Budget Van Lines, Great American Moving Company Florida Totally scammed by Budget Vanlines and Great American Movers New York,New York Florida

Jim, Great American Moving & Storage's DOT number, although Out Of Service as of Tuesday, is 1421153.

According to the FL Department of Corporations, here is the contact info for Great American Moving & Storage.

YAMIN, KOBY (c/o Spiegel & Utrera, Registered Agent)
6557 AUTUMN WOODS
NAPLES FL 34109

Send a Certified Letter, Return Receipt Requested, to that address, requesting a claims form.

If that fails, try these addresses:

From the FL Dept of Corporations:

MORDECHAI, YONA (Registered Agent, person authorized to receive mail on thier behalf)
250 174TH ST #1001
SUNNY ISLES FL 33160

RATZON, YUVAL (President)
2375 E CAMELBACK RD 5TH FLOOR STE #500
PHOENIX AZ 85016

From their DOT report (probably a rental mailbox, least effective)
19390 COLLINS AVE #602
SUNNY ISLES, FL 33160
(954) 662-9191

5531 N UNIVERSITY DR #101
CORAL SPRINGS FL 33067

From their BBB report:
4206 Inverrary Blvd Ste. #79B
Lauderhill, FL 33319
There Koby is listed as Vice President. The President, Gil Naftali, removed his name fromt he paperwork last year.

If, after a few weeks you still have nothing from them, contact their Cargo Insurance Policy holder directly and show them that you have tried to contact the movers. Great American's license has been revoked, so at least they're not doing this to anyone else.

Cargo Insurance Policy # 06SP4136
UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON
Attn: LLOYD'S ILLINOIS INC
Address: 181 W. MADISON, SUITE 3870
CHICAGO, IL US 60602
Telephone: (212) 382 - 4060
Fax: (212) 382 - 4070

I really hope you're able to get something.

Deanna, there were a great many things you did wrong regarding this move and you will probably be prevented from enacting justice on anyone, or recover much of anything regarding the damaged items. I won't go into specifics (unless you wish to) regarding your situation because movers have legal protection under Federal Law that will bar you from suing them for damages, but there is general information you should know.

1. Moving is not an inexpensive proposition and if you were to research what the larger, more reputable moving companies would have charged you - their price is the reality. You got lured in by an inexpensive price, and you really paid for it. Never choose a mover on price - you choose a mover based on a face-to-face meeting with them weeks BEFORE the move ever takes place, and how comfortable you are with having their company place your items onto their truck. Instead of telling people not to use this broker and this mover, tell them to never use any broker to move your goods.

2. The internet is a terrible place to find a mover. It is a great place to research a mover. Next time, find the phone book and seek out a mover near you (brick and mortar) who will come to your house, see what you have to move, and give you a price that won't go up by 200%. Yes, it might be more expensive than $2,100, but from what I can gather - it would seem you REALLY paid MORE than a reputable mover would have charged you.

3. Broker responsibilities end when you sign the contract... That's why you never use a broker, or someone who will dish your move out to someone you never met. Amy told you exactly what their responsibilities and duties are; you probably paid them a deposit - and they keep that for the services rendered.

Now, I have some questions for you:

1. On the written quote you received from your broker, does it indicate how much the weight of your shipment was, or is it in cubic feet? Does it have both?

2. Do you happen to have the USDOT# for Great Western - I want to do a little research and see what I can find on them....