Where are all the reformers?

Where are today's Osborn Elliotts, Ida Wells,WalterWinchells,Edward R.Murrows and the Hamills and Breslins?


Jon Stewart? Lol; no killer instinct. If you are nice and wimpy enough to emcee the Oscars you cannot be a down and dirty journalistic crusdader.. You have to have a big set of you know whats and in today's soccer mom society those appendages are almost extinct.


I have sent the link to this blog to Rachel Maddow, and plan to send it to Matthews and Keith Olbermann


The three of them worry more about ratings than exposes. Maddow's hairdo is the most serious act of non conformity she has carried out so far but she does at least show some promise.Since one of the worst offenders,North American Van Lines runs commercials on her show there is zero chance she will attack them.
Matthews is still talking about Tip O'Neill from another Century.


The riskiest action ever taken by Keith Olbermann was to post a windbag blog on the Daily Kos (which sold out to Corporate America years ago).The Kosmeister himself kicked me off the site during the past campaign for disagreeing with one of his posts.


What about the bloggers all over the web?. Aren't they crusaders for unpopular causes? An easy way to test their sincerity is to note if they have advertisements on their blogs. If they do, you know they will not step over certain lines.


A true crusader would pick up the blog you are reading right now (the Trivialization of Brutal Crimes) and run with it. I've already done the dirty work;all they have to do is use their influence to get into the inner workings of DOT and expose the resons why DOT allows the domestic terrorism of Highway Hijacking to grow and flourish.


It's not about budgetary considerations.DOT has billions they use to print flyers to stuff in the Post Offices literature pamphlet trays! Billions to have robots sit around and invent acronyms for inefficient ,incomprehensible programs like (SAFETEA-LU)


Guess what those 9 letters stand for?

Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users
A baboon could think up a better name than that.


So who is going to carry forth the crusade required to put the fear of arrest and imprisonment into the DOT regulations?


Me? I am 78 and live on $15,000 a year. I have the education (Rutgers 56,BA,Journalism) and experience to do it. Do I have the energy? Doutbful!
And while I can be quite altruistic when I am as angry as I am now, I will defer if someone younger comes forth and takes over the reins.

So all I can do is continue my own digging here until some hit men come after me.

The question is who will send them? The Feds or the Moving company criminals?

DOT'S INITIATIVE TO CONTROL HOUSEHOLD GOODS BROKERS

A PROGRESS REPORT ON A 2003 INITITIATIVE WHEREBY DOT WOULD
EMPLOY NEW NEW METHODS TO WEED OUT UNSCRUPULOUS HOUSEHOLD GOODS BROKERS

Popular Title: Household Goods Brokers
RIN 2126-AA84
Stage: Undetermined

Previous Stage: ANPRM: Publication Date 12/22/2004; End of Comment Period 02/22/2005. NPRM: Publication date 2/8/2007; End of Comment Period 5/9/2007
Abstract: This rulemaking would address the American Moving and Storage Association´s petition for rulemaking and implement certain provisions of Subtitle B of SAFETEA-LU. FMCSA would determine in this rulemaking whether 49 CFR part 371 needs to be amended to protect consumers against unscrupulous brokers of household goods.
Effects:
Information Collection


Prompting action: Statute
Legal Deadline: Final Rule : 08/10/2006


Rulemaking Project Initiated: 05/12/2003
Docket Number: FMCSA-2004-17008

Report on DOT Significant Rulemakings


This Report provides a summary and the status for all significant rulemakings that DOT currently has pending or has issued recently. We update the Report at the beginning of each month. The information in the Report is not intended to commit DOT to specific conclusions or actions. For example, after further analysis, DOT may decide the effects of the rule would be different or it may decide to terminate the rulemaking.

Access Reports - May 2009 Report (1514 KB)

Explanation for any delay: Additional coordination necessary
Federal Register Citation for Undetermined: None

SOME BACKGROUND FROM YOUR BLOGMEISTER ON HOUSEHOLD GOODS "BROKERS"

WHAT IS A BROKER AND WHY DO i NEED A BROKER WHEN MOVING?

When I sent out for bids on my move from Melbourne,Florida to Longs,SC in early March,2009 I sent my request to 5 licensed moving companies all of whom had BBB logos on their Website Mastheads.

Instead of 5 bids I received back over 50 quotes, 45 of course from companies I never had contacted. I did some surfing and googling and found out that 45 "companies" who I did not contact but who sent me quotes were, in fact not Moving Companies at all but "Brokers" who arranged moves for consumers as middlemen and walked away with a piece of the pie.

Why not? ;, in a crooked, unpoliced, industry filled with licensed Highway Hijackers there is always room for more criminal swindlers. These crafty brokers called me from their homes all times of the day and night,much as bill collectors might do but these con men were collecting my personal posessions to sell on the open market!

I of course was not born yesterday (6/15/31) so I told them all to go to a netherworld location.

So that's what a "broker" is and DOT, after possibly a billion complainst about them issued a report in 2003 that they were aware of these brokers and how unscrupulous "some" of them were so they were about to start a system of dealing with them or deterring them ( I guess similar to how they have dealt with and deterred the thousands of licensed criminal movers under their jurisdiction.

Well that initiative is now 6 years old and just 3 weeks ago on May 1,2009 DOT felt that the public deserved a "PROGRESS REPORT" on thier undertaking.

Guess what? There has been no progress! Reason given? They are still collecting information. So,DOT ,if nothing else, is consistent. They have an "Enforcement and Compliance Dept" which cannot arrest and/or imprison criminals and they issue progress reports when there is no progress to report!

This would be funny if it wasn't so tragic!

If you are a "live" victim of Highway Hijacking (Live:meaning your moves are currently still being held by your mover) Please do not believe I am being flip. I am trying here on an almost daily basis to alert thousands of other consumers who will become victims in the new few weeks.

A DOT which cannot move in with a SWAT TEAM and arrest Highway Highjackers while they are holding your goods hostage and demanding ransom from you is a disgrace to this country and the media and/or other Government Watchdogs need to expose them.

Obama: New Supreme Court Nominee must have EMPATHY!

If you are new to this blog and wonder why more isn't being done about the problem addressed here on a daily basis, please go back into the archives and read or reread the blog of May 5,2009 titled:
Trivialization v Empathy

Empathy is in the news this week because on Tuesday the President is expected to announce his choice to be the new Supreme Court Justice.

Those who trivialize the crime of Highway Hijacking lack the empathy DNA gene and usually are too sated by their material successes to feel the pain of those who suffer needless pain because of an inept DOT.

Possibly the focus this week on this characteristic in such an important public figure will give them pause for thought.

OVERSIGHT OR ARRESTS?

WHICH IS THE GREATER DETERRENT AGAINST HIGHWAY HIJACKERS?


The Department of Transportation (DOT) inherited the oversight of the moving industry as a result of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) Termination Act of 1995 (the Act). Until the enactment of this law sunsetting the Commission, the ICC issued and enforced consumer protection regulations.The 1995 Termination Act encouraged consumers to resolve household goods disputes through arbitration or by bringing a civil action in a court of appropriate jurisdiction.

In essence, the ICC Termination Act ended the Federal government's role in resolving household goods disputes.

In August 2005, the enactment of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) further required DOT to make data available to the public so that they could make better consumer choices.

In addition to consumer outreach and education, DOT emphasized that enforcement is a key tool in eliminating unscrupulous movers from the moving industry.

This is important and I quote from DOT's own website:

"As required by SAFETEA-LU, FMCSA has been working with Federal, State, and local household goods enforcement agencies to better coordinate investigations, to optimize our resources, and to achieve the most effective enforcement results."

Now when DOT praises its own "enforcement" record it is not referring to "enforcement" as a typical layman or more importantly as a victim of Highway Hijacking might understand that term. Enforcement to DOT, is a term used to measure the amount of "reviews" against movers and claims and fines levied against movers.

So,to simplify the meaning of this vague, discombobulated jargon used by Govt
Agencies,one might compare it to the reporting of crimes in a typical town,village or county in a U.S. state. Take for example the statistics on the crime of rape in one of these cities.

Let's say a medium size town claims they have stepped up "enforcement" by investigating more rape cases and bringing more "civil suits" against perpetrators.

Does that make a woman feel more secure when they walk down a dark street at night?

Of course not.

Investigations of Household Goods movers and bringing more civil claims or arbitrations, by the same token does not make a consumer feel any more confidence in choosing and contracting with a mover for their planned Interstate move.

DOT is playing games with the term "enforcement" and they know it!

Enforcement, without arrests during the commission of a crime is just so much bureaucratic HOGWASH.

CONNECTING THE..... D O T S...... PART 2

D..O..T..S.. in this case refers to the Uinted States Department of Transportation.

This blog has been in existance for a month and has explored so many avenues of possible help or probable obstruction of help to victims of HIHWAY HIJACKING.

From the hopelessly ineffectual BBB to the pathetic non-effort of local police departments to the futile ASMA and the individual victims themselves calling the criminals who are holding their goods hostage while demanding ransom payments.

