The Moving Planner Blog

Moving creates storm for Katrina survivor

 November 2, 2005

Albany- In the last two month’s Dorothea Royster evacuated her home and made the decision to make a permanent move. Most of her possessions survived the storm, but now a moving company may be holding them hostage, charging her more than the estimate to bring them only God knows when.

After surviving Katrina, Dorothea Royster is ready to get on with her life. She got an apartment and a job at Phoebe. Now, all she needs is her furniture.

“I have a bed that I purchased maybe less than a year ago. I’ve had furniture, my whole life is in that truck, wherever. I don’t even know where it is,” said Royster.

Dorothea now sleeps on an inflatable mattress and rests in this folding chair. Illinois based Olympic Moving and Storage picked up her belongings in New Orleans two weeks ago, that’s when everything changed.

“My first price was $1,200 now it’s $2,083, which to be honest with you, I don’t know how they came to that figure,” said Dorothea.

Dorothea has also tried repeatedly to find out when she may be able to fill her empty home.

“I’ve just been shuffled, back and forth, back and forth and just now when she said to me, she’s repeating the same information that repeated on Saturday,” said Dorothea.

While we were there, the company called. “You were supposed to call me on Monday and give me a date and you haven’t done that yet,” said Royster.

They had few answers. “Still couldn’t give me a date, still couldn’t give me a time.”

The situation left Dorothea frustrated.

“I could break down and cry, but I won’t, I won’t,” said Royster.

The experience has her warning others to check twice before choosing a company to handle your most valuable possessions.

“I want other people to know, choose your moving company very carefully, find out about them. I didn’t know that they had 28 violations until after the fact,” said Dorothea.

Those 28 violations Dorothea mentioned are unresolved complaints against Olympic Moving with the Better Business Bureau. The company is also on the black list of a web site www.movingscam.com.  Calls to the moving company were not returned.

feedback: news@walb.com

Wondering how moving companies get away with it? Here’s how the scam works.
Most often, these companies get their clients mainly from Internet web sites that let you enter in your basic moving information, and then send the information to the so called moving companies. The moving companies then compete for your business which in most cases would be a good thing - not so for the moving industry.

At first the people at these moving companies are very nice to you. They give you a low-ball bid, and tell you that your things will be in good hands because “Our people are professionals” or something. It’s when the movers actually show up, and it’s too late for you to save yourself where things start to go horribly wrong.

One thing I should point out, is that the bids from these companies that I have seen often quote you by cubic footage not by weight. If you get a quote that is priced by cubic footage, that should raise a red flag right away. The reason for this is that if they charge you by weight, they have to provide proof of the weight of your belongings at no charge to you. In fact, as of August 2005, interstate moves based on cubic feet are illegal.

Once the movers show up and most or all of your things are in their truck, they will hit you with the real price of the move. By then it’s too late. Your things are on their truck, and they won’t get anything off of it without full payment in cash. They will tell you that if you don’t pay up, that they will take the truck and sell everything you own to cover the contract. In my case, I put down a $150 deposit, and was told before the movers showed up that the rest of the $1869 would be due on delivery. When the movers showed up, the price jumped to $5012.50, and the movers demanded half of that on the spot or else there wouldn’t be a delivery!

And then there is the amount of time that these companies take to actually deliver your things. America’s Best Movers took over six weeks to deliver my belongings from Virginia to Nevada. I drove it in three days. During the time that I waited for my things I was not only told lie after lie about where my things were, but I incurred a lot of expenses for things that you need every day… you can only sit on the floor for so long before you need a chair, and try to cook a Thanksgiving dinner without a pan.

These companies break a lot of laws pulling off this scam, but be aware that since Congress did away with the Interstate Commerce Commission in the 1995, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is responsible for oversight of the industry. The FMCSA, however, has very few investigators enforcing the regulations in this industry… and companies like America’s Best Movers know it!

