This was left as a comment on the original post yesterday afternoon.

This is a response from Quality Van Line Management directly. First and foremost we last spoke to Cori about a week ago, and he was making an outrageous demand for money and threatened us by saying that if we do not pay him what he wants he will immediately try to ruin our business reputation and start making us look as bad as he can on the internet. If we were to give him the money, he would be happy with the service and the situation would be over. Obviously, we did not.

Regarding the facts, the job was picked up on July 31, 2008 and delivered on August 8, 2008. Within contracts Cori and Ali signed and were well aware of, we had 7-14 BUSINESS days to deliver the furniture, it arrived in 5 BUSINESS days, which is in fact an early delivery. After delivery Cori came to us with complaints of damages. By law we have a claim department that handles these issues and we give a valuation with signing up with our company of $0.60 per lb per article. Before signing up with us you are more than welcome to buy additional insurance, Cori chose not to do that. Therefore, he went to the claims department for damages and recieved an offer of $288.00 for reimbursement. He was not happy with this and refused, he called us back and said he wanted $800.00 back for his inconvienences, stress, and lack of professionalism in his opinion. He did understand the reasons the quote went up and had no problem paying for that, it was just his stress upon delivery he decided $288.00 would not be enough. We offered to make it $350.00 just to satisfy his demands, and he declined once again and told us in these exact words, "Your company will be sorry".

We have all legal documents of Cori and Ali complying to the terms of the move, and understanding the contracts. This complaint is coming directly out of spite because a customer is not getting what they wants, it is our job to make sure every customer gets everything they deserved by the law and the terms of moving policy.

Read the original post and ensuing comments here.

Here's an overview of Cory's experience with Quality Van Lines:

• The company raised the fee by 50% on the day of the move;
• Cory was charged for special packing supplies that weren't provided;
• two of the movers were guys hired that morning off the street;
• the agent who worked with the couple to set up the move stopped returning calls, then went on vacation;
• the van was late to Chapel Hill by 5 days;
• the van's driver smashed into Cory's car and damaged it;
• the items arrived badly packed and damaged.

We think one thing Cory should do is post his story online, especially since he's already written a 1400-word account of what happened. [Update: we've posted Cory's full story below] The best way to warn others about a bad company is to publicize the experience. Along these same lines, Tim Walker of MovingScams.com lists a half dozen organizations and websites to contact (including his) to get the word out.

MovingScam.com also has some must-read advice on how to find a reputable moving company. First on their list: skip the online search and look for local companies the old fashioned way (i.e., via phonebook and recommendations), because "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.

This summer, we decided to move from the Albany, NY area to Chapel Hill, NC with Quality Van Lines from Clifton, NJ. Below is a sort of timeline of our move, and the issues we had while dealing with Quality. I will do my best to keep it succinct.

Before the move

We first received a quote from Quality on approximately June 23, 2008. My girlfriend Ali worked with Alan, who asked her for a list of all of the items we planned on moving. She gave him that list, and he came up with a quote for around 530 cubic feet. Later, on July 28, he provided us with a revised quote for 526 cubic feet ($1628), based on some items that we had decided not to bring with us. Based on this price, and the estimate Alan gave of a 4 day wait between pick-up and drop-off, we decided to book our move with Quality.

Moving day

The movers showed up at the planned time on July 31, and went into our apartment to look at our things. Almost immediately, the foreman told us that there was no chance that our things would only take up 530 cubic feet, and that he could not understand where that estimate came from. We asked if the fact that we had more boxes than we had anticipated could account for such a difference, and he said no. He said that the un-boxed furniture alone (which had all been cataloged in the quote) would take up much more room than we were quoted.

As the movers started bringing our things down to the truck, the foreman took us aside and apologized for two of his helpers (who were not speaking any English). He told us that they did not actually work for the company, and that he had recruited them "off the street" earlier that morning. In addition, we noticed that the promised mattress bags, furniture blankets, and TV crates were not being used. None of our wood furniture received blankets, and the mattresses were simply wrapped in lightweight plastic. The flatscreen TVs were wrapped inside boxes that had to be modified on the spot in order to hold their contents; there was no protective packing material or special-fitting box used on either TV (we had been charged $70 for 'TV Crates').

Once the things were all in the truck, we were told that the total came to 800 cubic feet, which was 52% more space (and money) than we had been quoted. We paid a large chunk of the balance, as well as a $200 tip, and were told our things would be handled as carefully and as quickly as possible.

Waiting for our things to arrive

Once the movers left with our things, we left the Albany area for the long drive down to Carrboro, NC. On Saturday, August 2, Ali gave Alan a call to check in with him and see how the delivery was progressing. She reminded him that he had estimated an August 4 delivery, and he replied that he had never told her that (a flat lie). She asked him what we could reasonably expect, and he basically dodged the question, saying that he would need until Monday to give us an update. So, we called Quality again on Monday and spoke with Alan; he told us that he needed to contact the warehouse, and he would call us back "in 10 minutes". Approximately 90 minutes later, after not receiving any call back, we called again. Alan told us that he had no information for us, and could not tell us when we could expect delivery.

On Tuesday morning (August 5), I called Quality again and asked to speak with Alan's supervisor, as he had been misleading and unhelpful. I ultimately ended up speaking with Moe, who told me that I could expect our things to arrive possibly later that day, but "guaranteed" by Wednesday. After waiting around in an empty apartment and receiving no deilvery or update on Tuesday night, I called again on Wednesday. At this point I was told that, unbeknownst to me, Moe would be out of the office for the rest of the week, and that the drivers would contact us.

That, of course, did not happen. We called the driver directly on Thursday, and he gave us a story about the truck needing repair, and being set back by a day. So, we spoke to Alan. After very rudely telling us that we basically had no reason to complain, he made some calls and told us that the truck was going to arrive in our area late Thursday night. We told him that, no matter how late it showed up, we wanted our things that night; more importantly, we told him that we expected the drivers to contact us directly if that expectation would change. After waiting up (again, in an empty apartment) until well after 1 am, it was clear that our things would not be arriving. We never received a phone call from anybody telling us the plan had changed.

On Friday morning I called the driver directly, and he gave another story about the courier losing the keys. I asked him specifically why he had not called to notify us when that happened, and he did not have an answer. He told us that he expected to arrive that day, but that it would be later in the night. Finally, after several calls trying to verify our correct address (which we had correctly given to several different people), the truck arrived around 8 pm on Friday night (8 days after pick-up, and 5 days after the originally estimated drop-off date).

Delivery

When the moving van arrived, the driver and his assistant were trying to determine the best way to park the truck. Ali suggested that she and I both move our cars to a different lot to give them room, and they agreed. However, before I was able to start my car, the driver had decided to back into his planned spot without waiting for me. While maneuvering his truck, he backed directly into the rear end of my car, causing several thousand dollars worth of damage. After the police were called and a report was filed (and he damaged my car again trying to move the truck), the movers finally opened the truck.

When we looked into the truck, it looked as though everything had been haphazardly thrown into the truck, without any consideration of which items were fragile. As they began removing items, it was clear that this was the case; many of our items were visibly damaged in the gathering darkness, and many of the boxes marked "fragile" were badly beat up (as were their contents). We initiated the claim service, and they replied to us saying that the 60 cents per pound of insurance we had entitled us to a total of $288.

While waiting for the claim service to respond, Moe had personally told me several times that he was aware of problems extending beyond damaged property, and that he wanted to "make it right" with us. However, once we received word of the claim amount, I contacted him and he refused to offer more than $55 on top of the property claim. That is $55 (out of $2400) for the total lack of respect and professionalism, not to mention the broken promises and inconvenience of having a damaged car.

Please keep in mind that this is just a summary; there were several calls which I did not catalog here. We were consistently treated rudely and in an exceedingly unprofessional manner. The lack of communication and follow-through was truly astounding. We expect a more substantial refund in light of all these problems; we think it would be more than fair to pay, in full, the original amount quoted, meaning we would not be charged for the extra cubic footage in light of all of this aggravation. However, Moe has refused to even consider this.

Any suggestions for what we should do would be welcome. Should we pursue small claims court? I doubt that would help, since most all of the promises that were broken were merely verbal. What about reporting the two "off-the-street" workers to the department of labor or INS? Please, we want to be treated fairly, but short of that, we want to punish Quality Van Lines for this horrible experience.

"How to Find a Reputable Moving Company" [MovingScam.com]
"How to File Complaints Against Your Mover" [MovingScam.com]
(Photo: Getty)

Hello Consumerist,

I have been trying to deal with Morton Van-lines (www.mortonvanlines.com) for almost 7 months. My girlfriend and I are working studio musicians based in L.A. and were offered a chance to set up a studio in New Zealand and do some recording sessions for up to a year plus.

Because of the comparatively small market of musical instruments in the country, we realized we had to bring along most of our instruments, along with our clothing and personal belongings. We had done our research and chose the company based on our budget and the service included in the delivery.

Our equipment was picked up from my house in Los Angeles in late August and we were quoted with a 6-8 week turnaround. We left the U.S. in early September and arrived at our studio in time to prepare the room for our gear. After the 15th week passed, we wanted to know what was going on. We then had an extremely difficult time in getting any word on our shipment. Burning through countless phone cards, and infinite email messages that were never returned, we started to really fear the worst. When we did actually get in touch with somebody at the office, we were
consistently let down with numerous false promises.

We never got the tracking number that was promised, nor any insight on what the hell was going on with our stuff. This hide and seek went on for FOUR MORE months, bringing it to a total of 6 months.

Now, keep in mind, we have a business to run, and work that needs to be completed. Dealing with customer (dis)service has been a nightmare for us and has put an INCREDIBLE amount of stress on our relationship. After the 4th month, we had finally gotten word of what was going on... it was shipped to the WRONG COUNTRY and was returned to the
U.S.!!!! Imagine the soul-crushing blow to learn that if they shipped it THAT day, it would take another 6-8 weeks!!

By this time it is mid-Dec. and we were now faced with a complete strategic disaster. We had to cancel all studio bookings, and face that fact that no matter how beautiful the country is, we could not enjoy it one bit. I came back to the States on Dec. 28 (even though I wanted to stay in NZ for new years so bad) to deal with this problem more locally. But then, the fun REALLY began...

For the entire month of January, I tried to reach the operations manager by calling the office everyday. I spoke with the two shifting secretaries and left dozens of messages with them and on the operation mangers machine. For the entire month of January, I DID NOT get one call back! Not even one call back. After a particularly fiery email, she finally called me and then used every cookie-cutter excuse you can imagine. Between a string of random emails, we had gotten 6 different guaranteed, written projected arrival dates, spanning over 2 months, that were NEVER followed through. At present (Feb. 11, 2008) the current written guarantee for delivery was today, the 11th, which was
let down once again. I am STILL trying to get our stuff back after 6 months being God knows where.

At this point, I am extremely concerned whether all of our things will be in there and in what condition they will return in. After being in transit for 6 months, who knows what state they'll be in. Not to mention I have been living out the small carry-on bag of clothing that I packed to bring with me to NZ (as most of our clothing was in the container).

Morton Van Lines (or Moron Van Lines, as I like to refer to them) have pledged to a 100% refund and compensation for their inability to provide the service we hired them for. However, no amount of money can ever compensate for the hell we went through, and are STILL going through in order to get our things back. Between missed dates, stressed relationships, called off sessions, plane tickets bought, and time lost, money can only refund so much.

I wish I could conclude this story with a happy ending, but this ongoing saga of mismanagement will go on for a long time, even after we get our things back.

What a horrible experience. What a horrible company. Their website is dead now, and judging by this posting on Rip Off Report, so is the company. Looks like Daniel's stuff might be sitting in a storage locker somewhere, while the storage company waits to get paid by an insolvent moving company.

It's important to do your research and hire a reputable moving company, especially if you're shipping internationally. Movingscam.com has tips for international moves, and a roster of companies they recommend.

RELATED: Morton Van Lines Disappeared and Has Held my Household Goods for 4 Months in Oregon Ashland Oregon [Rip-off Report] (Photo: frischmilch)

UPDATE: It seems this post may have had an effect. Commenters are reporting that Joe is now picking up. He even reportedly said to one of them, "Yes, this is Joe Shoen, are you calling about the internet?" Good on ya, Joe, now make sure that voicemail box is cleaned up.

The message says that he's sorry he missed your call, but he checks his voicemail frequently and if you leave your name and number he'll return your call. I count three lies in that statement. The only thing worse than not being responsive and transparent to your customers is lying to them that you are. When he gave out the number, Joe said, "People can't get this organization to behave, I can." Empty words, Joe, empty words.

However, reader Teresa says she's had success by calling the corporate customer complaint line at 800-789-3638.

