The Moving Planner Blog

Are you planning to relocate in the near future then first thing you must consider is research the best moving companies and its offers or services. You can arrive at the decision by the estimates provided by the moving companies. Any reputable company will provide estimates for the service they provide.

There are two basic types of estimates one is binding estimates and other is non-binding estimates. All the moving companies give non binding estimates at free of cost but for binding estimates most companies are likely to charge nominal amount to provide estimate. It is up to you to choose binding or non binding moving company’s estimates.

When you contact a moving company for estimates generally a moving company representatives will visit your home to look at the items that requires moving. Depending on this the moving company representative will give you their estimates to you. It is most important that you give as much information as possible to moving companies’ representative so that they can give the accurate moving estimate for your relocation.

A binding estimate is a contract between you and moving company that your moving cost will not exceed over the estimated quote. With this type of estimates you will put a bottom line charges to be unchanged. It means if actual weight of the moving items is below the estimated then also the price remains same and it wont change the price even the weight of the items goes above the estimated weight( unless and until you do not add any extra items to one that was estimated).

A drawback with binding estimate is that after sinning contract at lower price, the quality of the material used for packing may decline. 

Non binding moving companies estimates is most common type of estimate that are based on the actual weight of items to be moved on. This will allow you to add any further items and other services and are flexible enough to you. But aware of that the services and items you add will increase that cost of moving. So research well which moving companies provide you best service and with affordable cost.

BTW, it is worth to read Maine lawyer Peter Thompson scam comment here >

 

Movers are special people who help their clients in packing and moving during their relocation. There are so many moving companies around the world and Flatrate Movers offer a best service when compared to that of others. They even offer moving tips for all their clients and take care of their things till they complete their service. There are several types of moving such as residential moving, commercial moving and etc. Flat Rate Movers has a team of expert coordinates, experienced packers & movers and professional drivers who deliver their service as that of top performers. flatrate Movers stand to be the top with its high quality service at an affordable rate. 

Cost efficiency in the modern world is often said in terms of the cost of the service or how steep it is on you over a period of time. You can make payments in pre decided terms, which will help you with the calculation for the cost effectiveness.

Apart from using this method to calculate your flatrate Movers efficiency, you can also use this cost of transportation comparison figure to check for various other important aspects of selecting a Mover, including the safety, maintenance, taxes, etc.

A change can easily be noticed when things to be transported are added or reduced from the current statistics. Maths will not be really challenging if you prefer to make estimations using movers’ calculators to get a quote, instead of going for sudden decisions. You can make great decisions regarding flatrate Movers with the help of this simple, yet fast evaluation method.

The whole world has been speaking about the increasing price of services in the past and recent years. We are expected to see a further increase in the coming five to ten years owing to the demand of things everywhere in the globe. As such, make sure you look around and pick your flatrate Movers with care.

Commercial moving is also performed by flatrate Movers with their experienced relocation consultants by scheduling all their moves at perfect time. Service offered by flatrate Movers includes Relocation, special needs, security and protection, preplanning and packing service. They also make use of protection materials to take care of their client’s goods during the move. Fragile items are also carried by them with so many protections till they complete their move. People also need to pay for the third party service used by movers during their service. 

Are you searching for a company that can help you in moving your goods from one place to another? If yes, then browse through Miami Movers .Org. They have everything that you need to know about moving your home, office or any tradeshow around the block or around the world. All this can be done at very reasonable price with the moving companies you find at Miami Movers .Org. Check out their website for knowing about their services including residential moving, commercial moving, long distance, storage, car transport and international movers etc.

Miami Movers .Org have years of experience for helping your move to be a pleasant one.

Plan Ahead

Summer time is the busiest time of the year for moving companies. In addition, the beginning and end of each month are traditionally busier than mid-month, regardless of the season. If you are planning to move during one of the times, plan well in advance so your mover’s schedule will fit yours.

Now it is time to contact the movers on your list. Inform them of your destination and the timing of your move. Ask movers to provide you with a written estimate, and have them explain the services listed in the estimate in detail. Carefully compare each estimate to see which company best suits your needs and budget.

