Desperate moves: Consumers' belongings held hostage by moving companies
Filed under: Fraud, Consumer Ally
William Pollock was doing all the right things to set up his family's move from Texas to Pennsylvania. He contacted reputable movers and he had them come out to his house and provide written estimates. But the estimates Pollock received were higher than he wanted to pay so he kept looking. On Craigslist, he saw an ad that pointed him to a professional-looking web site depicting a locally-based mover, Moo-ving.com, who could do it all for less. He went with them.
"It's easy now to look back and say this was a red flag and this was a red flag," Pollock says.
When he arranged the move, Pollock negotiated a discounted price -- about $5,000 to move the contents of a three-bedroom duplex -- by offering to pay cash upfront. Yet another big mistake.
Once his family's worldly possessions had been loaded onto the moving truck, the demands started. Pollock says the company demanded more money in exchange for delivering his belongings. They also told him that everything would not fit into one truck and that he either had to agree to pay for his goods to be repacked or leave things behind. After Pollock refused to pay up and told them to leave the things behind, he was told that his things had been placed in storage at an undisclosed location.
Pollock had already driven to Pennsylvania for the arrival of his things, and was then flying back to Dallas to try and rescue them. He said he felt backed into a corner because his belongings were being "held hostage."
The company disputes Pollock's account. Edwin Bedford, who says he is a manager at Major League Moving -- a holding company that runs Moo-ving.com, D Moving and other firms -- blames Pollock for improperly packing his goods, necessitating extra charges.
"We went out to do one thing that totally changed into something else," Bedford says. "It wasn't any of his business where they (Pollock's things) were being held at that point. Nothing was being held hostage."
When Moves Go Wrong
Pollock is one of thousands of people each year whose moves go painfully awry. And, in many of these cases, consumers are left negotiating for belongings that are being held hostage by the moving company.
Here's how it typically happens: A consumer comes across a web site that either purports to help people find the least expensive mover or offers moving quotes via email. Typically, the rogue movers don't spend the time writing up an estimate based on a detailed examination of the goods that need to be moved (this is an industry standard and if a mover doesn't do this, that's a red flag). Yet, even without this inspection, they are able to offer a quote that is far lower than other outfits provide.
In Pollock's case, there was no detailed examination of household belongings, just a walk-through that supposedly validated the load size would be OK, he says. On moving day there was no bill of lading documenting the contents and the large truck with the company logo depicted on the company web site didn't show up. Instead, two rental trucks arrived. Bedford says Pollock asked for two smaller trucks due to traffic and other neighborhood concerns and said that all the goods would have fit if the boxes were properly filled.
Once the consumer is signed up, the next phase begins. The mover then begins to ask for more money because they need extra shrink wrap or they have to repack boxes. After the goods are loaded onto the truck, the demands escalate. If the consumer doesn't pay up, his belongings are held hostage.
"These guys are posing on the internet as substantial companies, which often they're not, with a long history they often don't have," says American Moving and Storage Association CEO Linda Bauer Darr. "They're established specifically to offer a service at lower than market cost which, in reality, winds up being a big scam and -- the worst case scenario -- a life altering situation for a consumer. You've entrusted all your personal belongings and then it gets driven away."
Where to Turn for Help
Most consumers don't know where to turn for help. About 3,000 people a year file complaints with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) and thousands more turn to state and local agencies, the moving industry and the Better Business Bureau. The problem is there aren't enough resources devoted to helping consumers. FMSCA is primarily a safety agency; only 14 of its 1,100 employees nationwide work on complaints about movers, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
The GAO recently issued a report calling for a greater investment of resources to help consumers deal with problem movers. Federal oversight was greatly curtailed 15 years ago when the Interstate Commerce Commission disbanded. Since then, rogue operators have figured out that consumers have little recourse if their items are moved across state lines. States (in the state you move from and the state where the belongings are being held hostage) can do little because their jurisdiction ends at their borders and there's only a slight chance that the federal authorities will get involved. The FMSCA did not respond to a request to comment on the GAO report.
With the exception of a large scale FBI operation several years ago that rounded up the operators of several rogue operations in South Florida, there have very few high-profile crackdowns. The moving industry, fearing good movers are being lumped in with phony ones, started a public education campaign and now a certification program to help consumers sort it all out.
Pollock found help with MoveRescue, a program operated by Unigroup, which owns United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit. MoveRescue has taken on 1,400 consumers' cases since it started in 2003, says Joe Garr, senior staff attorney for Unigroup. Most of the cases are hostage situations, he says.
MoveRescue uses law clerks to field calls and advise consumers on their options. Often it will make phone calls or write letters on a consumer's behalf. Sometimes, the program will even provide a lawyer at no cost. or it will have one of its trucks pick up the kidnapped goods, sometimes at little to no cost to the victim.
