Moving Scams – Concern Or Hype?

Home  Press Room  Press Releases  Moving Scams – Concern Or...

Fort Smith, Ark. (January 24, 2007) – As the summer moving season begins, ABF U-Pack Moving® cautions people considering a long distance move to carefully screen moving companies before making a decision.

Common moving scams include quoting low prices initially, then raising the price on delivery or never delivering the goods at all. According to the Council of Better Business Bureaus, the number of complaints against moving companies has tripled over the last decade. In 1997, there were fewer than 3,000 complaints nationwide compared to over 9,400 complaints in 2004. The number of complaints against rogue moving companies continues to rise.

“We often receive inquiries from consumers who are legitimately concerned about moving scams,” says Kay Lynn Clay, Manager of Business Development for U-Pack Moving. “There are scams but there are also resources for the consumer to find a reputable moving company. What we stress is to research any company being considered.” Clay maintains that a legitimate moving company will be more than happy to provide references or resources.

Clay highly recommends that consumers allow time for research before their move and offers several sources. “The Better Business Bureau at BBB.org is a great starting place to find out if any complaints have been lodged against the moving company.” Clay also recommends the Federal Highway Administration to verify the type of authority the company maintains. The administration can tell consumers if the company is asset based or a broker. Brokers are middlemen who book moves for a variety of trucking companies.

Epinions.com is another valuable resource recommended by Clay. The site offers opinions directly from consumers about the quality of service. Scam stories and articles can be found at consumeraffairs.com. Moving.org is a government site that offers instructional information and links to governing agencies.

An extremely useful consumer website is the blog maintained by Tim Walker at www.movingscam.com. It provides a forum for consumers to criticize or praise moving companies and a “black list” of known scam movers. Walker says, “I founded MovingScam.com in 2001 after I was scammed and decided to fight back. Others joined me, and together, we've been helping consumers for over five years. At the core of the web site are message boards staffed around the clock by experienced volunteers who answer moving-related questions promptly and at no cost to the consumer. None of the volunteers receive any income from this activity.”

Although scams happen and nothing can remove the stress of moving, the internet provides access to several consumer protection resources. For additional information about the U-Pack service, visit www.upack.com.

ABF U-Pack Moving is a service of ABF Freight System, Inc. ®, one of North America’s oldest and largest motor carriers. ABF Freight System, Inc. is the largest division of Arkansas Best Corporation (NYSE:ABFS), a publicly traded less-than-truckload carrier.