FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Moving to a new state turned sour for a Local 10 News viewer when he said a simple move with only a few pieces of furniture and boxes led to higher prices and damaged goods.
That's when Local 10 News investigative reporter Christina Vazquez got the call for help. Here are some things you might want to know when choosing your mover.
"The nigh, the day of the move from New Jersey, the truck showed up at five o'clock at night. I mean, all day we're waiting for this truck," Harold Hoffman said.
Hoffman said it went downhill from there. He complained of damaged furniture and missing items.
"A small jewelry armoire, the leg was broken off. (We're missing) dishes and we're missing some boxes. We had a food processor. We don't have pots and pans," Hoffman said.
Hoffman also claims Duntara Moving and Storage, doing business as American Moving and Storage, up-charged. Hoffman's original estimate to move and store 28 items and 78 pieces from New Jersey to Broward County was about $2,900.
Hoffman said that when they finished loading his belongings on the truck around 11 p.m., the driver told him of the new charges. With the move already underway, Hoffman felt he had no other option but to sign the revised documents.
"New estimate: 6,613 pounds. How he got that I have no idea. It ended up costing me $5,000 for the move. That was ridiculous," Hoffman said.
He then asked for proof of the truck's scale weight.
"They said, 'Oh, you'll get that,' which I never got," Hoffman said.
The Department of Transportation, under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, regulates interstate moves, or moving from state to state. In the last two years, the FMCSA received a total of 44 complaints against Duntara or American Moving and Storage. People most complained about estimates and final charges, pickup and delivery issues. Complaints about shipment documents, claim settlement, weight, and loss and damage.
The Call Christina team tried visiting Mike Ozen, who is listed as the owner of Duntara.
"Hi, are you Mike Ozen?" Vazquez asked.
"No, I'm not," an employee at the door said.
"OK, it's Christina Vazquez from Local 10 News," Vazquez said.
"Alright, can you hold on a minute?" the employee asked.
"Absolutely," Vazquez said.
The employee locked the door and never returned.
Vazquez emailed and called Ozen of Duntara numerous times, seeking answers for Hoffman, but Duntara never committed to an interview. Recently, Hoffman received a settlement offer of $132 to settle his claim. In his contract, Hoffman agreed to standard valuation of his belongings to cover the move, which is $0.60 per pound.
"What (do) I tell people now? Don't move. Don't move anything. Just sell everything and just move," Hoffman said.
Watch Local 10 News at 5 p.m. Thursday for part two of this Call Christina investigation.
Follow Christina Vazquez on Twitter @CallChristinaTV
Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10