Check out our moving planner, Countdown to Moving Day, to be sure you don’t forget anything.

Packing

Proper packing by a trained packer using specially designed cartons and materials is crucial to a good move. Schedule packing with the mover a day or two before the moving van is loaded. If you are packing yourself, it is never too soon to start. While packing yourself can save money, movers will not usually accept liability for damage to items packed by owners.

Be present when your goods are packed. An inventory of your goods will be made and it is important to resolve any disagreements prior to signing the inventory. Make sure all copies are legible and all items are numbered. Have valuable items listed separately. Some appliances may require servicing prior to the move. Your mover can schedule these services for you.

There are several options for insuring your goods. All household goods shipments move under limited liability. However, you may purchase additional liability coverage from your mover.

Planning Your Moving Day

Your mover may ask you to select several consecutive days during which your goods can be loaded and a second series of dates during which your goods can be delivered to your new home. A spread of days gives you and your mover the flexibility needed to keep your move on schedule. Remember that summer months are the busiest, and some movers offer lower prices between the months of October and April.

Moving Day

• Be on hand when the movers arrive.
• Discuss the delivery arrangements fully with your mover.
• Have beds stripped and ready to be packed.
• Save your energy - let the moving crew disassemble goods.
• Read the Bill of Lading before you sign it.
• Tell your mover how to reach you at your destination.
• Keep in contact with the mover’s agent at your destination while you are in transit.
  Delivery

Generally, your belongings will be transported in a van lines along with those of other families in the same general direction. This helps to keep your costs down. Delivery is made on any of the several consecutive days agreed upon before the move began. Make sure the mover knows how to contact you to schedule actual delivery. If you cannot be reached at destination, the mover may place your shipment in storage to avoid delaying other shipments. This can mean additional charges for storage and handling.

Upon delivery, check your goods for damage. Do not sign the inventory until you have inspected your furniture and the exterior of the cartons.

Claims

If any of your household goods are damaged or lost, report the facts promptly and in detail on the van driver’s copy (original) of the inventory sheet before you sign it. If you notice damage after unpacking, a claim must be filed within nine months after delivery. However, it is to your advantage to report damage as soon as possible. The mover must acknowledge receipt of your claim within 30 days and must deny or make an offer within 120 days of receipt of your claim. When making a claim or considering a settlement offer, keep in mind the amount of liability that you declared on your shipment. For example, if the value declared on your shipment was $5,000, the mover’s maximum liability for loss or damage to the articles in your shipment is $5,000. Claims for more than this amount will be declined because they are in excess of the mover’s liability that you declared on your shipment. Maryland moving companies

Source: http://www.moving.org/before/planning.html

My name is Jack Holmes and I have just recently moved to LA from Florida. At first I had many difficulties arranging my stuff, I didn’t even know where to start. So I call up one of my friends which moved not to long ago himself. He told me that as he was searching the Internet last month, he saw this company called FLATRATE they don’t charge by the hour and they move over long distances. So I took my friends advice and I contacted Flatrate.

Ever since I did that, my moving process couldn’t have gotten any easier. The guys from Flatrate helped me all the way from arranging the technical details, to the actual packing. They told me “If you ever need any help at all, with anything that has to do with packing we are always available”. The next day by about mid day every thing was unloaded and in its place. All the big things were pretty much in their place. They had such good service that the guys even started unpacking kitchen utilities and more things.

If you are looking for a reliable moving company Flatrate moving is it.

I truly recommend Flatrate moving.

I’m publishing here some letters that came to my desk.

Pleased to say that the move was excellent. The four men acted as a smooth working team each knowing his responsibility. Not only were they performing physically perfect during the move but their attitudes were more than pleasant. We’ll move again in a year or two and will call Flat Rate San Francisco once again.
Flat Rate Los Angeles movers showed up on time, and did the job quickly and efficiently.

---

Flat Rate San Francisco movers were excellent - very efficient regarding time - extremely polite & helpful. Flat Rate San Francisco was very easy to work with and very helpful!

---

I hate moving but Flat Rate Los Angeles made it easy. The slight premium over the competition was worth it to know there would be no last minute charges.Like most people, I absolutely dread moving. Flat Rate San Francisco made it easy. I would use them again in a heart beat.

---

EXCELLENT, PROFESSIONAL MOVE. THANK YOU FLAT RATE SAN FRANCISCO. I WOULD RECOMMEND TO ANYBODY. YOU RESPONDED FOR A MOVE WITHING 24 HOURS WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE AND PERFORMED THE JOB PERFECTLY!

---

What an easy move. Flat Rate Los Angeles staff from start to finish was so marvelous to deal with. Many thanks for a great job!

---

Gregory and his staff, Eric and Louis, were our movers and they provided us with excellent service. They were very courteous and hardworking. We were very surprised with how neatly and secure all of our belongings were packed. It only took us a total of six hours to move, the guys were great. I’d recommend your service to anyone. Thanks Flat Rate Moving Los Angeles!

---

Not only did you match my every expectation, but you far exceeded them. Agi was terrific on the phone helping us decide to use you and get everything coordinated. Jake and his crew arrived on time, took exactly the length of time they said it would were so careful and protective of my property and artwork, and in general were a pleasure to work with. When the concierge arrived at my office to see how everything was going, I was blown away with your commitment to customer satisfaction. I have already recommended them to 2 other tenants in my former office building, as why call anyone other than flat rate movers? Thanks Flat Rate San Francisco for making a stressful experience a pleasure.

---

THANX SOOO MUCH! The complete Service was GREAT!!!!!! Thanx again Flat Rate Los Angeles & I recommend you Guys 2 Everyone!!!! The guys were great!! Very respectful with my belongings. They even got a telephone booth down the stairs in ten minutes! Would definitely recommend to everyone I know. Thanks Flat Rate San Francisco for making my move smooth!!

---

Everyone at Flat Rate Los Angeles was very easy to work with and very helpful!

---

YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!!!! I WOULD RECCOMEND FLAT RATE LOS ANGELES TO ANYONE AT ANYTIME. THIS IS MY THIRD MOVE WITH FLAT RATE LOS ANGELES IN 3 YRS, ONE CROSS COUNTRY. YOU GUYS HAVE MADE THE FACT THAT I TRAVEL SO MUCH WITH MY JOB “OK”! ALL THE BEST!!!

---

Very good thorough job on my furniture: I had United moving me (for a much higher price) just a few months ago and they didn’t wrap most of the wood furniture so I found scratches and corners buffed…all the pieces were carefully wrapped up by Flat Rate San Francisco movers, and carefully unpacked and laid out…I’m very thankful! Forgot to mention the two guys that unloaded my stuff, super nice and friendly and helpful and cheerful, which helps! Ivan and Ernesto Good job!

---

Flat Rate Los Angeles movers, Juan 1, Juan 2, and Grayson were great! Thanks!

---

Everything proceeded without a hitch. Thanks for your professional handling of my move Flat Rate San Francisco. The movers arrived early and worked very quickly. Not only that, but they were very careful with our furniture and put it all back together very nicely. Our belongings are in great shape still. Thanks Flat Rate Los Angeles!

---

Manny and his team were amazing! We truly appreciated their professionalism and promptness. Thanks Flat Rate San Francisco. Manny and his crew were very professional, patient, and fast. I would definitely use those same guys again.

---

Thanks Flat Rate San Francisco, I was very satisfied by the willingness of Ivan, Ernesto, Abundio??, Richard and Jose (I hope I got all their names correctly) to accommodate me during the packing of my things. When I asked for extra care, they gave it. They were friendly and cheerful even though they did not eat lunch on the second day because they wanted to finish and did not want to delay by taking time for lunch. It was fun working with them and I am looking forward to them returning my things in a few months.

---

Flat Rate Los Angeles men were really very quick, fast, efficient and caring.
I had a wonderful experience - both with Flat Rate New York team and Flat Rate Los Angeles team…they were professional, very polite, and respectful of my things. I would gladly recommend your service to friends and family.

---

I used Flat Rate for two separate moves recently, both from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Without exception, every representative was kind and willing to help. I had contemplated using a specialized mover to ship some very important recording studio items, but after having them move my personal items, there was no need to go anywhere else. In fact, there is no need to EVER go anywhere else. Ina Korac was an incredible help in both instances. Igor & Juan’s crews treated our possessions with care and respect. You give your life over to someone when you move - I’d give it over to Flat Rate for the next one, no doubt about it. Thank you so much Flat Rate Los Angeles.

---

The movers worked fast and efficiently. My whole 2 bedroom apartment was moved out and into the new place in under 4 hours. Perfect! The team consisting of Juan, Enrique, Abundio, and Federico we’re courteous and friendly. I would give them an A+! Flat Rate San Francisco is the best moving company I have ever worked with, and will continue working with them.
Movers were very professional and hard-working! I had a horrible experience with another moving company and was delighted with your company. I’ve already recommended Flat Rate San Francisco movers to a few people.

---

Thanks Flat Rate Los Angeles! Cleo and his crew were extremely efficient and very courteous. I would highly recommend them all and thank all of them for a job WELL DONE!!!
Boris is a great foreman; Jose and Abundio were fantastic! All three guys worked their

---

#$%^s off and took great care of my furniture! Please give them all raises! Thanks Flat Rate San Francisco!

---

I want to thank you Los Angeles Movers, for making our first cross country move as easy and stress free as possible. The movers that showed up were polite, friendly, and very professional. Our furniture was delivered as promised, on time and in good condition with no damage. Again thank you and your team very much.

---

The team made my move so easy and quick. They were so friendly and careful with my things and made the whole process stress-free. I will use them again and have already recommended Flat Rate San Francisco to others. Excellent customer service and follow through. Troy Amidon was great to work with and really helped us thru the process. The moving company were extremely thorough and hard working. Juan and his team did an amazing job packing and moving all of our furniture and belongings! Will HIGHLY RECOMMEND Flat Rate San Francisco Movers!!

---

I had a wonderful moving experience. As much as I hate to move I never thought that would be something I would say. But, the movers were very professional and worked quickly and got my move done in only 3-4 hours. Julio, Jaun 3, Omar, and Rigoberto did a WONDERFUL job and if (hopefully not too soon!) I have to move again I will ask for them by name. I will definitely be recommending Flat Rate Los Angeles Movers to my friends!

---

Fast, friendly, and efficient - I couldn’t ask for more! Thanks Flat Rate LA!
I appreciated the promptness with which a representative contacted me once I asked for more information (24 hours). The follow up via phone and email was also really friendly and helpful. The movers did a tremendous job. They were fast, careful, and friendly. They packed our belongings in 2.5 hours and unpacked them in 2 hours. It was a great relief knowing our move was being handled in such a professional manner. It made moving 400 miles a breeze.

---

Thanks Flat Rate SF for hiring such reliable people.
Moving is never easy but my wife and I were very happy with our experience. Manny and his crew did a great job and I will be sure to use them when I move again. Thanks Flat Rate Los Angeles.
Thank you Flat Rate San Francisco. My move was excellent - my movers were the best I’ve ever had. They made my move simple and stress-free!
I could not have been happier with the entire experience. All the movers were professional, courteous and incredibly hard working- it could not have gone better. I would recommend Flat Rate Los Angeles to anyone who is planning a move.
Really nice crew: fast, efficient & friendly. Thank you Flat Rate LA. Since our stuff just went from your storage facility to our new one, we haven’t unpacked to check everything. So far we’re happy with the move. The salesperson gave very good information and quotes. The crew was timely, very friendly and helpful, even with the extra that was needed to help the move successful. It is wonderful to know that a storage facility is available if you do not have one of your own. Thank you Flat Rate San Francisco.
The crew was great! Cleo really took charge and provided excellent service. Each one worked really hard, Cleo, Ryan, Gregory and Eric. They showed real team work and when I first met them they shook my hand and introduced themselves. Great Crew - I would highly recommend Flat Rate LA. They went up and above and did a wonderful and careful job of moving everything.

---

I would like to tell you that my move exceeded all of my expectations.
My movers: Jose, Pasha, and Ivan were incredibly efficient, courteous,
and professional. I would recommend Flat Rate San Francisco to anyone, and the movers that worked my job were top notch!

---

The move was great. I really want to complement Julio Lozano and his
team. They did an excellent job– very professional. Also, I really
appreciated the gesture that Mr. Vilchez came by to check if everything
was all right. All in all, a great job. Thanks Flat Rate Los Angeles.
Thanks Flat Rate San Francisco. I have used your services 4 x in the last 2 years and I would strongly recommend your moving company.

When Moving Your SoHo Office, Use A Professional Mover.

Moving your home is stressful; everything has to be packed up and boxed and inventoried, and nothing ever packs the way you’d expect it. At least you can rely on going back to work once the move is taken crare of, secure that, aside from an aching back, and a few days of frantic unpacking, your work life won’t be disrupted.

At least, that’s the way it used to work. If you have a small or home office (SoHo), that security that your move hasn’t disrupted your paychecks isn’t there. In particular, moving your home office runs the risk of a lot of potential disruption to your work-flow, and keeping your clients happy, if you’re not careful.

Now, as a SoHo business owner, you’re indoctrinated into the idea of “do it right, do it yourself”, and probably can think back to moving in and out of dorm rooms and apartments, and have tagged this, mentally, as a “do it yourself” job. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hire a professional, and hire one that has direct experience in moving an office.

Movers with office experience understand the importance of documenting what everything is, and where it went in relation to other boxes. Particularly with movers that do “store and forward” moving, having a paper trail is critical to tracking down anything that went astray or awry. Nothing can be quite as disastrous as discovering, at the end of the move, that two cartons of tax records are missing, because the store and forward place didn’t set them together.

Just as important, a business mover with SoHo experience understands office equipment and palletized goods. Most SoHo offices rely on a few critical pieces of hardware. If you’re an architect, working out of a small office, your $22,000 plotter is a vital critical need. A good mover with SOHO experience will note not only that you have a big, awkward, fragile plotter moving, but they’ll ask for the make and model number so they can research exactly how to pack it and unpack it at the destination.

Speaking of unpacking at the destination, a good mover with SoHo experience will ask you lots of questions about that as well. As someone doing a well prepared move, you should have your floor plans already in place for the destination. Ideally, you’ll even have the utilities turned on by the time you arrive. Go over the floor plan with the movers, and let them know where everything should go when you get there. Large companies planning office moves do this, and it’s an exercise in forethought and planning that will have at least a week, and possibly more, off of the disruption of your professional life and client contacts due to the move.

In particular, knowing where everything goes at the destination makes it easier to figure out what order to load the trucks at, on the point of departure.

One company with an excellent reputation for small office moves is Flat Rate Moving. They’ve done this for decades, and were one of the first companies to specialize in moving home offices, and later small offices. They’ve moved companies ranging from law offices (with more filing cabinets than you care to name) to small home based publishers (with industrial laser printers and a book bindery setup) across the country.

In addition to their experience in moving businesses, Flat Rate understands the need to do staged moves, and to prioritize what moves when and where they know that every hour spent packing or unpacking a box is an hour that you’re not solving a problem for a client. As small business owners themselves, they understand how much that pains you in maintaining your business. An Flat Rate estimator will personally look over your existing office setup, tally up the inventory, ask you what’s the most important, and help you build a priority list, so that what gets packed last gets opened first, to minimize the disruption of your work-flow.

Flat Rate, like any other mover, carries insurance against loss or breakage during the move, and Flat Rate’s movers know exactly how important your office equipment is. They’re also organized, and will make sure that everything is packed, labeled and annotated correctly, using a double-check system, where every item is assigned a label, a contents sheet and a packing number, making sure that you’re good to go when your goods get there to restart your life.