After all these fruitless efforts and the hundreds of e mails and phone call I have received from other victims like myself I have concluded the chief culprit,by far, in this shocking broad daylight hijacking is:

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.

Read through the testimony they gave to congressional investigating committees as published in yesterdays blog Connecting th Dots.

They spent weeks patting themselves on the back for all the new subcommittees they formed and the "strike Forces" they employed to make the household goods movers more compliant.

The result is that 4 years after the hearings the problem is now an epidemic and your chance of getting through an interstate move today without being hijacked and extorted are much less than 30%. iT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH CARRIER YOU CHOOSE,HOW YOU RESEARCH THEM, GOOGLE THEM, YAHOO THEM, CALL AND SEEK REASSURANCE FROM THEM BEFORE AND AFTER OR DURING THE MOVE,CALL THE POLICE, THE FBI,THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL, YOUR LOCAL REP IN D.C.,.

WHY???

I am going to tell you why so listen carefully:

Because HIGHWAY HIJACKING is probably the only crime where you cannot have the criminal arrested during the actual commission of the crime. period,dot,comma,question mark and ad infinitum.

IT IS A SIMPLE AS THAT.

If you plan a move a month from today from Point A TO Point B 500 miles away in another state and you make up your mind you will not be a victim you are fooling yourself.

Lets say PODUNK MOVING CO picks up all your furniture,appliances and personal goods at Point A and agrees to deliver them to Point B 3 TO 4 days later. sounds reasonable doesn't it? Surely a mover that is licensed and registered by and with the trusted folks at DOT, respected member of BBB and ASMA can travel 500 miles in 3 to 4 days and deliver your goods,right?

WRONG!

They will pick up your goods at Point A without a problem , put your goods in a warehouse, call you three weeks later and ask for RANSOM to free your goods they are holding hostage.

In the meantime you call the Govt Agency which licensed and registered them and what do you get?

You get referred to hundreds of sites,agencies and "STRIKE FORCES" that DOT has spent billions of Taxpayer's dollars so as to deal with a catastrophic situation like this. And just like the agencies that responded to the victims of Katrina in New Orleans they won't even drop you some water from a chopper.

Go back and read the testimony (published in yesterday's blog) that DOT gave to Congress as to how successful they have been in bringing Movers into compliance with regulations.They fined 40 movers in 2006, 40 out of thousands who routinely engage in hostage taking.

The ONLY enforcement DOT actually does is to enforce arbitration by the perpetrators "AFTER THE FACT",i.de. after the crime has run its course and your goods are delivered anywhere from one month to 6 months later.

Ask yourself. You are having coffee and notice through the storefront window someone breaking into your auto and driving away with it. You run outside,call a cop you see directing traffic, and scream to him that your car has just been stolen. Instead of that cop radioing ahead to his fellow policemen, he comes over and hands you a leaflet with agencies who will help you arbitrate with the car thief after you find your car?

Or even more graphic, you are mugged as a cop looks on and he says "don't worry, I will testify in court on your behalf that you have been victimized"

Sounds ludicrous but in effect that is what happens when a Highway Hijacking takes place.

I will pick up on this thread in detail in the days ahead.

CONNECTING THE ,,,,,,,,, D.O.T.S...........

In my previous blog 2 days ago I promised to publish in my next post the complete text of the two page letter mailed to me on 5/7/09 by a member of the FMCSA, office of Compliance @ Enforcement Dept. of DOT.

Because this was a scanned Federal Government Document I am prohibited from publishing it.

However I am able to post instead, the complete text of very important testimony given by the then Acting Administrator of the FFMCSA, Warren Hoemann before a US Senate Committee in 2006.

This testimony touches on every aspect of the Highway Hijacking being perpetrated by "rouge household good carriers".

The text is very long and laborious. However, if you are a victim or a friend or relative of someone planning an interstate move this effort will be well worth your effort.

Tomorrow I will comment on this testimony because the scope of the problem discussed by the experts in 2006 has been magnified at least ten-fold since then.Until our current leaders,especially those in the Department of Transportation realize this, nothing will change.

STATEMENT OF WARREN HOEMANN
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR OF THE
FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
BEFORE THE
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SURFACE TRANSPORTATION AND MERCHANT MARINE
May 4, 2006

INTRODUCTION

Chairman Lott, Ranking Member Inouye, and Senators of the Subcommittee, thank you for inviting me today to discuss the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) oversight role in household goods transportation. I am pleased to appear before you to describe FMCSA outreach, education, enforcement, and compliance programs that help consumers protect themselves during a move and help to remove unscrupulous movers from the household goods industry.

Mr. Chairman, a household move can be a stressful undertaking, as many of us in this room know firsthand. An estimated 40 million Americans relocate each year, approximately 1.6 million of which are interstate moves, handled by approximately 4,000 companies. Fortunately, the majority of household moves are completed without incident. Consumers in these moves are well served by registered, legitimate, safe, and trustworthy household goods carriers. However, there exists a small group of unscrupulous and dishonest movers that gives the entire moving industry a bad name. These "rogue movers" prey upon distraught consumers by agreeing to haul their goods and then holding their possessions hostage for exorbitant and unexpected fees. Some of these movers never return the goods to the consumer, selling them instead and pocketing the proceeds.

In addition to the moving companies, FMCSA focuses its attention on those household goods brokers who conduct dishonest business practices. Brokers are persons who act as a go-between, arranging household goods moves between a customer and a carrier. Dishonest brokers engage in deceptive practices via the Internet. For example, a dishonest broker may request an initial deposit for a move from the shipper and then never arrange for the move. In the same instances, the shipper cannot locate the broker because the broker does not have a physical address listed or has moved and/or closed. It is these types of movers and brokers that we seek to eliminate from the legitimate marketplace.

BACKGROUND

The Department of Transportation (DOT) inherited the oversight of the moving industry as a result of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) Termination Act of 1995 (the Act). Until the enactment of this law sunsetting the Commission, the ICC issued and enforced consumer protection regulations to ensure consumers arranging an interstate move received basic information on tariffs, estimating requirements, weighing practices, insurance coverage, and requirements for delivery. DOT's inherited authority included jurisdiction over household goods carriers and brokers to protect consumers on interstate moves by defining the rights and responsibilities of consumers and household goods carriers and brokers. The Act required motor carriers who transport household goods for-hire in interstate commerce and brokers who arrange the interstate transportation of household goods to comply with Federal commercial regulations.

Among the functions transferred to FMCSA were the registration of for-hire household goods carriers and brokers and the monitoring of compliance with the financial responsibility requirements. In transferring these commercial regulations to DOT, Congress directed the discontinuation of the ICC's dispute resolution functions. Although the ICC did not have the authority to resolve disputes involving loss or damage, it assisted consumers by contacting carriers to encourage timely claims handling. The Act instead encouraged consumers to resolve household goods disputes through arbitration or by bringing a civil action in a court of appropriate jurisdiction. These are the primary means by which consumers can resolve loss and damage claims. The Act did not give the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), FMCSA's predecessor agency, jurisdiction over dispute settlement. Should consumers elect not to use binding arbitration, they can take the carrier to court. Additionally, the Act established a private right of action for a shipper to recover damages for carrier violations of the commercial regulations. In essence, the ICC Termination Act ended the Federal government's role in resolving household goods disputes.

It is important to mention that FMCSA has oversight only over interstate moves. Even then, FMCSA does not have jurisdiction over all of these moves. FMCSA's consumer protection regulations apply only to agreements between motor carriers and individual shippers. They do not apply to household goods shipments moved under the terms and conditions of a government bill of lading, which includes military moves, or so-called national account shipments where a company arranges to move its employees.

Until 2001, FMCSA and FHWA addressed household goods complaints with a small number of specialists who handled a broad range of household goods and regulatory matters. These specialists investigated consumer complaints through contact with carriers to resolve instances of alleged noncompliance. As the result of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit in 2001, which identified a need to centralize household goods complaint data, FMCSA expanded its program to centrally collect complaint data. In August 2005, the enactment of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) further required us to make that data available to the public so that they can make better consumer choices by August 2006. We are now developing the prototype of the database and expect to meet this statutory deadline.

SAFETEA-LU made other important changes affecting FMCSA's oversight of household goods transportation. In order to address these new responsibilities, FMCSA has developed a two-pronged approach. The first is an enhanced outreach program to better educate consumers and the second is an aggressive program to take enforcement actions against non-compliant movers in the industry. I would like to describe each briefly.

CONSUMER OUTREACH

A well-informed consumer is the best defense against the rogue mover. Federal and State actions after the fact cannot recompense injured consumers. In 2004, FMCSA's Safety Violation and Household Goods Consumer Complaint Hotline at 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238) received an increased volume of household goods consumer calls, which suggested a critical need for a more effective outreach and education program. In response to this need, FMCSA developed a Consumer Information Program to provide consumers with information to protect themselves against dishonest and rogue movers. FMCSA relies on public and private organizations, as well as the moving industry, to increase consumer awareness of the moving process thereby enabling the consumer to make a safe and successful move.

