Hiring some Chicago movers to load up your furniture and move it in to your new home should be a fairly easy event–you are, after all, paying for the convenience. However not all moving companies are created equal, and a wary consumer needs to keep their eyes open for warning signs that they may be dealing with a shady or even malicious moving company. Choosing the wrong company could mean more than just a scratch on your antique table or running behind schedule, it could mean losing everything. Don’t put your possessions in the wrong hands, take steps to protect yourself.

Before you even consider hiring any Chicago movers make sure to research their company with the Better Business Bureau and through online review sites. There are even whole websites dedicated to listing scam moving companies. If the company does not show up on the BBB listings it may mean they have had no complaints (a good sign), or that they have changed their name recently (a bad sign). If they are using an overly generic name (think Acme Moving or AAA Moving Inc.) you may want to choose another company.

The services and pricing the company quotes you can also be a good indicator of trouble. If the price estimate is unusually low you should definitely look the company up–a good deal is great, but too good of a deal is probably just that. Demanding a large cash deposit before anything is moved is also a warning sign. Make sure that they at least visit your home to inspect what you have to move, and don’t believe any company that claims all of your items are covered by their insurance.

These signs are not enough on their own to disqualify a company, but if any of them pop up or if more than one is present you should reconsider choosing that company to move your belongings. Your entire life is in the movers’ hands, you need to be positive it will all be well taken care of.