PREVIOUSLY: Uhaul CEO's Cellphone Number

"If you go online and you only have one choice of a subsidiary of one of these companies, it's not one-stop shopping," [Ev Liebman of New Jersey Citizen Action] said. "It's simply misleading. Consumers need to be aware that there are other companies providing similar services and possibly at lower prices."

Movearoo's sponsors disagree, saying it's just useful advertising for their services and not misleading.

"It's not unlike what other industries do when they provide services," said Frank Kellam, business development manager for Verizon. "You won't find the traditional phone companies on a similar site (cablemover.com) set up by the cable companies. It's not unique and it's not out of line."

They're right. But that's also why you should look for more comprehensive online help when you move.

Interestingly, you don't have to look very far: the company responsible for Movearoo's backend has a similar site called WhiteFence.com which offers a much broader list of companies to compare. (Although we see no mention of companies like Vonage on their site.)

Do you know of other websites that offer help with moving, and aren't just fronts for a few key players? Add them to the comments below.

"Aid or ad? New telephone hookup website blurs the line, critics say" [New Jersey Star-Ledger]
(Photo: Getty)

"It can cost up to $2,000 each time it happens, minimum," said Merow.

U-Haul dealers must now find a way to counter this new water scam while also continuing to battle traditional gas scams. They are on full alert.

"We have increased security, increased cameras at all our locations, increased patrols," said Merow.

Merow says the thefts have become brazen. Just this past weekend someone stood on the other side of the U-Haul parking lot fence in broad daylight and fed through a siphon hose, trying to get at the gas inside the U-Haul trucks.

Um, don't siphon gas from U-Haul trucks, either. This little non-recession thingy is turning ugly.

U-Haul: Crooked renters refill gas tank with water [KOMO]

(Photo: Mikey G Ottawa)

Today I read yet another despicable story about the ineptitude of U-Haul and its local representatives. I had a similar experience during my last move.

Like many others, I chose to use a rented truck and perform the move myself. I made an online reservation about 3 weeks in advance, and surprisingly was scheduled for a truck pickup at a store more than 20 miles away (even though there are at least 3 U-Haul reservation centers within 5 miles of my old home). This was annoying right off the bat since I was obviously going to be paying for this imposed mileage. I accepted the possibility that these other centers had no trucks available and decided to move forward.

On the day of the pickup, I arrived at the store with a printout of my reservation and stood in line at the counter. Upon being called forward and presenting my reservation, I was bluntly told that no trucks were available, reservation or no. I made it clear that this was unacceptable, but the "manager" to whom I was speaking simply waved me away and began helping the next customer.

I stepped out into the parking lot and called U-Haul corporate to get this resolved. I spoke to a very helpful woman (whose name I unfortunately can't recall) and explained the situation. She said that she would call the store and get me a truck.

About five minutes later, I received a call back and told that there was a truck available for me now. I walked back in and immediately received a stare of disdain from the manager with whom I dealt previously. It was obvious that he wasn't too happy with the situation, but at this point I really couldn't care less!

He slid the paperwork across the counter for me to complete, and began telling me how much of an inconvenience I was causing. "Corporate called me and is making me give you a one-way truck," he said. My reservation was local; that is, picking up and returning to the same location. Apparently, he had a separate inventory of trucks intended for renters who pickup up in one location and return to another, and the corporate response to my complaint was to require him to rent me one of those trucks for my local use. What's the big deal?

So, fast-forward to the day after my move is completed. I drove the truck to the rental center, pulled into the parking lot, and stepped out. I walked into the office, but no employees were inside. Walking back out, I saw — sadly — the same manager from before, standing outside. I call over to him that I am returning a truck, and his response is, "Just leave the keys in the drop box and leave the truck where it is." Sounds good to me; I drop off the keys wrapped in a copy of my contract, and I head home.

Three days later, I'm at work. During my lunch break, I decide to check my home voicemail and am surprised to hear an angry message from U-Haul: "This is Alexandria U-Haul Rentals. Your rental truck was due three days ago and you haven't returned it. If you don't return our truck today I will call the police." *click*

Imagine my surprise.

I immediately start by calling the rental center and explaining exactly what happened. The gentleman on the other end explains that the manager (humph) personally walked the entire lot and my truck was not there. I explain that the manager personally saw me there on the day of my return and instructed me to place the keys in the dropbox. I am told that there is nothing he can do, and he hangs up.

I then placed a call to U-Haul corporate again, and get escalated to corporate security. I explain the situation again, and the agent I'm working with agrees to call and speak to the store, and get back to me. Remarkably, I receive a call from him about 20 minutes later... but nothing has been resolved. I tell the agent that although I didn't know the name of the manager I saw that day, I could describe him. "6 feet tall, brownish-blond hair, shoulder-length. Very slight build, and a smoker." The response: "Huh. Sounds like Tom, the assistant manager. Let me call the store again, and I'll get back to you."

Less than 10 minutes later, the agent calls back again. "I spoke with Tom. He walked the lot again and found your truck. Sorry for the inconvenience."

What a surprise. Suffice it to say that U-Haul won't be getting any of my business in the future.

It's a good day when reader complaints can be resolved without police involvement. U-Haul recently settled a class action suit over their broken reservation system, so honoring his original reservation saved them $50. Unfortunately, the manager's malice or incompetence cost them more in the long run. If you get stuck with a U-Haul problem and the normal channels aren't working, don't forget CEO Joe Shoen gave out his number on Inside Edition, and says he wants to help.

(photo:elisharene)

Broadway Express says:

We have been in constant contact with the customer since the accident. Credit cards are charged for these self moves on the day of loading. Standing procedure in the transportation industry is a load must be paid for before a claim can be filed. The customer called as asked immediately after the accident if we would refund the load charges, and we said we couldn't, but the insurance was contacted and an adjuster was sent out promptly. The salvageable items were loaded on another one of our trucks in the area and is being transported to the customer's destination.

The standard claim form sent to the customer states .60 cents/lb. This is not the case with a catastrophe. This customer will probably receive full value from the insurance company. An adjuster is also meeting the truck in California to re-evaluate the goods.

They also let us know that the driver is very experienced and has been with the company for 14 years but is from Illinois and was unfamiliar with the Boston area and made a tragic mistake while trying to merge into traffic. Let's send everyone involved our best wishes.

(Photo: k a t m )
PREVIOUSLY: What Do You Do When Your Moving Company Destroys Everything You Own?