In FY 2005, Congress provided $1.5 million to FMCSA to develop outreach initiatives to help educate the general public. We used these funds to develop an outreach and education strategy, conducted market research of the moving industry, and developed a communications plan for deployment. During FY 2006, Congress provided $1 million for household goods outreach and education initiatives. FMCSA will spend these funds to develop new outreach materials in English and Spanish, enhance our Protect Your Move Web site to focus on Internet moving fraud, and evaluate our household goods consumer information program to determine future enforcement and outreach initiatives.

For example, in February 2005, FMCSA established a national Household Goods Partnership comprised of two Federal agencies, the U.S. Postal Service and the Federal Maritime Commission, State law enforcement agencies, consumer protection groups, and several moving industry associations. The DOT Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is also a partner. The group coordinates efforts to address moving fraud. Additionally, the partnership has helped FMCSA launch a consumer education campaign on how to have a successful move and avoid falling victim to rogue movers. This campaign is called "Protect Your Memories. Your Money. Your Move."

Following up on the partnership, in April 2005, FMCSA developed a new Moving Fraud Prevention Web site to assist consumers (www.protectyourmove.gov) that provides guidance and best practices to help people avoid being taken advantage of, or worse, getting caught in a scam by a rogue mover or broker. The site provides a list of federally registered and insured movers and brokers. It provides details about household goods regulations governing professional moving companies, information about how to file a complaint in the event of a problem, and moving tips on how to have a successful move. Additionally, the Web site also serves as a resource for members of the Household Goods Partnership by providing an online campaign toolbox for conducting a "Consumer Education Campaign to Reduce Moving Fraud." The Web site also provides links to local Better Business Bureaus, consumer protection agencies, State Attorneys General, and moving associations. Since its activation, the Web site has had more than 2.2 million hits.

A recent enhancement to our outreach efforts is an awareness campaign through the Postal Service. We will soon distribute approximately 11 million leaflets in its Mover's Guides to regions in the United States that have the highest concentration of household goods complaints (i.e., California, Florida, New Jersey, and New York). Also through our partnership with the Postal Service, we expect to reach roughly 1.8 million registrants via its online Change of Address service, which provides an online move planning service for household goods consumers.

Another way we have broadened our distribution of household goods outreach brochures to the general public is through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. General Services Administration's (GSA) Federal Citizen Information Center. To date, GSA has distributed over 43,000 copies of the Ready to Move - Tips for a Successful Interstate Move brochure. FMCSA sent copies of this brochure to all registered household goods brokers to provide to their customers, and placed it on our Protect Your Move Web site. In addition, we distributed over 50,000 of the brochures to our field offices, State governments, and Partnership members for dissemination to the general public in their area.

To continue to educate consumers, we recently updated our pamphlet, Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move, for the moving industry to provide to its customers, as required by SAFETEA-LU. We will distribute copies to our field offices and State offices. The updated pamphlet can be downloaded from our Web site distribution. We published a Federal Register Notice on April 7, 2006, revising the pamphlet to incorporate the SAFETEA-LU changes. As part of our outreach efforts, FMCSA provided over 443,000 Protect Your Move brochures and posters to our field offices, State governments, and Partnership members for dissemination to the general public in their area.

It is the Agency's plan to continue to work with our partners to develop outreach initiatives and educate consumers about the moving industry and its business practices. In addition to consumer outreach and education, enforcement is a key tool in eliminating unscrupulous movers from the moving industry.

ENFORCEMENT

FMCSA has increased its enforcement efforts in order to protect the American public from illegal activities and deceitful business practices by rogue moving companies. In 2005, we received almost 3,000 household goods complaints, which included 622 calls on hostage freight situations, 575 on unauthorized operations, and 2,281 on pick-up and delivery complaints. A good portion of the calls, 1,644, pertained to lost and damaged goods. As mentioned earlier in this statement, FMCSA does not have jurisdiction to resolve disputed loss and damage claims. Mr. Chairman, as we increase our outreach and enforcement efforts in this area, we expect that complaints will increase initially from these current levels - a good indicator that we are reaching consumers and educating them on ways to ensure a successful move. Once consumers become more aware of the issues and pitfalls to avoid, we anticipate complaints will decrease.

FMCSA enforcement staff continually monitors the geographic areas containing movers who are subject to the highest volume of complaints. FMCSA then conducts enforcement "strike forces" in these areas. The largest volume of complaints involve movers and brokers located in the States of California, Florida, New Jersey, and New York, followed closely by the States of Georgia, Illinois, and Texas.

In FY 2005, FMCSA conducted strike forces in California and Florida, and combined strike forces in New Jersey and New York, and Illinois and Texas. These activities were conducted with the assistance of various State entities, including the Florida Department of Agriculture, the Texas Department of Public Service, and the New York DOT. These four strike forces produced approximately 100 household goods compliance reviews and 20 enforcement cases, which are civil actions brought by FMCSA against the carrier or broker.

This fiscal year, FMCSA has conducted two of its four planned strike force activities - the first of which was in Colorado. After receiving numerous complaints at our Colorado Division office, our enforcement staff worked closely with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to conduct this strike force. Of the 16 companies identified for the strike force, all resulted in household goods compliance reviews, which produced 3 enforcement cases. This successful action substantially reduced the volume of household goods complaints received by FMCSA's Colorado Division.

During the second strike force activity in FY 2006, FMCSA focused its efforts in Florida. Additionally, these household goods compliance reviews, based on the number of consumer complaints, were also conducted in Georgia and Texas. A total of 47 household goods compliance reviews were conducted, which resulted in 11 enforcement cases to date. In Florida, we also discovered approximately 30 household goods carriers and brokers that were no longer in business.

Household Goods Compliance Reviews

FMCSA has increased its performance of household goods compliance reviews since 2001. In FY 2001, a total of 13 household goods compliance reviews were conducted. This steadily increased to 20 in FY 2002, 30 in FY 2003, to 52 in FY 2004. FMCSA's goal for household goods compliance reviews in FY 2005 was 300, which included our strike force activities. We exceeded our goal with a total of 381 household goods compliance reviews. FMCSA's goal in FY 2006, which also includes strike force activities, is 450 household goods compliance reviews, a goal we are pursuing aggressively.

Currently, household goods compliance reviews are conducted based on complaint data that is captured in FMCSA's National Commercial Complaint Database. This information is analyzed on a regular basis to determine priorities for conducting reviews on household goods carriers and brokers. When a complaint is received, it is reviewed for substance and the database checked to determine if a pattern of complaints alleging noncompliance exists. If a pattern is identified based on complaints and geographic location, we conduct a household goods compliance review on the operations of these carriers or brokers to determine compliance with FMCSA regulations.

When a compliance review discloses violations of agency regulations, FMCSA's Enforcement team initiates action to assess civil penalties for the violations. Through all of these efforts, FMCSA has been able to increase its compliance and enforcement actions.

Total Number of Household Goods
Compliance Enforcement Cases

FY 2001 FY 2002 FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005
6 12 3 11 43

SAFETEA-LU PROVISIONS

As a result of SAFETEA-LU's enactment in August 2005, FMCSA was given increased mandates in many areas of household goods enforcement. Household goods carriers are required to offer arbitration to shippers and the level at which binding arbitration is required was increased from $5,000 to $10,000 under SAFETEA-LU. For claims in excess of $10,000, the carrier must agree to arbitration for the shipper to be able to have the claim arbitrated. Additionally, the arbitration requirements, which were previously limited to disputes over loss and damage, have been expanded to include disputes over payment of additional delivery charges.

Section 4206 of SAFETEA-LU enabled State Attorneys General and other State enforcement officials to enforce Federal household goods regulations through civil action against a carrier or broker in U.S. District Court. The FY 2006 Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act placed limitations on State enforcement authority by permitting States to pursue civil actions only against carriers and brokers who meet specific statutory criteria. This limitation sunsets on September 30, 2006. To our knowledge, no State has pursued civil action on behalf of consumers based on the authority granted by SAFETEA-LU.

As required by SAFETEA-LU, FMCSA has been working with Federal, State, and local household goods enforcement agencies to better coordinate investigations, to optimize our resources, and to achieve the most effective enforcement results. As a result of these efforts, FMCSA has established a working group to assist the States with bringing their own civil actions on behalf of consumers against household goods carriers or brokers. Comprised of representatives from the DOT OIG, the National Association of Attorneys General and various State Attorneys General and U.S. District Attorneys, the Florida Department of Agriculture, and the Maryland Office of Consumer Affairs, the group has opened a dialogue to develop practices and procedures to enhance the Federal/State partnership and make legislative and regulatory recommendations concerning these efforts. This group differs from the Household Goods Partnership in that this working group is designed to assist the States with bringing their own civil actions on behalf of consumers against household goods carriers or brokers.

Other sections of SAFETEA-LU worth noting are:

Established the minimum penalty at $10,000 per violation for carriers holding a shipper's goods hostage after they have received payment necessary to effect delivery under the law. This should be an effective deterrent against carriers who hold consumers' belongings hostage.
Increased the minimum penalty for operating without registration to $25,000. This increase should dissuade the rogue carrier or broker from attempting to fly below the FMCSA radar.
Added requirements to the registration process will permit FMCSA to better track carriers and brokers and may help in identifying companies who go out of business and try to return under a new name to avoid FMCSA regulations and penalties.
FMCSA has implemented six of the household goods sections of SAFETEA-LU by policy issuances. These policy documents were recently distributed to our field offices and provide operational guidance on how to apply these new requirements. They include definitions, household goods carrier operations, liability of carriers under receipts and bills of lading, arbitration requirements, civil penalties relating to brokers and unauthorized transportation, and penalties for holding goods hostage. FMCSA is working on a notice of proposed rulemaking for a new household goods broker consumer protection rule that it hopes to publish in the Federal Register in the near future. This rule implements SAFETEA-LU Section 4212 requirements applicable to the household goods broker industry and enhances FMCSA's enforcement tools with regard to that industry. FMCSA is in the process of completing other rulemakings to codify the remainder of the SAFETEA-LU sections into law.

BUDGETARY RESOURCES

In 2000, FMCSA had three employees working on household goods. Currently, there are twelve total household goods staff - four full-time program and support staff at FMCSA headquarters and eight full-time investigators in the field devoted to household goods reviews. During FY 2005 and 2006, FMCSA trained 75 Safety Investigators to assist in handling household goods investigations. It is important to note that household goods compliance reviews are not the main function of FMCSA Safety Investigators - it is ancillary to their core safety mission. Currently, we are able to meet our internal goal of household goods reviews.

CONCLUSION

Mr. Chairman, household goods fraud potentially affects consumers across the nation. The goal of eliminating disreputable companies from the moving business is one we all share. As I mentioned in this testimony, our consumer outreach programs increase both the visibility of the problem and the awareness of warning signs of a disreputable mover. We will continue to develop outreach and education strategies with our household goods partners to help consumers have successful moves. Our enforcement and compliance program has yielded tangible results, as evident by rogue carriers leaving the industry or coming into compliance and now operating legitimate businesses. As we have shown through our strike force activities, cooperation among all branches and levels of government is the surest way to eliminate this threat to the American home.




Related Links
Download PDF Version
"Protect Your Move" Web Site
Household Goods Sections of SAFETEA-LU
Testimony Archive

?
?

Feedback | Privacy Policy | USA.gov | Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) | Accessibility
OIG Hotline | Web Policies and Important Links | Site Map | Plug-ins

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590 ? 1-800-832-5660 ? TTY: 1-800-877-8339
Field Office Phone List





Feedback | Privacy Policy | FirstGov.gov | Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) | Accessibility
Web Policies and Important Links | Site Map | Plug-ins

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20590 • 1-800-832-5660 • TTY: 1-800-877-8339

THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM !

Today this blog turns away from individual complaints against specific household goods moving companies and toward the core of the problem:

THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

specifically the

THE OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT

of the FMSCA

Towards the end of my personal 30 day nightmare with HIGHWAY HIJACKING
I received a 2 page letter dated 5/7/2009 from a member of the above referenced office, John Van Steenburg, his reference no. 100034124.

I wish he had e mailed me this letter so I could present it here in it's entirety. I do not have a scanner and the letter is lengthy and repititive to the max.

I will try to give you the gist of this letter with some direct quotes and the rest by my paraphrasing:

"Thank you for your website complaint regarding MEGA MOVING AND STORAGE CORP.With your authorization we have notified the household goods carrier (mover) of your dissatisfaction with the service provided during your move,along with an explanation of its responsibilities to consumers under Federal regulations. We will ask company officials to respond directly to you."

Well, la de da, here I am, your blogmeister, at the time, three weeks without any of my personal possessions ,a victim of a hijacking with said goods still in the hands of the criminals who robbed them from me, and the enforcement department of the DOT of the most powerful nation on earth is telling the criminals to "respond directly to me" Note that he doesn't even tell said criminals to send him a copy of their response! In effect he has just notified me that he is washing his hands of the problem. The rest of his long letter refers me to various other agencies and offers arbitration procedures I might want to try to resolve the dispute. Here are some of his suggestions:

"Movers engaging in interstate transportation of household goods are required to conduct their operations in accordance with Federal regulations but FMCSA does not have the authority to intercede on behalf of shippers to recover their goods"


I repeat for emphasis, as this is the real core of the domestic terrorism being practiced every day by household goods movers in the form of HIGHWAY HIJACKING"

"Movers engaging in interstate transportation of household goods are required to conduct their operations in accordance with Federal regulations but FMCSA does not have the authority to intercede on behalf of shippers to recover their goods"

I will continue tomorrow with Mr.Steenburg's other suggestions and his office's efforts to identify and investigate complainst against carriers as I want to be fair and not take his remarks out of context. I will try to get to a fed ex store today to scan his letter into my PC so I can present it in it's entirety.

Suffice to say for now, the fact that none of the agencies, victims of HIGHWAY HIJACKING would logically seek out to recover their stolen goods, have enforcement powers... DOT,ASMA,BBB etc. The police do of course but they are reluctant, to say the least, to get involved in what they ,in my opinion, seem to feel are contractual disputes.

Hijacking is not a contractual dispute; it is a crime. The ineffectiveness of the U.S. Dept of Transportation, DOT is the core of the problem.

The Purpose Of This Blog

I am receiving 4 to 6 phone calls and/or e mails a day from Highway Hijacking victims asking that I intervene for them in thier efforts to regain their goods from Movers holding them hostage.

The purpose of this block is not to act as an advocacy group on behalf of these people who are contacting me. in the first place, I am not a Lawyer (thank God) Secondly my own track record is not that good. Read the archives on this site and you will see it took me 30 days to get my own goods delivered and I worked at it 8 to 10 hours a day.

What this Blog can do is shine a bright light on the activities of these mobster movers. They hate publicity and prefer to carry out thier scams under the cover of darkness and public ignorance.
The way for you victims to get your goods back is to publish your own current, ongoing hostage situation on this blog either as a new post or under the "comments" sections.

A woman called me this morning and said she is going to give in to the extortion demands of the moving company which has been holding her goods in a warehouse some 36 days after the promised delivery date. She gave them $3000.00 upfront and they now want $5000.00.

She explains that her appliances,furniture,collections being held by the criminals she unfortunately became a victim of, are worth about $70,000.00. It makes sense to her to give them another five grand and get her goods back, rather than than spend 70k replacing them.

I completely understand her reasoning and of course so do the extortionist blackmailers. This is why this type of activity is rampant among interstate movers. Who's to say they will deliver her goods when she sends them the additional money? What will prevent them from asking for another 5k. Who will prevent them and bring them to justice??
The police (no way Jose),
BBB (LOL),
ASMA (forget it),
DOT? (they will suggest arbitration).

I have said here many times what I repeated to this poor lady today. That is, that I believe it was the stuff I was publishing on this blog that convinced them it was in thier best interest to get me "off their backs." Obviously it hasn't worked. I do have my stuff and they don't have a dime of extortion payoff from me.

So,here is what I suggest: Come to this site and give full details about your situation: Name of company who has your goods, when they picked them up and the date they promised to deliver them, i.e whether they have passed the 14 business day limit which officially designates them as thieves.

The amount they said in the contract they would charge and the amount they now demand before they will deliver( the dollar amount of the extortion blackmail crime)

They will cave if you do this and repeat it every day because it will destroy their business.

So, to sum up, the one and only purpose of this blog is to offer you a sounding board to expose these thugs

Hijacking on the Highways of America, Statistics Suggesting the Scope of the Problem:

Statistics gathered from the 2000 U.S. Census :



Approximately 20 million people per year moved from one U.S. state to another state in the past decade. (Interstate Move)



About 30% of that figure moved themselves with the aid of companies like U-Haul and PODs.

Of the 14 million moved by Household Goods Moving Companies. probably no more than 25% received on-time delivery. More than 25% received goods three or more weeks after estimated and/or promised delivery dates. 90% of those 3.5 million paid total moving cost a least double what they were quoted in order to receive their goods.

Those 3,150,000 migrating consumers should rightly be classified as victims of Highway Hijacking!

So every year in the U.S. over 3 million victims find themselves smack in the middle of a criminal act and with almost no idea of where to turn for help.


That is the reason I will continue this blog even though my experience is now history. That history describing those events between April 14,2009 and May 11,2000 are well outlined and documented in the blog archives. You can also just use google and one of the hundreds of complaints from victims like myself will pop up.


It is time to change the focus of this blog from complaints about individual moving companies (well over 80% of all moving companies are culpable) You have a better chance of winning your state lottery than finding an honest Household Moving Goods Company for your next interstate move.


To belabor that topic would now be counter-productive.


The future efforts here will be to outline the Industry-wide ramifications of HIGHWAY HIJACKING and what we consumers can do bring it to the surface where the media might pick it up and run with it.



I just want to end this phase with one anecdote from the infamous 4 way conference call on May 7,2009 between myself and three key employees of the Mega Maniacal Moving and Storage Company:

Three of the characters I had cited in my daily postings for the previous 3 weeks:"ISAAC " the driver, "SAMUEL",the head honcho and "RAY" the dispatcher indicated to me during that 30 minute back and forth phone conference that they wanted to reach a settlement.

It was an extremely tense moment as the empathetic among you might imagine and the trivializers could never grasp. With the three of them taking turns threatening me and then attempting to mollify me into accepting their extortion terms I could not tell who was saying what.

However I will never forget what one of them said regarding my age, to the effect that

"You (me) think because you are 78 years old we should treat you differently??, We don't play favorites; You should have known that no moving company is going to load your 4.2 sq feet of stuff and take it on one truck to your destination with the rest of the other 12 sq feet of space on that truck empty."

I answered them honestly that I indeed think they would perform thusly because that is what they contracted with me for. As to my age I said "yes, I think you should take my age into consideration ."

My hope is that someone with a lot more energy than I have will answer them and all other similar hostage takers by pressuring for effective changes to the Department of Transportation oversight committees.

Complaints about North American Van Lines

Thgese are just a few of the complaints against North American, the supposed "Sacred Cow" of the household good moving industry.

A link follows these excerpts so you can search of many many more, in the thousands.

"My family have been a victim of a bait and switch. We were trying to move from San Diego, California to Washington, DC area to provide better education for my son who has Down Syndrome. My wife seeked several moving companies for a bid on our move. North American won in more ways than one. They gave us a cheap price at the beginning then half way through the day of loading the household goods, they said that the weight is more than they expected and wanted my wife to sign a new contract (bait and switch). The old contract which stated that the cost would never exceed 10% of the original estimate. Because we signed the new contract, it voided the old contract. What a [lie]. I just got hired to DC and had to be there in less than two weeks.Earlier on the day of the move, five burley guys showed up at our house to move but demanded tips, very intimidating. My wife and my son were home alone with them. She complied with them for a $50 tip. The movers later said several packaging items were not included like tapes and had to be added. They wanted to charge us five dollars per rolls of tape used. It came to 22 rolls, incredible! Other hidden charges keep coming up, too. When they asked my wife to signed the new contract, it was almost noon and she even anotated that on the new contract. She had no choice. It was either signed or they had to empty the half way loaded truck. I still cannot believe they did that. My wife thought we could disputed the charge later. When we explained it to our bank, they said their hands were tied because it was a binding contract. I explained and complained to them but they said it was a legal matter that we had to pursue. These movers are really sneeky. They know that little people like me wouldn't take them to court for a few thousands of dollars and if we do, we would win only on principle. No lawyers in their right mind would take our case. When they finally delivered our stuff, the driver and his assistant were sick and our goods were damaged with water. All of our mattresses were wet. They dropped boxes after boxes even my 32-inch TV. I had to feed them so that they would feel better and have energy. I even help loaded the truck to affset another hidden charge and almost threw out my back. I was hurting afterwards. How's that for pouring salt into my wounds.The move occurred in early December of 2008. My wife hace made close to 30 calls to the movers regarding the new contract and got nowhere. Becasue she said we were going to file a dispute, the moving company deliberately withheld our goods til the last minute. We didn't get our household goods until mid-January. We were promised two weeks time. We had no way of staying warm at night in our new rental. It was very cold at night and we stayed warm during the day by going to Walmart and places like that. We were miserable. My son who has Down Syndrome, didn't sleep well because he did not have any of his comforting personal items. I am infuriated for what they did to my son. What they did to us was unethical and inconsiderate beyond human compassion. How they can do this to people and still wake up the next day and be proud of what they do. They should not be in business. Tempers flare between my wife and I. It was an emotionally drainign experience. This fiasco has put a $4469 dent in our finance in a time when we're facing foreclosure on our home. I am at a loss for words.
Keith N Frase of Land O' Lakes, FL March 9, 2009
North American used Cord moving and storage to move us from Memphis to Tampa. They delivered our goods to a storage unit and apartment building. I immediately noticed that itmes were damaged. It was also odd that the movers left in such a hurry and forgot to get there check. It turns out that they stole a new LCD tv and damaged four sets of bedroom furniture, a new grandfather clock, destroyed an amoire and apparently stole several of our boxes as well since we have never been able to find them. I contacted Cord moving and they asked for there check. I said no until the situation is resolved. They sent a claims adjuster to our house and offered a settlement for $ 2170.00. We estimiated nealry $20,000.00 for the damage and theft of our property. We also noticed that by endorsing the check we have agreed to settle. Needless to say the check is still not signed nor have I sent payment in to them. They are not excepting any resposibility for the damage or theft except for the grandfather clock. I have already contacted friends with the Memphis Police Department on the stolen items especially the TV which was valued over $1000.00 dollars. There response was totally unacceptableWe had to replace two bedroom sets for my girls and are still trying to get the grandfather clock repaired. It has already cost me more than I owe them just to get our itmes taken care of. We are tight for money and cannot afford to replace the tv and some of the other damaged items will not be replaced because of the cost. I am trying to fix some of them myself but the fact was that all of our furniture was brand new and I have two infant daughters and they can't wait for Cord to fix the situation. The need to have a place to sleep. Our dining room furniture is damaged, we have an armoire in pieces, two nightstands are broken, an antique armoire is damaged, two wooden selfs are destroyed, plus an air compressor and stroller are damaged. We can't afford to fix or replace these items."


Diana of Klamath Falls, OR February 15, 2009
"we moved from temple TX to klamath fall or north American van lines moved us. they dropped and broke some of our thing lost 9 boxes and someone broken into our file cabinet and stold 4yrs of taxes paper. as result of this our identity was stolen. i have had credit used by our people, and our bank account was used by someone.we are senior citizenthis has put a big stress on us the.our identities has been stolen. our credit cards had to be cancel and our bank account had to be cancel. i have had to put a freeze on our credit. called the police,FTC,IRS.SS credit bur. our credit cards and bank cards had to be replaced. we had to prove to the complany that we did not make the charges on our account. my husband both have bad heart. what can we do. thank you"
Donald of Homosassa, FL November 8, 2008

"My expeience with North American was frankly awful. First the moving crew spend more time trying to hustle tips from me and my family instead of loading. Then, there was no driver going to my drop off destinnation. The load ended up being 10 days late to storage, so I paid for an empty strorage facility. Best of all, they lost a leg to my cherry dining room table, broke a leg off my ty stand and I ended up with some tools apparently stolen. My daughter actually witnessed the leg being broken off the TV stand. North American denied any claims stating that my underage son signed the inventory. Of course the inventory was basically unreadable and didn;t list all the items moved anyhow. The North American staff is uncaring. In total it's best to throw all your furniture away before letting North american move you, it's less aggravation. Stay away."
Keith N Frase of Tampa, FL November 5, 2008

"North American showed up on time to pack my house for a move from Memphis to Tampa. Everything went great and I was actually feeling okay about the move until the gentleman doing the packing said that someone else would be picking up my items. The first thing is they underestimated the size of the truck that they needed and I had to leave some of my yard decorations as well as craming things into the minivan and on top of it. He said that he could get another truck but it would not be until the next day and we had to be out of our house. I also had to ask that certain items be protected. The driver showed up a day late stating that he did not have the right phone number which I gave to him just as he left. The guys unloaded some of my items to storage and I already started to notice damage. It wasn't until we reached my apartment that the real damage was apparent. All of my furniture was damaged. I had two brand new cribs, two new dressers and hutches that were damaged. I had an amoire that was in one peice when it left but showed up in seven pieces. A complete loss. I also had an antique amoire that was damaged. Even the strollers for my girls were damaged. I refused to pay since the amount I owe North American will not cover the cost of replacing my items. I am filing my claim right now so I guess we will see what they say. It's funny that the driver never even asked for payment. I guess he realized what he had done. I will have to replace to complete bedroom sets and cribs and an amoire."