Also, demand to see the contract up front. America’s Best Movers had a clause on their contract that says you can only sue them in Florida - this is on the contract as the ‘choice of venue’. The FMCSA has recently informed me that choice of venue is not applicable to movers and you can file a small claims suit in your local jurisdiction, but you should contact an attorney and speak with them about your options.
Source:http://www.movingscam.com/theScam.shtml

When moving into a new apartment many people will look for a storage space. If you have just moved into town and are renting an apartment you wouldn’t want to unpack everything in an apartment which is only temporary. Personally I would prefer to unpack only the important necessary things which are needed for living temporarily till I move to my permanent apartment. For more information go to: http://www.flatrate.com/nyc_movers/storage.asp

 Different people store many different things. Here are some pointers on what many people store. 

Self Storage

There are many reasons why people need to store goods away for a period of time to be used at a later date. In today’s world people like as little clutter as possible in their homes. What better way to remove this clutter and still hold on to your valued possessions than self storage. Self storage offers a safe, secure and clean environment to store your goods. Generally 24 hour access to your goods is allowed and on site security with many offering CCTV is fast becoming the norm in this highly competitive industry. Most storage warehouses offer climate controlled options to store such environmentally sensitive items as books and fur coats. Books and all paper products are highly sensitive to high humidity levels and furs generally nee to be stored in the cold to prevent fur degradation. Couple all of these with sound pest control programs and you are talking with the standard service warehouse offer today.

What can I store?

Almost anything can be stored for a certain period of time in the correct environment. Perishable food is an exception to this and will not be accepted by a warehouse for storage. The following list gives you some idea of what items can be stored in the correct environment with no negative effects.

Computers
Home furnishings
Antiques
Furs– You may want to store summer garments in winter and vice versa
Linens
Mattresses
Electronic equipment
Musical instruments
Pianos

Homes are getting smaller and smaller and real estate prices are increasing all the time and because of this many people are downsizing and putting extra furnishing in to storage. You may just need to store items that you do not want or can not have in your home due to space constraints and public storage can be an excellent option in situations like this

Sometimes when people move, their household goods may need to be stored temporarily for a period of time. This can be due to many reasons including not having located a permanent home in the new city or town or deciding to do some remodeling before moving in to the new home. Sometimes people will decide to build a completely new home in the new city and if you decide to take this route you will need to have your furnishings out of the way while this is going on and storage is an obvious choice. If you are moving and you have household goods you need stored, your moving company may have a storage option available to you which may mean you will not need to seek outside self storage. It is best to check with your moving company to determine if this service is available and what the cost would be. An advantage to storing goods with your moving company is that the company will then deliver your goods and any other possessions when you are ready for them. You should also ask if you can go and collect any items from storage at any time and if you have to give any notice to do this. This may be especially important to businesses where important business records are being stored. The truck your business or household goods are transported in may be another storage option especially if you only need your goods stored for a few days. Be sure to back the trailer up to a wall so nobody can break in and park in a safe area.

Families today frequently have more than one vehicle and may have a boat also that needs to be stored in the winter months. You may not have a big yard and even if you do you may not be allowed to store your boat on your property. In some cities the local ordinance does not allow boats to be store in a residential neighborhood.

Many storage units are climate controlled, have 24 hours security and pest control programs that are the best in the industry, all in an effort to provide secure safe storage for your belongings. Goods can be stored for as long or as short a period as you need and spaces very in size so you can pick a space that will hold all your goods and not have to pay for unused space. If you use storage a lot it is advisable to get a space a little bigger than you actually need as you will probably fill it up pretty quickly.

Many storage operations offer a multitude of other service including truck rental or even a free truck for a period of time in order to get your business. Many companies have workers who will come to your home and pack up your goods professionally, load up a truck and drive it to the storage unit. They will then unload your goods and pack them in to the storage space efficiently. Remember these people are professionals and can do the job more effectively and efficiently than you may be able to. Of course this convenience come with a fee however it may be worth it for the peace of mind.

Important Questions to ask yourself before deciding to spend money on storage

At the time when you are making a decision on whether to store or not to store your goods, think about the other options that may be available to you. Do you really need all the items you are planning to put in to storage? Can you get rid of any without any regrets? Remember if you are moving that everything you get rid of now is something you won’t have to move yourself or pay to have moved. On the other hand you may need it someday! Ask yourself some questions before deciding whether you want to store particular items or not.