Hello all,

This is my first time posting to this list and I'm hoping that someone will be able to help! My husband and I contracted with a moving company, Broadway Express, to drive our belongings from Boston to Oakland, CA. Yesterday, after the truck was packed by local professional movers, the Broadway Express driver drove down Mt. Vernon Street, turned onto Storrow Drive and promptly hit the Longfellow Bridge (11' clearance and a 13' 6" truck), shearing off the entire top and sides of the truck and distributing our belongings across the road. We have the standard moving insurance offered by this company, which is $0.60/lb. In retrospect, we should probably have tried to get better coverage, but who would have thought that the truck driver would try to scrape the top 2.5 feet off of his vehicle?

My question for the list is: does anyone have experience in dealing with a total moving disaster? How can we maximize our reimbursement? Most of the furniture was damaged and a good deal was totally destroyed. The moving company claims that we need to pay for the move in order to file a claim, so they have already charged my credit card. This was our first experience using professional movers and I can't say I enjoyed it.

Thank you in advance for any advice and let me know if you'd like to see pictures — I have a ton.

Best,
Unfortunate People

Has anything like this ever happened to you? Any advice for these people?

Don't hire Broadway Express as your moving company [Universal Hub]

More info on the bridge crash [LiveJournal]
(Photos: K a t m )

Dear Consumerist,

We hired Ultimate Van lines, based in Dallas, TX, in April 2008, to transport our furniture and other household property from Fortville, IN to Lake Forest, CA, with an estimated delivery time of 7-10 days after pickup. Pickup in Fortville, IN occurred on 4/29/08. They have still not delivered our property to us as of 5/24/08.

They have stonewalled us in our attempts to contact them (they did not answer their phone, or return phone or email messages the first week). They have offered multiple excuses as to why our items have not arrived. They will not divulge the location of our property so that we can go reclaim it. They seem to change the rules of our contract every time we call. They are not consistent in how they explain how their company works or why this delay has occurred. They claim not to receive faxes, emails and phone messages from us regarding payment of our final balance. We are concerned that our property has been stolen from us and that we may never see it again.

I have filed cases with the Better Business Bureau of Dallas and the National Consumer Complaint Database. The police in Lake Forest and Orange County do not seem to know who to refer me to. I faxed the FBI on Saturday in the hopes that they might help us. At least the FBI seems willing to review our case.

We have lost thousands of dollars worth of property; besides furniture, appliances, and clothing, we have lost memorabilia and some financial records.

What is more, my children (my daughter: 3 years old, and my son: 7 weeks old) are sleeping on the floor while they wait for their beds to arrive. We purchased cheap air mattresses in Wal-mart's camping section. My son no longer has a crib, because Ultimate Van Lines never delivered it.

There is evidence that Ultimate Van Lines has perpetrated this scam before on the internet. Unfortunately it was only after we realized there was a problem that we located poor reviews of them online. Customers at ripoffreport.com, my3cents.com, and movingscam.com reported their property being held hostage and cash amounts extorted from them upon delivery.

Please help ensure that Ultimate Van Lines is not free to victimize other customers in the future. We’ve already paid thousands of dollars to relocate to California, and if we hire a lawyer to litigate our case, we will have to pay thousands more. We just want our things back.

I am appalled about all I’ve learned regarding moving companies and their scams since this happened to us. Those who perpetrate these crimes really seem to operate above the law. I’ve heard that the police are powerless to help when movers hold property hostage and extort money from their victims. I want to help put a stop to at least one company making money this way.

- Heather C.

And that's why you want to check out a moving company's reputation BEFORE you sign up with them.

How To Avoid Moving Scams
How To Find a Reputable Mover
Things To Know Before You Freight Ship
8 Tips From A Moving Company
Trouble With Your Movers? Call The Department Of Weights And Measures!

But that's not going to help you out of your current predicament. You want to contact the California Public Utilities Commission, which has jurisdiction over moving companies in California.

Short story: We had 8160 pounds of personal items in storage with Wright Way Moving & Storage of Kent, Washington (not a self-storage place, a pallet-style warehouse storage place). They stopped sending bills. We called to find out why. Their number is disconnected, and their building appears abandoned. We have 1) filed a police report 2) informed our insurance company, and 3) contacted the military to find out if they can help us.

Long story: My husband finished his Marine Corps enlistment September 28, 2007. We own a home in South Carolina, near his last duty station, and as of that date it was under contract for a closing date of October 24. The packers came on September 13, and the movers came to pick it all up on September 14. The mover arrived in Seattle on September 16 or 17, and turned our belongings over to Wright Way Moving and Storage, as we were not there to take delivery. Our intention was to arrive in Seattle, spend some time getting settled, getting jobs, etc, then find an apartment and take delivery of our items. We had savings to tide us over, and the military pays for storage up to 3 months, after which point you can opt to take over the storage costs, but the military is still responsible for delivering the items.

Cue the mortgage crisis. Our buyers backed out, due to the husband's inability to prove his employment history. The house sits on the market still - we've recently buckled and signed a contract with a property manager to attempt renting it instead. Because the house hasn't sold, we can't afford to get a place in Seattle, so thank God we can live with my mother rent-free. And let me tell you, nothing tests your patience more than living in a single bedroom with your husband and 19-month-old son. His crib is in storage, so he sleeps on a foam bed on the floor. We thought it was a temporary solution - a few months tops.

In December our 3 months of free storage were coming to a close - we received a letter from the military giving us all the contact information for Wright Way, and I called and spoke with Ann, being sure to give her all of my current contact information - where we're living in Seattle, phone numbers, etc and asking for an invoice for the partial month of December. I was concerned that they might claim they couldn't contact us and sell our things, so I made sure to reach out. They sent me two invoices - the partial December and full January bills, both showing my current and correct contact information, so I know they have it on file. I paid those invoices in full, and have the canceled check to prove it.

Around mid-March, I realize we haven't received any further invoices from them - even if they bill after-the-fact, I should have received February's invoice in March. Life happened, and we didn't end up calling to check up on it until last week. A couple of calls last week went unanswered - no voicemail, no answer. So today, my husband tried again and got a "number disconnected" recording. Very concerned at this point, he drove out to the storage facility to find the building basically abandoned. He came home and did some googling and was able to find that they canceled their business license in late March.

So, seeing all of my worldly possessions flash before my eyes, the first call was to our insurance company - we were smart enough to get Renter's Insurance, but only for $10,000 - I figured that would cover anything that got damaged, I never imagined it would all disappear. USAA instructed us to open a police report, so my husband did so - they will be driving by this evening to see if there is a Property Manager to contact or a way to get in the building to confirm the items are truly gone. I have also contacted our military contact - the people who gave this company everything we own.