Glenn of Washington, DC October 10, 2008

"The movers deliberately misinformed/lied to me about my delivery date and my initial estimate (I ended being charged an extra thousand dollars or so--think their subcontractor also manipulated me on the volume/cost he charged me for, but I foolishly let it slide at the time, in the false hopes that my possessions would be well handled and I would be taken care of). Then when my goods arrived over a week late, several items were damaged. I repaired one item myself, and spent several hours completing thorough, detailed claim paperwork, only to receive a curt, one sentence email saying I was not eligible for compensation, but not adequately justifying this. I continued to call and email, and was avoided, and have received no further response to my grievances after several months. I have given up pursuing the matter because I don't have the time and money to continue going after these unprofessional people, who I feel should not be allowed to remain in business. I have reported them to the DOT already, too. Not sure of the exact amount, but the detailed claim I presented to them for replacement/repair contained $500-$1000 in estimated damages to a desk, hutch, kitchen service, and bed roller. I did not even account for miscellaneous cosmetic damages to many other mishandled items."
Cindi of San Antonio, TX September 12, 2008

"We moved from California to Texas in June 2008 and we had never moved out of the state or cross country and North American assured us that we had nothing to worry about and that they were there to help us take the stress away but they added to the stress instead. They not only damaged the items that they had, they destroyed our brand new house. They didn't cover our hard wood floor properly and so now we need the entire area replaced but when I put the claim in and I went above and beyond what I needed to do, they would only give me half of my repair cost. They said that there is always some liability on our part and that because the driver didn't put it on the paperwork then they were only going to give us half. Well, I explained that not only did the driver have no professionalism but he never did any paperwork. He wanted to leave so bad that he didn't do anything. The two individuals that helped him unload were so rude to him also that at one point the driver and one of his helpers was closed in my office getting ready to physically fight! They didn't leave until 11:30 pm and our house was a wreck! I will never do business with them again and I hope that no one else does either.
Terra of Rio Rancho, NM August 26, 2008"

After all the hidous nightmare of living barely through North American Van Lines theft of our household valued at over $1,000,000.This crime that was forced on my children and myself has left us below the poverty line. North American Van Lines, converted our property for their own financial gain. We have been informed by Noorth American Van Lines that they have sold all of our property. This criminal act of North American Van Lines is all the worse due to the fact they have cashed in Security bonds, E-Bonds,and additionl valuable income. We have and still are plauged by Idenity Theft, since all passports, death certificated, marriage lic, birth records, tax returns, Social Security Numbers etc. are and have been under the control of North American Van Lines. North American Van Lines state in their booklet provided to the consumer that if they sell your property, all money above their claim shall be sent to the person whose property they sold. Notice: I am still waiting for my check in the amount of $980,000.00. This fraudlent claim of North American Van Lines is difficult enough to handle, but the fact that now North American Van Lines has not followed through by returning my funds of $980,000,.00 is in direct conflict with their published guaranteed promise they make to the consumer.Identity theft, medical issues, detachment disorder, nightmares, loss of all things that grounded our family emotionally and psycologically to our past and our roots. Loss of living standard, loss of idenity, loss of confidence, loss of trust, the daily living with the burden of being violated by this large corporation and its ugly, and dishonest behavior to the unsupecting consumer.
Beverly of Greenville, TX August 20, 2008
My iron four poster bed had 3 of the 4 posts broken. My 17 flat screen TV was missing. It was packed in its original box so it was clear what was in the carton. The original contract called for 100% replacement insurance as part of the pricing. Later received a call that the company had 'changed their policy' and I had to pay for insurance. My goods were delayed for one week in Florida 'looking for a driver.' I was very unhappy with the 'service' and the response to my claim for damage and loss. Since I signed the paperwork before realizing that my TV was never entered on the original listing, they totally discounted this even though I called the agent in Ormand Beach the day after the goods were unloaded. I don't think anything will come of all of this. Things like this generally get 'forgotten' by the companies involved. I will end up having my bed repaired...even though I gave it to them in 'good faith.' As to my TV, I guess it is a lesson learned for me. I am just surprised that my computer made it...it was packed in its original box also.
Raymond of Palm Coast, FL July 23, 2008
Articles were delivered damaged and broken, including many valuable antiques. Boxes packed were delivered empty.Mirror missing, dolphin sculpure missing.Kirby vacuum missing. Medication was stolen, sheriff was called, have police report. When mover was confronted about the damage he said it was already like that and it wasn't. 6 people moved items into storage and he moved items out by himself. Then had the nerve to call me a fag. Nothing was handled with respect and care that it deserved for such a costly move.200 yr. old music stand had leg broken off.Almost all furniture had some kind of damage, including crushed boxes. Dining room table had legs cracked and loose. Arms on the chairs were loose. Jen Aire stainless steel refrigerator had scratches on the door.Kitchen aide Washing machine door won't latch.Lamps damaged, even one broken as he brought it into house. Antique towel rack was so damaged it's bent over.
Dan of Huntington Beach, CA June 11, 2008
We moved from MA to CA at the end of Feb, 2008. We were given an estimate and paid in full up front by credit card., almost $10,000. We received our goods on March 6,2008 in good condition and the bill of lading showed the actual cost of the move was less than $8400. North American owes us $1600, which they freely admit, after many phone calls and a letter to the presdient of the company. However, up to this time, June 11, they have told us that a check was sent to the wrong address, the wrong amount was put on a check($150, not $1600) and that they have the right to delay for six months and they are having a problem expiditing the payment. Why is it taking months to get our money back when we paid upfront in February?We are a couple on a fixed income. We moved to CA for the weather and to be near our family. We need the money!
Tracey of Wichita, KS August 3, 2006
We moved from Dallas to Wichita. It was a corporate relocation and Allied Van Lines actually packed us and loaded us in Dallas. That experience was great and we felt the packaging and care to our belongings was outstanding. The problem arose when our goods had to be stored once they arrived in Wichita. King's Moving and Storage took over from Allied once the items arrived. They were supposedly crated and placed into King's Storage. Upon arriving at our home, two months later (North American delivered the goods), we found many of our items to be badly damaged and filthy. All appliances that were shipped (washer, dry and small chest freezer) were crushed and inoperable. When bringing in a very expensive dresser, they didn't bother to use a pad on the piece or to even pad the dolly. As a result, the dresser was gouged on one entire side as they drug the dolly on it's side up 4 brick steps dragging our dresser on the bricks! As they unloaded the dresser off the dolly into the bedroom, they broke one of the legs off of it entirely. I walked into the room as it was snapping off and asked what had happened. One of the guys shrugged his shoulder and said oh well, it's not my problem. Call the company and make a complaint. I told him not to take that attitude with me and they walked out and refused to work. They sat out in their truck refusing to work because they said we were abusive. Nothing at all was said that was even the slightest bit offensive to them. Todd, their supervisor, was called and we asked him to come out and help supervise the move as we felt they were not appropriately handling our furniture, and he refused. He was very rude and said we could pack our belongings back up and have another crew some other day deliver, but it was summer time and he didn't know when they could get to it. Also, we felt insecure about them reloading our belongings and being the ones to unload them back into the warehouse. Then we found out that our belongings had been crated in 3 crates and they only had one! It took them all day to locate the other 2 crates and bring them out to our home. The driver was mad and took it out on us. Barely speaking to us and when he did, he used a very rude tone. They left us at 7pm that night with nothing assembled (they refused to put anything back together), badly damaged and broken items and a very unprofessional experience in general. We have moved 6 times in 11 years and have NEVER experienced anything like this!
We have thousands of dollars in damage to our household goods. We had to go out the day after moving in and replace our appliances as we cannot be without appliances while fighting them over claims.
James of Knoxville, TN July 28, 2006
On 5/24/06 I had someone meet the delivery company at my new house until I arrived in late June. North American was great until I noticed that item #93 was missing due to the fact that I got someone elses item #93. I notified North American at the end of june due to the fact I had just arrived and noticed this error. My receiver did not notice the error due to the fact that the driver was calling #s out and showing no damage and those #s were being marked off. North American wants me to return the other #93 and has declined my insurance claim saying they have a signed invoice saying all my items were received. All items were received because the person thought that was my item which it was not. I paid for the insurance to cover actual value with no deductible and now they dont want to stand behind that even though I can prove I have the wrong #93 what are my options this is not right as that box contained baseball and other collector memoribilla that was not cheap and in return I have a kids chair.
Dana of Arlington, VA May 12, 2006
The driver was rerouted and then delayed with my shipment to be delivered two days past my final delivery date put on the contract. After several calls, finally spoke to Cindy (who told me her superior was the President of the corporation). I explained to her why I needed my shipment by the contract deadline and she became rude with me and hung up on me twice. I never once yelled at her nor called her any kind of name or was abusive with her. She was completely rude (along with hanging up on me), refused to give me the driver's supervisor's name (who lied to the Northern California Rep by telling him my apartment complex told him -- the supervisor -- they wouldn't allow delivery on a Saturday); she would not give me the license number of the company until I asked for it four times. I then told her I would be filing a lawsuit if she didn't get my shipment to me before the day I started an important new job. She then told me it was because of my calling that the driver was being delayed -- when I called I called the first time, I was told the driver was already delayed. The driver, Douglas called an hour after I had spent nearly seven hours on the phone with the company trying to get the issue resolved. He was verbally harassing to me and kept insisting I should have called him and not the company -- when the company told me if he didn't call within 24 hours of the locked in date (which he didn't), I was to call the company. He stated he didn't have time to argue with me but I was wrong in calling the company. He stated he was a human being who needed a day off (which was why he apparently couldn't deliver on Sunday -- a day after the contract deadline delivery date). The northern California rep and dispatcher both told me there was no reason, from looking at their dispatch screen, that he couldn't get to me by his contract deadline date, yet Cindy continued to insist he just couldn't. They owe me one night's compensation for going over the contract deadline plus compensation for the things I had to buy for my new job which I wouldn't have had to do if they had arrived by the final contract delivery date. My load was a small load and so I was placed in low priority -- and they kept rerouting him to pick up bigger deliveries. The driver, Douglas, also told me it would be very difficult for him to deliver on a weekend because of all the residents being home at my complex. I told him there are many other moving companies that deliver on the weekend with no problem. I am still waiting to see if I get my furnishings, clothing, valuables, etc, by Sunday -- a day past the contract last delivery date.
Rob of Fredericksburg, VA January 17, 2006
Although this was a very large move with guaranteed pay by the government, the company grossly understaffed the move resulting in excessive damage and lost items. Additionally, the labor provided was negligent in assembly of our furniture resulting in a king size bed collapsing while we were asleep and childrens bunk beds that were in jeopardy of collapse had we not immediatly inspected the other beds after the collapse of the first bed. The size of the move required at least five movers to ensure safety, timeliness and care of our property. North American only provided 3 movers plus the driver. As a result, numerous items were broken, furniture was incorrectly assembled resulting in collapse and damage. Many items clearly marked by the packers were not placed in the room it was marked to be placed in and most were "buried" in the basement by movers who were tired and just started throwing boxes in the basement.
Sheryl of Nashville TN (10/20/05): Shipment was scheduled to arrive from New Jersey to Nashville between 10/18/05 and 10/20/05. Arrangements had been made for the shipment to then be delivered to a customer on 10/21/05. When the shipment did not arrive, I contacted North American and was told that the shipping date had been moved to 10/24/05. No one from North American had contacted the receiving party. This delay may cost my employer a valued customer. We have recommended to our corporate office that North American be dropped as a carrier for our company.
David of West Columbia SC (8/22/05):
Read more: "Consumer Complaints about North American Van Lines" - http://www.consumeraffairs.com/movers/north_american.htm#ixzz0Fa7ThHN6&A

