U-Save Moving’s Photo Slideshow
February 11, 2010 by admin
Filed under Moving Tips and Advice, Moving scams
Unlike some of my competitors, I actually do moving for people….I don’t just say I do.
I have put a lot of time and effort into this website to help you and to ensure that you know we are a legitimate moving company. It is hard to prove that to someone from a Yellowpages ad or Craigslist post…
So I thought that I would share with you a photo slide show of our moving customers and places we have been. I hope you enjoy it.
Thank you.
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Moving Scams Cry “Foul”.
January 24, 2010 by admin
Filed under Moving scams
As a service to you I put me neck on the chopping block to expose the moving scams and those that commit to do them. As a result I have a lot of moving scam “moving companies” screaming mad at me, and you know what? ….I love it!
I know that I am doing my jobs when the people that are defrauding you of your hard earned money are screaming foul.
I one “moving company” owner that is a complete coward. This person lives over a 100 miles away from me so thinks by calling incessantly telling me how he is “going to kick my ass” or informing me that he knows where I live scares me. Well first off it is very brave (said sarcastically) to tell me you are going to engage in physical violence when you are 100 miles away. Two; telling me you know where I live is not a threat. I clearly have already told the entire internet when I posted the address on my website and over the web. And three; seriously! You thinking harassing me over the phone, childish threats and empty promises really intimidate me? It only makes you look as unprofessional as I have already told everyone you are.
Another person claiming he is a mover is crying foul. This time it is from someone that I exposed as having a fraudulent moving company and illegal moving ads posted on the internet. So what does he do? he post on Craigslist this following post:
It does not matter if I use a 14×7 enclosed trailer to move a 3 bdr house. So what if it takes 2 or 3 trips. Dont target me because im out there tryin to make money. I am licensed, and I am a pro. I dont hide behind a fake website, tryin to piss people off. Watch who your talking about! You should take my name and ad off your web page.
No joke.
The person can’t spell. Horrible grammer and he admits that he has to make multiple trips when he does a move.
Do the math. A professional mover with the right equipment can do an average size house or apartment, from start to finish in about 3 hours. This person has to do it about 6 hours. I have checked what he charges for the moves he does and he charges $60/hr. So 6 hours times $60 equals $360.
I charge $95/hr. I will do the same move in 3 hours. So lets add this up: $95 times 3 hours equals $285.
So who really is cheaper? And who really is the professional here?
But this person has to make himself right by claiming I harming him. Maybe. But he is harming you and making my industry look bad. He is not a professional mover in any shape or form.
He claims to me that he is licensed and insured. He blatantly lies. Maybe he is licensed and insured for his vehicle but not as a mover. I know as I personally called him and I asked him for his USDOT and MPSC numbers. He didn’t even know what they were nor the fact he needed them.
So I know that I am doing good in this world when bad people and fraudulent “movers” are called out and exposed and they are upset for it.
So remember this! Moving scams will scream foul when exposed. They cannot stand the light of truth. They kick and scream and carry on like a spoiled child but in the end they remain the same as they have always been. Slick con artists and bullys.
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Moving Scams And Identity Theft
January 20, 2010 by admin
Filed under Moving Tips and Advice, Moving scams
It is known that moving scam companies will hire criminals and sex offenders as I have already reported on. Now you can add to that mix identity theft.
I found this great article about a new threat to using moving scammers. Check it out below:
As if there weren’t enough worries about identity theft in this era high-tech, password/encrypted technology, we have to remind ourselves that identity theft still happens because of the hard technology and documents you expose to the world.
Consider the case of William Pollock, a young man from Texas who was looking to find a solid moving company to help move his family to Pennsylvania.
Pollock shopped around for a few different movers, as most of us would do, and when he wasn’t happy with their price quotes, he turned to Craigslist. There he found Moo-Ving.com, a company with a professional enough web site and, what’s more attractive, a far lower price quote.
