Introduction

Relocation is a stressful process, especially without the help of a moving company; it would be very stressful for you. Packers and movers in Bangalore take full responsibility for your move from start to end and shift your goods without any hassle. 

While hiring a packer-mover, do proper background research about the company because there are a lot of fraud moving companies in the market. These bogus movers will involve you in moving scams by adding hidden charges, damaging/stealing your goods, not providing promised services, and many others. 

5 reasons to file a complaint against movers

• Badly damaged goods: During shifting, movers are bound to move your goods without any damage. Some wear-and-tear might happen, but if your things are completely damaged, you have all the rights to file a formal complaint against the packing service company.
• Lost or stolen items: During relocation, there are chances that things might get lost/stolen; it’s the movers’ responsibility to take care of your goods. Before the packers arrive, make a detailed inventory of your goods, so you can keep track of your goods and easily identify if anything is missing. 
• Goods held hostage: Sometimes, moving companies will refuse to deliver your goods until you pay them the money they are demanding, even if it is more than the amount agreed upon in the contract. If this has happened, it’s advisable you immediately report the moving fraud.
• Overcharging: Before you sign a contract with packers, read all the terms and conditions carefully and also check if they have included any hidden cost in it. However, if you’ve already shifted the goods and you were overcharged, you can and should still file a complaint against the company.
• Delayed delivery: You are paying for the service. Moreover, you have established a contract between you and the movers, so they must stick to the scheduled. Sometimes due to traffic or other reasons, they may be late, but if they are extremely late, you can file a formal complaint. 

How to take legal actions

Peaceful Resolution

• First, try to resolve the issue peacefully. Check your agreement with the movers and go through all the terms & conditions mentioned. Depending on the issue, contact the packers and movers to file the complaint. Their management team will take necessary action and compensate you for your lost/damaged goods.
• You can also take the issue online by writing a review about the company because, in today’s digital world, a negative review can have a bad impact on the relocation company. 

Legal Action

If your peaceful resolution doesn’t work, take legal actions against the packing company. Gather all your paperwork like bills, cost quotes, insurance, contract, inventory, etc. Have legitimate evidence to support your claim, ex: pictures of your goods before and after delivery, etc.

• Fill in the CONSUMER COMPLAINT form, to claim for your losses under ‘Section 12‘ of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (CPA). 
• The packers and movers are also a part of the service under the Consumer Protection Act and one can approach the consumer court to claim for their losses/compensation. 
• If you fill a Consumer Protection Act form, it will cost you less time and money for the legal proceedings, and you don’t have to hire an advocate to fight your case. You can easily present your own case before the consumer court. 
• If you are not satisfied with the decision of the consumer court, you can also file a separate civil suit in the court of law, by filing an FIR under Section 421 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), under FRAUD. 
• You can hire an advocate and send a legal notice to the company and then the proceedings will be held in civil court.
• If you have purchased insurance coverage for your goods, you can immediately claim from the insurance companies. You can lodge FIR for the insured goods as well because claiming insurance is no bar to lodging FIR. 
• You can also file a consumer complaint and FIR simultaneously, there is no bar to it.

Precautions

• Do proper research before hiring: To know the genuineness of the packer, visit their website, check company profile, validate registration documents and contact details, etc., before hiring a relocation service provider.
• Get more than 1 estimate: Shortlist 3-5 movers near you and contact them to share your shifting requirements and get cost quotations. Request for a pre-move survey to get accurate price estimation.
• Check quotations for hidden charges: Check if they have included any hidden/additional charges in your quote.
• Never go for packers offering cheapest estimates: Movers offering low-priced quotes may be a bogus company, and will not provide you promised services, choose a company charging you a moderate price. 
• Read reviews and check ratings: Go through previous customer feedback to know their experience with the movers, and if they faced any issues. 
• Compare before hiring: Compare all the factors like company profile, offered services, charges, ratings, reviews, etc., before hiring.
• Read contract carefully: Go through the terms and conditions carefully, and clarify your doubts before signing any contract with the movers, also collect the original copy of the paperwork. 
• Avoid making full payment before the move: It’s advisable not to pay the full amount before the packers deliver the complete service, you can pay a small amount as an advance. 

Final word

To avoid falling into the trap of fraud movers and packers, you should always do a complete background check of the packers. However, it’s possible that sometimes even after proper background verification, you might accidentally hire a wrong moving company and not be aware of it until it’s too late.

To hire verified movers and packers in Hyderabad, take the help of a trusted packer and mover directory like AssureShift. At AssureShift, they do thorough verification of shifting service providers via telephone as well as in-person before associating with them. Moreover, AssureShift also carries out a complete background check of the moving company by digging deep into the company’s past performance history and meticulously examining their reviews & ratings. They also assure you of complete support at every step of your relocation. 

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