Do I need the item?
Will I ever use this item again?
When did I use it last?
Has it got sentimental value?
If any of the items need repair will you really have them repaired?
Clothing items – if you have not use any item will you really ever wear it again?

Throw away, Give away or Sell!

You may decide after answering the question above that you do not really need some of the items. The next big question is what to do with all this stuff. There are many options available to you. You could throw the stuff out, give it away to charity or have a garage sale.

Household items could go to charity organizations such as St Vincent de Paul or the Red Cross and any books could go to a local library or school. Remember to get a receipt for tax purposes.

If you decide to have a garage sale be sure and price the items so they will sell, remember that making a profit is secondary in this instance and getting rid of your junk is the primary reason for the sale. Here are some important points to remember as you plan your garage sale.

You may need a permit in some towns to have a garage sale
Have the sale on the weekend when people are off work- Saturday mornings are best
Put up sign around the neighborhood a few days before hand to let people when and where the sale is
If someone makes an offer less than the advertised price barter to bring the price up
Remember to tell neighbors relative and friends about the sale
Source:http://www.vanlines.com/storage_guide/self_storage.html

How to Find a Reputable Moving Company

By Tim Walker
MovingScam.com
Companies We Endorse

The following are the only companies officially endorsed by MovingScam.com at this time. Our endorsement is based on the positive experiences of many consumers who have used them.
You can move your cursor over the headings for a brief explanation of the two types of companies and then use the links below to read reviews of the companies.

You Pack We Drive Services:
ABF U-Pack - Read Reviews
Broadway Express - Read Reviews
 

Full Service Moving services:
Moovers, Inc. - Read Reviews
 
  

Moving is a very stressful and expensive experience, and if you don’t take precautions it can quickly turn into a nightmare. So how do you find a moving company that you can trust with everything that you own and feel safe in your decision? While we always recommend moving yourself if possible, or using a you-pack/we-drive service like ABF U-Pack Moving® or Broadway Express, we know that sometimes circumstances don’t allow that to work out. If that’s the situation that you’re in, here is some helpful advice to get you on the right track.

The first thing that you should do is put down your keyboard and step away from your computer. While there are some reputable moving companies that have web sites, nearly all of the victims that contact us found their moving company on the Internet.

Your next step is to pick up your phone book, or call your local real estate agents and find at least three moving companies that have offices in your area. Try to find moving companies that have been in business at least ten years, and do not hire a moving broker. Current consumer protection laws related to the movement of household goods only apply to Motor Carriers and not to Household Goods Brokers.

Set up appointments for them to come to your house and do an in-home estimate in the order of your least favorite to your most favorite company. If they won’t come to your house to do an in-home estimate, hang up and find another company. Find out up front if the company will be doing the move themselves, or if they will be sub-contracting out the job. If they won’t be moving you, then move on. You should also visit their office and make sure that the company is who they say they are. Check out their trucks and storage facility. Make sure that their trucks are permanently marked with the company’s name.

As each moving company gives you an estimate based on what they see in your home, leave the paperwork out where the next moving company can easily see it. Ask questions about the difference in pricing since it may have to do with what services one company provides that another doesn’t, the amount of insurance included, or valuation of your belongings. Never hire a mover who gives you a quote based on cubic feet. Never, ever sign blank paperwork, and know what you’re signing. Read the document, understand it and don’t worry about making the moving company wait.

You should know that every moving company is required by law to provide you with a “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” booklet. If they don’t provide you with this, send them packing (so to speak).

Also, while you have the sales rep’s attention, get as much information about the company that you can such as:

Full company name and any DBA names (doing business as)
How long they have been in business
Company address
Phone numbers (local and toll-free)
DOT and MC license numbers
Company web site address
Email addresses
Get references (and call them)

Now that you have your three estimates, it’s time to get back online. This is where the Internet is a powerful tool for the consumer, and where all of that information that you gathered pays off.

Many states make it easy to search for corporate information online, such as Florida. You can usually find them by searching google.com for your state’s name followed by “secretary of state” (example: Maryland secretary of state). If you can’t search online, then call your secretary of state’s office and ask for the articles of incorporation. You can use the Articles of Incorporation that you find to verify how long your moving company has been in business, as well as the company’s address and owner’s name.

