From a scratched tabletop to your belongings held hostage, there are many things that can take you by surprise when moving day arrives. The month of May, just days away, is designated as National Moving Month, as it signifies the start of the busiest moving season of the year. Your Better Business Bureau (BBB) has advice to help you relocate your family to a new home.

Watch out for these favorite tricks that unscrupulous moving companies sometimes rely on. They’re not just moving your belongings from one site to another; they’re mainly trying to move money from your account to theirs. Keep an eye out for these rip-off attempts:

• The fictitious estimate. A mover will give you an appealingly low estimate. Then the final charges come in at 4 or 5 times the estimated amount. (They planned it from the start, just to get your business.) Avoid getting hammered by a gigantic increase by asking up front whether their estimate will be binding, then getting a written guarantee that it is.

• The hostage furniture. Though it is illegal, crooks continue to withhold your belongings from you until you pay “extra charges” that have been tacked onto your bill. Report such criminal activity to law enforcement.

• The floating delivery date. Using excuses such as, “your belongings are stuck behind another customer’s on the truck,” they put off the agreed-upon delivery date, sometimes repeatedly.

• The disappearing truck. Once they have possession of your belongings, they are never seen again. You hear nothing else from them and all your beloved household furnishings are theirs to sell or simply abandon in a storage facility. They then change their name and set about stealing from some other person.

• The overweight truck. The mover says the loaded truck is heavier than expected and wants an additional fee.

Smoothing out 

your chances for 

a bump-free move

Here are BBB’s tips for steering clear of unethical movers:

• Check out the company at bbb.org. There you’ll find BBB’s marketplace history including any complaints, reviews, government actions, advertising concerns and additional details on the business.

• Get multiple, written estimates from at least three companies. 

• Never settle for over-the-phone estimates. It’s impossible to get an accurate estimate from someone who hasn’t viewed your furnishings.

• Get their license and insurance proof and confirm their motor carrier number with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s website. Know the specifics of what their insurance covers for loss or damage.

• Pay no more than 15% of the total cost as an up-front deposit.

• Never sign a contract with blank pages or large blank spaces.

• Get their business location and either drive by it or do a Google Street View to confirm it.

• Never pay with cash, as that leaves no evidence of a transaction.

• Purchase full replacement value protection. Breakage is common in moves and this offers you the best protection.

For answers to other questions or concerns regarding your moving company selection, check with BBB at 800-856-2417 or visiting our website at BBB.org.