ORLANDO, Fla. – Last year Florida ranked in the top five for moves into and out of a state. That trend is expected to continue this year with a better economy allowing families in the north to sell their homes and head south.
Chris Sorensen, a third-generation mover with Sorenson Moving and Storage Mayflower says the Internet is allowing dishonest companies set up a price scam.
"I think it's particularly bad in Florida," he said. "There are companies out there that are essentially a website and a rental truck."
Sorenson says he has heard countless complaints about companies offering great quotes over the phone but never providing clear, concise pricing. That's when they get you.
Just a few weeks ago Sorensen received a call from a Winter Park man trying to find his sister's goods. Turns out, she hired a company calling itself Mayflower to handle a move to central Florida from the West Coast.
Sorensen called the West Coast company and when he asked if they were part of Mayflower Transit, according to Sorensen, they replied "not exactly."
The website name has Mayflower in the banner and the logo is very close to the real thing. But according to Sorensen, the truth is it's a name game designed to deceive.
Sorensen says the best way to go is have the company survey your home on location and ask for what is known as a bound estimate.
"If the survey matches the inventory going on the truck, there are no hidden fees and the price is the price," he said.
With a non-bound estimate a company is allowed to charge up to 10 percent over the original estimate.
Sorensen says you will see an outlandishly low cost and then an outlandish increase, what he calls a classic "bait and switch."
You want to make sure the company gives you full evaluation of your goods at "no additional cost."
"There are companies that operate on non-bound estimates that are perfectly fine, but you have to know there are no guarantees on the estimate it could be higher or lower," he explained.
Some tips to remember:
Helpful links: