The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs has filed a lawsuit against a moving company, claiming dozens of cases in which movers allegedly held customers’ items hostage until they paid charges that were several times the quoted cost. One woman claims she was told she could get could get her items off the truck — if she had sex with them.
“They won’t do something for me unless I do something for them,” the woman tells NYC’s 1010 WINS radio about her experience with the moving company.
She had originally been quoted $210 for the move. But when the truck arrived, the movers allegedly demanded $1,100 in cash to get her stuff.
When she told them she didn’t have the money, she says they offered to let her have her things for the quoted $210 price on the condition that she sleep with two of the men.
“It’s not only wrong in terms of ripping people off with money, but putting people in unsafe circumstance where I felt like my life could have been in danger,” she says.
In the end, she paid the cash.
Authorities have charged the company with 87 instances of jacking up prices when it came time to deliver customers’ items. A judge has issued a temporary order halting the moving company’s operations.
“The State has no tolerance for unscrupulous movers who hold consumers’ property hostage as a form of extortion,” says NJ Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa. “We are committed to cleaning up the marketplace to ensure a fair and safe environment for anyone seeking to hire a mover, and to protect the interests of the many movers who operate honestly and in compliance with the law.”
N.J. Women Claim Moving Companies Used Disgusting Bait-And-Switch Tactics [CBSlocal.com]
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Oh, you want your stained glass lamp back? Well it’s gonna cost you. Put on this bunny suit and take a dump in this bowl of Corn Flakes. And do it nice and slooooow…
lol….i think im going to watch True Lies tonight.
Brian: I, uh, don’t suppose you’d consider making one of those for me, would ya?
Stewie: [Sly laugh] Maybe! What would you be willing to do for me?
Brian: Whatdya want?
Stewie: Take your index finger and your thumb, and lightly grip the base of your tail.
Brian: What?
Stewie: Lightly grip the base of your tail with your index finger and your thumb, and then slide your fingers up the length of your tail to the tip.
Brian: Why?
Stewie: Because that’s what I asked you to do.
Brian: That’s kinda weird. Is this some kinda sexual thing?
Stewie: Nobody said anything about sexual- there’s nothing sexual about it. I’m just asking you to perform a simple task. [Slyly] Take your index finger and your thumb, and lightly grip the base of your tail, and run your fingers along the length of your tail.
Brian: You mean stroke it?
Stewie: [Defensively] Nobody used that word. This is not a stroking motion- this is a completely non-sexual thing I am asking you to do, in a completely non-sexual way. [Slyly] Squeeze the base of the tail lightly with your thumb and index finger, and then, while continuing to squeeze, run them up the length of your tail to the tip, and I’ll make you a clone.
Brian: I only have to do it once?
Stewie: I’ll tell you when to stop.
[Brian reaches for the back of the tail and slowly rubs along the length of the tail with his thumb and index finger, and then back again, then stops]
Stewie: [Laughs] I don’t know why ya stoppin’ nobody told you to stop!
[Brian resumes the rubbing his tail]
Stewie: Gimme a little smile.
[Brian flashes a fake smile while continuing to rub his tail]
Stewie: You’re lips look a little dry, why don’t you wet ‘em a little bit?
[Brian, continuing to smile and rub his tail, then starts licking the outside of his lips]
Stewie: [Guffaws] Oh my God, you’re so weird! Alright I’ll make you a clone buddy.
wait wait…
why aren’t they arrested on charges of soliciting sex for money (around $890)?
This.
Well because they never offered money for sex, not sure if offering to forgive a debt would be covered under soliciting statutes or not (I’m not saying it was a valid debt, and simply addressing the question.
I’m curious, is prositution limited to the offer of sex for money or would offering goods for “services” fall under it as well?
the irs would still consider that a money transaction and what a piece of it.
I would have to imagine there has not been an arrest due to lack of evidence. The customer states this occurred but if there is no additional evidence to support the charge I don’t know that the slime balls in question could be arrested on her word alone.
Umm yeah they can. I can see if it’s one witness/victim. But if there are a dozen witnesses/victims, you can say the witnesses are bias especially if they don’t know each other and can prove it.