Caveat emptor. As it turned out, the company took Pollock’s $5,000 in upfront cash and started making demands, telling him that they wouldn’t move his belongings unless he paid their fees. Eventually the company stored his belongings in a secret location, essentially holding his private property hostage.
This kind of theft isn’t as cut and dry as “routine” identity theft. You know not to give out your credit card number unless the person taking it has a good reputation and the interaction is secure. But what about private dealings with companies that appear to have good web sites?
List of Red Flags
Let’s consider some of the red flags Pollock could have considered:
* He found the moving companies on Craigslist rather than through more traditional methods.
* He didn’t do a lot of research into the reputation of the company.
* He paid upfront in cash.All of these elements, put together with a company like Moo-Ving.com, spelled disaster.
How to Protect Yourself
How can you avoid this type of mistake? Simple: work with reputatable businesses when you entrust your belongings to someone else, and make sure that you pay after a job is well done, not before.
If you’ve become a victim of a company like this, you can turn to MoveRescue – an organization funded by some of the larger moving companies that provides legal help and assistance to consumers stuck in this situation.
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Moving Scams On Twitter
January 20, 2010 by admin
Filed under Moving Tips and Advice, Moving scams
Moving scams are very prevalent on Craigslist.com and other classified ad websites. This is well known, but I have seen a growing trend with the moving scams that have me a little disturbed: Moving scams on Twitter and other social media websites.
With a free profile and the ease in which you can build a huge following on Twitter it is not surprising to see moving scams companies using the power and legitimacy of Twitter to further their “moving companies”.
Having said that, though, not all the moving companies on Twitter are moving scams. Quite the opposite.
One thing that I find with the moving scam companies is that they do tend to be internet phobic. Meaning they only flock to the internet websites that are easy to use. Harder to use websites like YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Redgage etc you will be hard pressed to find moving scam companies.
So when using a moving companies that are found on Twitter make sure that you follow my advice on this website and do your research. Do this and you will avoid the moving scams on Twitter.
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More Craigslist Mover Scams Ads
January 4, 2010 by admin
Filed under Moving scams
Just today I came across this ad on Craigslist. It is indicative of the typical Craigslist mover scam ads that proliferate Craigslist and other similar websites.
Check it out:
I have a 14×7 enclosed trailer, dollies, blankets, and I can provide all labor for your move. I have up to a four man crew with dollies, for your truck loads/unloads. Either way I can save you money. Call for a reasonable quote. Corey (517)256-2549
Okay, lets say you are moving a 3 bedroom home. Tell me how many trips will it take and long will the move last with a pickup and 14′x7′ trailer? I don’t know, but I do know that it will take a long time.
This Corey may be a good person and very honorable, but he is far from a professional or even a legitimate mover. I’ll wager he is not even close to being insured let alone being licensed.
Remember, there are professional movers on Craigslist. But not all of them are professional movers.
So watch out for the craigslist mover scams by reading the ads.
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Choose Reputable Movers Over The Cheapest
November 27, 2009 by admin
Filed under Moving News, Moving scams
Here is the story of a couple that was “scammed” by a moving company. What they fail to recognize is that they tried to scam the system and became a victim of their own greed.
Don’t get me wrong: I am not sticking up for the moving company at all. What they did is wholly wrong and I hate them for it; but lets be honest: This couple hired these movers for one reason only: Because they were cheap.
Cheap movers often tend to be the moving scammers. Why? Because that is how they lure you in. They quote a very low price, knowing that they cannot do the move for that amount, then when it comes time to deliver your possessions then that is when they hit with they a higher bill that you have to pay BEFORE you can get your furniture.
So here is this couples story:
Movers Beware
By Melissa HolnbachStory Created: Nov 25, 2009
Story Updated: Nov 25, 2009
As if moving wasn’t hard enough, imagine having your bed, furniture and photo albums held for ransom. That’s exactly what happened to the Lockwood family moving from South Carolina to St. George, Utah.Tips to keep yourself from being the next victim of a moving scam, whether you’re moving cross country or around the corner.
