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Mover Fraud

Writer's picture: David MirhoseiniDavid Mirhoseini

By Deb Miller, West Virginia Senior Legal Aid Contributor


 It was a horror story happening to him, and Tom couldn’t believe it.       


He wanted to move his family from Florida to West Virginia and called an interstate moving company he saw advertised. 


Tom signed a contract to have their belongings packed and moved. The cost estimate of $9200 was based mainly on the estimated number of pounds to be shipped and the distance involved.


Tom’s contract was actually with a broker. No one mentioned that the broker’s company was not going to handle the move itself.


When a broker lines up a moving company to handle the actual move, a second contract should be signed with the customer to lock in the terms and price, but often that is not done. Tom wasn’t aware of that important protection. 


Many learn there is a different company involved when the mover shows up, but they believe they are still covered under the contract with the original company they negotiated with.


The mover and crew arrived on moving day and demanded an immediate payment of $10,700 in cash, money order, or a cashier’s check from Tom after everything was loaded. The mover claimed the broker’s estimate was faulty.


had mentioned to Tom that there was a way to check for legitimate interstate movers online and learn more about the process. The information is available on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) website at  https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move.

 

At that point, Tom regretted not having done that. He thought he was being ripped off. 


On the other hand, he knew he had to get things going for the move. Like many, he paid but felt cheated.  


Even after paying the full amount, things didn't go well. After Tom and his family had arrived at their new home, their belongings had not. 


Over the next three days, Tom spent hours calling people and trying to figure out where their beds, dressers and other household items were. He got very little information, and no delivery occurred. Because it was an interstate move, he couldn’t just call the county Sheriff’s Department for help. 


Feeling angry and frustrated, Tom checked the FMCSA website and learned that the mover was violating federal law by not being registered or licensed. That also meant that the company was probably not insured for losses, late deliveries, or damaged items. 


The FMCSA website provides information on the registration status, contact information, number of trucks, safety record, insurance coverage, previous complaint history, and other important factors about registered moving companies. 


After being in their new home for five days with only what they had brought along crammed in their two vehicles or had bought locally, Tom called the FMCSA at 888-368-7238 to file a complaint against the mover.  As some of their belongings finally arrived later that day, he wondered when the nightmare would end.


For West Virginia residents age 60 and over with legal issues, feel free to contact West Virginia Senior Legal Aid at 800-229–5068 or info@seniorlegalaid.org.

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