Excessive Deposit

A reputable mover does not need a large deposit. Most charge nothing up front, or at most a small percentage to hold a date, and collect the balance at delivery. A company demanding thirty to fifty percent before they have lifted a single box is signaling that its cash flow — or its intentions — are not normal. The excessive deposit is the engine of several other scams. Once a company holds a big chunk of your money, the balance of power shifts: it can lowball the rest, delay, or simply vanish, and you have already paid too much to walk away comfortably. The pressure to 'lock your pickup date' with a deposit is designed to rush you past the comparison shopping that would expose the problem. The payment method is part of the tell. Honest movers accept credit cards. Demands for wire transfers, cash, or payment apps exist because those methods are hard to reverse — exactly what a scammer wants. Compare three quotes and the deposit norms become obvious. Always pay by credit card so you can dispute a charge if the company fails to perform. Get the cancellation and refund policy in writing before you pay anything. If a mover insists on a large, non-refundable, non-reversible deposit, that single fact is reason enough to choose someone else.