DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. GUILTY OF EXTORTION, HOSTAGE SITUATION, ABOMINABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND OTHER FORMS OF COERCION
I recently moved on my company's bill from Tennessee to California on short notice that ended in a terrible experience with All State Relocation and their contracted moving services (West Star Relocation, ReLo in New Jersey, and their banks - in this case Wells Fargo). Every entity involved is addressed in portions of this letter that was served to each individually:
"This letter is to put All State Van Lines' (and its subcontractors Relo and West Coast, hereafter collectively "Subs") on notice of your violations of California criminal laws concerning grand theft, misappropriation and conversion of items, All State and Subs' myriad violations of the California Unfair Business Practices Act penalized by six months in jail and $2,500 fines per violation, and All State and Subs' violation of a recent federal statute signed into law by President Obama which allows the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to fine moving companies up to $10,000 for engaging in a well-tried scam: representing that they will move a customer at a low price, and then holding the customer's belongings hostage for a grossly inflated sum.
All State and Subs will cease and desist with the conspiracy to commit the above illegal practices immediately, and deliver all belongings of OMITTED - at the original price quoted of $2,052.52.
The facts and relevant law are as follows:
"On January 21, 2015, NAME OMITTED contracted with All State to move her possessions cross country from Tennessee to California for a quoted cost of $2,052.52, of which a $912.77 deposit was given via her new employer's credit card. The balance due on delivery was quoted at the remainder of $1,139.75. The only provision in the contract for up-charge was as follows: "I understand that if I take more items than what is in my list, or order additional services, my weight and/or price is subject to change."
NAME OMITTED did not engage in any conduct that under the contract would have allowed for up-charge, such as taking more items or ordering additional services.
Moreover, virtually every day between the contract date of January 21 and February 7, she called All State and All State's Subs seeking further clarification on the progress of the load and the weight. Despite having picked up the load on Saturday, January 24 and crossed myriad state lines and undoubtedly myriad weigh stations as well, your companies refused to provide OMITTED the data requested for over two weeks.
Until February 7.
When you suddenly demanded a full 33% more money than original quoted - allegedly due to overweight concerns - and decided to TEXT NAME OMITTED the details after she continued to insist you provide data. After which you then informed her for the very first time that despite having initiated this transaction with a credit card, you were suspiciously insisting on completing the now-extortive deal with a cashier's check, money order, or cash.
Moving companies quoting a low-ball price for moving and then extorting the client at the destination point for large sums of money never previously discussed - whilst changing the rules for payment to cash or cashier's check to prevent subsequent recourse by the extorted victim - is one of the oldest tricks in the book. And it is illegal as hell. While it is unfortunate that most of the population lacks the sophistication necessary to know that such conspiracies are illegal, the author of this letter is aware that your companies' collusive conduct is not only illegal but constitutes conduct so egregious that jail time can and does lie for the principals involved in such schemes, as well as heavy fines and suspension of operating licenses for the company(ies) involved. It would appear that Thomas Lee, Camelita Phillips and James (last name unknown) are the individuals involved in this scheme, along with Julia and Yarelly (representatives from WestCoast Relocation whose last names do not appear on any coorespondence).
California Penal Code 484 specifies that a person who carries away the personal property of another or fraudulently misappropriates such property that was entrusted to him - as your companies are doing here - has engaged in the crime of grand theft. It is a "wobbler" crime - meaning that the prosecutor may choose to charge the criminal with one year in jail if the crime is charged as a misdemeanor, and up to three years of jail time should the prosecutor charge the crime as a felony...."
Needless to say, these companies deserve harsh reprimands and DO NOT DESERVE TO EXTORT YOUR MONEY. DO NOT USE THEM!