"We really want to educate people so they don't have to work on the back end," said Carl Walter, a Unigroup vice president.
The moving association created the ProMover program to help on the front end -- providing tips for consumers and a list of movers consumers can feel safe with.
MoveRescue found Pollock an attorney who helped free his belongings. Yet, even though Pollock had an advantage many do not -- his goods remained in the same state that the move originated and where the mover was located -- he still had quite a fight ahead of him. He won a court order to be informed where his property was being held. Yet, he still had to pay storage fees that supposedly had been paid with the money he had initially paid. He then contracted with United and spent another $7,000 to have his belongings shipped to Pennsylvania, where they finally arrived in December.
Bedford, who clashed in court with Pollock, said he got a raw deal from the judge who wouldn't let him have his say. He maintains he was only operating under the terms of the contract -- and the direction of his customer -- when he locked up the goods at an Allen, Texas, storage facility.
"There's companies that are bad and there are consumers that are bad," Bedford said. "We're just trying to find that balance and make a living. You're not going to make everyone happy."
You can get more tips on hiring on a mover in the Consumer Ally Guide for Consumers.
Where to Turn for Help
Most consumers don't know where to turn for help. About 3,000 people a year file complaints with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) and thousands more turn to state and local agencies, the moving industry and the Better Business Bureau. The problem is there aren't enough resources devoted to helping consumers. FMSCA is primarily a safety agency; only 14 of its 1,100 employees nationwide work on complaints about movers, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
The GAO recently issued a report calling for a greater investment of resources to help consumers deal with problem movers. Federal oversight was greatly curtailed 15 years ago when the Interstate Commerce Commission disbanded. Since then, rogue operators have figured out that consumers have little recourse if their items are moved across state lines. States (in the state you move from and the state where the belongings are being held hostage) can do little because their jurisdiction ends at their borders and there's only a slight chance that the federal authorities will get involved. The FMSCA did not respond to a request to comment on the GAO report.
With the exception of a large scale FBI operation several years ago that rounded up the operators of several rogue operations in South Florida, there have very few high-profile crackdowns. The moving industry, fearing good movers are being lumped in with phony ones, started a public education campaign and now a certification program to help consumers sort it all out.
Pollock found help with MoveRescue, a program operated by Unigroup, which owns United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit. MoveRescue has taken on 1,400 consumers' cases since it started in 2003, says Joe Garr, senior staff attorney for Unigroup. Most of the cases are hostage situations, he says.
MoveRescue uses law clerks to field calls and advise consumers on their options. Often it will make phone calls or write letters on a consumer's behalf. Sometimes, the program will even provide a lawyer at no cost. or it will have one of its trucks pick up the kidnapped goods, sometimes at little to no cost to the victim.
"We really want to educate people so they don't have to work on the back end," said Carl Walter, a Unigroup vice president.
The moving association created the ProMover program to help on the front end -- providing tips for consumers and a list of movers consumers can feel safe with.
MoveRescue found Pollock an attorney who helped free his belongings. Yet, even though Pollock had an advantage many do not -- his goods remained in the same state that the move originated and where the mover was located -- he still had quite a fight ahead of him. He won a court order to be informed where his property was being held. Yet, he still had to pay storage fees that supposedly had been paid with the money he had initially paid. He then contracted with United and spent another $7,000 to have his belongings shipped to Pennsylvania, where they finally arrived in December.
Bedford, who clashed in court with Pollock, said he got a raw deal from the judge who wouldn't let him have his say. He maintains he was only operating under the terms of the contract -- and the direction of his customer -- when he locked up the goods at an Allen, Texas, storage facility.
"There's companies that are bad and there are consumers that are bad," Bedford said. "We're just trying to find that balance and make a living. You're not going to make everyone happy."
You can get more tips on hiring on a mover in the Consumer Ally Guide for Consumers.
MoreOli Scarff, Getty Images
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 13)
1-16-2010 @ 2:50PM
jmtjr said...
This happened to us in 2002, when we moved from Pennsylvania to Florida. First, the movers demanded $500 extra to cover the cost of a "shuttle truck," since they claimed their main moving truck would not be able to maneuver past a turn in our development. While we were negotiating, two other, larger moving trucks from better companies whizzed right past us.
Then, they demanded an extra $900 and told us all of our stuff would stay in storage if they didn't get it on the spot. Fortunately, I had registered the move through my small business account. Interstate moving regulations require moving companies to accept corporate checks in lieu of cash for business moves. The guys were pretty upset, but they knew I could have the cops there in a moment if they didn't accept the check.
Naturally, I put a stop payment on that check the very second they left the driveway. Consumers, however, don't get the same protections that businesses enjoy. Had I not known about that exemption, I'd have been stuck with no furniture, too.