Remember those DOT and MC license numbers that you wrote down? Well, it’s time to make sure that your moving company not only has the license authority to perform your move, but if they have the insurance to make it legal! Let’s start with SaferSys.org.

SaferSys is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) web site to search for motor carrier license information. First click on Company Snapshot in the center of the page. In the center of the next web page, you’ll see a search area. Put in your company’s DOT license number, and click ‘Search’. If the DOT number that they gave you is accurate (which it better be or it’s time to move on again) you’ll be presented with a screen with lots of information. Here are some key elements to the SaferSys report:

The company name, address, and phone numbers should match what the company gave you.
On the top right of the form, there is a field titled ‘Out of Service’. This must read ‘No’ and the ‘Out of Service Date’ field should read ‘None’.
The two fields labeled ‘Power Units’, and ‘Drivers’. This should give you a good indication of the size of the company. Here’s a thought… if your company told you that they do a hundred moves a month but they only have two trucks, how likely do you think that is?
Another field labeled ‘MCS-150 Form Date’ may contain the date that the license was applied for.
Next, under Operation Classification, there should be an X next to ‘Auth for Hire’.
Under Carrier Operation, if you are moving out of state there should be an X next to ‘Interstate’.
Under Cargo Carried, there should be at least an X next to Household Goods.
You should also check their inspection record. This lists their inspection record as well as the national average. If your company’s average is much higher than the national average, or if they have been in business for three years, but don’t have any inspections, then something is wrong.

Everything okay there? Good! Let’s check their insurance. At the bottom of the SaferSys report there is a link titled ‘FMCSA Licensing & Insurance site’. Click on it.

This should bring you to a screen that gives you two options to view the company’s insurance details. Let’s go the easier route and click on the button labeled ‘Screen’. Again, you’ll be presented with the moving company’s name, address, and legal name. There is also some very valuable information below:

Under the column ‘Authority Type’ there are three listings: Common, Contract, and Broker. The column to the right with the header ‘Authority Status’ tells you if their authority is active. Your mover needs to have at the very least ‘Common’ listed as active. If either ‘Application Pending’ or ‘Revocation Pending’ doesn’t say ‘NO’ for common authority, then something is wrong.
The last table lists the insurance required, and the insurance on file for your mover. A moving company is required to have both BIPD ($750,000 minimum), and Cargo insurance filed with the FMCSA. Under the heading ‘Insurance on File’ if BIPD says $0, or if Cargo says ‘NO’ then run, don’t walk away from this company.

The good news is that the hardest part is over with. Is your company still doing okay? If so, we’re on the right track. You should make a quick check with the Better Business Bureau. Now, let me make a point here. The BBB is a business with members that pay them dues. Now, if you were running a business and belonged to an organization that bad mouthed your business practices, do you think that you’d keep paying them dues? Do you think that the BBB wants to lose members by bad mouthing them? Nope, and nope are probably your answers, and you’re right. Use the BBB reports as a guide. Call up the BBB office and ask them about the number of complaints that your company has on file. Don’t take a ’satisfactory’ rating at face value.

One last check you should do is to call the FMCSA’s Safety Violation and Consumer Complaints hotline at 1-888-368-7238 and ask them about the complaint history of your moving company. They are open from 10am to 6pm EST Monday thru Friday and it’s worth the call.

Post a message on the MovingScam.com message boards and ask if anyone else has had any experience with the company. The message boards are very active, and chances are that someone will respond quickly to your questions. Also feel free to contact MovingScam.com with any questions you may have. We’re here to help.

Finally, if anyone other than the moving company that you hired shows up on moving day, fire them on the spot. This is worth repeating… never, ever sign blank paperwork, and know what you’re signing. Read the document, understand it and don’t worry about making the mover wait.
Source:http://www.movingscam.com/news/findmover.shtml

Most often, these companies get their clients mainly from Internet web sites that let you enter in your basic moving information, and then send the information to the so called moving companies. The moving companies then compete for your business which in most cases would be a good thing - not so for the moving industry.