So this letter is for two reasons. 1) To warn others with items in storage to get LOTS of Renter's Insurance - its cheap, and worth it. 2) To make sure we have done everything we can at this point. Any suggestions are appreciated.

I'd love to say that all's well that ends well, but I definitely feel burned by the whole situation.

We had opened a police report with the local department, who seemed compassionate about our situation and said he'd go by the building Monday (4/14) night to investigate the status of the buildings and items inside - he failed to mention that his next day at work was Friday. Four days is an eternity when all you can think about is the handmade toybox your father made for his very first grandchild.

We learned that the Trade Commission would have jurisdiction over licensing and fines for such a facility, if we had our things there for less than 90 days, over that, its considered permanent storage and out of their hands. And let's face it, the company no longer existed, so a fine isn't going to do us much good.

The military contact in the office that had originally placed our items in storage knew that the company was undergoing bankruptcy in February. She coordinated the move of all military-controlled storage items at that time, but our shipment wasn't flagged because we were past that 90 day limit and the military was no longer paying for the storage, so they essentially didn't know our things were still there. However Karlene ended up saving the day for us. She tracked down the cell phone number of the man that owned Wright Way - when she called him at first he tried to pretend he wasn't Jack Wright, but she was able to get him to admit it, and he stated he'd given any outstanding items to "SDS Incorporated". She asked for the number and he said he'd get it "in a few days". She pressed for a number by 1:00 that day (this was probably around 10am on Tuesday). By 3:00, she had confirmed that our household goods were safe and sound with SDS, and had two contact numbers for us.

When my husband spoke with SDS, he confirmed everything was intact, and that he actually had been an employee of Wright Way. When everything began to go south for the company, he decided to take control of the items in storage, moved them all to a new warehouse, and is still putting the business together to handle what he's jumped into. We certainly owe him a debt of gratitude and wish we could continue to be his customer, but after this experience we've made arrangements for a self-storage place very close by where I can go visit my things. And as soon as the police report is closed, we're upping our Renter's Insurance. It was only 24 hours from start to finish, but it is not a 24 hours I would ever want to relive.

The moral of the story: Renter's Insurance (and don't move until your house is actually and truly sold).

(Photo:Joy of the Mundane)

From CyberNet:

The URL of the coupon is:

https://moversguide.usps.com/img/coupon/bestbuy/200804_clientarea.gif

The first thing that popped into my head was that part of the filename for the image is just the year followed by the month. In this case the 200804 represents April, 2008. As it turns out the URL of the image changes from month-to-month almost like clockwork. So the next time you're looking to buy something from Best Buy check to see whether this coupon applies to you, and adjust the URL to represent the current month. USPS might be changing the URL as more people start to catch on, but by modifying the URL I can see that they've been using this structure for nearly a year.

Reusable" 10% Off Best Buy Coupon [CyberNet]

• Book well in advance( at least a week) with a MAJOR credit card
• If you reserve through the 1800 number, get your reservation number and call back a day or 2 before to find where to pick up your equipment. Do not wait for someone to call you.
• When you pick up, bring your drivers license and credit or debit card. It makes things easier for everyone.
• If you know a location that you prefer to pickup or drop off, let uHaul or the dealer know.
• Take the insurance, but only if you are not covered by your auto policy. No credit card will cover damage.

"I have read many of the horror stories on the web and consumerist, and have this to say... Every situation is different, when you get a good or bad experience it can be isolated to a single person or location. We think we have a partnership with Uhaul, we let them repair the equipment, we take care of the customers. Speaking for our location, I honestly never want to send someone out on a rental if I feel the equipment is unsafe, and with our primary business, there is NEVER a need to lie or treat people poorly.

"Overall, their equipment is in much better shape than when we were a dealer a few years ago, we are contributing to our bottom line with their product on our lot, and I would not say they are a bad company. Their software could use some streamlining and their intractable attitude as well."

ENVIRONMENTAL FEE Effective the week of March 4, 2008, Web BEST will begin charging an "Environmental Fee". This will be charged on all truck rentals. It is $1 per day on an In-Town with max of $5 and it is $5 per rental on a One-Way. This money will be set aside and spent on waste disposal and related activities.

Most auto part, tire stores and auto repair facilities have charged a similar fee for several years. Both Penske and Budget charge similar fees. The customer expects U-Haul as the industry leader to deal responsibly with these matters and we are.

Q: What is the environmental fee for?
A: To help defray a portion of the costs associated with the disposal and treatment of waste fluids, batteries, tires and many other environmentally hazardous wastes. In addition the fee will also be used to offset costs associated with the research, development and new technology U-Haul continues to add to it`s equipment and facilities.

Q: What if a customer complains about the fee?
A: You are in charge of your customer service, if you feel it is necessary to refund the customer, by all means, please refund them. As with any charge, you can reverse this fee. Before you do, ask yourself and your customer. "Do you want clean air and water thirty or fifty years from now? If so, pitch in."

(Thanks to le-garce!)

Feds crack down on moving industry [San Jose Mercury News]
RELATED: How To Find a Reputable Mover
(Photo: Getty)

San Francisco lawyer Thomas A. Cohen, an attorney for the class, called the settlement "a terrific resolution" and said plaintiffs had a right to return to court to bring a contempt motion if U-Haul was "somehow using words in a way . . . confusing to a customer."

The case involved U-Haul's practice of accepting all advance reservations booked online or with telephone reservation agents. Under the company policy, customers were to be told their reservation was "confirmed" and that they would be called the day before their move with instructions on where and when to pick up their equipment. According to the suit, many customers were forced to wait hours or days and travel long distances for the pickup.

In his ruling, Stevens said U-Haul had used "the words 'confirmed reservation' in order to lock up customers as soon as possible and minimize the chances that customers are going to shop around."

U-Haul settles California class action [L.A. Times]
(Photo: PetroleumJelliffe)

My wife and I signed up for Dish Network service last summer '06 and were fairly happy with it. Come this August we moved into a new house where another service was available and decided to switch. I called and canceled our service approximately 2-3 weeks before we were set to move (paying a prorated disconnect fee in the process), scheduling the last day of service to be the last day of the month. I was told by the Customer Service rep that I would receive pre-paid 'courtesy' UPS boxes to return the equipment. We expected the boxes to arrive before we moved, considering we'd given ample notice.