If you’re running a home office, as opposed to a small office, you may want to talk to your mover about the differences between moving your own items, and having them pack up the rest of your house. For one, this can make your entire move tax deductible, if done carefully. For two, it gives you a lot of freedom to focus on what’s important those extra days where the movers are packing up the house could be extra days where you’re generating revenue because you aren’t playing Napoleon with a tape gun in your hand. If you have a business with a high “per day” take, or one that’s deadline driven, completing one more job can more than offset the additional costs of packing up the rest of the house.

Flat Rate movers offers the following timetable for moving your business.

1. Get the floor plan for where you’re moving to, first and foremost. You want to have this two weeks before you start packing boxes, and three or four weeks is better.
2. Build a priority list label each of your filing cabinets from most important to least important. Your office records are the sinews that direct your business’ motions.
3. Inform your clients about the move again, two weeks notice is the minimum, a month is probably better. Make sure that any projects being done for clients are scheduled around the move, and make a list of what projects start at what priority level once you’re relocated.
4. Two weeks before the move, have any maintenance people look over your equipment before it gets packed. Get a “full bill of health” on any equipment, so that if something gets damaged you can assert your claim for insurance purposes.
5. One week before the move, contact your new landlord about getting keys, and getting business essential utilities (telephone and internet) turned on.
6. Five days before the move, wrap up your last client projects. One or more of them will ALWAYS run late make arrangements to handle what you can electronically, from a laptop, during the move. Start packing up your personal belongings five days before the truck arrives, going from least used items to most frequently used items.
7. Make a hotel reservation at your destination. Trust us on this spending a night at the hotel and tackling unpacking when you’re well rested is far better than trying to do the Office Move Death Slog.
8. When you’re unpacking, take the time to check every single box off the master packing list. Any box that looks dinged, open up and check the contents against the master packing list.
9. Once you have bare bones business functionality up again, talk to your clients and let them know you’re ready for them. It’s better to unpack while you’re getting up to speed on your clients issues than to unpack and let them linger good client relationships are built on communications, and the reason you’re hiring a professional mover is so you can focus on client relationships, not packing tape.

Related Posts:

• http://www.themovingplanner.com/moving-planning/moving-your-office
• http://www.themovingplanner.com/moving-planning/how-to-guarantee-prized-items-moving-with-extra-special-care
• http://www.themovingplanner.com/moving-planning/moving-employees-and-employee-benefits
• http://www.themovingplanner.com/moving-planning/countdown-to-moving-day
• http://www.themovingplanner.com/moving-tips/moving-safety-tips
• http://www.themovingplanner.com/luxury-moving/senior-moving
• http://www.themovingplanner.com/moving-planning/moving-protect-yourself-from-moving-fraud
• http://www.themovingplanner.com/moving-planning/renting-a-car-during-your-move
• http://www.themovingplanner.com/moving-stories/a-to-z-moving-planning
• http://www.themovingplanner.com/moving-planning/tips-for-summer-moves
• http://www.themovingplanner.com/storage/moving-your-household-goods-may-need-to-be-stored-temporarily
• http://www.themovingplanner.com/moving-planning/moving-oversized-items
• http://www.themovingplanner.com/moving-tips/moving-and-your-children
• http://www.themovingplanner.com/moving-tips/which-boxes-should-you-use-when-moving
• http://www.themovingplanner.com/moving-planning/moving-plants
• http://www.themovingplanner.com/moving-planning/moving-your-computer

People have to know how to compare a few different quotes, most of them look at the bottom line which is the price and decide to go with the lowest one.

They should compare the services offered and quality of the company and not necessarily the price. They should compare reputation and reviews.

I realized that people don’t read the small words on the quotes sent to them which 99% of the times say  black on white: here are your hidden charges.

When it says packing materials are excluded, they think that the fact that they are packing their own boxes means that they will not be charged for packing materials but it is not true, because when you move, you have to get your sofa covered (and usually you don’t do it yourself) and if you have a glass coffee table, you cannot expect to move it without protecting the glass, protecting this glass is packing materials. When you get an estimate that says this and this is not included ask what it means so there will be no misunderstandings later.