At first the people at these moving companies are very nice to you. They give you a low-ball bid, and tell you that your things will be in good hands because “Our people are professionals” or something. It’s when the movers actually show up, and it’s too late for you to save yourself where things start to go horribly wrong.

One thing I should point out, is that the bids from these companies that I have seen often quote you by cubic footage not by weight. If you get a quote that is priced by cubic footage, that should raise a red flag right away. The reason for this is that if they charge you by weight, they have to provide proof of the weight of your belongings at no charge to you. In fact, as of August 2005, interstate moves based on cubic feet are illegal.

Once the movers show up and most or all of your things are in their truck, they will hit you with the real price of the move. By then it’s too late. Your things are on their truck, and they won’t get anything off of it without full payment in cash. They will tell you that if you don’t pay up, that they will take the truck and sell everything you own to cover the contract. In my case, I put down a $150 deposit, and was told before the movers showed up that the rest of the $1869 would be due on delivery. When the movers showed up, the price jumped to $5012.50, and the movers demanded half of that on the spot or else there wouldn’t be a delivery!

And then there is the amount of time that these companies take to actually deliver your things. America’s Best Movers took over six weeks to deliver my belongings from Virginia to Nevada. I drove it in three days. During the time that I waited for my things I was not only told lie after lie about where my things were, but I incurred a lot of expenses for things that you need every day… you can only sit on the floor for so long before you need a chair, and try to cook a Thanksgiving dinner without a pan.

These companies break a lot of laws pulling off this scam, but be aware that since Congress did away with the Interstate Commerce Commission in the 1995, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is responsible for oversight of the industry. The FMCSA, however, has very few investigators enforcing the regulations in this industry… and companies like America’s Best Movers know it!

Also, demand to see the contract up front. America’s Best Movers had a clause on their contract that says you can only sue them in Florida - this is on the contract as the ‘choice of venue’. The FMCSA has recently informed me that choice of venue is not applicable to movers and you can file a small claims suit in your local jurisdiction, but you should contact an attorney and speak with them about your options.
For black list clic here:http://www.movingscam.com/blackList.shtml

  Source:http://www.movingscam.com/theScam.shtml

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world” - Margaret Mead, 1901 - 1978

The number one question MovingScam.com receives is “Can you recommend a good moving company?”. If the answer to that question was easy, then there wouldn’t be a reason for maintaining a web site called MovingScam.com (see this article for more information).
Currently the moving industry is overseen by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), part of the Federal Department of Transportation (DOT). At last count the FMCSA had only nine investigators to handle all of the thousands of complaints against moving companies each year. What does that mean for consumers? It means this:

Most complaints are overlooked and the consumer becomes a statistic and no action is ever taken against the moving company.
When Congress dissolved the ICC in 1995, they also removed the authority from the FMCSA to step in on a consumer’s behalf during a move. In other words, they can’t help you even if they want to.
If an investigation does occur, it takes months if not years for the FMCSA to, yes, get this… Fine the moving company.
The scam companies won’t pay the fine (and they don’t seem to get in trouble for not paying), and even if they did, the consumers don’t see a dime of their money back. The money from the fines goes to pay for highway improvements!

   The History of MovingScam
     I founded MovingScam.com in 2001 after I was scammed by America’s Best Movers and decided to fight back (see “The True Story”). Others joined me, and together, we’ve been helping consumers move for over five years.

     At the core of the web site are message boards staffed around the clock by experienced volunteers who answer moving-related questions promptly and at no cost to the consumer. None of the volunteers receive any income from this activity.

     MovingScam.com is dedicated to providing solid, impartial consumer education and to working for better consumer protections in the moving industry.

Tim Walker
Founder of MovingScam.com   
  
There are in fact laws governing the moving industry, but the moving industry is unique in having special privileges and protections that no other industry could even imagine enjoying.
How did we get here? The interstate HHG moving industry was “price-deregulated” with the Household Goods Transportation Act of 1980. This Act allowed interstate movers to issue binding or fixed estimates for the first time. Until then, the moving industry was overseen by the ICC like a public utility (like phone and electricity services). There were only a handful of companies, known as the major van lines, that were allowed to transport household goods interstate, and they all charged according to their tariff — a schedule of rates and services — which had a built-in profit. ALL estimates were non-binding. Movers sold themselves on service, not price. The profit margin was very thin, but there was profit.

