FOR ALL OF YOU WHO ARE IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING OR TRYING TO FIND A MOVING CO., PLEASE BEWARE!!!!Please check out Movingscam.com, complaints.com, badmovers.com.,
www1.epinions.com, the squeakywheel.com --before you consider a moving company. Wheaton Van Lines aka Wheaton World Wide Moving is a company you want to stay away from, they have had numerous complaints for holding furniture hostage until you pay additional cash upon delivery not quoted for in your original estimate, even if it is a binding estimate.
Moving companies seem to and can pretty much get away with anything. Now there are law firms handling class actions against moving companies for charging excess fuel charges.
Also due to the substanial complaints against moving companies, and the limitations of the ICC regulations (Interstate Commerce Regulations), there have been numerous Congressional hearings pertaining to "rogue movers". Most and typical complaints are consumer/shippers enter into binding estimates with a stated price and upon delivery the driver demands more money, HOLDING ALL WORLDLY POSSESSIONS HOSTAGE UNTIL THE CASH IS PAID, and let me tell you it can be substantial into the 1,000's; and committing extortion by theft. There have been numerous instances where people decided not to pay and not submit themselves to extortion, only to discover the moving company left holding all of their possessions and have never returned them.
Also, it means nothing that they are listed with the BBB. Any company can be listed with them stating they are in good standing if they are a paying member.
So, please check into and research this very carefully. Consumer complaints against "rogue mover's" has skyrockted.
Due to the enormous amount of complaints, there is new public Federal law on this issue, "Safe Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportion Equity" can be viewed at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-dbname=109_cong_public_laws&docid=f
ubl059.109 (broken link). I hope I am stating that correctly.
If not you can contact Congressman Thomas Peltri's office and his assistant, Keelin Haddix, Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, 2165 Rayburn HOB, Washington, D.C. 20515,
phone (202)225-4472; fax no.: (202)226-1270, e-mail address,
keelin.haddix@mail.house.gov.
The new Federal law is know as
"Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: Title I: Federal-Aid Highways - Subtitle A: Authorization of Progams; Subtitle B: Hosehold Goods Transportation - Household Goods Mover Oversight Enforcement and Reform Act of 2005 (Sec. 4203)".
If the moderator would like for me to provide the entire statute of the Fedreal law, I would be more than happy to do so.
But, this new law is not 100% percent guaranteed protection. Even though this new law is in place, these occurrences are still happening. Again, please research this carefully.
As stated, there have been hundreds of consumer complaints on this issue, and the complaints continue to rise dramatically.