Natalie, FlatRate Moving  www.flatratemoving.com

Small moves in Florida takes a lot longer than moves in NYC. The distances are bigger and if you choose to go with a company that charges by the hour, don’t be surprised if a move you thought will take four hours will take six hours.

Also, a lot of the building here in Florida allow four moving companies to use the elevator at the same time, imagine how long it takes to complete loading the truck if four different companies are moving four different customers?

We have seen customers that were so stressed, looking at their watch every five minutes and praying not to have to pay for another hour, while our customers didn’t really care. They knew how much they are paying from the start and didn’t have to worry about a thing.

Also, some movers here don’t carry sufficient insurance  for the building and if you don’t ask them or if your building management didn’t tell you to ask, on the day of the move your building manager will tell you they cannot work in the building and you will have to look for a moving company that is available to move you right now. If it is the end of the month, I doubt you can find one. So make sure to ask.

Posted By Natalie FlatRate Moving

Owners of Five Unlicensed Moving Companies Charged with Racketeering in Consumer Shakedown Scheme

This story goes back to February 2002, but I think it is still relevant. Be the judge!

“It should be noted that criminal complaints are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown holds up a couple of flyers from unlicensed moving companies whose owners were charged with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars annually from scores of unwary customers by holding their personal belongings hostage and demanding unlawful and excessive cash payments to complete the moves or unload the items from the truck.

The owners of five New York moving companies were arrested on charges of racketeering, grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, and other offenses after they repeatedly lured customers with low ball moving estimates, only to hold their household goods hostage unless an additional payment was made in cash. In scores of instances, these demands raised moving costs by several thousand dollars more than estimated. Those charged were Daniel Mantoza, his wife Ronit Mantoza, and Morad Alfar, of Queens, NY, who controlled Allstate Moving and Storage, On Budget Van Lines, Eilid Moving and Storage, Online Moving and Storage, and In & Out Moving and Storage in Deer Park, NY The investigation, known as Operation Moving Day, is believed to be the first to employ New York’s Organized Crime Control Act against the owners of moving companies. This investigation was performed by a task force consisting of the OIG, NYPD, the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, and New York State DOT, with assistance from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Source: DOT Office of Inspector General

I bought this Hollywood Classics DVD for $3.50 and the first cartoon my kids watched was A Haul In One (1956). The first scene about Popeye and Bluto are moving Olive Oyl, is another classic Popeye - Olive Oyl is moving so she calls the moving men - Popeye and Bluto. Both men want to woo Olive by demonstrating their moving prowess. Look out how they packing Olive’s bags, carrying extra loaded sofa and how they are moving the piano!

Enjoy boys, just don’t try it at home!

For more information about Popeye, Olive Oyl and Bluto click here: 

The plot lines in the animated cartoons tended to be simpler. A villain, usually Bluto makes a move on Popeye’s “sweetie”, Olive Oyl. The bad guy then clobbers Popeye until Popeye eats spinach, which gives him superhuman strength. Spinach farmers in Crystal City, Texas were so grateful for this they erected a statue of Popeye in the town and credited him for saving the then-dying spinach industry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popeye

Popeye the Sailor has been well-known to comic strip fans since his first appearance in the newspaper strip Thimble Theater in 1929. At first a minor character, Popeye grew to dominate the strip as readers fell for the hot-tempered old salt with the bulging forearms and fractured vocabulary. A comical cast of characters grew up around him: skinny flirt olive Oyl, strange orphan Swee’pea, tattered hamburger-lover J. Wellington Wimpy, and the bewhiskered brute Bluto, Popeye’s perennial rival for Olive’s attention. http://www.answers.com/topic/popeye-the-sailor

It is not a dream! 

Imagine the decadence of a truly luxurious move—with everything planned on your behalf, no boxes to pack or unpack, and with even your electronics, computers and TVs connected upon arrival. The kind of move you’ve dreamed of, where all you have to do is come home.  Introducing Elite Luxury Moving.