Scam happening right this second in cleveland

bwaldbau · Joined: 15 May 2006 Posts: 10

Need help. A new neighbor is moving in and being scammed right now. They were originally quoted 1700 for an interstate move. The company showed up, load and said we need 2000 more. The police came, they paid it, and they truck left for Cleveland. They now arrived and the driver wants more cash to unload. The driver has no weight for the load. The customer has no documentation and didn't realize they were supposed to ask for it. The police in cleveland came and said there is nothing they can do. Any advice????

The movers are arik jerusalem movers with the website www.arikmoving.com and they subcontracted mayfield moving 877-668-4677

ArchieWhite · Joined: 25 Mar 2004 Posts: 2924

contact www.moverescue.com they may be able to help. Dont know the phones, it should be on the website.

MusicMom · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 18784 Location: DC Metro

Unless the neighbors are prepared ahead of time to fight, it's tough to jump in with all the info. At this point, it's best to pay what they're asking, get their stuff, and fight like hell afterwards. We can help with that, there's a lot wrong with this move from what you've said.

farrah7031 · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 4619 Location: Tallahassee, FL

Looks like they finally got a license:
http://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/pkg_carrquery.prc_getdetail?pv_apcant_id=454037&pv_vpath=LIVIEW

farrah7031 · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 4619 Location: Tallahassee, FL

They have the AMSA logo on their website though, you'd think with an "F" rating at the BBB that AMSA wouldn't allow them as members?
http://www.mayfieldvanline.net/aboutus.htm

bwaldbau · Joined: 15 May 2006 Posts: 10

hey, thanks for all the help. i spoke with one of the lawyers at moverescue. Very helpful. he suggested keeping everythign civil, pay the money, and get the stuff off the truck. push as hard as you can get to get an inventory. the weird thing is that the refuse to give any paperwork, even receipts they refuse. no checks. no cc. cash only. the only way they have been able to pay is with cash, given under the witness of the police. he also advised getting picture of them unloading. can you believe this, no bill of laden, no weights, no inventory??? Innocent people taken for a total ride.

i called mayfield in california and they gave me the run around. their DOT from the side of the truck is 1428750. Jerusalem i don't know a thing about.

all i do know is that when i did the same move last summer i used ALL STAR and they were awesome. what a polar opposite. i knew to use them because i checked at movingscam.com before the move.

bwaldbau · Joined: 15 May 2006 Posts: 10

http://www.labbb.org/BBBWeb/Forms/Business/CompanyReportPage_Expository.aspx?CompanyID=100036547

farrah7031 · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 4619 Location: Tallahassee, FL

Even better would be to VIDEO TAPE when they come to deliver. You'd be surprised the power of media.

ArchieWhite · Joined: 25 Mar 2004 Posts: 2924

Deregulation of the trucking industry allowed anybody with a rental truck and a website to be a trucking company, and we all know who to thank for that, don't we? At least to be in the de-regulated airline industry, you had to have a plane, a fairly expensive asset, but trucking can be done with a rental for $49 a day.

MusicMom · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 18784 Location: DC Metro

Did they say what would happen if the neighbor refused delivery or payment without paperwork from the movers?

bwaldbau · Joined: 15 May 2006 Posts: 10

no. i think we just want to get the stuff off the truck so they paid them the money. they are crooks!!! how is it that people like this sleep at night? i was reading about other people's experiences on the state by state forum. literally the same story, deposit, load, more money, etc....

isn't there anything criminal in this? they are holding them hostage!

so now if they go to small claims court, how is this going to help? number one, they have no insurance. two, mayfield van lines won't show up. three, if they lose, they won't pay. fourth, they probably will close in the next few months and reopen under a different name.. i guess people have to be wary of any company in the future that opens with the owner name: John Gray. What a crook!!!

what would we do without movingscam.com , the only people out there protecting consumers. you all are amazing!!! i just wish this couple would have known about you beforehand. they should advertise you all in the yellowpages or something right next to the movers so that people will know how to check.

MusicMom · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 18784 Location: DC Metro

unfortunately, for all the reasons in your second paragraph, this is why bad people ahve become scam movers. There is little inentive for them to follow the law. But small claims can be won (since they won't show to fight it) and judgements can be forcibly paid through some channels, see here.

However, your neighbor's case is so glaring because there is no paperwork, cash, police witness, etc, that the FMCSA may get involved in this one case. They are so thinly stretched with their 9 investigators that they can only take on cases requiring little investigation, or cases involving hundred or thousands of customers. My movers were raided in April 2005 and still haven't been charged.

When they're settled and have their computer up, invite your neighbor here, we'll walk them through the next few steps.

bwaldbau · Joined: 15 May 2006 Posts: 10

here is the final story at the end of the day of what happened...

ARIK JERUSALEM MOVING AND STORAGE INC.

http://www.arikmoving.com/index.html

http://www.newyork.bbb.org/reports/businessreports.aspx?id=91069&pid=44&page=0&FindStr=jerusalem&SearchBy=company&Address=&City=&Phone1=&Phone2=&Phone3=&MembersOnly=False

1.) Low ball price, 65% deposit
2.) load and demand more cash
3.) provide no paperwork
4.) store stuff in transit in terrible rat infested warehouse. nothing like rat droppings on your stuff
5.) subcontract delivery of equally inferior quality-Mayfield Moving

http://www.labbb.org/BBBWeb/Forms/Business/CompanyReportPage_Expository.aspx?CompanyID=100036547

http://www.mayfieldvanline.net/aboutus.htm

6.) They show up a week late
7.) They demand more cash for delivery. No credit cards, no money orders, no bank checks, no receipts. Only witness to money being given was the police.
8.) Stuff is missing-cushions from sofa, scratches on furniture, missing photo albums. You name it, they screwed it up. They refused to put stuff in proper places. everything packed into one room. No furniture assembled. CROOKS from begining to end

Diane · Joined: 06 Oct 2003 Posts: 15834 Location: Los Angeles

It appears that Arik Jerusalem is unlicensed. Its DOT number is 1301496.

farrah7031 · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 4619 Location: Tallahassee, FL

How did they find these people? A Find-a-mover website?