A fake mover usually quotes far below everyone else, has no verifiable office, avoids giving a GST invoice and pushes for a large advance. Before booking, search the company's GSTIN on the GST portal, check its address on a map, get a written itemised quote and insist on a lorry receipt and inventory list. If goods are held for more money, call the police.
- A quote far lower than every other one is the most common early sign of a fake mover.
- Search the GSTIN on the GST portal and match the legal name and address to the quote.
- Don't let goods leave without a signed lorry receipt, an inventory list and the company's full details.
- If a mover holds your goods for extra money, call 112 or go to the police, then approach the consumer helpline.
How do fake packers and movers usually operate?
Most fake movers win the booking with a low price and make their money later. It often starts with an online listing or a slick website, a quick quote over the phone without anyone seeing your home, and a request for an advance to "confirm the truck". On moving day a crew hired for the day loads your goods, and somewhere between the old home and the new one the price changes. Suddenly there are charges for packing material, extra floors or a longer route, and the goods won't be unloaded until you pay.
In other cases the company just vanishes after collecting the advance, or the goods turn up weeks late and damaged with nobody answering the phone. Complaints like these come up regularly, and it isn't only careless people who get caught. Moves are rushed, the person booking is juggling a dozen other jobs, and a friendly voice offering a good deal is easy to believe.
The encouraging part is that fake operators tend to show the same signs. Checking a company properly takes an hour or two, not days, and it's far less painful than recovering goods from a truck parked on a highway.
Red flags to watch for
One red flag on its own doesn't prove a company is fake, but two or three together should make you stop and check.
| Red flag | Why it matters | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| A quote far lower than every other quote | The gap is usually recovered later through surprise charges or by holding goods back | Get quotes from at least three companies after a survey and compare what each one includes |
| A price given over the phone with no survey | Nobody can price a move properly without seeing the goods, which leaves the final bill open | Ask for an in-person or video survey and a written quote based on it |
| No office address you can verify, only a mobile number | If something goes wrong, there's nowhere to go | Check the address on a map and visit the office if it's in your city |
| No GSTIN, or no GST invoice | The business may not be registered, and you have no proper bill to claim against | Search the GSTIN on the GST portal and confirm in writing that you'll get a GST invoice |
| Pressure to pay a large advance quickly | Once most of the money is paid, you have very little say | Pay a modest booking amount and keep the larger share for delivery |
| Payment asked into a personal UPI ID or bank account | Money paid to an individual is hard to trace back to a company | Pay only into an account or UPI ID in the registered business name |
| No lorry receipt or consignment note at loading | There's no record of who took your goods or where they're going | Don't let the truck leave without a signed lorry receipt showing the vehicle number |
| No inventory list | You can't prove what was loaded or what went missing | Make an itemised list with carton numbers and have both sides sign it |
| A name that copies a well-known brand with a small spelling change | It's designed to borrow someone else's reputation | Match the website, phone number and GSTIN against that brand's official details |
| Only five-star reviews posted within days of each other | Reviews may be bought or copied | Read reviews on several platforms and look for detailed, dated ones, including complaints and replies |
| New charges announced after loading, with goods held back | This is the scam itself | Refuse undocumented charges, keep every message and call the police |
How to verify a packers and movers company
Verify the company before you pay anything. These checks don't need any special knowledge.
- Check the GSTIN. Ask for the company's GST number and search it with the Search Taxpayer option on the official GST portal. The result shows the legal name, trade name, whether the registration is active and the principal place of business, and these should match the quote, the invoice and the website. A GSTIN has 15 characters, and the ten after the two-digit state code are the business's PAN, so check that against any PAN on its other papers.
- Check the address on a map. Look up the office on a maps app and see whether it's a real commercial space. A "head office" that turns out to be a house or an empty plot deserves a direct question. If the office is in your city, go and see it.
- Get a survey and a written, itemised quote. The quote should break out packing, loading, transport, unloading, unpacking, GST, insurance if you choose it and the payment schedule. Ask what isn't included, such as storage, stairs with no lift or a piano.
- Look at the lorry receipt format early. A proper lorry receipt or consignment note shows the company's name, address and GSTIN, the vehicle number, the consignor and consignee, the destination and the declared value of goods. Ask to see a blank one before moving day.
- Read reviews across platforms. Check Google, social media, consumer complaint forums and any directory where the company is listed. Search its name with words like "complaint" or "goods not delivered", and notice how it responds to bad reviews.
- Confirm the inventory process. A genuine mover lists cartons and major items at loading and gives you a signed copy. If you're told there's no need for one, treat that as a warning.
- Verify any approval it claims. If the company says it's registered with or approved by an association or body, ask for the certificate and check it with that body directly.
