Date:         Thu, 9 Sep 2010 06:57:43 -0700
Reply-To:     Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Westy being held to ransom was: wetfalia stock weight
Comments: To: Florian Speier <groups.florian@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <AANLkTi=9Ekw8XLNVkD8FZ8iOuOAk+LhLP0reDmCCd7Em@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Unfortunately, the interstate moving industry is effectively unregulated
And scams are common.

"http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/SavingandDebt/P95319.asp

The interstate moving industry has been all but unregulated since 1995,
when Congress got rid of the Interstate Commerce Commission.

      * The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which
        is nominally responsible for interstate movers, focuses on
        reducing crashes. The agency has just three employees who
        monitor movers and cannot intervene on an individual consumers
        behalf.

      * The FBI has investigated some complaints and last year busted 16
        southern Florida movers in Operation Stow Biz. But the agency is
        among the first to admit that the arrests barely made a dent in
        this scam-infested industry.

      * Complaints about movers have more than tripled in the past
        decade, according to the Council of Better Business Bureaus,
        with 9,405 lodged last year alone. Like all good pirates, moving
        industry swindlers have taken note of the lack of regulation and
        enforcement, exploiting it to their full advantage.
      * "Typically, the con artists lull you with a lowball quote. Once
        your goods are on their trucks, they demand you pay two, three
        or even four times the agreed-upon amount. If you balk, your
        household goods are tossed into a warehouse somewhere to molder
        until you give in.

--
Rocky J Squirrel


On Wed, 2010-09-08 at 19:19 -0600, Florian Speier wrote:
> sorry I have to vent here a little.
>
> shockingly enough, the moving company is now holding my van to ransom.
> The guy is unwilling to deliver my van unless I beforehand agree in
> writing to pay him $800 instead of the $600 in the Uship contract by
> tomorrow night, otherwise he will increase his price. He is not
> willing to bring it here and discuss a solution. Per the Uship
> agreement, last weeks friday was the latest acceptable delivery date.
> He accepted the load when loading and said the weight is no problem.
> We even fixed a flat tire on his trailer for free and stored his
> trailer for four days for him. When he finally left he plowed over the
> gate with serious damage.
>
> aaargh.
>
> thanks for listening. sorry for bothering the list.
> Florian