URGENT! Never Pay a Deposit to Book a Moving Company!
Below you will discover where to go and how to search for a moving company’s licensure and reputation.
Why is it so important to make this your first step of the estimate process?
Moving with a legitimate, full-service moving company is expensive.
The cost of labor, fuel and numerous government regulations and restrictions, combined with a historic California exodus and other dramatic migrations between states are the market forces which drive up costs. It is unavoidable and undeniable.
Moving is reportedly the third most emotional action one can experience within their lifetime.
For the first-time or infrequent customer, that is certainly true.
Consider the basis of moving your home; you invite in strangers to explore all corners of your home, open cabinets, closets, etc.; you discuss private details about your financial situation, your escrow or lease, sometimes divorce or job change or life change such as retirement or the health of oneself or a loved one.
These are unguarded conversations that clever con artists are most adept at capitalizing upon.
You have spent your entire life collecting and curating treasures that will be handed over to a person and a company you barely know and may not have investigated beyond looking at a slick website or talking with a smooth talker on the phone. Everything you own will be in their hands. Is this really the time to choose a mover who was the low-bidder?
Hoping for things to work out or ignoring the red flags I present to you here will not avoid the obvious outcome of being scammed by a mover who promised a lower price than a legitimate company like Coast Transfer & Storage, agents for Mayflower Transit (Unigroup, 1995) since 1960.
At Coast Transfer, we retain our employees because we pay a living wage and we provide a real work-life balance by not working weekends. Our philosophy of not cheapening our labor and giving them time to recover and spend time with family makes Coast Transfer special in the marketplace of movers.
Coast Transfer services all moves, residential and commercial, locally, within California, nationally and globally.
Click Get an Estimate to arrange for an onsite or virtual survey appointment with me. I would be happy to spend the time to understand your needs and turn that into a move plan.
California Moving Company License Lookup
California Public Utilities Company (CPUC) regulates moving companies in California for local moves which go by the hour and intrastate (within) California moves over 100 miles which go by a weight / miles matrix.
Search by name or CPUC number: Search – DCA
Coast Transfer in Ventura County is licensed, bonded and insured to perform moving, storage and other relocation and transportation services in the state of California under Carrier ID: MTR0191304
*Coast Transfer does not use alternative moving company names or AKA names. Beware of those who do.
National Interstate Moving Company License Lookup
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates moving companies who relocate homes and businesses across state lines or internationally that always go by a weight / miles matrix.
Search by name, USDOT or MC / MX number: https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx
Mayflower Transit in Fenton, MO is licensed, bonded and insured to perform national / international moving, storage and other relocation and transportation services under USDOT No: 125563
*Unigroup owns both Mayflower Van Lines and United Van Lines, but each is licensed separately. However they share all the same network of agents and national dispatch which provides a deep level of security and confidence in our ability to safely and securely move your home from coast to coast or around the globe.
Where To Lookup a Moving Company Reputation
There are newer places to look up a movers reputation in California or nationally such as Yelp, Better Business Bureau, Nextdoor, Facebook, etc. But no place, in my humble opinion, is more expansive or as deep with moving company reviews, moving company horror stories and mover tips, than is this consumer created and driven site: http://MovingScam.com.
The major caveat about Moving Scam that I give here will be more obvious once you visit the site. The massive amount of data is on the site, no doubt, but it is not well organized for ease of use for a first timer looking for fast information. This disorganization may lead to some moving customers becoming frustrated and leaving without understanding what 20+ years of first person point of view moving company reviews coupled with expert working and retired movers, who are contributors and moderators on the site, have built and make available to the public. It is the good, bad and ugly.
When you read through the reviews, please try to find the beginning and end of each conversation about a moving company or topic of interest so you glean any expert moving advice the site moderators or movers may have contributed. That is where you get the most out of the site.
Also, try to search for companies by a variety of naming conventions as many customers get the proper name of a moving company wrong upon repetition. For instance, some call Coast Transfer & Storage simply Coast Transfer, Coast Storage, Coast Movers, etc. Also, make sure you have the right moving company name in the right area. There may be other companies with the same or similar name.
Lastly, if you see a one-off negative comment or it’s a comment that wouldn’t be relevant outside of a particular situation, give it the proper weight. As you may recall way up at the top of this movers license and reputation page, moving is emotional and while moving companies make physical mistakes, customers can make emotional ones, too.
There is inherent risk of damage to property every time it is moved. Legitimate moving companies constantly seek out better methods and protocols to protect your shipment and reduce claims. But accidents happen. Please keep that in mind. Hire a professional, legitimate, licensed, bonded, insured, reputable and quality mover for your next move.
I’d be honored to serve you. Please set up a moving estimate with me.