CONSUMER ADVISORY NOTICE: Coral Sea Shipping

[MusicMom]

http://www.fmc.gov/reading/CoralSeaShippingAdvisory.asp

CORAL SEA SHIPPING
CONSUMER ADVISORY NOTICE


The Federal Maritime Commission issues this notice to alert consumers about the activities of an entity using the name Coral Sea Shipping. Coral Sea Shipping appears to be operating in violation of the Shipping Act of 1984. The Shipping Act makes it unlawful to hold out as providing international ocean shipping services without being licensed to do so, and maintaining appropriate consumer financial protection, such as a surety bond. Coral Sea Shipping is not licensed and bonded, but is offering through its web site, (www.coralseashipping.com), to move household goods for shippers via ocean transportation to, or from, other countries.


Coral Sea Shipping allegedly has been collecting payment from consumers for the transport and delivery of their goods to or from foreign destinations without providing all services as contracted. Consumer complaints have revealed that Coral Sea Shipping has used other, third party transportation providers while failing to pay for their services, thus requiring consumers to incur additional costs by paying these other transportation providers for services that Coral Sea Shipping had been paid to provide.

Any consumer that has arranged with Coral Sea Shipping for international shipment of its goods or personal effects may contact the Commission’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Dispute Resolution Services for assistance. (202-523-5807 or complaints@fmc.gov).

[lmykle]

Music Mom - In light of the warning by the FMC, how do we get Coral Sea Shipping added to the Black List on this site? I am SURE it will help other consumers. I know that they have been recently preying upon people - because I have received some e-mails from people who they have ripped off and abandoned loads - etc.

[safe move]

how does it work, the black list??

u just add someone u think at ur opinion? or a company who's been marked at the FMC? or BBB

once a company is added how long r they posted for? forever? until there record is clean with the BBB?

can someone explain?

TY
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To help and advice

[farrah7031]

Safe Move - the Black List is only for companies that have a PATTERN of either holding goods hostage, or doing a bait and switch with their pricing. You can view most of this information already on www.protectyourmove.gov or www.bbb.org (depending on the company). It takes many many complaints for this to happen. MOst of the companies on the Blacklist are either no longer in business, or are aliases of known scammers.

[safe move]

Thank you for the answer, but I didn't get all the answers I requested....


The BBB provides a review of a company who had a complaint, the company settled the complaint with the BBB and with the customer. not always the customers are happy with the result. (nothing new) The BBB is listing that the following company has contributed to resolve the issue and they will post it. one other thing that the BBB will only provide a review of 36 months.

How does it work with the black list? who is posting the companies on the list. is it by the review of the BBB or FMCSA? or a personal opinion?

and if the system works like the reviews on the BBB would it be removed after 36 months?

and if it's based on opinions then there is no control...
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To help and advice

[consumer advocate]

We use the BBB sometimes for information but we don't have much confidence in them. They're mostly a business to which other businesses pay dues in exchange for a satisfactory rating. They almost never give a dues-paying member an unsatisfactory rating. One company has over 500 complaints and the BBB still sees fit to give them a satisfactory rating. So you can see what I mean. Scam companies are easily able to avoid the consequences of a bad BBB record by simply changing names and starting over.

Placing a company on the blacklist is a very careful judgment call. It is not based on personal opinion. As Farrah told you, we place a company on the blacklist after compiling complaints from several sources and after seeing a PATTERN of hostage loads and other scam tactics. We also know many of the owner names who have long been associated with scam moving. And we make the assumption that once you're a scammer, you're not likely to turn over a new leaf and suddenly become honest.

You seem overly concerned about the blacklist. Is your company on it?

[safe move]

No not at all… I am in no moving or shipping business, I am an HR of a large cooperation in NYC, Washington DC, CT, TX, CA, and other, and I’m involved with a lot of shipping & moving companies, around the Nation & Around the world. I get to meet a lot of people and businesses.
I was wandering how does your system work and how do moving businesses get on the Black List.

“You’re not likely to turn over a new leaf and suddenly become honest.” I agree with you on that. once a crook always a crook.

As I am searching around on this site, sometimes there are complains that are serious and sometimes a user will enter the chat room and say… the company is fraud, the company hold my shipment….etc. how can you determent what is right and what is wrong. Maybe it’s just another user who logs in and describes anything that comes onto his mind.
Anything he wants to say just to talk out loud.
It doesn’t matter what is the real case? How can this site determent what’s real and what’s nonsense, it seams that by the end of the day you take it all for granted.

How can you really check?
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To help and advice

[consumer advocate]

[smatwilly]

etc. how can you determent what is right
am an HR of a large cooperation
I was wandering ho
how can you determent

No offense but you are an HR of a large "corporation'? Your spelling is just a little off to be believable?!

[whodat1b]

Safe Move - They just don't place companies on the list just for the hell of it.
In a nutshell Customer post that XYZ stiffed them. One of the folks on this site will start asking questions.

Where did you move from?
Where did you move to?
Do you still have the paperwork?
What phone numbers did you use?
How did you hear about them?

This site also has technology that shows where the person is posting from. So when the clown gets online in Jersey and says he just moved to Texas. Then he or she states that they are in Texas waiting for their stuff. Their IP address is showing Jersey so you know they are lying.

I worked for a company which was really stiffing folks. I contacted this site and really tried to get them placed on the blacklist. It didn't happen, why because not enough people said they had a problem with them.

To this day that company is not on the blacklist.

Safe Move - You have some very smart folks on this site. I really don't see to much getting by them. When you have time go back and look and read some of the past posting they have written.
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Do Unto Others, As You Would Have Others Do Unto You!

[Jim]

If we were to give away all of how we investigate, then rogue complainers would use our knowledge to bypass the mistakes they generally commit when posting here.

More than that, as CA stated, one complaint won't get you on the list. Two won't get you on the list. There has to be a repeatable pattern with the same general offenses before one finds themselves on the list. If the same person makes multiple complaints - it would show as all coming from the same computer and therefore a fake complaint. If the person tries to mask the IP address, the complaint is considered a fake because NO ONE would mask their IP address unless they wish NOT to be found.

The best thing we advise any mover who comes here is, "serve your customer first and foremost." Yes, you can't please everyone and we all get that. On the other hand, you aren't going to get onto the blacklist for being late. Traffic happens. Accident on the freeway happens. You aren't going to get onto the blacklist for not meeting the customer's expectations (though if repeated, you may get an "avoid this mover"). BUT, if you consistently hostage load, consistently jack up prices after everything is loaded, consistently deliver weeks after the last day of the delivery window, and other despicable acts,...... then yes, you too may find yourself permanently on the blacklist.
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It's Sunny Somewhere In The World