He said/she said is used all the time in prostitution stings. Sometimes it is not filmed and the entire case is based on witness testimony.
Prove it.
She said this, I say I didn’t say that.
That’s what video recorders are for. The instant they arrive with your stuff, whip it out and record everything from then on.
Just what I was thinking. Be friendly about it, like you’re taking a video to send to your Mom, or because it’s your first move into a house you own, or whatever. Say the names of the movers and ask them to smile and wave. Get the back of the truck with the license plate. If you have kids, make sure they’re on hand to jump and clap happily about moving into their new rooms.
And then the movers call the cops to press wiretapping charges against you. Everybody wins.
I can’t even imagine how much this would piss me off. First thing I would do would be to slash the truck’s tires and then call the police. I would then call a news station and offer them a
LIVE BREAKING ACTION STORY.
And then I would get really mad…
I’d tell the men I’d have sex with them, but to give me a minute to get ready. I’d go inside, call the police and tell them a man is exposing himself to me. I’d go back out and insist we have sex outside because it’s more kinky. I’d time it so he gets naked before me and right when the cops get there.
Bam! Sex offender list for that guy.
Police punctuality. You’re living in a dream world.
The police are punctual enough in my neighborhood that this scheme would probably work. That much said, I’d never have the guts to pull it off.
What’s with moving companies being either phenomenal or horrible? Is it because somewhere along the line, a bunch of psychopaths figured it was a good way to do a scam, yet there are still plenty of honest workers in the field? The moving company we’ve used twice (Superior Movers in the Philly area) are so good that we’ve recommended them to three other people. Five moves, all perfection, no complaints.
Negative, NEVER slash the tires, that is destruction of private property. What you do is let the air out of them, that is a misdemeanor instead. The end result is the same, they cannot drive off. This has interesting benifits…. like if you let the air out of their tires, they will come to stop you, now should they lay a hand on you, assault charges can be filed. Sure, they can call the cops but again misdemeanor… who cares and if the cops show thats what you wanted anyways.
Next what they can do is drive off, which becomes theft of private property. Pretty easy to get what happens after that, again you win. I don’t think there is too much else they can do at that point… you get like a $15 ticket with no points, and your stuff or they get prison, lawsuit and you get your stuff…. all for letting air out of tires.
I agree, slashing the tires won’t stop them.
Take a sledgehammer to the kneecaps.
Um, not necessarily.
Assaulting someone who is in the act of damaging your property might be illegal in some states, but it’s not something to rely on. I know that if I were letting air out of tires during a billing dispute, and someone forcibly stopped me, the assault would be considered self-defense.
Agree to the sex act, find a pair of shears and conceal them. Have the man remove his pants and get excited.
Apply shears to manhood tight enough that movement would be very painful, but not to the point of cutting it off.
Counter offer that for $2000, you’ll release him, allow him to unload your goods quickly and safely, then disappear. For $500 more, you won’t contact the police.
i would do this except, cut it off and not trying to get any moeny from them. call the cops and tell them they tried to rape you. then you can become governor.
I am intrigued, but a little confused on one point. Allow me to sum up your plan:
1. Agree to sex as condition of extortion
2. Sever peenor
3. ???
4. ELECTED GOVERNOR
Step three must be a helluva ride.
http://www.snopes.com/crime/justice/grambo.asp
this came to mind.
Haha. NIce.
I would have called the cops then and there and told them I was being solicited for prostitution. What a bunch of scumbags.
I called All My Sons to move my furniture. I verified multiple times that they would complete the move on a sunday. They said yes. That day came and went and no movers ever showed. I called several times that sunday and could not reach anyone. Monday morning came and I called to find out what happened. They claimed that they do not do moves on sunday but they did have me in their system for a move on the upcomming sunday (one week after I needed them).
Next time I will not call All My Sons.
Once upon a time there was a random level of forced civility, not because people were better, or kinder, or happier, but because everyone was packing heat, and the best way to stay alive was to be unfailingly proper to your fellow man. Time to go back to those days. These movers have had their business “temporarily” halted, but there’s no guarentee that it will be a permanent stop. These fuckers attempted theft by conversion, solicitation, extortion, and they’re being persued under civil statute? If she had plugged them, I doubt that any jury would have convicted.
