3 August 2026
Know the warning signs before you hand over a deposit. This guide covers the real red flags Perth residents encounter when hiring removalists, with practical tips to protect your move.
Moving house is already one of the most stressful things you'll do. The last thing you need is a removalist who turns up late, holds your furniture hostage until you pay an inflated bill, or simply vanishes after taking your deposit.
It happens in Perth more often than people expect. Some companies cut corners on insurance. Others quote a suspiciously low rate, then stack on fees you never agreed to once the truck is parked in your driveway. And a handful are outright scammers running on burner phone numbers and fake Google reviews.
The good news is that the warning signs are almost always there before you book. You just need to know what you're looking at.
Every legitimate removalist business operating in Australia must have a registered ABN. If a company gives you a quote but goes quiet when you ask for their ABN, or gives you a number that doesn't match anything on the Australian Business Register, stop there.
You can verify any ABN in about 30 seconds at abn.business.gov.au. A real Perth-based removalist will have their ABN front and centre on their website, their invoices, and their emails.
We've had customers come to us after paying deposits to companies with no ABN at all. One customer from Subiaco paid $350 upfront to a removalist she found on Facebook Marketplace. The number stopped ringing the day before her move. No ABN, no business registration, no recourse.
Perth removal rates for a two-man team with a truck sit broadly around $130 to $150 per hour for a standard local move. That's a realistic range based on current fuel costs, insurance, labour, and equipment. If someone quotes you $75 an hour, ask yourself how they're making that work.
The answer is usually hidden fees added on moving day, when you're surrounded by boxes and have no real choice but to pay. These can include:
We've quoted jobs where the customer has shown us a previous invoice from another company, and the gap between what they were originally promised and what they actually paid has been well over $300. The base rate looked cheap. The final bill didn't. In almost every case, none of the extra charges were illegal. They were just never mentioned until the truck was already in the driveway.
A legitimate removalist will tell you about all of these upfront and put them in writing. A quote that looks like a bargain often isn't once those extras hit the invoice.
Legitimate Perth removalist companies accept bank transfers, credit cards, or at minimum provide a proper invoice for any deposit. If a company demands full cash payment upfront, or insists on a deposit that's 50% or more of the quoted total before they've even confirmed the booking details, treat that as a serious warning sign.
Cash-only operators are harder to hold accountable. You have no payment record, no charge-back option, and no paper trail if things go wrong. A big upfront deposit before the job is even confirmed is also unusual. Most reputable removalists either take no deposit or a modest one (typically 10 to 20%) to secure your date.
If a removalist gives you a verbal quote over the phone and won't follow it up in writing, that's a red flag. A written quote should spell out:
Without this in writing, you have no leverage if the price changes on the day. "But that's not what you said" is a hard argument to win when there's nothing signed.
We always send a written confirmation before any job. That document doesn't change when the truck shows up.
A professional removalist business that's been operating in Perth for any meaningful time will have an online footprint. Look for:
If the only thing you can find is a Facebook page created three months ago and a mobile number, be cautious. Fly-by-night operators rely on customers not doing this basic check.
You can also look up whether a business is listed on the Australian Furniture Removers Association website. AFRA members must meet minimum standards for equipment, insurance, and training. Not every reputable removalist is an AFRA member, but if a company claims to be and isn't listed, that's a problem.
Reviews matter, but they're not hard to fake. Watch for these patterns:
Reviews that all arrived in the same two-week window. A company that's been operating for two years with nothing, then 30 five-star reviews in a fortnight, has almost certainly bought them.
Generic language with no specifics. "Great service, would recommend!" is useless as a trust signal. Real customers mention the crew's names, the suburb they moved from, how a tricky piano or wardrobe was handled, or how the team showed up on time despite the rain.
Reviewers with no history. Click through to a few profiles. If the reviewer has left exactly one review in their lifetime and it's for this removalist, that's suspicious.
One thing we hear occasionally from new customers is "I wish I'd checked the reviews more carefully." A 4.2-star average with 80 genuine reviews over three years tells you something real. Twelve five-star reviews and nothing else doesn't.
You're trusting a removalist with things that matter to you: the couch you saved up for, the sideboard that came from your grandmother, your daughter's desk. If something gets damaged, you want to know there's a clear process.
A legitimate Perth removalist will have:
Ask for this directly before you book. A good removalist won't hesitate. A dodgy one will get vague ("yeah, we're covered"), or tell you "we've never had a claim" (which is not the same thing as being insured).
Also worth asking: does their insurance cover items that aren't professionally packed? Some policies have exclusions if you've packed the boxes yourself. Knowing this upfront helps you make a real decision.
"This rate is only available today." "We've got another job interested in your date." "If you don't confirm now, I can't hold the price."
These are pressure tactics, and legitimate removalists don't use them. A genuine business is happy to give you time to compare quotes, review their credentials, and make a decision you feel good about. They know their track record does the selling.
If someone is rushing you to commit before you've had a chance to think, ask yourself why. The answer usually isn't flattering.
Take at least 24 to 48 hours to compare two or three quotes for any significant move. For an interstate move or a large household, take longer.
Knowing the red flags is useful. Knowing what a trustworthy Perth removalist looks like is just as important.
A company worth booking will:
At Awesome Mate Removals, we've been moving Perth families and businesses for years. Every job comes with a written confirmation, full insurance coverage, and a team that treats your belongings like they'd treat their own. We're happy to answer any of the questions above before you book.
Get a free, itemised quote from Awesome Mate Removals
Go to abn.business.gov.au and enter the ABN number they've given you. It takes about 30 seconds and will show whether the business is registered, what entity type it is, and when it was registered. If the ABN doesn't match the business name or comes back as cancelled, don't proceed.
A reasonable deposit is typically 10 to 20% of the quoted total to hold your date. Anything above 30 to 50% upfront, particularly demanded in cash, is unusual and worth questioning. No reputable removalist requires full payment before the job is done.
Yes, always get at least two or three written quotes for any move. This isn't just about price. It's also a chance to see how each company communicates, how detailed their quote is, and whether they ask the right questions about your move. Rushing to accept the first quote often leads to regret.
At minimum, they should carry public liability insurance and goods in transit insurance. Ask for their certificate of currency before you confirm the booking. Some policies have exclusions for owner-packed boxes, so clarify this if you're doing your own packing.
Document the damage immediately with photos. Contact the company in writing (email, not just a phone call) the same day if possible. If they're unresponsive or deny liability, you can lodge a complaint with Consumer Protection WA or the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. If the removalist is an AFRA member, you can also raise it through AFRA's dispute resolution process.
Low quotes are usually explained by one of three things: hidden fees added on the day, underinsurance or no insurance at all, or cutting corners on equipment and experience. Occasionally a newer operator will price aggressively to build their client base, but even then, a quote that's 30 to 40% below the going rate deserves careful scrutiny before you commit.
A verbal quote can be treated as a contract in some circumstances, but proving what was said is nearly impossible without written confirmation. Always get the quote in writing before you agree to anything, and don't sign or pay until the written version matches what you were told verbally.
Awesome Mate Removals can handle heavy furniture with the right equipment, careful wrapping, and proven loading methods. Call our team for a fast quote.
Call Us Now: 0412007264