RIGHT ON TIME MOVING North Hollywood California MOVED ME 5 MONTHS AGO-STILL NO SHOW -UPPED PRICES AND ALWAYS THE RUN-AROUND.

What does consumer fraud have to do with moving fraud? You never attempted to claim the woman was committing fraud, so what does your allegation have to do with the issue of this woman's complaint against you?

Since you did mention fraud, though, why don't you tell us where you are getting your statistics of all these cheats from? I'd like to check out your data for myself. I'm sure some of this goes on, but I've read NUMEROUS horror stories of people being victimized by crooked movers.

I just gotta know; are you trying to justify all this fraud by saying the consumers are crooks too, so that makes it ok? That seems to be your message. If you feel that way, let me ask you something; do you cheat on your taxes because you figure everyone else does it too so that makes it ok?

Do you think the IRS would agree with your belief that because some people cheat that makes it ok for you to do too? Would you try that defense in court, if you were caught cheating? If not, then why try to justify what you do by complaining about crooked customers? Isn't that just a ploy to take the heat off you for doing what you know isn't right?

"Excederates"?....The legitimacy of that word matches the legitimacy of your rebuttal,
Antoinette.

The hypothetical "customer rip-offs" to which you allude don't make a pimple on the a$$ of moving company vs. client unethical practices and ongoing problems.

I do agree with your posture, however. The best defense can often be a good offense.

Crooked, unethical moving companies are legion. You're in good company.

Federal regulations require that a moving company that has issued a non-binding estimate must release the customer's goods upon the customer's payment of no more than 110% of the estimate amount. That is, the customer pays the original estimate amount plus 10 percent. The balance (if it's legitimate) must be paid off in 30 days hence. There are no blame-the-customer exceptions to this rule. The regs are found in Title 49 (Transportation), Code of Federal Regulations, chapter 375.

It is obvious that companies like R.O.T. do not attempt to inform customers of this rule -- and instead proceed to demand the full, doubled or tripled, inflated fee after the goods are on the truck. And even when confronted with the rule, the moving company will ignore it simply because it can get away with it. (Exactly what can the customer do to make them turn over his property? Hold up the moving company with firearms? If only...)

There are, in practical effect, no consequences for the crooked moving company. The U.S. DOT's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has nominal oversight over interstate household goods movers, and is too understaffed to address the flood of complaints it gets today. Only the worst of the worst ever get hit with an enforcement action, and unfortunately, local police too often believe that "hostage freight" is a civil matter over which they have no jurisdiction.

Contrary to R.O.T.'s "customer service executive," demanding more than 110% of the non-binding estimate amount and threatening to auction off the property if an amount greater than that is not paid on the spot is NOT legal. In fact, estimate fraud and "hostage freight" extortion is quite ILLEGAL. Problem is there's no sheriff in town.

Here's the FMCSA's consumer complaint hotline anyway: 1-888-DOT-SAFT. Call and leave a complaint. At least there will be a record of your complaint, and when enough complaints pile up against R.O.T., the FMCSA may finally undertake an enforcement action against it.

Also contact your state attorney general and your representatives in Congress. Certain members of Congress are considering enacting national pro-consumer legislation to protect against this kind of unconscionable practices. But it won't happen unless we all make our experiences known.

Remember The Saying The Customer Is Always Right

While In The Moving Industry Half The Time The Customers Have Been Found Doing Fraudulant Activities Like Filling A Claim For Items That Were Not Even Included In The Shipment Or Claiming The Same Items That Were Damaged In A Prior Move Basically I Have Witnessed This.

It Is Funny To Send Out An Inspector Out To A Customer Who Has Filled A Claim And The Inspector Comes To The Conclusion That The Damage Was There Prior To The Move. The Moving Industry Already Has A Bad Name But What About The Consumer Who Over Excederates The Experience That They Have Had With The Companies Who Move Them. And Then Demands A Huge Amount Of Compensation. I Have Seen Some Claims That Are Based At .60 Cents Per Lb Per Article.

Once They Collect From The Moving Company. They Turn Around And Put A Claim In To There Home Owners Or Renters Insurance Carrier And Get Anywhere From $10,000 To $50,000 Dollars As Compensation Back. Is This Insurance Fraud Are What. Basically Take A Good Look At Both Sides Before You Judge. And Look Into The Laws That Govern Moving Companies.

Thank You For Your Time

The whole moving industry was basically given a free hand by Congress in about 1995 or so. Why in the world this was done is beyond me, but the crooks basically have an "open season" ticket on consumers. Not all moving companies are crooks, but the ones who are, like the outfit above, are really despicable, and you basically have no rights and no options but to either pay whatever they demand, or kiss your stuff goodbye. It would be cheaper to donate it to goodwill, and at least that way you could write it off your taxes.



As to the moving company's lame response, that is just so typical. When I saw the part about M.G. saying they would never find a better price, I thought "run for your lives" cause this guy is gonna low-ball you and take you for a ride. And as you know by now, he can legally do that.



Bottom line; get a PROFESSIONAL company to come to your home and see what you have, and get a BINDING estimate!!! Do not settle for anything else, or you are at risk of this happening. Any PROFESSIONAL company, unlike this one, will come and inspect your goods and give you a binding estimate. If they won't do that or if they low-ball you, you are going to get taken.

This is a common scam, unfortunately seen all to often on Rip-off Report.com. Mostly, the quote is made over the phone, when regulations require on-site inspections prior to a quote. Then the job is sub-contracted. Then we see a moving company ripping off another moving company, and what happens next is the client is stuck in the middle. What leverage does the second moving company have? None, except to hold the property of the client. We should point out that this practice is proscribed by federal statute.

The truth of the matter is the consumer had more property then told to the estimator we never give a flat rate or a binding estimate we only quote our price per cubic foot and also assist the customer in the calculations of cubic feet this estimate in perticularwas based on cubic feet and based on the invetory list.



we have a signed bill of ladding the total cost came to be about $6,000.00 to redelver and accured storage cost.



The truth of the matter is we have ever right to put a lien on the property and aution it off. I have tried to work with the client and hold off on putting a lien on the property and setting it up for auction. to this date the client has not called back to work this out. and yes we do not work for free....



thank you for your time...



sincerly,

Antoinette Garcia

Customer relations executive