Reply
1-17-2010 @ 8:32AM
Bob Daniels said...
I had the same problem , the old shuttle truck story, plus they damaged
a new (wood) floor . I finally unloaded the truck myself. Don't ever
even think about using Atlas, they are really bad and it starts at HQ.
1-18-2010 @ 9:26AM
LINDA BENDER said...
This happened to us also in Texas by a company called AMPM Moving which we were givin a price. After loading we were told the price was more because they used more boxes. And it took up more room then they had thought. The price doubled and not only that alot of my stuff was broken when it was dilivered. They did not even unwrap half of the things.When i tried to get them to pay for it they give me the run around for months. Then they give me to what they called thier claim department which sent me papers to fill out that was imposibile to do. I ask them what happen to people they charged doble when they loaded there things and they raised the price, THEY SAID THEY WOULD SELL IT. THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO PEOPLE. NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH AM PM MOVING OUT OF DALLAS, TX
1-17-2010 @ 9:43AM
A said...
While it is very easy to blame the moving companies when something goes wrong, it is usually the person that moves who is to blame.
If you didn't pack your goods properly, they will break during the move. Who will you blame for that?
If you forgot to mention that you have 20+ boxes in the basement, who will you hold responsible when the price goes up?
Understand, most moving companies are very small, and can barely make a living. If you have more stuff, and it doesn't fit in the truck, getting another truck is very expensive. If your stuff is a mess, unpacked, or not ready to go, someone is paying the movers for the extra time and the supplies.
So, don't be so surprised when you sabotage the estimate, and then need to pay more.
1-17-2010 @ 10:37AM
Brad said...
So did you get all of your belongings from them?
1-17-2010 @ 12:42PM
cingisbleeving said...
When my stuff got moved from Hawaii, two of my dressers fell apart, my reclining sofa was broken, my washer and dryer were full of dents, dings, and scratches and broken knobs, all of my glass shelves in my fridge were broken, my fridge, stove, and dishwasher were dented and scratched. ALL of those items were bought within a year of my move. There was absolutely NO scratches or rip or stains on any of my stuff, but in the boxes next to everything they listed on the inventory sheet they scribbled their little codes, (that nobody understands but them), that implied all of my stuff had rips, tears, stains, and scratches on all sides of everything. I called the company that organized the move since it was a military move and took pictures of all of my stuff to show that everything that had been noted as ripped or torn or stained had absolutely none, and pictures that showed all of the stuff that was damaged, (but conveniently covered with their little scribbles in the margin of the contract). It doesn't do any good to complain. In their crummy contract they make you sign it clearly states that they are only responsible for a percentage of what was paid, you must have a receipt for the original cost, they also include depreciation value, and after all of that, they can also claim your items and take them. So, If you paid 1200.00 for a couch that was only sat on twice, they figure depreciation so it is now only valued at 500.00. Then they are only required to give you something ridiculous like 25% of that. So, for basically 125.00 they can then collect the furniture that they "paid" for and leave you with next to nothing. Moving companies are a rip off. My spouse worked for different moving companies for years and the employees were told to mark every appliance as dinged and scratched and every piece of furniture or mattress as stained and ripped. People would be better off packing their stuff themselves, renting a moving truck, and hiring a couple of people from the labor pool for a couple of hundred bucks and do the move themselves.
1-17-2010 @ 8:46PM
Thomas said...
Look up emove.com. We are run by uhaul and you will see many great movers on this web site. Anyone needing to move long distance, why don't you go with a company that will charge you only 50% up front andthe rest AFTER the job is finished. Email Father & Son Reliable Moving Helpers at tweb142@aol.com. You will not regret it.
1-23-2010 @ 10:53AM
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1-18-2010 @ 8:06PM
Jacob said...
How do reputable moving companies get the point across to consumers, that the price is $7000. I dont think consumers should blame anyone but themselves if they decide that what 3 out of 4 movers are charging is too much. Moving is expensive, but if you are willing to get advice and quotes of actual cost, there are no surprises.
Its not the same product you are buying, its a service!
A service that changes with every carrier.
See what wal-mart has done!
Reply
1-17-2010 @ 6:11AM
laudram said...
It is also difficult to do background checks on these companies because they may have different names in another state and have tons of consumer violations against them. I found out the hard way. So much of my furniture was broken in transit from NY to Florida and they wanted to send the damaged items back to NY where they would do repairs. They were also lost in transit for two days and we arrived with no furniture.
Reply
1-17-2010 @ 6:18AM
Dee said...
If you are in the western part of the US....use Straving Students...Moving Company, out of LA. Very reliable and will settle any problems if you have them.
Reply
1-17-2010 @ 9:36AM
LollyBlue said...
If you're going to recommend them please spell the name of the company correctly. It's "Starving Students"...not straving..sheesh!