1. Make Sure your mover is licensed
2. Check the Better Business Bureau’s database to find out your movers reputation.
3. Also Check websites like movingscam.com that gives customer comments on whether they were satisfied.
4. Also check the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ( FMCSA ) it helps regulate interstate moves.
5. And always check with the moving company before signing anything to make sure that no additional costs will be added, and if there might be, make sure there agreed upon so there’s no surprises. This also helps if you do get scammed when you go to court.
So don’t hire mover because they are cheap. Hire the the most affordable reputable movers.
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Illegal Movers Hire Sex Offenders And Criminals
November 24, 2009 by admin
Filed under Moving Company Reviews, Moving News, Moving scams
When you hire illegal rogue movers you are not only taking a risk of being scammed, but you are also letting known sex offenders and convicted criminals know where you live.
Illegal movers (also called “rogue movers”) often hire the cheapest labor they can find. Many of these labors are sex offenders and criminals. And we are not talking about minor offenses either people; we are talking major felonies.
Recently a state agency did a sting of movers and what they found was appalling. Here is what they found:
[M]any of the subjects who posed as movers had felony convictions. Some of the crimes were Rape I, Robbery II, Assault IV, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, and drug charges. Two were registered sex offenders.
You may not be aware of these little things, but you cannot trust the workers of illegal movers. These people have already demonstrated a lack of morals and ethics, so what is preventing them from stealing from you? Are you moving with young children?
…You may want to re-think hiring those low-baller illegal rogue movers.
Here in Michigan I have reported several moving companies that may not be your first option to hire. These guys have all proven (to me) that they are lawless, and in my research I have found some horrifying facts…
Greater Michigan Movers: The owner Mike has a criminal record. Last year the police raided his home and confiscated his computer because it was filled with child porn.
AAfordable Movers: They are also pimps. Google their phone number and you’ll find several listings for hookers that they placed on Craigslist and Backpage. They call themselves “Angel’s Angels”.
A Better Move: A good portion of their labor force are criminals. It has been reported that they even had hire one individual that was on a tether (ankle bracelet.)
And this is just starting to scratch the surface.
There is tons of dirt I could shovel at you, but I believe you get the picture.
So what you need to do is hire legitimate moving companies. Licensed and insured companies have to put their work force through background checks. Of course that doesn’t mean it is full-proof but you are better served and can rest easier knowing that you are getting the best.
I wrote this not to scare you, but to inform you. Now that you know the truth you can avoid these illegal movers and have a stress free move.
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Illegal Rogue Movers Busted In Oregon
November 18, 2009 by admin
Filed under Moving News, Moving scams
In the latest war on movers, Oregon has taken on setting up a sting to catch illegal movers (also called “rogue movers“) in the act.
A little history lesson for you folks. Oregon is embroiled in a large war on movers. They had, up to recently, a very oppressive law which basically hindered and stopped movers from ever becoming licensed and insured. You can read about that here.
That law has been nixed.
However, Oregon has decided it will now start going after the movers again in new sting operations.
Here is an article detailing what the found and how they punished these movers:
In an effort to ‘crack down’ on unlicensed and uninsured moving operations, the Oregon Department of Transportation partnered with Beaverton Police Department on an undercover enforcement operation. Consumer protection was a key goal of the operation.
Illegal household goods movers often advertise on web sites or bulletin boards offering to help people with a move for a fee. Many consumers don’t realize that these “companies” don’t have legal operating authority or insurance and in some cases, safe vehicles and drivers. Consumers who choose an unlicensed mover, whether intentionally or unintentionally, may have little or no recourse for loss or damage to their property, may be charged higher than normal fees, and may be at higher risk for property or identity theft.
In today’s operation, ODOT Motor Carrier inspectors and Beaverton police officers looked for two things. First, was the mover properly certified with the state to offer moving services? Second, was the mover’s vehicle and driver properly registered with the state and was the vehicle in safe working condition?
