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Safety  •  4 min read

How to Spot a Moving Scam in Sydney

Most removalists in Sydney do honest work. A small number do not, and the people who get caught out are almost always first time movers who did not know what to check beforehand. Here is what to look for before you hand anyone your address and your furniture.

No fixed business address or ABN

Any real moving company can give you an ABN and a physical business address, not just a mobile number and a Facebook page. Look the ABN up on the Australian Business Register before you pay anything. If it does not exist, or it is registered to something with no connection to moving, that is the whole answer right there.

A quote with nothing in writing

A fair quote spells out the hourly rate or fixed price, what happens with stairs or lift access, and what counts as an extra charge. A company that will only give you a number over the phone, with nothing written down, is a company whose number tends to change once your things are already on the truck.

A big deposit before the truck even shows up

A small deposit to hold your date is normal. Being asked to pay in full, or hand over a large amount in cash, before anyone has moved a single box, is not. Once they have the money, you have lost whatever leverage you had if something goes wrong.

Nobody can explain the insurance

Ask straight out what happens if something breaks. A legitimate mover can tell you the excess and how a claim works without hesitating. If the answer is vague, or changes depending on who you ask, treat that as your answer.

Reviews that all read the same

Check the actual text of the reviews, not just the star count. A cluster of five star reviews posted in the same week, all vague, all with the same rhythm, is worth being suspicious of. Real reviews usually mention something specific, a suburb, a broken lamp that got replaced, a crew that turned up early.

Takeaway

An ABN lookup, a written quote, a straight question about insurance, and a proper read of a few reviews. Most bad moving day stories start with one of these being skipped at the booking stage.

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