However, come moving day, no boxes had arrived. "No problem" we thought. After all, we had a forwarding address set up and if junk mail can find its way from the old address to the new, surely something as large as this will too.

Come next month I happen to look at my bank account and there's a $300 charge to Dish Network. I received no bill, no phone call, my bank account is simply $300 poorer. I immediately called them back and requested an explanation. It seems that the boxes were sent to our old address and not forwarded. They'll resend the boxes which should arrive in 3-5 business daysand as soon as we have a UPS tracking number, the money will be refunded. Case closed. Or so I thought.

Fast forward two weeks and the boxes haven't arrived. I called customer service again. Guess what? They sent the boxes to our old apartment address... again. I asked if there was a location near where I lived so that I could drop the equipment off myself and get my money back. I'm given a number to a local distributer. I'm told to leave a message and they'll get back to me. While waiting to hear back from the distributer I received a bill for $24.75 from none other than Dish Network. But I canceled the service! Ah, but I owe $25 in sales tax for the $300 worth of equipment I don't want. And here's the kicker: it's addressed correctly at our new house.

I, for a fourth time, call up customer service on Monday Nov 5th. In a rather irritated tone I skip the niceties and ask for the boxes to be sent to the address that I now know is quite firmly in their computer system. I'm assured that they'll be resent and that I'd have them by Friday. That was yesterday. Calling again this morning I'm told that the boxes have been mailed to my old apartment complex for a THIRD TIME. Supposedly they've sent a fourth set to my house this time, (which apparently will take 7-10 business days to arrive, contrary to the 3-5 it's always taken before) and I can finally get my money back.

I'm hoping that the inept CS reps can connect the addresses long enough to get these mailed correctly, but I expect in about 2 weeks I'll call back and yet again be told that they were sent swiftly to my old address along with a $24.75 charge going to collections (assuming it isn't withdrawn from my account without my permission again). Any advice (and publicity) is appreciated.

(Photo: diaper)

You have to register to post, and as Kevin Kelly points out on his blog, it's no CraigsList in terms of size or reach, but moving boxes are so expensive that "it's worth having another resource in your arsenal."

U-Haul Box Exchange [Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools]

RELATED
U-Haul Box Exchange Forum
(Photo: Getty)

We recently experienced a scam at Chelsea Mini Storage, Manhattan's largest public storage unit, that (according to an employee) is standard practice- customers who reserve storage units by phone arrive with their belongings to find that their room no longer exists, and are forced to accept smaller rooms for the same price.

In our case, I reserved a 7x10ft room for $194/mo, received a confirmation number, and spoke on several other occasions to salesmen (all of whose names I recorded) to re-confirm the room size, layout, book a moving company affiliated with CMS- Moves LLC, etc. I even called the day before our move to reconfirm and advise CMS of our arrival time. During each call I was assured that "we have thousands of rooms, we'll have your 7x10 no problem."

Upon arrival, sales staff kept us waiting for over 45 minutes for no apparent reason while our movers waited nearby with all our belongings. Finally, sales associate Johnny advised us that no 7x10 rooms were available, but that he would give us an 8x10 room for the same price. When we saw the room, we and the movers realized it was significantly smaller than 8x10- my 6ft boyfriend could barely stretch out across the width of the room.

We then asked for Kevin the manager- his bizarre explanation was that when you book a room, you're only locking in the price- not the room size (?). He rudely asked who I spoke to by phone, and when I produced the names and dates and noted that the same info is posted on their website, he changed tack, saying that he couldn't be responsible for what his staff may have told me. When I pointed out that Johnny had 10 minutes earlier promised us the 8x10 room for the 7x10 price, he said Johnny had misspoken, and then kept repeating that according to company records our room was in fact 7x10. We asked him to accompany us and measure for himself- he refused, saying he had no measuring tape! His helpful advice- make our things fit into the smaller room or pay almost twice the promised price for a larger room.

At this point our movers said that this was common practice at CMS and that the only way customers could be assured of having the rooms they'd reserved was to come in advance, sign the contract and put a lock on their empty room- otherwise, you're at CMS's mercy when you arrive with your belongings.

Hope this helps other consumers avoid the same problems.

(Photo: BrilliantTrash NYC)

I get a call from my bank on August 1 and they tell me that UHaul has just tried to charge $700 to my account and then $1000+...The first charge goes through but the second one is stopped. So now they are trying to charge me for their incompetence. I can't believe this. I contacted the bank and they understood, credited me back my money, filed a dispute, and issued me a new card. Thanks Wachovia.

UHaul: Go Fuck Yourself [More Willie]
(Photo: blmurch)

My wife and I have been subscribers of Time Warner Cable (digital cable + internet service) for over 3 years. We haven't had problems as big as most, but we've still had our issues here and there. Yesterday's happenings, however, take the cake.

Around 5pm my wife returned home from being out for much of the day only to find that our cable had been entirely shut off. She and I have just sold our place and are buying a new one, but we hadn't yet called TWC to have our service shut off. Needless to say, she was confused.

So she called TWC and received a wonderfully helpful CSR (sarcasm, here). She explained to him that our service had been disconnected, and wanted to know why. The CSR told her that it had been shut off because we didn't live there anymore. My wife attempted to explain to him that we, in fact, still live there and aren't moving out for at least 6 more days. She had to say "I am currently standing IN MY LIVING ROOM. WE STILL LIVE HERE."

The CSR then told my wife that they had documents from our buyer saying that he owned the place, and that our cable wasn't going to get turned back on. Keep in mind we never cancelled it. Also keep in mind that the buyer could not have had documents stating he owned the place because as of yet he hasn't received his final papers from Escrow. The CSR literally said (and I quote), "Erin, Erin. Erin. You're not going to get it turned back on. You're not. We are not going to turn it back on." (Erin is my wife's name).

Finally my wife escalated the call to a manager, who quickly turned it back on.

In short, our buyer went down to a TWC storefront and told them he was moving into our new place. TWC lied when they said they had proof that he owned it, because even our buyer doesn't have proof that he owns it yet. They shut our cable service off without contacting us to confirm, and simply took the word of a person who, as far as they're concerned, is a complete stranger. The CSR was disrespectful to my wife and told her there was no way in hell our service (that we pay for) was not going to get turned back on. The manager fixed it all.

