Answered by Jenna Farmer
August 29, 2014Hi, thanks so much for visiting Movers.com to find an answer to your question! I will be happy to give you some information about doing a background check on the moving companies you are researching for hire.
Company or agents
Since you're researching companies that operate nationwide, it is very important that you look into obtaining information from the agent/local branch of the company. A nationwide company may have good reviews and/or overall rating, but this could very well be because it is an average of all the local branches of the company. A nationwide company's agent in Georgia may have very different reviews than its Illinois agent. While it may help that the company has good reviews as a whole, if one agent happens to be poorly rated, and that agent is the one in your area, you will certainly want to avoid that situation.
Tips to remember
- To do a thorough background check, you can start by looking at BBB ratings for the agent of the company, in addition to checking online reviews. If you aren't sure of the agent's name, just do a quick search for the nationwide company name, and you should yield the results you are looking for.
- When looking at reviews, make sure you are checking legitimate websites where moving companies cannot write their own reviews. Movers.com posts its moving company reviews directly on each company's profile page, so that is a good place to start. We also have some tips on spotting a fake moving review.
- You can check movingscam.com to check if the company you are researching has been blacklisted.
- For interstate moves, you can also check for ICC MC numbers (older companies established before 1995 were required to have this, and they still remain active), in addition to US DOT numbers
- Don't be afraid to ask for references! Any reputable company should be able to provide proof of their good services.
I hope this helps! Thanks again for visiting and good luck with your search!