Any real mover should be comfortable with all of these, and that includes us. Skynet's office details are on our contact page, and you're welcome to check them the same way.
Paying and signing papers safely
Pay a modest booking amount up front and keep the larger part until delivery. Moving companies commonly ask for something in advance to block the date and buy packing material, which is reasonable. Being pushed to pay most of the bill before your goods are even loaded isn't.
- Pay by bank transfer, card or UPI to an account in the company's registered name, and avoid cash
- Get a receipt for every payment with the company name and GSTIN on it
- Read the terms on liability, insurance, delivery time and extra charges before you sign
- Never sign a blank or half-filled lorry receipt or inventory
- Photograph valuable items, and the loaded truck with its number plate visible
- Save the names and mobile numbers of the driver and the supervisor
Insurance can tell you something about a company too. If a mover offers transit insurance, ask who the insurer is and what papers you'll get. A mover that can't name the insurer is unlikely to be much help with a claim. With us, transit insurance is optional and the quote comes in writing before you book, which is what you should expect from any mover you're considering.
What to do if a mover holds your goods or disappears
If a mover refuses to deliver unless you pay more, go to the police. Holding someone's belongings to force a payment is more than a billing disagreement, and calling 112 or filing a complaint at the local police station is the right first step, especially if anyone threatens you.
Work through it in this order:
- Stay calm, and don't hand over more money unless you get a written bill that explains each charge
- Save everything: the quote, chats, call logs, payment receipts, the lorry receipt, the inventory and photos of the truck
- Call 112 if you're threatened or the goods are being driven elsewhere, or file a complaint at the police station with those documents
- If you were cheated through an online payment, report it on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or the 1930 helpline as soon as you can
- Contact the National Consumer Helpline on 1915 or through its online grievance portal, which can take up the complaint and advise you on next steps
- If that doesn't settle it, file a consumer complaint with the consumer commission, which you can do online through the e-Daakhil portal
If you paid by card, call your bank quickly as well, since it may be able to help with a disputed transaction. And remember that a complaint against a company with a real GSTIN and a real address is far easier to pursue than one against a mobile number. That's exactly why the checks before booking matter so much.
What a genuine moving company looks like
A genuine mover is easy to find, easy to check and puts everything in writing. Expect a survey before the price, an itemised written quote, a GST invoice, a lorry receipt and inventory at loading, and a named person you can reach while your goods are on the road. A proper company will also tell you plainly what it won't carry, such as cash, jewellery, filled gas cylinders and other hazardous items.
Price still matters, and the genuine option isn't always the most expensive one. Compare quotes on what they include, not only on the total. If one quote covers packing material, loading, transport, unloading and insurance while another just says "transport", they aren't the same offer, even if the numbers look close.
For reference, the way we work at Skynet is a free pre-move survey, an upfront written quote, one move manager for the whole move and our own trained staff doing the packing and loading, with no outsourcing. Hold any company you're considering to at least that standard, us included. Our intercity moving and household shifting pages show how a properly organised move runs, and the about page has more on who we are.
Book a free pre-move survey and get your price in writing, or send us your moving details.
Frequently asked questions
How can I check if a packers and movers company is genuine?
Search its GSTIN on the GST portal and check that the legal name and address match the quote. Then confirm the office on a map, read reviews on more than one platform and ask for a survey and a written itemised quote. A genuine mover won't mind any of these checks.
How much advance should I pay to packers and movers?
Pay only a modest booking amount and keep most of the payment for after delivery. Pay into an account in the company's registered name rather than a personal UPI ID, and get a receipt. Be wary of anyone pushing for most of the money before loading.
What should I do if movers are holding my goods for extra money?
Call 112 or go to the local police station with your quote, payment receipts, lorry receipt and chats. Don't pay undocumented charges under pressure. Afterwards, you can raise a complaint with the National Consumer Helpline on 1915 or file a case with the consumer commission.
What is a lorry receipt and why does it matter?
A lorry receipt, or consignment note, is the transport document for your goods. It shows the mover's name, address and GSTIN, the vehicle number, the sender, the receiver and the destination. It's your proof of who took your goods, so don't let the truck leave without a signed copy.
Where can I complain about fraud packers and movers in India?
Start with a police complaint if goods are withheld or money was taken dishonestly. You can also contact the National Consumer Helpline on 1915 and file a consumer complaint online through the e-Daakhil portal. Report online payment fraud on 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Are online listings and star ratings enough to trust a mover?
No, listings and ratings are easy to fake or buy. Use them as a starting point, then verify the GSTIN, the physical address and the paperwork yourself. Detailed reviews spread over months, with replies from the company, are more reliable than a burst of short five-star ones.
