Moving Tips
How to Check If a Moving Company Is Legitimate
Hiring movers should take stress off your plate, not add to it. These checks help you spot a real, professional company before you hand over your belongings.
Moving Tips · May 6, 2025 · 5 min read
Moving is stressful enough on its own. Bringing in professionals should make it easier, but the wrong hire can turn a busy week into a nightmare.
Picture a crew that loads your entire apartment, then announces the price has doubled and will not unload until you pay. Do you give in? Call the police? File a complaint and hope? Knowing how to vet a mover before you book is the best way to never face that choice.
Top Ways to Protect Yourself When Moving
- Step 1
Confirm the company is licensed and insured
Before you commit, check the mover's license and insurance. This information is usually available through your state's transportation agency or local consumer affairs office. Most interstate and many in-state movers also need a USDOT number. If a company cannot or will not provide these details, move on.
- Step 2
Ask about valuation coverage
Federal rules require interstate movers to offer two levels of liability. Full value protection makes the mover responsible for repairing, replacing, or paying the current value of lost or damaged items. Released value costs nothing extra but only covers about 60 cents per pound per item. A mover who claims there is only one option, or none, is not being straight with you. Learn more on our moving insurance page.
- Step 3
Research the company's reputation online
A brand-new company may not have many reviews yet. In that case, look up the owners and managers to see whether they were tied to earlier moving businesses with poor records. When reviews do exist, look for customers whose moves resemble yours. If someone in your exact situation had a bad experience, weigh that seriously.
- Step 4
Look for patterns of complaints
Where there is smoke, there is usually fire. Check the FMCSA complaint database and the Better Business Bureau. Any busy company will have the occasional complaint; what should worry you is the same problem showing up again and again over a short period.
- Step 5
Judge how the estimate was made
A mover that quotes over the phone without seeing your belongings or your building is guessing. A legitimate company will do an in-home walkthrough or a live video survey to see your items and access conditions. Without one, you risk an inflated price or, worse, a lowball quote that becomes leverage once your things are on the truck.
- Step 6
Pay attention to professional conduct
You are hiring a service for one of the most stressful days of the year, and the team should act like it. If the people you deal with seem rushed, dismissive, or ignore your specific requests during the sales process, expect the same on moving day and look elsewhere.
- Step 7
Ask how and when you pay
Fake movers often demand cash up front, and once they have it, they have no reason to show up. Legitimate companies typically ask for a modest deposit, if any, and collect the balance at or after delivery. Paying by card gives you a way to dispute charges if something goes wrong.
Does the Moving Company Have a Bill of Lading?
The bill of lading is the contract for your move. It lists the agreed price or estimate, services and materials included, and pickup and delivery dates. A company that does not provide one leaves you with very little protection if things go wrong. Read it before you sign, and keep a copy.
At MPs New York, we would rather show you how we work than ask you to take our word for it. We are licensed and insured, we give written, inventory-based quotes, and our crews are background-checked. Whether you need local movers, a long-distance move, or an office relocation, you will know the price and the terms before a single box moves.
Have questions about how we operate? Reach out any time, or request a quote and see the paperwork for yourself.
Want a mover you can verify?
Request a written quote from MPs New York, with clear terms and coverage options spelled out up front.