Photo credit: ssmiling/Pixabay

How did it happen?

Mid-March, 2021, we decided to move to Arkansas to be nearer our extended families. We listed our condo in Scottsdale, AZ, for sale on March 18. Two days later we had an offer we couldn’t refuse. The sale was set to close April 14.

On March 22, we drove to NWA to locate a home for purchase. On April 5, back in Scottsdale, I contacted multiple movers for pricing and scheduling. Was called by First Rate Van Lines and promised, “We will give you a professional, full-service, door-to-door, no-hassle move including disassembly and reassembly of furniture and staging of all contents where you want it, complete with 24/7 communication and expert guidance.” Based on that representation and others, I signed an 8-page contract WITHOUT READING ALL THE FINE PRINT. Shame on me! A lapse in judgment because of a crucial time crunch.


We scheduled the move for April 21 and paid a $2,000 deposit.

In retrospect, I wish I had known of the FMCSA’s website warning in “Spot the Red Flags.” https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move/red-flags. Had I known about it, I would have avoided a lot of pain for Linda and myself. But who thinks to find and read a U.S. Department of Transportation website before scheduling a move?

Turned out, First Rate Van Lines is NOT a van line as their name indicates, but a broker. They subcontracted our move to another company, then denied any affiliation or relationship with that company or the promises they [First Rate] had made. But I still did not know this at this point in time. Sale of our condo closed as scheduled on April 14.

April 15, I flew back to AR to search more houses. Found what we liked in Bella Vista and made a winning competitive offer. Set close for May 6. Zipped back to AZ to finalize move prep. April 19, paid another $1,100 to movers per contract. Made arrangement for “up to 30 days’ free storage” pending ID of final delivery address.

April 21, four mover employees arrived in an Enterprise Rental truck. No one in uniform. No identification of who they were, but we ASSumed [You know the old saying!] they were who we had contracted with for the move. Within 5 minutes, the driver said the price would increase by $2,000 because the “load is bigger than we thought” [1,500 cu ft]. When halfway loaded, the driver demanded $1,500 “in cash or postal money order.” I refused, paid by ACH from bank. So we’re now in for $4,600 with the understanding of another $3,500 payable on successful delivery. We had already packed 99.5% of all our stuff when they arrived. Loading was completed in under 3 hours. Storage was to be in Phoenix for 30 days or less. I was promised, “As soon as you have a permanent address, call us and we’ll deliver your property.”

We drove to AR, this time for good. On May 3, all steps for closing on our home purchase were cleared, and I called the movers with our contract number, delivery address, name, phone numbers, and expected date of delivery as May 14 or asap thereafter. First Rate Van Lines said, “You need to call S & M Relo and let them know.” I called and left a voice message, since no live person answered. Asked for callback and confirmation. Also emailed First Rate and asked them to confirm the information in my email so that we were all on the same page. They didn’t. Said they couldn’t “because it’s against company policy.” Against policy for customer service to confirm communications to/from a customer? Wow!

So I called both companies every day for the next 8 days to get confirmation and a delivery date. NEVER got a response. Thinking that our property had been lost – or perhaps stolen – I asked our bank to recover funds paid. They were able to recapture ¾ ($3,300) of the funds which had been paid by ACH or debit card.

Still had absolutely NO communication from the companies until May 17, when they called to demand an additional $3,000 for storage [we were still within our 30-day free period] PLUS repayment of what we had recaptured. BUT they would not tell us where our goods were or give us any hint of a delivery date. So I told them we would only pay upon successful delivery in good condition, and that we would NOT pay storage because we had asked for delivery on May 3 – well within the 30 days of free storage.

I then received calls from various company “employees” of First Rate [always a new person]. They were extremely rude, demanding, told me I had “no right” to tell them what I expected, etc. Extreme hostility without a trace of common business courtesy and customer service. This was the last straw for us. But funny how a bite from the bank account gets attention.

I filed a formal complaint with the DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, followed closely by police reports to AZ and AR law enforcement agencies. Then I filed formal complaints with the Arkansas and Arizona Attorney Generals’ Consumer Protection Divisions and the FBI. Also made contact with Sen. John Boozman’s staff and forwarded documentation of all that had transpired to date, asking help in moving the Arkansas AG, the FMCSA and whoever else appropriate to the action. Then a family member arranged an interview for us with Marine Glisovic of KATV Channel 7’s (Little Rock, AR) “7 On Your Side” program of public service help. After the interview, she contacted the moving companies, the Arkansas AG and other sources to put pressure and public scrutiny on the situation.

