LAS VEGAS -- With the housing crisis in Nevada, a lot of people are on the move, and there are people trying to take advantage of that. Complaints are on the rise and the Better Business Bureau is warning about rogue movers.
The BBB says they investigated 200 moving company complaints this past year, double from the year before.
"We had a complaint just in the past week where the consumer lost their whole truck. It didn't show up, and the moving company didn't find it and the mover, because it was a rogue mover and they had just hired somebody, the guy quit halfway and just left the truck. They found it in Texas," said BBB CEO Robert Crockett.
Common signs of rogue movers include lack of a written estimate, demanding an up-front cash deposit and showing up in rental vans instead of marked vehicles.
The BBB launched a campaign against fraudulent moving companies. They are spotting many rogue moving companies coming from Los Angeles, stealing business from licensed local movers.
"A rogue mover will pop up with a name very similar to ours, give a horrible estimate that short sells what the wage should be. When the customer comes time for delivery, they jack up the price a few thousand dollars and hold your items hostage," said Greg Puliz with Puliz Moving and Storage.
All 38 Nevada moving companies are licensed by the Nevada Transportation Authority. In addition, the Federal Transportation Department has online guidelines of what to expect from legitimate moving companies. That includes the pamphlet showing your customer rights companies are required to give you by law.