So it should be legal to kill someone over a stolen couch? I want to understand, is this what you are saying?
Depends on the couch.
Would these do?
http://s1.hubimg.com/u/929596_f520.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yc-7_sVGMZ8/ThXiF60jIDI/AAAAAAAAAi0/wur7s0ZSpbM/s1600/Giant-Kitty-Plush-Couch.jpg
http://thechive.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/awesome-couches-bizarre-9.jpg
http://www.sodahead.com/fun/vintage-car-couches-yay-or-nay/question-1854735/?page=6&link=ibaf&q=awesome+couches&imgurl=http://djripe.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/coffin-couch_qfKbU_48.
http://thechive.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/awesome-couches-bizarre-14.jpg
Not a fan of the cow, the cat, or the cars. The glowing loveseat, though, I’ll take it (and her.)
Loias, why not? You’re not just stealing my property, but the time it took to earn the money to purchase this property, and my peace of mind. If you think I won’t bat an eyelash at ending you for attempting to steal my stuff, or steal $890 of my money, think again. I know, ITG, and all that, but having grown up in a shithole where robberies and break-ins are common (Sumter SC) and having been stationed in locations where law enforcement was almost as bad (Luke AFB,) I have no regard for people who have shown themselves to have no regard for others.
WE SHOULD HAVE THE DEATH PENALTY FOR JAYWALKERS!!!!!!!!!11!!!!ELEVENTY!!!!!!!!
(Because that’s where valuing your comfort over someone else’s life leads eventually.)
Yes, because jaywalking=theft. You jaywalk, I could give a shit less unless you stepped in front of my vehicle. I’ll stop, if I can, and probably cuss you out, but I’m not going to draw and shoot you. Stupidity isn’t a reason to shoot someone, theft and extortion certainly are.
Well, apparently your criteria for what is worthy of death is different than mine. We can agree to disagree….just don’t cross the street against the light in my neighborhood, punk. [Points with thumb in air, drops thumb like a hammer.]
A couch? No. A rug? Fuck. Yes.
Well, if it really tied the room together…
Simply put, yes.
Please, tell us more about this imagined past of yours.
I think they’re thinking of the Midwest in the 1800s. I hear such nice things about how kind, gentle, and polite the frontier times were in America.
Or maybe it was the South in the 1950s and 1960s. Things were great for people then, especially if they looked and/or acted different than everyone else.
Look up a few of these things, and tell me if armed violence to fight criminal behavior isn’t warranted: the Regulator Movement, Montana Vigilantes, and Baldknobbers. Hell, one of the symbols of the Montana Vigilantes was the series of numbers 3-7-77, which is now a part of the Montana Highway Patrol’s seal. Self policing is, and has long been, the best kind of policing.
Funny, because all crime rates are pretty much as low as they’ve ever been. All the examples you gave, while important, do not at all support your claim that widespread gun ownership promoted peace, politeness, or civility. In fact, your examples show how lucky we are to live in a time and place of such stability. We foam at the mouth and scream about how bad things are, but we are as safe and healthy, really, as any humans could hope to be in history. We live longer, we are less likely to die from most diseases and injuries, and we are victims of less crime. Be happy- it’s the best of all times to be alive. The “good ol’ days” are a myth.
i was thinking about the wild wild west.
In your scenario, where every participant has a gun, how is she the one who “plugs” them? It’s pretty naive to think that in a world where everyone is packing, only the one who is on the right side of the argument will be the hero. When it’s most commonly going to be the opposite. But who cares, when the only person who can explain and defend their actions is dead? What an idealistic and simple view.
It’s pretty naive to think that in a world where everyone is packing, only the one who is on the right side of the argument will be the hero.
If gun ownership is illegal, only the criminals (who, you know, Break the Law) will be armed, and only they will prevail.
There is absolutely no item I own that is worth more than even the lowliest tweaker’s life. Period. It’s not that I find life particularly ‘sacred’, but stuff is just stuff. I would certainly beat the snot out of someone for trying to take my stuff, but I would never willingly kill or maim someone over material goods.
