PHOENIX — With most of their family on the East Coast, Celeste Moore and her husband decided to make the long move from Phoenix, and they hired Vets Global Moving LLC to do it.
Celeste says the movers were recommended by a church friend, but early on, she says there were concerns.
"The day of the move, they called and told us they could only get one of the large trucks and one smaller truck, and that the rest of our things would come at another day," Moore says.
She says she reluctantly agreed, paid about half of the $15,490 price, and waited for delivery when she paid the remainder.
But Celeste says when her belongings were being unloaded, she noticed damage.
"The headboard was broken, the pool table was broken," she says.
And Moore says as they unpacked, they noticed items missing.
She came up with a list of 49 items she says were never delivered.
"I was very, very angry," she says.
Moving to another state can be a very emotional event, and this is the last thing anyone needs.
Checking out a mover thoroughly before you hire is crucial because if you have problems later, good luck!
While Arizona moving complaints are handled by the Department of Public Safety, their online complaint form leads to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) which handles interstate moves.
An online check shows that from 2020 to 2021, complaints to the FMCSA nearly doubled, up to more than 8,000.
So, many moving complaints end up in court.
Amounts less than $3,500 can be handled in small claims court without an attorney.
Higher amounts usually mean hiring an attorney — if you can find one to take it on.
Moore did.
"I knew we had a good claim," says Attorney Charles Brown.
Brown took Celeste's case and won a $10,000 default judgment against Vet's Global Moving.
But winning doesn't mean payment.
You have to collect on judgments.
And in this case, Brown was told Vet's Global was out of business.
"Their response is they're not going to pay. And the laws of Arizona say unless that LLC engaged in fraudulent activity, the members behind the LLC are protected," Brown says.
There were warning signs about this business from the beginning.
Vet's Global Moving had no physical address. Instead, the address listed was a box at a Phoenix UPS store where you couldn't take a complaint if you had issues later.
And the business was very new when Celeste hired them. Arizona Corporation Commission records show Vet's Global Moving started just a few months before Celeste's move.
That's not enough time to see any record of previous moves or customer reviews.
Celeste says she didn't get what she paid for and is telling her story to protect others.
"I'm a retired psychiatric social worker. We have a fixed income," she says.
If you have a problem with movers, check the language in your homeowners insurance policy.
Sometimes mover issues are covered.
The Arizona Attorney General's office has advice on moving fraud.
And if you know anything more about Vet's Global Moving, let me know at joe@abc15.com.
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