Unfortunately for the scammed customers, the companies were penniless and without assets.

While finding movers online and requesting estimates is an acceptable, convenient practice, you should not sign a contract or otherwise commit until you know the mover is a legitimate, licensed company. The CMSA recommends you verify the mover’s license with the association or the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates the moving and storage industry within the state. You can search by company name or carrier ID here to verify a mover’s license and insurance status. The CMSA also recommends you visit the moving company’s location to see if it appears to be a legitimate, professional company.

For added protection, Chipman Relocations, full service movers with multiple locations in California, recommends those searching for California movers only hire a member of the CMSA. The association requires that all members are licensed and insured. Insurance must include liability and workman’s compensation. Members must also train staff to provide professional moves, adhere to a strict professional code of conduct, and maintain clean moving vans and equipment.

Chipman Relocations, a fully licensed and insured moving company in business since 1939, is a proud member of the Californian Moving & Storage Association as well as the Oregon Moving & Storage Association, the Washington Trucking Associations, and the American Moving & Storage Association. Through multiple locations in California, Washington and Oregon, Chipman’s reliable movers provide thousands of quality residential and commercial moves, both locally and long distance. For more information and a free estimate on local, state to state or international moves, contact Chipman Relocations.

Whether moving offices to another area on campus or relocating to a completely new location, a corporate move impacts your employees as well as your business. Proper planning helps reduce the stress involved. In recognition of National Stress Awareness month, Chipman Relocations is pleased to offer a corporate move checklist of tips to help you make your corporate relocation more stress free.

To ensure you are properly planning for your corporate move, you need a solid checklist. A checklist helps you plan out the move and confirm you are meeting each step necessary. The following checklist will help you get started with your own relocation list, one that better guarantees you and your employees plan and prepare for the upcoming move.

• Once you decide to make a corporate move, start planning for the move immediately. Planning is the key to a successful corporate move and can take as much time as you have available, up to a year for a major corporate relocation.

• When you know the basic details of your corporate move such as the general date and location, as well as which employees you will relocate, plan a meeting to discuss the move with your employees. If you delay the announcement, rumors of the move will likely spread and your employees will feel the stress of worrying about what they don’t know. Will they need to move? Will they lose their jobs? It is better to discuss the details with them as soon as possible. Psychological studies show that being informed about and prepared for a corporate move can significantly reduce any negative impact.

• Select team managers within each of your departments to help coordinate the move and serve as the first contact for employees with questions and concerns. These may or may not be department heads.

• If your corporate move will require some employees to relocate from their current homes, consider points made in this article before deciding on a relocation package to offer those employees. Keep in mind that, as mentioned in the article, if the employee is worth relocating, he or she is worth a fair compensation. Also read about and watch the short videos on an employee relocation service.

• Research, request bids from and hire licensed corporate movers with consultants who can help plan and manage many of the details of a turnkey corporate move for you. Make sure the moving company you hire is insured and their insurance includes proper workers’ compensation insurance coverage.  Request a copy of the mover’s insurance. Many office buildings require it.

• After you have met with and hired your corporate movers, you will know what details of the move you will handle and what the moving company will take care of. You can then form your own corporate move checklist with a timeframe for each step. Use 20 Tips for Smoother Office Moves to help create your checklist.

Chipman Relocations, a moving company in business since 1939, knows how to plan and manage successful, turnkey corporate moves, whether relocating on campus or across the world. Contact a representative now to discuss your stress-free relocation and request a free corporate move estimate.