Mega is one of the worst but the problem is industry-wide!

Your probably watch the same commercials as I do where the giant of the Household Goods Moving Industry, North American Van Lines
assures you that when your goods are in their hands you can rest easy.

DON'T BELIEVE IT! THEY ARE JUST AS RUTHLESS AS ALL THE REST!

Check out this excerpt from the Consumers Affairs website:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/movers/moving_companies.htm

"It's hard to think of anything less pleasant than moving. Moving companies large and small tend to be pretty rough around the edges -- and the situation has gotten much worse since Congress brilliantly eliminated the Interstate Commerce Commission, which formerly regulated interstate movers.

A General Accounting Office report recently found the problem is growing more severe but stopped short of recommending that the states be given more authority to protect consumers, and elements in Congress are working overtime to make things worse."

The Government Accountability Office report studied the effectiveness of the the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act–A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a division of the Department of Transportation.

SAFETEA-LU, enacted in 2005, put in place more stringent licensing requirements for interstate movers and increased state authority. However, states are still not given authority to regulate interstate household goods movers and there is no indication that any state has taken advantage of the limited authority the act provides, according to the GAO.

Meanwhile, although the FMCSA has increased its efforts, the agency is precluded from resolving individual complaints and has no authority to force moving companies to do anything after the move has begun.

As a result, consumers who move from one state to another are still being ripped off.
Many times, moving companies will quote one price and then double or even triple it after crossing a state line.

If the individual refuses to meet the mover’s demands, the company often takes the possessions “hostage” until the increased rate is paid, according to the report.

Although this appears highly illegal, there are in fact few protections for consumers once they cross a state line. ConsumerAffairs.com has received almost 400 complaints about moving companies.

"I was given a quote over the Internet for moving my belongings from Jeffersonville, Ind. to San Rafael, Calif.," wrote Karen of Jeffersonville. "My card was charged $1,400 for a deposit. Then charged another $1,400 when my stuff reached California. But Upfront Movers demanded another $3,500 in cash. Only cash."

"I was told not to call the police. If they didn't get my money they would put my stuff in storage and charge me storage. It's been a few years and it still bothers me to that a move that was suppose to cost maybe a few thousand dollars cost $6,000.00," Karen wrote.

After studying federal complaint and enforcement data and interviewing federal and state officials, the GAO concluded the Department of Transportation needs to develop a strategy with performance goals and measures for its oversight and enforcement of the industry and take additional actions. The Department has agreed to consider the recommendations.

End of quotes and excerpts................................

The brutal truth of the matter is that there is no way to avoid having your life torn apart other than renting a U Haul and rallying relatives and friends to help you move.

The so called consumer advocacy groups, BBB, ASMA, DOT etc etc etc are all "shills" for the moving companies, or "Enablers"

DOT issues meaningless (except for over the road safety rules) licenses to little thugs like Mega
Moving and Storage and big giants like North American Van lines with equal ease and lack of true policing.

Take it from your blogger,me, who is still healing from the shock and outrage of this trauma; if you go to BBB, DOT, ASMA or your local police you will come away with the same sickening,frustrated,helpless feelings I experienced.

The keyword they all use is "ARBITRATION"

These schmuck outfits will shout to high heaven that they are in your corner and that they are dedicated to protecting the public from those savage moving companies lurking in the hedges waiting to attack you.

Read this quote from the CEO of ASMA on their website (How could you not feel she is not ready to go to war for you with North American or Mega?)

" Welcome to the American Moving and Storage Association, the national trade association for the professional moving industry. Based in the Washington, D.C., area, AMSA’s mission is to represent the interest of the domestic and international moving and storage industry and to help the customers it serves.

The moving industry is unique because we are the freight haulers who move people. In the midst of life-changing transitions, we are responsible for transporting and caring for the precious possessions of millions of families, including those who serve our nation’s military, along with fine art and the priceless collections of public institutions, and the high technology equipment that keeps the economy running, and in some cases, saves lives.

AMSA represents more than 3,500 members, including interstate moving and storage companies, local movers, international movers plus industry suppliers and state association members. AMSA’s chief goals include strong support for effective government regulations and policies that protect consumers while allowing members to provide quality service at compensatory prices, and ensuring that consumers understand the value of professional moving and storage services.

Now reread this sentence in the opening paragraph:

"AMSA’s mission is to represent the interest of the domestic and international moving and storage industry and to help the customers it serves."

They represent the "interest" of the movers.

Wake up readers, these advocacy groups are paid by their members and they are representing them. Their members are moving companies. I.e. they represent the perps, the criminals.
The only thing they offer the victims is "ARBITRATION"

So that poor lady I featured in yesterdays blog who is waiting for her parents to arrive in Tampa from Illinois, but is afraid to tell them their personal and household goods are being held hostage by Mega Moving is offered "after the fact" arbitration . They cannot arrest these domestic terrorists and liberate the hostages (if your a victim those personal goods are just as important to you as real human hostages) Her father's lifetime collection of baseball cards is on Mega's truck. Can the CEO of ASMA get her dad's collection for him? No way. But you have to hand it to her,she doesn't even pretend she can. But she will offer this pregnant woman and her in transit parents arbitration a few months after they get btheir goods........ IF they get their goods.

Guess what North American Van Lines and the gang of thieves at Mega have in common folks?

They both are members of BBB and ASMA.

So when you cynics wonder why your beloved blogger chose an outfit like Mega and not an outfit like North American Van Lines here is why?

I was screwed by Mega to the tune of $1037.00 and one month of hostage taking.
If I had chosen North American I would have been out anywhere from $3000.00 to $6000.00 and I might still not have my belongings back.

My Nightmare Ends But Mega's Has Just Begun!

Here is an e mail I received an hour ago from another of Mega's victims (names blocked):

Charles,
I live in Florida and helped my elderly parent's organize a move to Florida from Illinois. We used mega-moving and are waiting for our furniture as we speak. My parents are on the road on there way to Florida eager to meet there furniture, which should arrive Saturday. I just started my investigation last night and feel as if were about to lose everything completely. If you could call me. I would appreciate any advice you might have on how to deal with these people.
Thank you,
S............ S................
end of e mail...................

I did call S........ and the details are more horiffic than the e mail.

Her Parents are in their 70's and have lived in Illinois for most of their lives. the only reason they are moving to Florida is because their daughter, S....... is having a difficult pregnancy and they want to be near her.

Their goods were picked up at their residence in Illinois on April 22,2009 and since then thier daughter has tried to get some word from Mega as to a definite delivery date/ No one answers her calls, she is referred to some one new every day and now they are demanding (extorting) an additional $2500.00 from here parent 0ver and above the binding quoe of $3000.00 which they have already paid by certified check.

(does this scenario sound familiar? You bet it does;check the archives on this blog and prove to yourself that this evil,satanic outfit known as Mega Moving Co. uses these same extortion/hostage scam every day of the week.)

I suggested to S......... that she contact the same organizations I used for the past month, BBB,ASMA, DOT as well as the local police in Illinois where her parent's goods were loaded on the Mega truck on 4/22.

All of them are ineffectual "Consumer Advocacy" groups,to say the least but the cumulative effect of all these complaints as well as using this blog will work. It worked for me even though it has pretty much destroyed my health.

I wish her well and hope she will post more details here after her parents get their goods.

And thank God for Google, our only real chance to put these bums out of business!