I wouldn’t mind people carrying weapons if the reasonable people wanted to carry them, but only extremists like you do. :-/
Perhaps. But I doubt said tweaker knows you feel that way, and I can guarantee he values his life higher than he does his continued illegal possession of your property.
I guess I don’t understand why any of those 87 people didn’t have the quote in writing, and be able to insist that the movers honor the quoted rate, and, failing that, call the police and accuse the movers of theft?
I had to deal with this 10 years ago and I was lucky to actually get my stuff. Even got a trip a few years later as a witness in court once the government caught up with the company.
Police don’t/can’t do anything about this because it is considered a matter of contract dispute (civil court) and not criminal. Besides by the time the police arrive the movers are gone and there isn’t anything to do except file a report at that point.
Extortion is not a civil statute.
We’re not talking extortion. It is not unusual for moves to be brokered out and the actual movers claim invalid contract written or invalid quotes by the broker. It is also not unusual for the movers to store belongings in a random storage locker and simply wait for you to pay up.
I spent months working with a lawyer, filing with three different state’s Attorney Generals, and logs and logs of calls and letters made to/with the moving company. All in all I happened to get a few hundred dollars back only after the fed gov shut down the movers. I talked with others affected by the scam during the court trial and they police could do nothing at the time. I know some laws have changed over the past 10 years but not enough to protect the consumer in these cases.
What part of this isn’t extortion?
Give me x, or you won’t get y!
That’s the definition of extortion. Your argument that it isn’t extortion because the contracts are brokered out actually HELPS my argument: if these contracts are actually subcontracted out as you claim, then any issue of invalid contracts needs to be dealt with by the companies, not the two guys in the truck and the client.
It’s extortion on the part of the actual movers, and a civil issue between the two companies. Don’t confuse it.
Was she hot?
Good question. What does your mom look like?
She probably looks like a Consumerist poster.
She looks like a black and white fedora?
Shouldn’t this be combined with criminal charges? A lawsuit doesn’t seem to cover these actions…
What a shame this wasn’t in Florida…..
Stories like this make me thankful that my wife and I personally moved all of our stuff. It was a pain in the @$$ but had none of the B S like this.
Move it yourself. If it’s too far, sell most of it and buy new stuff when you get there, most of it is probably not worth the original quote much less the jacked up price.
Wow! It sounds so simple! We should all take your advice from now on!
“Because everyone else is just like me……”
It makes sense to me. They do rent trucks for this. If it’s feasible for a person, then you do avoid the mafia movers.
I would have been a little suspicious of them when I got quoted $210 for a move. Seems a little “too go to be true” kind of price.
Extortion. Happened to me some years ago when having a piano moved. I wish I’d let them keep the stupid piano, as it was relatively worthless and would’ve caused them a lot of grief to sell it.
Generally, humanity makes me want to puke.
This is incredibly common in the moving industry. They’ll offer a lowball price to suck you in and then claim a variety of extra charges for added weight, packing materials, etc.
You can try to fight them in court, but they have your stuff and therefore a lot of leverage. About the best you can do is spend a lot of time beforehand finding a reputable company. Believe me, that’s not as easy as it sounds.
“Hi, thanks for the moving quote. By the way, in loading my belongings onto your truck, you have accepted this addendum, relieving me of the responsibility for any additional charges unless I sign off on each and every one.
Cheers.”
Even assuming they would accept that (which they wouldn’t), see how that works out for you as they drive away with your belongings on the truck. You MIGHT eventually win, but you’ll go months with no furniture or belongings.
Haha the woman would rather pay 1100 not to have sex with them!
Not to blame the “victims” or anything, but who on earth would believe movers would only charge $210 for a move, even if it was on the same street? Idiots.
Today’s lesson: always, always, ALWAYS get a specific number, get it IN WRITING, and do not settle for an “estimate”.
Be realistic. If you’re moving a household (not just a few pieces of furniture) even the most reputable company can’t give you a precise quote. You can’t possibly tell them exactly how much you have to move, how many boxes it will take, how much packing material, how much it all weighs, etc.
…sounds like an Israeli moving company scam. If they don’t steal from you, they feel ripped off.
Why would she pay the cost at all? Why not call the police? It sounds like a lot more than just a lawsuit issue… it sounds like a crime.