1-17-2010 @ 11:50AM
blhomesales said...
DO NOT use Starving Students. They are horrible. When I moved from California to Washington in the 90's I used them to move my stuff. Their "professional" came out and gave us an estimate of $1800.00. We paid them, they loaded and I thought all was well. When the truck arrived in Seattle, I was told that the estimator had underestimated the amount of stuff, and that I would have to pay another $1800.00 or they would keep my things in storage. We were stuck for almost a month with no furniture while I fought back and forth. Finally, after threating to get an attorney involved, they offered to "settle" the problem for the cost of their storage ($400.00). I was so tired of the whole thing at this point that I just paid it and got a letter stating that I was entitled to get all of my belongings. The kicker was they would not bring my stuff from storage, I had to pick it up. When we moved back the California a few years later, I just rented a couple huge trucks from U-Haul and did it myself. A little more manual labor, but at least I knew where my stuff was at all times.....
1-17-2010 @ 1:22PM
patti muscarella said...
This is BUNK! I used Starving Students, two years ago, to move a 1 bedroom apartment, 23 miles, and they came with a broken truck. One of the slats in the back of the truck was broken, and they couldn't load the truck to the top. This then required them to make two trips! What was supposed to be $900.00, Turned into $2300.00!!!
They are worthless as movers, too! DO NOT USE STARVING STUDENTS!! They have several complaints with BBB!
1-17-2010 @ 6:34AM
Brent said...
It's called greed.. you get what you pay for. I happen to like it when the greedy scum think they can beat the system and pay the price. Just like all the greedy scum who give money to investors promising huge returns and the money disappears. The root od all thier problems is thier own greed. Feel sorry for the people of Haiti, not the losers who tried to save money or make money too easily.
Reply
1-17-2010 @ 9:35AM
dirgni01@aol.com said...
Has it entered your mind, that some people are just unable to come up with a large sum of money and are looking for the best bargain?Not everyone is greedy just like not every one is ritch....
1-17-2010 @ 9:39AM
janedoe765 said...
Brent
First I want to say that your spelling and grammer are really bad, and this shows that you're not exceptionally well educated. Not being educated explains your opinion of what constitutes 'greedy scum' - people trying to save a couple of dollars or people who invest in the economy. That is not greed, and your misunderstanding of the situation is pretty amazing.
I understand your heartfelt plea for helping the Haitians, but that has nothing to do with the problem discussion.
Your assumptions about others are not accurate, they just shows your ignorance.
1-17-2010 @ 9:54AM
Libbey Lou said...
OMG, we used UBid and bid on a moving company to move us locally. Unfortunately we couldn't be at both places at once and a lot of our things are not missing. They took three days because of rain and them only having an open top truck and charged us extra for the third day to actually finish the move. They BEGGED for everything, 'Oh you have a cash register, can I have it?' etc. I didn't think they should've been looking through or reading what is in our boxes! And even now, a year later I realize we're missing things that we rarely use, our portable DVD player, our folding chairs, two stools etc. Oh, and I had been waiting for a package at the old house, they put it with the boxes for our garage. After arguing the charges for not receiving the package, I found the box in the back of my garage while looking for something else 3 months later! I called my credit card company and rectified the charges, but the baby shoes no longer fit my son :(
1-17-2010 @ 2:11PM
Pipermate said...
That is all well and good but some folks don't do it out of greed, they do it out of necessity (and maybe a little naivety). A lot of people do not have the funds to pay a high price for anything, including a long distance move -- and in today's economy this is especially true. They also believe that since they would not "dirty deal" people, others wouldn't "dirty deal" them. Yes, there will always be those that are greedy but there are those with mouths to feed, a promise of a new job opportunity in another state and lack of funds. Don't stereotype. Try to see both sides of the issue.
1-17-2010 @ 6:44AM
Gwarmwind said...
I feel bad for the fellow that had all the problems moving. It takes a lille longer to find a reputable moving company, but the time you spend on it, is worth it. First of all, I wouldn't be to serious about finding things on Craig's list, it seems pretty suspect to me. Make sure you check everything out. Here in Orlando, we have a website called asktheseal.com. It is a website where you can find out about all kinds of businesses, reputation, and if they are legitimate. It doesn't cost anything. What they do is run checks on the company itself and the workers, that work there, to make sure you aren't getting scammed. There is so many scammers out there, that prey on people who are willing to go with them, be/c the price seems right,even on craig's list. Many bad things have come from there. So buyer beware. It only takes one time to have a bad experience, then you know next time. I do hope in the future that it doesn't happen again, and that you will be more vigilent to check these so called fake moving companies out. Glad you were able to get yr belongings back, even though, you had to go through attorney. Next time , you will be able to keep that extra money in yr pocket.
Reply