MEGA ARRIVES AT LONGS,SC ONE MONTH LATER AFTER TRIP AROUND THE WORLD

GLORYOSKI ZERO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MEGA ARRIVES AT 248 SUN COLONY BLVD,MAY 11,2009

Mega Wears the "AMSA" logo proudly

This being the case I wrote to this organization ( AMSA) http://www.promover.org/content.asp?contentid=934
to inform them about one of their member companies
I wrote to their PR chief, and their compliance Officer

First let me copy here the ASMA Credo as printed on their home page:

Welcome to the American Moving and Storage Association, the national trade association for the professional moving industry. Based in the Washington, D.C., area, AMSA’s mission is to represent the interest of the domestic and international moving and storage industry and to help the customers it serves.
The moving industry is unique because we are the freight haulers who move people. In the midst of life-changing transitions, we are responsible for transporting and caring for the precious possessions of millions of families, including those who serve our nation’s military, along with fine art and the priceless collections of public institutions, and the high technology equipment that keeps the economy running, and in some cases, saves lives.
AMSA represents more than 3,500 members, including interstate moving and storage companies, local movers, international movers plus industry suppliers and state association members. AMSA’s chief goals include strong support for effective government regulations and policies that protect consumers while allowing members to provide quality service at compensatory prices, and ensuring that consumers understand the value of professional moving and storage services.
Because our association is member-driven, we also offer a complete range of services, including state and federal government representation, legal and tax assistance, professional education and certification programs, financial and statistical reporting, loss and damage claim dispute arbitration and publications designed to keep you well informed about the latest news and trends affecting your business.
Please join me in helping the industry represent your interests in the corridors of power, and in helping you maintain the highest standards of professional conduct and service.
Sincerely,

Okay enough about their self-representation.

Here is what I wrote to them in honor of Mothers Day and all the Mothers, Mega Moving Co has shafted over the years:

Dear Sir or Madam:

This is an honest representation of my experience for the past 26 days with a company which advertises themselves as one of your members:

US DOT: 1799704 MC: 654617 Registration #: IM 1665 MR 1021

Mega Moving and Storage Co,20444 NE 15th Court, North Miami Beach, FL 33179, picked up all of my furniture and personal goods at my apartment at 320 Lago Circle,Apt 103,West Melbourne,Florida on 4/14/09 for delivery to my new address at 248 Sun Colony Blvd,Longs,SC 29568 2 days later on 4/16/09 for an agreed upon total fixed,flat rate, binding price of $1037.00 with $300.00 to be paid to driver via credit card upon pickup of goods and remainder of $737.00 to be paid upon delivery to SC address where I was moving to.
They processed an illegal credit charge OF $1037.00 through their hand held credit slip swiping device at pickup while I signed for only $300.00 as per contract.
They loaded my goods ,took off down Rt 95 supposedly for delivery in Longs,SC 2 days later.
Instead, they disappeared from the face of the earth for 3 weeks with all my worldy goods on their truck. I am 78 yrs old,in poor health and was forced to sleep on the floor of my apt at new address for 3 weeks with no flatware,cups,clothing,small appliances,tv,sofa,recliner and 30 packed boxes of personal effects. repeated calls to the driver and home office of Mega were never once responded to.
I reported theft to W Melbourne,Fl police,the DOT,State Attorney General and BBB (another worthless scam outfit which scum outfits like Mega use as a front for thie crimes). No results
3 weeks later the criminals, Isaac,Ray and Samuel resurfaced and said they were holding my goods in a wareouse in Atlanta,Ga and were ready to deliver them but they must first have an addtional $900.00 from me.
I refused and reported thier attempted extortion crime to the Police
26 days later they still have all the goods they stole from me.
This is a SATANIC EVIL OUTFIT run by SATANIC EVIL MEN!.

PS: You can receive full details about this crime on my blog which I have created to warn other people who are about to move from one state to another:
http://charlesolimpiovmegamoving.blogspot.com/?zx=e040d6b76903cfe

Very truly yours,
Charles Olimpio
248 Sun Colony Blvd.,unit 103
Longs,SC 29568
Phone 571-278-6922

Mega Moving & Storage Delivers True To Form. They Don't Deliver!

On Day 25 of my long nightmare, Mega once again failed to show up as promised.

Thursday,on a conference call,they agreed to return the goods they stole from me on April 14 within 2 days.

The 2 days came and went and Mega not only never came, but as usual didn't even bother to call.

A SETTLEMENT ?????????

Possible Settlement Between Your Blogger and Mega Moving & Storage May Have Been Reached !

In a 4 way conference telephone call late yesterday I came to a tentative settlement with my adversary, Mega Moving.

Three of the characters I have cited in my daily postings for the past 3 weeks:
"ISAAC " the driver, "Samuel",the head honcho and "RAY" the dispatcher indicated to me during this 30 minute back and forth phone conference that they wanted to reach a settlement.

I cannot reveal the details but the reason I describe it as tentative, is this.

The most important aspect of the "settlement" is that they will deliver my goods (which have been in a warehouse somewhere in Georgia for the past 3 1/2 weeks)
in the next 2 days, either today,Friday, or tomorrow, Saturday.

I believe they (the Mega representatives) read my postings on this blog each day, so I am making it as clear as I can, that I feel bound by the settlement terms only until late tomorrow. I am not saying I won't abide by the terms if they go beyond that time frame. I am stating that I don't have to.

Another important condition which I feel I can reveal is that they assured me yesterday my goods are in excellent condition. I have my doubts so I demanded I be allowed to go on the truck before they start unloading to check the physical exterior condition. They agreed to this.

Thanks to all who have expressed their support. I will keep you posted.

The inside story of Moving Company Scams! Don't make the same mistake I did

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- More than 43 million Americans will pack up and relocate this year, most of them between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Unfortunately, thousands of those moving will become victims of mover fraud. That's when rogue movers offer low estimates, then hold the belongings hostage, demanding higher payments. Here's how to avoid the rogue mover.


Patte Elrod is living with friends in Redondo Beach, not so much because she wants to but because she has to. Patte was on her way to moving out of state but her moving company picked up her belongings and held them hostage.

"Once they had a lot of my belongings on their trucks, they started telling me that they were going to have to charge about three times more," said Patte.
That meant the movers went from an estimate of $8,000 to a new bill of more than $25,000, even though the contract said "no hidden costs."

"This has been the worst year of my life," said Patte.

Adrianne Pomorski is a Hurricane Katrina survivor who moved to Southern California, but along the way her household goods and effects were hijacked when she fought the new bill.

"When they showed up a day late, they gave me a blank bill of lading to fill out on my own, and started putting my stuff in their truck," said Adrianne. "Well, when they were all finished, and they closed and locked up the door to the truck, they came up with the final price, and it was two and a half times what the estimate was."

Both Adrianne and Patte had been taken by rogue movers. Both eventually got their goods back, but not until moving expert and attorney Gregg Garfinkel got involved, and even then it was a struggle.

"After giving seven different delivery dates and four and a half months later, yes, they finally delivered it," said Adrianne.

Garfinkel has filed many lawsuits against rogue movers who operate this way because there is little enforcement of the laws.

"All you need is a Web site, a catchy phrase and a business card, and you can operate a moving and storage company," said Garfinkel.

"The number of rogue movers that are out there is really undermining the whole industry," said Edwin Nabal. "It gives the entire industry a bad name."

Edwin Nabal runs a legitimate moving business and he says there are plenty like him who will take care of consumers. Here's how you find them:

Get recommendations from friends, relatives, or go with names you know.

Check with the Better Business Bureau for complaints.

Look for members of a professional moving organization.

And once you find the movers:

Schedule at least two on-site estimates, which should be free.

Do not get quotes over the phone or the Internet.

Be wary of low-ball price quotes.

Get a written estimate that should be binding.

If non-binding, the estimate should not exceed 110 percent of the original estimate.

"Oh, I would definitely research and educate myself better," said Adrianne.
"I went with people who gave a lower estimate," said Patte. "And I won't ever do that again."




And your Blogger who got burned bad and has given up any chance of regaining them (would I really want my stuff after it has sat in a rat and roach infested warehosue for months??) wants to add another precaution.

It was the one thing I did right during the whole process and it will save me $1037.00 and cost Mega that much. I used a credit card interconnected to my debit card.

When the Mega Moving and Storage Co driver (the infamous "ISAAC" (mentioned in many of the scams posted on this blog)....when "ISAAC" fraudently used my debit/credit card to rob $1037.00 from me. The credit card co., Chase Morgan or Morgan Chase credited the money back to my checking account today and is sueing Mega for the same sum.If I had used a plain old credit card I would never have seen that money again and Mega would have truly perpetrated the "PERFECT CRIME"

THE DIFFERENCE IS THEY STOLE MY MONEY FROM MY CHECKING ACCOUNT INSTEAD OF MONEY A BANK HAD LOANED ME AS WOULD BE THE CASE IN A REGULAR CREDIT CARD TRANSACTION.

So Mega has all my goods but they are out $1037.00.