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Protect Yourself from Bandit Movers! ** The strong housing market and other economic factors have spurred a rash of illegal, bandit movers. Merit Moving Systems and the California Moving & Storage Association offers advice to protect consumers against scams ** With the continued strength of California’s real estate market and the lowest interest rates in 40 years, the moving and storage industry is experiencing a high volume of residential and commercial moves within California this summer. Sadly, the very factors that have spurred residential and commercial moves have also ignited a rash of illegal or “bandit” movers who prey on consumers shopping by price. According to the California Moving & Storage Association (CMSA), calls to their consumer information line are at an all time high. Eighty percent of the consumer calls are from victims of bandit movers – movers who appear to be legitimate in advertisements or on-line but, in fact, charge below market value prices, engage in unlawful practices, bully consumers into paying outrageous prices once the move is underway, and threaten to sell the personal goods if their demands are not fulfilled. “We have discovered that most of the abuses result from moves booked on-line,” explained Doug Hill, president of the California Moving & Storage Association, the 87-year old non-profit trade association for the moving and storage industry in California. The CMSA offers free services and information to assist consumers in choosing a professional mover. According to the CMSA, consumers are subject to potential fraud if they book a move over the phone or on-line without doing their homework. The association suggests two strategies to validate the legitimacy of a mover: 1) Verify the license number with the CMSA or the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the state agency that regulates the moving and storage industry. Touching base with the CMSA is best because the association’s professional team knows its members – about 500 moving companies statewide. Furthermore, if the consumer has a problem with a move performed by a CMSA member, the trade association will intervene on the consumer’s behalf. 2) Visit the physical location to ascertain the company’s level of professionalism. Members are licensed, maintain professional liability insurance and workman’s compensation insurance (a must because if a member of the moving crew is injured while on your property you could be held liable if the mover does not have appropriate insurance coverage), provide training for their staff to ensure a professional move, maintain clean moving vans and equipment, and adhere to a strict professional code of conduct to uphold the industry’s standards for service, pricing and professionalism. Finally, Hill suggests that consumers plan and coordinate large moves at least a month in advance to give themselves time to properly investigate movers and obtain written estimates. For consumer tips, a glossary of terms (to help consumers read the legal documents provided by the mover) and other valuable information, visit the CMSA’s website at www.thecmsa.org. Merit Moving
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