AND OF COURSE, many friends and family were praying and working behind the scenes to help us in any way possible. Friends and members of our families on both sides loaned us items necessary for living day to day, many more offered help, and a few generous folks kicked in cash. On June 2, I repaid the two companies the $3,300 recaptured from their banks when they went “underground.” Yet, they STILL WOULD NOT give us a delivery date or tell us where our property was located.

Where has it been all this time?

We were told multiple locations: Phoenix, Mesa, and Tempe, AZ.

What made them deliver your property?

IN THE END, we are confident that God used all these efforts of officials, media, friends and family to put a spotlight on the movers and make them do the right thing. By this point, they had been paid everything they were due pending delivery and were being pressed from several directions. Sen. Boozman’s office did stellar work in jamming the FMCSA and the Arkansas Attorney General’s office. The FMCSA finally got into action and their agent contacted me and then the movers to expedite the delivery process – IF you can call delivery after 61 days from pickup “expedited!” Ha! But we believe that if all this pressure had not been mounted, the movers would still be jacking us around for more money and fees.

Was it all there on delivery?

NO. Most of it arrived, but some crucial parts are missing. Literally. Our king-size master bed has no side and center rails to connect the headboard and footboard and none of the platform parts for mattress support. All screws and bolts are missing. Our dining table legs were removed and the hardware lost; ditto with our matching office desks. Lamp shades for our three floor lamps arrived sans the lamps themselves. Four table lamps arrived with the shades unboxed and crushed, one of the lamps broken. Of the four 24” HDMI computer monitors they packed (4 of 8 items total they packed), only three arrived. We now have only one of a matched pair of solid-wood designer end-tables … possibly our only “designer” anything. Round wooden feet for a 3-piece leather sectional sofa were removed and tossed in a box without packing materials, now all chipped and dinged to look quite ugly. Still unpacking smaller boxes at this point. End result unknown at this time.

Are they in jail?

No. This is where we as citizens come in – ALL OF US. Law enforcement in our nation is in crisis. Agencies yell “understaffed” in protest, and I suppose they are, given the events of the last year and a half. But certain federal watchdog agencies are little more than that; they KNOW things are corrupt in some businesses, yet take little action unless forced. We voters need to CHANGE THIS by becoming proactive where courts and law enforcement are concerned. The pressure of public opinion should be brought to bear on enforcing just laws, both on the street and in the courtroom. And corrupt companies such as the ones we dealt with should be driven out of business.

What’s next for us?

We will be contacting legislators and law enforcement to remedy the horrible deception being used in the moving industry to defraud the unsuspecting public. Here’s how the movers do it:

  • Use of a bait-and-switch structure, whereby the broker represents its business as a “van line,” collects fees up front with promises they won’t keep, and then sells the job to shady movers.
  • The actual movers use strong-arm tactics once they’re in the door, knowing the customers are now in a compromised situation and need immediate action.
  • Among those tactics is the denial of full replacement coverage for goods lost or damaged, “slamming” the customer into a 60-cents per pound valuation for your “stuff.” So, a 100-lb. table would be covered for $60, even though it may be worth $500 or more. The FMCSA tells me that this is an illegal tactic and the movers can be forced to pay full replacement cost IF the customer can prove that they objected to the lower valuation and indicated that objection on the form. Fortunately, I did make written objection on that portion of the contract.
  • The movers then transport the goods to storage and “lose” contact with the customers, often until after “free storage” has expired and they can extort upcharges from the customers.
  • Meanwhile, the customer’s goods are intermingled in huge warehouses; some are lost, some are damaged, and the customer receives an inferior move.
  • Customers are treated without respect or honor. I was berated on the phone by the owner of the actual moving company on two occasions near the end – UNTIL his company got the spotlight from news and multiple federal and state agencies.
  • Interesting fact: the “mover” that I originally contracted with – “First Rate Van Lines” – shows their home office address as 201 S. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach, FL. When I Google Mapped that about a week ago and then went to “street view,” the address shows to be a Cuban sandwich shop. I did it three different times, thinking it was surely a mistake. Not so. I also discovered that one of several phone numbers they use is that of yet another two “moving companies” – Independence Van Lines and American Long Distance Moving & Storage.

Also, note that the FMCSA agent who called me twice in the waning stages of this episode readily volunteered to me that “These guys are con men and have been watched by us for some time.” I asked, “Why just watch them?” and he claimed the standard “understaffed” plight. But that old dog just won’t hunt anymore! These movers are scammers – criminals who prey on the unsuspecting for unfair advantage and profit – low-down ‘dawgs,’ you might say. The unsuspecting are those folks who still function under the old principles of “handshake” deals, honesty and fair dealing.

Forewarned is forearmed. Lessons learned the hard way can be avoided.

Carpe diem. Vita brevis!

© June 25, 2021 by Michael Stubblefield. All rights to my original work preserved.

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