Moving van rip-offs
I read somewhere that moving is in the top ten most stressful things you can experience in your life. Not sure what the other nine are, but I'm thinking that hiring a moving company that extorts money from you before they give you back your belongings has got to be up high on that list somewhere.
The American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA), an Alexandria, Va.-based trade group, said that a federal grand jury recently returned indictments against 14 people for defrauding and extorting fees from hundreds of residential moving customers across the U.S.
The indictment said that the defendants made money by providing extremely low estimates, packing up and removing customers' belongings, and then they increased the price and refused to deliver the property until the customers paid the inflated price.
Six of the defendants worked for AY Transport Inc. of San Jose, Calif., which was also known as Progressive Van Lines and Midwest Relocation Services. The remaining eight defendants worked for National Moving Network, a moving broker in Miami, Fla.
The investigation involved the Fderal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Internal Revenue Service.
If that sort of behavior outrages you, AMSA is plenty outraged, too. Said Linda Bauer Darr, AMSA CEO and president, ""These unscrupulous rogues are good examples of the types of criminals AMSA is trying to run out of business by identifying professional, competent movers for consumers and inviting them to join AMSA. It's critical for both customers and our members that such rotten apples who undermine the reputation of the legitimate moving industry be brought to justice."
Before you move and before you hire a mover, check out these tips at AMSA's Web site. It's useful information. Some of it is just basic common sense, like making sure your mover is licensed and insured. But some of it are really good warnings, like:
Get more than one estimate and watch out for low-ball movers! If a mover you are considering tells you that he can move you for an unrealistically low price compared to your other estimates -- be careful. It could mean he will suddenly remember some extra charges once your shipment has been loaded on the truck, the doors have been padlocked and he is ready to drive off into the sunset with all of your worldly possessions. Or, if a mover you are considering refuses to provide you with an in-home estimate and tells you he can provide an accurate estimate over the phone without ever seeing your home and your furniture, you may want to choose another mover.
Categories: Consumer protection, Home/Real Estate, Naughty businesses/NBotW
