Trucks On Call Moving Mania Holding my belongings hostage, failed to inform me of arbitration, increased price 5 times. Washington District of Columbia

Original price was $1,284.00. Midway thru the loading of my things onto the truck, I was told my price had increased to $5,447.00.  The price you were initially quoted was a fake quote to get the business and wasn't binding.  If no one actually came to see what it is that you need to move, then the initial quote you received was worthless.  The inventory sheet you completed is also worthless because the mover can simply claim the sheet missed a lot of stuff.  The reality is this:  The price you were quoted would maybe cover the gas needed to transport your goods from NJ to FL and that's about it.  Without knowing how much you had, I can't tell how much your quote should have been, but $5K might be about right, or maybe a little less.

first they had negotiated to $4,000, but later increased it again once they found I had contacted the police.  What did you expect the police to do?  Even if the police came, the cops would tell you this is a civil matter - not a criminal one - and tell you to work it out between yourselves.  Since there is no crime, there is nothing for the police to do.

Needless to say, I did not make the deposit. I offered to pay them with certified funds upon delivery. Big surprise!!! "that's not how we operate".  What does your contract state?  It probably says either cash or certified check.  Not upon delivery.  Before.

but I have no idea if my things are there or haven't already been sold.  They cannot legally sell your items.  They need your cash - not take the time to sell your items.  Scam movers exist because the law allows them to exist; they won't do anything that is illegal.

What they are committing is fraud and extortion.  No, actually they are not committing any crime whatsoever.  Now, if they had loaded everything onto the truck and driven away, and then told you the price would be $5K, then that would be a crime, specifically hostage loading.  But if you signed the revised contract, and the truck was not fully loaded, then there was no crime.

How this is not a crime,I'll never know. All I do know is I will continue to contact every local and federal  agency everyday so that this doesn't happen to another person out there.  Because Federal Law, specifically the Carmack Amendment, makes all of this legal, and it's been legal for a number of years.  The lawyers you contacted probably know they can never win a case against a mover because of this amendment.  Your Congressman will call the DOT - a department with only 3 people overseeing the entire moving industry in the US, for something that is currently legal.  You cannot sue for fraud, misrepresentation, or extortion because of Carmack.  If you have not paid the mover - pay him because his contract probably says he doesn't have to deliver until he's paid.

It's been a devastating and heartbreaking experience for myself and my entire family and one that i'll never recover from. Some things can be replaced,a piece of furniture, a dress, but the things you've obtained your whole life, things you bought with your money, are in some dirty warehouse and are stolen property.  This statement alone makes me wonder why in the world you decided to book a move with all of your treasured possessions to a cut-rate mover??  I'm guessing you never contacted any of the legit movers local to you in NJ to perform the move, because the price to perform the move might have been $5K - $7K or more.  But consumers often look at United, or Bekins, or Allied, or Atlas, or the other legit movers and conclude they're too expensive - which then means your prized possessions aren't worth that amount of money.  So they shop based on price, and this happens to the consumer.

My recommendation:  Pay whatever is required to get your items.  At this point, that's your only option.  Apologize to the mover so you can get your stuff.  You don't have to mean it.  You just want your stuff.

The REAL moral of the story is this:  Moving is not an inexpensive venture.  It costs much more than you believe because there is nothing in the move process that is automated and no two moves are alike.  Labor is expensive and so is fuel.  Stay off the internet when shopping for a mover and find a mover who is local to you, even if that means looking in the Yellow Pages.  Use the internet to research interstate moves ONLY.  If you're in NJ, you don't need a mover in VA.  The mover you should find is in NJ.  Have them come to your home and see everything needing to be moved.  Yeah, it costs more, but the quote you get is binding; it cannot increase by more than 10%.  If people want scam movers out of business, then they should either (a) contact a legit mover in your city, or (b) DIY.  These scam companies will simply starve.

Best of luck to you...