ODOT Motor Carrier staff identified non-certified moving companies, then made appointments to meet at a decoy house. Upon arrival, the movers were met by ODOT and law enforcement officers who checked drivers and trucks for any violations.
During today’s operation there were 23 vehicle related violations issued; no vehicles were placed out of service for safety violations. Additionally, two citations were issued for other violations; one for driving while suspended and one for failure to provide proof of insurance.
The most commonly written citation was (ORS 825.100) Holding Out For-Hire Without Operating Authority; which holds a $472.00 fine. Some of the other citations were for no medical cards, no fire extinguishers, no USDOT markings or no warning devices.
Twelve “companies” had been booked for a moving date today. Nine of the twelve showed and were issued the various citations.
Past operations in Fairview, Bend, Eugene, Canby, Medford and Portland resulted in multiple citations for Operating without Proper Authority and other violations, and multiple arrests were made for outstanding warrants and parole violations.
Although no arrests were made on today’s sting operation, many of the subjects who posed as movers had felony convictions. Some of the crimes were Rape I, Robbery II, Assault IV, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, and drug charges. Two were registered sex offenders.
Moving is a regulated industry in Oregon. Any company or person that offers household goods moving services must be certified by ODOT. The companies also run background checks on perspective employees.
Certified movers are trained to follow industry standards for loading, moving and unloading property. In addition, the companies are required to charge approved, reasonable rates. They must also carry liability and property damage insurance and the vehicles must meet federal safety standards.
This website has over 200 articles teaching you how you can avoid these illegal rogue movers and avoid moving scams.
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Police Arrest Man For Illegal Craigslist Moving Ad
November 16, 2009 by admin
Filed under Moving News, Moving scams
Man Gets Fined For Craigslist Moving Ad
Here is a real-life example of a man that tried to get into the moving game but was in fact nothing more than guy with a pick-up claiming he was a mover.
I wrote an article a while back giving examples of moving scam ads on Craigslist.
Just because someone has a pick-up and can place an ad on Craigslist a mover it does not make.
These are moving scams. Sure you may have a good experience. They are cheap…until they are arrested and their truck and your possessions are confiscated. Or they break or damage your furniture. Or they steal your possessions. And as they ARE NOT licensed and insured forget about getting money from them for anything.
Filing a BBB complaint is useless. The BBB has no authority over them. They will just change their name and continue doing what they have always done…lying, stealing and cheating.
An unemployed Las Vegas man who placed an ad on Craigslist to move things with his pickup truck was fined in court on Tuesday.
Dan Stewart must pay $300 to get his Ford pickup truck back. It was impounded after a Nevada Transportation Authority sting.
Stewart was also fined $200 that must be paid later this month. The penalty could have been fines of up to $10,000.
Stewart was told during the sting that it was illegal to advertise his services as a mover.
“I saw a whole bunch of ads, 20 of them,” he said after looking at the Craigslist Web site, “So I threw mine on there.”
His first client offered to pay $75 to move items in Stewart’s truck. But when he arrived at a local storage facility, he was greeted by authorities.
“Three trucks, five guys with badges and guns [showed up]. It was unbelievable,” he said.
Stewart didn’t realize he needed the proper paperwork to make himself legitimate, although he never intended to become a full-time mover.
“Individuals that want to move as a form of business, for commerce, must have a certificate of public convenience and necessity,” said Ruben Aquino with the Nevada Transportation Authority.
Aquino said the statewide sting operation is intended to stop thieves and illegitimate “movers” who might not deliver what they promise.
Stewart insisted he was not a crook and that he was just trying to make some extra money.
“I think that’s the end of my moving career,” he said.
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Avoiding Moving Scam Traps!
October 29, 2009 by admin
Filed under Moving News, Moving scams
I believe there is powerful lessens to be learned from those that have had bad moving experience, whether or not is was just a bad move or a moving scam. And by knowing of these stories you can learn to avoid moving scam traps and pitfalls.
