When looking into the background of a moving company, reading moving reviews is a helpful way to research the company's reputation. Real customer reviews is the best way to find out more about the movers' professionalism, service, price and reliability than through the words of satisfied or unsatisfied customers.
Unfortunately, the moving industry is plagued with scams, rogue companies and fabricated ratings to cover up for the poor service and fraudulent behavior of certain companies. You would assume that you can hire a highly-rated moving company with confidence. However, on moving day you may find out that the company that was "trusted" by so many individuals is actually inexperienced, incompetent and rude... and that those various customers who vouched for their excellent service were paid to do so.
If you are seeking trustworthy movers to aid you in your relocation process, these tips will help you accurately determine which moving testimonials to trust and which to ignore.
The moving review is overly positive
No moving company is perfect, so be wary of any review that does nothing but sing praise about the movers. Reviews that rave about every aspect of the move or are overly complimentary are usually fake. No moving company is perfect.
While there are many reliable, experienced and excellent professional movers that do a great job, companies are rarely equipped to satisfy every customer need.
- If the service is impeccable, expect to pay a premium price
- If the movers are cheap, you may not get the best service
- If a review swears a moving company is the lowest-priced around and they provide every service imaginable, it should immediately raise a red flag
There are too many details in the moving review
Most customers will briefly summarize a move, detailing the high or low points and including the most relevant and important facts. False reviews will often begin with the very first step in the moving process:
- "I was searching through hundreds of moving companies until found them."
- "I called them and set up the estimate on Tuesday."
- "They arrived promptly at 3:06 pm and began with wrapping my mother's china."
If the review sounds more like a narrative than an assessment of the service quality, that's a red flag that it's most likely fabricated.
The moving review is too negative
On the other hand, overly negative reviews can also be fake. Some dishonest moving companies may try to hinder the competition by ruining their reputation. Be on the lookout for defamatory reviews and reviews with derogatory or offensive language.
You can also follow up on websites like RipOffReport.com and MovingScam.com to see if these companies have legitimate claims filed against them.
There is repeated language in the moving review
When reading a moving company's reviews, be on the lookout for repetitive language or similar story structure in multiple reviews. Most fake reviews are written by the same paid individuals and will have redundant themes, repeated compliments or similar writing style.
Additionally, look for reviews that repeat the name of the moving company several times in the review. If it sounds like an advertisement, it probably is.
The review uses specific names of the movers
Fake reviews will often mention company employees personally by name.
For example:
- "Joe and his crew were so helpful."
- "Diana, the sales representative answered all of my questions."
- "Mark, the company owner, made sure everything went perfectly."
When relocating, actual customers are too occupied with the endless tasks moving requires and the stress that comes along with the process. They often don't even remember the name of their moving company after the move is complete -- let alone the first names of the movers.
The moving review uses uncommon language
Superfluous language and unusual words can be a sign that a review is fabricated. Read through the review carefully and try to imagine if it sounds like something you'd write when reviewing a service.
Does it sound like there's another underlying purpose?
"They saved me!"
Fake reviews often treat the moving companies as if they were saints that performed the move out of the kindness of their hearts or braved some unimaginable obstacle to complete the move.
- "It was snowing that day, and we didn't think we'd find a mover at the last minute."
- "I have a broken leg and was unable to do anything myself."
- "The movers packed everything for us. They saved me!"
They may pack everything for you, but it is a service that will cost extra. Reviews with dramatic anecdotes should be treated with skepticism.
What should you do to verify moving reviews
So, how do you find out the truth about a moving company?
- Read reviews on multiple sites. Search various review websites such as the Better Business Bureau and Movers.com. If the reviews seem to be mostly positive on every website you view, the company is more likely to be legitimate.
- Check the company's credentials. If the movers perform interstate relocations, they must have a USDOT number, which you can verify through the FMCSA. If your move is local, your state should have its own licensing requirements that you can verify with the appropriate agency.
- Listen to audio reviews. Visit our Moving Reviews section and find thousands of audio reviews from verified customers.