(Photo: daedalicious)

Two weekends ago I was in a situation where I needed to move some furniture out of storage and into my new apartment. Between my own experiences and the reports on Consumerist.com I was hesitant to rent from U-Haul, despite their convenient location. I looked into renting a full size van from Enterprise or a truck from Home Depot or Lowes but since I was moving on a Sunday and under 25 years old neither worked out for me.

The rental itself wasn't half bad — I skipped paying the online reservation free knowing that the reservation wouldn't be guaranteed anyway and instead called ahead to the local store (number acquired via Google Maps). I managed to snag a 14' truck after waiting a few hours (3:30pm Sunday) and agreed to return it after-hours (~6pm).

When I get back to work on Monday I logged in to my bank website and saw a charge of $75 on my card followed by a credit of $19.82 — total charges at nearly $56. Confused, I called the local number and was transferred to a regional CSR (call was after-hours). The CSR was quite nice, offering to fax me a copy of the receipt and look into a double charge (for two rental periods). Of course, he followed up with neither of those promises.

Fast-forward to today, Monday, a week later. All I want is a copy of the bill and to contest the second $19.95 charge. Poking around on their website I find a form to request a copy of your bill. I fill out all of the information and at the end am asked if I agree to a $10 "research fee". Ridiculous!

So I call 1-800-GOUHAUL and try my hand again at raising them on the phone. That number, of course, is their national number, and we all know how well integrated U-Haul corporate is with their individual retail locations. Needless to say, they transferred me to a busy tone. Next I call the local U-Haul location and get hung up on. Twice. "Thank you for calling U-Haul, please hold — click."

After a call back to the national number I finally get the number of the regional call center. I get a nice rep named Phoebe on the line and explain that this is my 5th or 6th call on this issue. As luck would have it she is the executive assistant to the regional manager. (Executive support FTW!) She takes down my contact information, gives me a direct number to her office (skipping the IVR) and immediately emails me a copy of the bill as well as a confirmation of refund for the second billing period. Whoa!

I guess the lessons to be learned here are many:

1) Never reserve a truck online. Always call the local number. Make sure you're speaking with a local person — often the local number will ring over to a regional sales office.

2) Always check your credit card for the amount charged, particularly if using the key drop after business hours. Keep gas receipts to prove that you filled up and take pictures of the dolly and blankets in the back to prove you didn't use them.

3) If you need to contest your bill and are not near the local store, call the regional number. You can usually get this from the national CSRs. If you're looking for Western NY it's 888-761-9232. Pheobe G. was the rep who helped me — her title is Executive Assistant so she'll likely be able to get straighten out your problem. Please don't abuse this number!

4) U-Haul isn't evil, just mismanaged. If you are persistent you will eventually get someone on the line who genuinely cares about your issue.

Hope others find this information helpful. Thanks Consumerist!

Terry VH

(Photo: PetroleumJelliffe)

Gallant got recommendations from friends, and made the company agree on a "not to exceed" price for the move.

Goofus entered the moving company's name wrong in the Better Business Bureau site and so she didn't see the complaints racked up against the company she went with. She also signed a blank bill. Don't be Goofus.

RELATED:
How To Find a Reputable Mover
Things To Know Before You Freight Ship
8 Tips From A Moving Company
Trouble With Your Movers? Call The Department Of Weights And Measures!

The company says it's accidental, while annoyed judges have thrown out U-Haul's defense in some of these cases.

We wonder if it's less malice and more incompetence, demonstrating the inability of U-Haul corporate to influence what happens at the ground-level in their stores, with employees just grabbing whatever spare parts are around to fix trucks, even if they have giant EVIDENCE - DO NOT TOUCH tags.

Key trial evidence goes missing [LAT] (Thanks to frinklemur!)
(Photo: Al Seib)

During a yearlong investigation, Times journalists surveyed more than 200 U-Haul trucks and trailers in California and other states and found that more than half were overdue for a company-mandated "safety certification," a check of brakes, tires and other parts typically required every 30 days.

Some safety checks were more than a year overdue.

In response, U-Haul said its fleet of more than 200,000 vehicles is safe and well-maintained. It said it is investing heavily to modernize the fleet and spends about $350 million a year — about 20% of its rental revenue — on maintenance and repairs.

The Times checked the safety certification stickers of 207 U-haul trucks and trailers during January and February and found that about half the trucks and three-fourths of the trailers were more than 30 days overdue for safety certifications. Some trucks hadn't been inspected in many months; one was last certified in November of 2005.

U-Haul responded by claiming that the stickers probably fell off the trucks, or that the safety inspector had neglected to attach a new sticker. Even if the inspector had attached a sticker, it seems likely that the inspection or repairs never actually took place, according to several ex-employees quoted in the report:

"I would never rent a U-Haul truck," said David Esquivel Jr., who was a U-Haul mechanic in Fremont, Calif., before being fired under disputed circumstances during a union organizing campaign in 2004. "It's not dependable."

Darryl Stasher, formerly a top U-Haul executive in Mississippi, said he was accused of "hanging paper" when the company fired him in 2001. Stasher, who worked for U-Haul more than 17 years, said that the charge was a pretext in his case, but that the practice was rampant.

"They set standards and guidelines that, in reality, they knew were not happening," he said. "All these trucks were breaking down the day after they were rented, and after they said maintenance had been performed."

Upkeep lags in U-Haul's aging fleet [LA Times] (Thanks, Daniel!)
(Photo:Christina Alspaugh)

Traveling downhill or shaken by a sharp turn or a gust of wind, a trailer can begin swinging so violently that only the most experienced — or fortunate — drivers can regain control and avoid catastrophe.

The practice has killed dozens of customers...

When accidents do occur, U-Haul places the blame squarely with the customer, who is expected to learn how to safely tow a trailer from a detailed safety manual. Yet the manual is rarely distributed with trailer rentals, and there is no Spanish version. The Chairman of U-Haul, Edward Shoen says that a Spanish version is "a nice idea," but "we don't have a big demand for it."

U-Haul has already altered certain practices: they no longer let Ford Explorers tow trailers, not because the combination is dangerous, but because the Explorers have become "a magnet for attorneys."

Defying the evidence uncovered by the Times, Shoen is adamant that his vehicles are safe. "Our equipment is suited for your son and daughter. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say U-Haul is rated 10 in safety." — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER

Driving with rented risks [L.A. Times] (Thanks to Daniel!)

UPDATE: 6/18/07:

Thank you for your help! However - I just wanted to let you know that I did finally receive the refund check in today's mail. While it turned out your help wasn't necessary after all, it was a great relief just knowing that you were there and willing to look into the situation.

