BBB warns of moving scams and fine print as busy season nears

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - May is National Moving Month, kicking off one of the busiest moving seasons of the year. With that, the Better Business Bureau is warning those looking to move to make sure they don’t get scammed, and read the fine print.

May is designated as National Moving Moth as now more than any time of the year, people are packing up. That includes South Dakota, whether people are looking to move to the state or within it.

“We’ve seen thousands of people move into South Dakota over the last several years. College students wrapping up their time in college, maybe moving on to those new careers.” said Jessie Schmidt, the Vice President of the Better Business Bureau in the South Dakota Region.

But that opens the door for moving scams. Schmidt says common moving scams include companies not delivering or not picking up items after they’ve been hired, “no showing” the customer after they’ve already traveled. Others include movers charging overweight fees after already packing up.

“Just because they have a complaint does not make them a villain. But if there are a history of complaints, and it’s a similar theme around them, then we would tell you that you just want to be very cautious if you move forward in hiring that organization.” said Schmidt.

And it pays to read the fine print. Lois Brown moved to Sioux Falls four days ago, but her items still aren’t here. The moving company she used stated that for her to move, it would take at least six days to reach her. While not a scam, she’s warning others to read through everything in an agreement.

“And you don’t want it to happen to anyone else. That’s my main reason, is to get my stuff back, and right beside it is I don’t want it to happen to anyone else.” said Brown.

Schmidt said it comes down to making sure those looking to move do all of the necessary leg work to find the right business. That will save time, and money, in a new place.

“Doing your research ahead of time will save you a lot of time in this instance, if you engage a good mover right from the onset.” said Schmidt.

Schmidt said reputable movers are a part of an organization, and there are many out there. She also said just because an organization spends a lot on advertising, doesn’t mean they’re always going to be a legitimate business.

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