Rogue furniture moving company gives cash incentive to remove negative reviews

Reports of rogue furniture movers have been on the rise and it’s fair to say the transport and trucking industry is more susceptible due to what is commonly known as loose regulations in a niche market. The ease of entry into the removals business is what attracts these operators in the first place, a moving truck capable of loading furniture and a few strong laborers who are willing to do the physical work.

We’ve all heard stories all known someone who have experienced a moving day gone completely wrong, furniture movers didn’t turn up or are extremely late, taking too long to deliver items or even asking for more money upon delivery. Nowadays, people who are looking to move are better informed, doing their research before choosing who they give their business to. Social media and online reviews is also playing a big part in influencing our decision making when it comes to product purchasing, therefore it is important that we can trust the reviews we read.

A recent investigation by Fair Go revealed that the reviews we read may not be as transparent as we believe. In this case, moving company Moving Kiwis an Auckland furniture removals company has been caught out using fake Google images, signage and stock photos accompanied with its reviews on their website. Laura Billington was one of their customers moving to Auckland who read their glowing reviews and was convinced to book her local move in after receiving a quote of $600 but little did she know that upon delivery, the cost have ballooned to 3 times the initial quote to $1,800 and she had no choice but to pay or her furniture won’t be delivered. Once the move was completed, Laura brought up the additional charges to the company but was brushed off, unable to get an answer she attempted to leave a Goolge review to warn others of her experience but found she was unable to as Moving Kiwis was not registered with Google.  Laura found an independent review site and was able to share details of her experience explaining she wanted to warn others of hidden costs associated with the moving company.



It wasn’t long after she posted her review that Moving Kiwis made contact and offered $135 cash to take down her review. Laura was shocked at this proposal, declined the offer and made contact with Fair Go to share her story. She felt strongly her review would benefit others looking to move and act to warn about sneaky tactics used in the furniture removals industry. Laura states that if she were to move again, she would carry out further checks on Auckland movers, compare reviews from independent platforms and ensure all applicable fees are mentioned in the moving contract.

Fair Go questioned the moving company regarding the Google signage and images that accompanied the website reviews in which they advised that these were a recommended feature but would not clarify who recommended the feature. In addition, they were asked whether the reviews on the website were fake given the use of stock photos and fake Google signage, however they cited the reviews were all written by real customers but would not provide further details stating privacy reasons.

Travelling Tradies on the rise as summer months approach

As we approach the summer season and make way for the warmer weather, so too are the tradies getting ready for business to pick up. From roof maintenance and repairs to landscaping and gardening, this time of the year is when there is an influx of jobs and is often a magnet for dodgy tradies who travel from suburb to suburb to find their next unsuspecting victim.

Dodgy tradies often target the elderly promising home repairs at a fraction of the cost; they often push for cash payment and would disappear with your money without starting work or leaving projects unfinished and have the customer pick up the pieces.

Some of the ways these travelling con men find work can be fairly sophisticated including:

  • Creating websites that look reputable
  • Offer business brochures and pamphlets with industry recognized logs and ABN numbers listed that aren’t registered to them
  • Going door to door and offering specials for booking in today
  • Targeting homes with handrails or disability ramps

Margaret is one of these victims that were scammed by fake tradies when she required her gutter to be repaired before her insurance company can carry out repairs inside the house. She came across a pamphlet which looked professional and received a cheap quote from the tradie who stated it was a cash only job. Margaret paid over $10,000 for the gutter work and the tradies were done 3 days later, after collecting the money they disappeared only to leave behind substandard work and piles of rubbish.

How to protect yourself from dodgy tradies

Tradies offering deals too good to be true or door knockers pressuring you could be a sign of a suspicious tradie especially if they have approached you looking for work. However, what if you are looking to hire a tradie, how can you tell if they are legitimate?

  • Get a few quotes and compare prices so you know the average prices for the work your requesting
  • Ask for a written quote that contains the business’s contact information
  • Request for contact details of previous customers so you can check references
  • Obtain the tradies full name and registration and trade licence to perform checks
  • Contact the main business office to clarify the tradie does work for the stated business