- Sarah

Dish Network has "sent me two refund checks" yet none of those checks have actually made it to my mailbox. The first time was blamed on the Chicago Postal system of my neighborhood so the second check was supposedly mailed to my work address.

They charged me for the full billing period, instead of the partial month for the last month of service. Since I didn't use the full billing period I am suppose to be refunded the overage.

March 24th I moved from my prior address...

...to a new apartment (which includes cable TV in the rent) so instead of transferring service I cancelled service. The first error was them not getting the correct disconnect date and instead of turning off service on March 24th (when I moved) they turned it off on April 1st. Silly me for not keeping a record of the conversation I had with the Dish Network representative because I could not prove the exact disconnect date. (I haven't made that mistake since - but still haven't gotten this issue resolved!) No big deal though - as long as the refund check came I wouldn't split hairs over them turning off service one week after I moved!

Meanwhile I received numerous calls asking to "come back" to Dish. After explaining to each representative that called that cable was included with my rent - I think I finally convinced them it would be silly for me to pay for cable through them when it was included in the price of my rent. They also said I could expect to receive payment 6 weeks after service has been turned off.

Six weeks later, no refund check had been issued. I called again on May 22nd and was told that a refund check had been issued (they had a check number) so they could not help me with the fact that I hadn't received the original one. I would have to wait until May 27th for the next step to happen.

May 29th I called again and asked to speak to a Manager. I was told that the check had been returned to them and they would now issue me another check. Later that day a representative from the financial department left me a message stating that before she could mail the check - she would have to verify the address since the original check was sent back to them. She left me her extension and the general phone number. After calling back I was told that unfortunately they did not have the capabilities to transfer me and maybe that person could help me. Finally I convinced them that I was returning a call and got transferred! Only to leave a message as the representative was busy.

The next day I still had not received a return call so decided to call back. Again I was told they did not have the capabilities to transfer me and maybe they could assist me. After again going round and round with that representative I was finally transferred directly to the financial representative who initiated the call. She assured me that the check would be in fact being dropped in the mail that day, confirmed my address and stated that it could have been a problem with the USPS. I gave her my work address and confirmed this would not be an issue. I also asked her if there was a direct number that I could call her at as getting transferred was a waste of about 15 mins of my day. She assured me she would "make a note on my account" and that it "shouldn't be a problem and I could expect the refund by June 9th, but if there was a problem to call her back".

It is now June 13th - 11 weeks after I initially cancelled my Dish Network account and I still have yet to receive a refund check! I called my friend in the finance department back today - after another 15 min conversation with the initial rep (again I was told she couldn't transfer me) I was told that my friend didn't have voice mail (which I know is not true as I left a message to her once before) and a note was made on my account and could expect a call back from her within the next 24 hours.

It is not a lot of money that is owed to me. It will not make or break me, however if I owed them $20.88 and didn't pay I would be sent to collections! They should be held equally as accountable. I have done everything correct and been patient enough - I don't know how to get this refund check and am hoping you can help!

- Sarah

1. Write complaint letter
2. cc to DISH HQ, your local Public Service Utilites Comission, Attorney General, and Better Business Bureau (make sure it notes the cc on the letter so everyone sees where it's going
3. Await response, results
4. If you get no favorable response, file suit in small claims court

UPDATE: Just as we were about to post, Sarah wrote again:

Okay - update on the refund check. I searched the internet and got EchoStar's (The parent company of Dish Network) corporate phone number. I used that number and surprisingly had no problem whatsoever getting directly transferred to Cora. She doesn't remember speaking with me prior to today's conversation and really couldn't say what happened to my refund check but has found it! And will now send it out in the mail today and I can expect it 7 - 10 business days from today. (I doubt this). First thing - I didn't know the check was "lost" and needed to be found and second - I must wait another frustrating 7 - 10 business days before this issue is resolved! I confirmed with her the address she is sending it to and asked for a direct number instead of the 1-800-333-DISH number as I've had difficulties getting through to her (no I'm not going to let her know I have a direct number to her!) She said there wasn't one and for me just to continue to use that number and she will leave a note on my account.

I've marked it down on my calendar yet again and we will see if the check actually got mailed this time.

1. Read Your Order For Service. If something is listed as an additional cost, that means they can possibly charge you that the day of the move. Whatever a sales person promises, get it in writing on your order for service.

2. You can accompany your mover to the weight scale to verify your weight when they leave your pick up.

3. Movers do need to pack items safely in order to assure the same condition on delivery as from pick up. Make sure your items are packed or you know their packing charges if you choose not to pack your own.

4. Update your items list 72 hours before your move to ensure the most accurate weight....

6. Boxes add more weight, if you tell a sales person you have 20 boxes and the movers pick up 100....your weight can change considerably. Example 80 boxes at an average 20lbs are 1,600lbs.

7. Moving companies have legally 30 days to deliver you items but the general delivery spread is 7-21 business days. If you are not paying for an expedited shipment, understand they cannot always guarantee a specific day, only a delivery spread.

8. Content of boxes need to be verified for shipment if they are valued over $100. If you are moving dvd players, dvds, game systems, etc., show the movers and make sure it is labeled on the inventory.

Now that's from the mover's perspective. Here's some more tips coming from the consumer side of things:

Things To Know Before You Freight Ship
Trouble With Your Movers? Call The Department Of Weights And Measures!
Moving On The Cheap
How To Find a Reputable Mover

— BEN POPKEN

In a reweigh conducted under the supervision of the Colorado Department of Weights and Measures, Bailey's Public Scales found the weight to be 980 lbs. ASAP Van Lines had billed her for 2100 pounds. Initially, based on her item list, ASAP quoted Candace for 1800 lbs.

The inaccurate weight seems to have sprung from a computer error at the original weigh station, says ASAP Van Lines.

Colorado Department of Weights and Measures is conducting an investigation into the incident.

Candace says she plans on filing a complaint with the State's Attorney.

In an email, Tiffany from ASAP Van Line wrote, "If a customer has any questions on a move, all they have to do is request a reweigh... the best way to close a matter is to just simply follow procedure and remain calm." — BEN POPKEN

PREVIOUSLY:
Update On That ASAP Van Lines Dispute
ASAP Van Lines Responds To Complaint Alleging $400 Bilking
Watch Out For Scammy Movers

"Probably pays for the fuel," writes Mark. He says he overheard this common scam when hauling for tradeshows and hearing teamsters bullshit on the loading docks.

Not sure how you can watch out for this, unless you