Moving can be a stressful experience, especially if you’ve never hired a local moving company in GA. With so many companies, knowing which is right for you takes time. However, if you do your research and keep your guard when hiring movers, then the process doesn’t have to be so difficult.

Always remember these ten things on checking if the company is legit:

Check with the Better Business Bureau

The BBB is an excellent resource for checking whether a moving company is legitimate. You can look up the business on the BBB site and see if they have any complaints and how they were resolved. 

In addition, the Better Business Bureau has ratings and reviews on moving companies based on customer feedback. So if you would like to read more about how other customers felt about their moving experience, this is an excellent place to start looking into where you should move your belongings!

Look for their USDOT number online.

If a moving company doesn’t have a USDOT number, it’s not registered with the FMCSA and should be avoided. The USDOT number is a unique identification number for a moving company and can be found on their website. 

It should be either black or white and very clearly displayed near the bottom of their homepage, contact information or any other section where customers may look for it. 

Ask for References from Previous Customers

When looking for a moving company, you want to ensure that the company is legitimate. Trustworthy moving companies will be glad to provide references from previous customers. You should also check these references and ask about their experience with the moving company. The more positive reviews they give to that company, the better!

It’s essential to ask about the quality of service and price before hiring a moving company because there are cheap movers who might be dealing with the most inexpensive materials or offer low-quality services at low prices. Unfortunately, this can lead to damaged items during transportation and high costs because of insurance claims later down the road.

Make Sure the Company Provides Upfront Estimates

• Get an estimate in writing.
• Only sign something after reading it.
• Ask for a discount if you have to negotiate.

Ask How Long the Company Has Been in Business

When looking into a moving company, ask how long they have been in the business and its track record. Moving companies that have been around for several years and have a history of repeat customers are usually more trustworthy than those who’ve just opened up shop. The same goes for the industry in general—if you can find out how long the owner has been doing this work, it’ll give you an idea of their experience and expertise.

Many moving companies change names or move locations frequently as they get bigger or smaller; this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bad movers, but it does make it harder to verify their credibility as time goes on!

Read Online Reviews and Check Out Their Website

The next step is to check online reviews. There should be some reviews if a moving company has been around for a while. Still, you’ll want to be careful with any company where most of their reviews are written by other moving companies or themselves. You can find this information on sites such as Yelp and Google Reviews (which often includes government agencies).

You should also check out their website and see if they provide contact information, including an address or phone number, fees and services offered.

Check their affiliations.

• Look for the Better Business Bureau logo.
• Check for membership in the American Moving and Storage Association.
• Ask if they’re members of other national or state moving industry organizations, such as The Moving and Storage Association of America or other groups focused on protecting consumers’ rights (like Consumer’s Union).

Look for their truck(s).

• Look for the moving company’s name on the side of the truck. This is an easy way to spot a legitimate company. It could indicate that they’re not legit if you don’t see them.
• Look for a phone number, address and contact information. A good moving company should have this so you can reach them easily if you have any questions or concerns before or during your move.
• Look for a license plate number on each vehicle driven by in-house movers—this is required by law in most states and will help ensure proper licensing of your movers’ vehicles and their insurance coverage requirements (if applicable).

Examine their website.

• Examine the website. A legitimate company will have a physical address, phone number and website. That should be your first red flag if it has none of those things.
• Look for a Better Business Bureau listing. A moving company that’s at least registered with BBB has to follow specific rules and regulations regarding customer service practices and standards of operation so you can rest assured that your belongings are in good hands when you hire them for your upcoming move.

Look for a physical address.

If they have a physical address, they’re likely legitimate.

If you see that a moving company has a PO box or virtual office address, skip them and move on. But there are other things to consider when evaluating whether or not an address is accurate. First, beware of the following red flags:

• A residential address for an owner
• The name of the owner’s business as their home address (and vice versa)

It is always helpful to check if a moving company is legitimate. As furniture is being moved, or other valuables, it is always advisable to research the best moving companies available.

If you need a legit moving company in Georgia, call On Your Mark Movers at 833-627-5668.