East Coast Van Lines. Luzi Gallegos Jasmine Martin We were given false and misleading information regarding balances due and the form of those payments. Were were also overcharged while the moving company also lost irreplaceable items and caused damages Metuchen NJ

They created additional fees for long hall ways, elevators, fuel and others fees. They asked for incorrect balance due payments in the wrong form causing additional fees while holding our belongings hostage until payment was made.  Well, there are additional long carry fees associated with every move, regardless of which company performs your move, along with fuel surcharges and all of the other fees you cite. 

Those fees aren't errors or you as a consumer being gouged - those fees are a part of every move and are standard throughout the industry.  You weren't overcharged if they included those fees in the move.  Movers register their tariffs with the state authority and the DOT when they get licensed; those tariffs always include those charges.

In addition, it is not considered holding your goods hostage if you haven't paid the final bill, regardless of whether you think the bill is correct, or not.  Legally, you must pay the bill in full BEFORE the goods are delivered, per the contract you signed - which is standard.  You do not pay AFTER the goods are delivered - no mover in the industry works this way. 

Otherwise, the moving company has no leverage to get payment from you if you decide to be a deadbeat.  Legally, the only way the goods could be considered held as hostage is if the mover packed your goods, drove away, and then decided to hike the price upward after your contract was signed (again, the fees like surcharges and long carries) don't count in order for them to deliver. 

For example, if I said your move would be $5,000 total, you and I sign a contract.  I drive away, and then I call you a few days later and tell you the price is really $9,000 and I won't deliver unless you pay me $9,000 total.  That's a hostage load and is illegal.  However, if your price is $5,000 and you don't pay that amount before I deliver - that isn't a hostage load.  That is legal according to the Department of Transportation.  Based on the information you wrote, your goods were not held hostage.

In addition, a company cannot even begin the process of processing a claim until payment is received in full so using the final payment as hostage until the claim is processed won't work either.  Again, that's standard throughout the industry.

Now, here is what I don't understand:

You are writing your complaint from California, but you don't indicate where you moved to or from.  If you weren't in the state of NJ when you started the move, then why did you bother calling a company in NJ to perform your move??  I'm sure there are a lot of legitimate movers at your origin point that you could or should have called.  NJ and FL are where a lot of scam movers are located and consumers must be careful when selecting a mover from either of those locations.  If you found these movers on the internet, then why would you trust someone off of the internet to move your precious items?

Moving is not an inexpensive venture; it is far more expensive than a consumer will realize.  Using a mover you find on the internet to perform your move is the dumbest thing you can do as a consumer.  Find one of the large movers in your city and have them come out to see everything that needs to be moved BEFORE the move takes place. 

If you don't trust them, or they won't come out to view what needs to be moved, then eliminate them from consideration.  Don't fall for anything you hear over a phone - a mover only works off of a written contract; any promise they make over a phone is meaningless.  The quote you receive over the internet will be cheaper than the large local mover - BUT now you have a lot of broken items.  In the long run, the large local mover will be cheaper.

No, I do not work for this or any other mover...