Recently, there has been an individual that was wronged, apparently, from a local moving company here. So this person then splattered all over Craigslist his dissatisfaction for this moving company. I do have to say that I do not agree or condone this persons approach to the matter, but I do understand their frustration. But what can we learn from this so that we can avoid the same mistakes and not fall victim of moving scams?
Here is the actual Craigslist ad:
They are not insured as advertised Check their reviews at http://www.professional-moving.com/move-complaints/ . The drivers are rude, and unprofessional. were supposed to show at 1, but didn’t call me until 4;30 to tell me they would still be another hour and a half!!!! he didn’t even apologize!!!! This screwed me because I had to have my stuff out of there by 6. I told the guy that and he told me “thats how it’s gonna be, take it or leave it and I’m hanging up” THEN HE HUNG UP ON ME!!!!!!!!!!!! I called the “owner”, Mike Nash, and left several messages but he will not call me back. The whole group is unprofessional and doesn’t care about their customers. Now looking at their reviews though, I’m glad they didn’t show!!! Only use this company if you want to be treated like dirt and have a very unpleasent experience. they screwed me though, and I WILL be taking them to court.
You can view it as it is on Craigslist with this link: http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/lbs/1440922418.html
So what are the lessens that this persons misfortune can teach us?
Lessen 1: Price.
This person obviously choose this mover because of the price. That is a moving scammers way of putting out cheese to snare the mouse. Moving scammers often advertise low prices…then whammo! They hit you with all sorts of nasty curve balls.
So never choose a mover just because he charges you a low ball price than everyone else.
Rule of Thumb: The lower the moving cost the more likely it is a moving scammer or an uninsured and non-licensed mover, which means the greater chance of a poor or bad moving experience.
Lessen 2: Research.
This mover obviously did no research on this moving company. Only after they had a bad experience did they research this mover and found all sorts of bad movers. That’s closing the barn doors after the cows got out.
Research the moving company BEFORE you hire them.
How do you research a moving company? Follow these simple steps:
- Google the moving company name.
- Google the moving company’s phone number.
- Check out their website. No website is a bad indicator.
- Ask for references.
- Check with the BBB.
- Check with US Department of Transportation for licensing and insurance.
Of course there is more. I have over 200 different articles on this website that you can read to learn how to avoid moving scams including 20 questions that you should ask any mover before you hire them.
Rule of thumb: Always research the moving company BEFORE you hire them.
Lessen 3: Have a backup plan.
While this persons move was tragic, it could have been avoided if they had had a back up plan.
To be fair to movers there are occasions where they do run late due to unforeseen circumstances. Trucks do breakdown. Employees show up late or not at all. An earlier move is more problematic than anticipated. So knowing this, you should have a back up plan just in case something goes amiss. This will help you avoid unnecessary stress.
Lessen 4: Time.
This person thought he had time, but it turned out that they did not.
I have seen many times in my own moving company where a customer has scheduled a move for the very last minute. You are only inviting disaster when you do this.
If you know that you have to be out before the 1st of the month lets say, then don’t book your move for the first of the month. Book your move to take place a day or two before.
Leaving your move to the last minute is just lazy. If it is about money, then you should save up, or failing that then negotiate with your mover and work out some sort of payment plan. Most legitimate movers will and can work with you.
Rule of thumb: Leave yourself enough time to move so that you are not stressed out if something goes wrong.
These are just some of the lessen you can learn from this persons unfortunate moving experience. But as you can see this person is not fault free. I sympathize and empathize with this person, but it could all have been avoided (they should hired me…lol.)
Avoiding moving scam traps is easy. Don’t get lulled into a bad moving experience because of ignorance.
P.S. The moving company in question: A Better Move is not, in my opinion, a good moving company. I have received many complaints about this company by unsolicited former customers. I have published a few of them on this website. You can read also their moving company moving review where I expose the fact that they are not licensed etc.