When the Household Good Transportation Act was passed in 1980, not only could companies now compete on price by giving binding estimates, but also there was a provision in the Act that new companies could enter the market. Regarding the “freedom” to give binding estimates, the majors didn’t want that. For a while some carriers just had a policy of sticking to non-binding estimates only. But because customers wanted the price certainty of binding estimates, those companies finally caved in and started issuing binding estimates too.

So how did the moving industry end up with a special governing body to oversee it in the first place? There is a federal statute enacted in 1906 called the Carmack Amendment. It was originally enacted in response to railroad barons who controlled the few railroads in existence and who were giving their friends favors in transportation rates and squeezing small farmers and everyone else. Back then, railroads were the major way of transporting goods across the still-developing country, and so the ICC was set up to, in effect, regulate the monopoly that was the railroads. The Carmack Amendment forbade “price discrimination”; that is, the railroad baron had to charge a set rate (contained in the railroad’s tariff), approved by the ICC, to all shippers. When roads and trucking later arose, the ICC started overseeing that, too. The major van lines and their agent system first got organized, and wrote their tariffs, in the 1930s.

OK, fast forward to 1980 and beyond. Because of the Household Goods Transportation Act of 1980, by the late 1990’s there were hundreds of interstate moving companies in existence, all with their own “interstate operating authority” granted to them by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). (Compare that with the handful of companies who had interstate operating authority pre-1980.) Now, anyone can be an interstate mover. It used to take 5 years to get interstate operating authority. Now it takes 3 weeks.

Throw into this mix the fact that moving companies were now, theoretically, competing on price. The competition was so fierce, and the moving companies so numerous, that low-balling soon became a popular practice. Of course, low-balling doesn’t pay if the mover doesn’t practice hostage-taking (price-gouging during the move) as well, because the mover has to make money somehow. The need to low-ball to get moves, a direct consequence of the Household Transportation Act of 1980, is responsible for many of the abuses in the moving industry today. The ability of moving companies to get away with it, however, is caused by the Carmack Amendment.

So what’s the problem caused by the Carmack Amendment? Carmack purports to govern every single aspect of the shipping transaction. In the late 1990s, several courts handed down decisions interpreting Carmack as being so thorough and far-reaching that it “preempts” all other remedies that would otherwise be available to a plaintiff-shipper under state law. That is, suing for fraud under state consumer fraud/deceptive practices statutes was preempted. That means that an interstate mover can tell you: “I guarantee you that your move will cost only $2000,” while intending to hold your goods hostage for $4000 at destination.

Believe it or not, should he do that, according to these courts, you can only sue the mover under Carmack (not for state fraud, etc.), and Carmack, in turn, will allow you to ONLY get your $2000 overcharge back. Believe it or not, a mover’s “punishment” for stealing from you is to give back what he stole, and that’s only if he gets caught and someone forces him to give it back. Overall, a pretty sweet situation for moving companies, wouldn’t you say?

So that is what “deregulation” in interstate moving is about. It’s about PRICE deregulation and “ENTRY INTO THE MARKET” deregulation, coupled with the unfortunate decisions of certain courts in the late 1990s that moving companies can only get a slap on the wrist for even the worst abuses. The ICC’s disbandment in 1995 was just the last nail on the coffin — by then, the ICC couldn’t really oversee the industry anyway, since so many movers had entered the market and “tariffs” were now anachronisms.

In today’s environment of price competition, the current scamming will continue (and get worse) unless there are mechanisms for the consumer to force the mover to stick to his price bid. Those mechanisms are police intervention and punitive damages.

My advice is to fight back. Get the word out. Talk to your local police, and file complaints with the FMCSA and DOT. Get in touch with your local, state, and federal reps, and tell them that you want them to support consumer protections. Call your local media - newspapers, television stations. Get a web site of your own and get the word out. Whatever you can do to let other consumers know what’s going on in the moving industry right now.
To find out Black list of moving companies go to http://www.movingscam.com/blackList.shtml

Source:http://www.movingscam.com/