How to spot a fraudulent mover: nine checks before you pay anything

The shape of the fraud

Complaints against movers in India fall into a small number of repeating patterns: a low quote that grows once goods are loaded, goods held until extra money is paid, damage with no evidence trail, an advance taken by a company that then disappears, and delivery delayed indefinitely with no accountable person.

Every one of these is enabled by the same thing — the customer has no verifiable information before handing over their possessions. These nine checks fix that.

1. Check the legal identity, not the brand name

Names in this industry are close to worthless: dozens of unrelated firms use the same well-known surname. Ask for the registered business name, the GSTIN, and the registered address. Verify the GSTIN on the government portal.

A firm that will not give you a GSTIN cannot give you a valid tax invoice either.

2. Look for a physical address you could actually visit

A yard, a warehouse, an office. Put it into a map and look at the street view. A firm with no physical footprint has nothing to lose by disappearing.

3. Refuse to pay a large advance

This is the single most protective rule. A modest booking amount to hold a date is normal — 10% to 20%.

A demand for 50% or more before anything has been packed is the mechanism of the most common fraud in the category. Pay the balance on delivery, after your goods have been checked.

4. Insist on a written, itemised quotation

Not a WhatsApp message with one figure. A document with the six cost components, the inventory it is based on, and an explicit list of what could change it.

If a mover will not put the price in writing, they are reserving the right to change it.

5. Ask what happens if something breaks — and get the answer in writing

“Fully insured” means nothing on its own. Ask: what is the declared value, what is the premium, what is the deductible, what is excluded, and who is the insurer? Ask for the claims process and its timeline.

A firm that has never had to answer this will struggle to.

6. Require an inventory before packing starts

A written or digital list of everything going on the truck, ideally with condition photographs. Without it, a dispute about a missing or damaged item is unresolvable, which is precisely why disreputable operators avoid making one.

7. Ask who is coming, by name

You are letting strangers into your home. Ask for the crew names, whether their identity documents have been verified, the driver's name and the vehicle registration number. A professional operator can answer instantly.

Nobody in this industry does this proactively, so you will have to ask.

8. Read the negative reviews specifically

Positive reviews are easy to buy. Filter to one and two stars and look for a pattern. Repeated complaints about the same behaviour — price increases at delivery, unreachable after pickup — are the signal.

A firm with no negative reviews at all and thousands of positive ones is more suspicious, not less.

9. Verify the vehicle before loading

Check the registration number against what you were told. Photograph it. Photograph the loaded vehicle. It takes thirty seconds and it is the difference between an inconvenience and an unrecoverable loss.

If it has already gone wrong

• Do not pay a demand made after pickup without written agreement. Paying establishes that it works.
• File a police complaint immediately if goods are being withheld. Withholding property to extract payment is not a billing dispute.
• File a consumer complaint under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Deficiency in service and unfair trade practice both apply.
• Preserve everything: quotes, messages, payment records, photographs, vehicle number, names.