CONSUMER ALERTS

Protect Yourself From Rogue Movers
Infographic courtesy of Cassidy's Transport and Storage (Ottawa, ON)

MayIsMovingMonth

Consumer Beware List: Ontario Ministry of Government & Consumer Services 

Universal Moving & Storage Inc. of 506 Turnbridge Road in Mississauga ON L5B 3M3 has been providing fraudulent insurance paperwork to their clients stating that they are currently insured by McLean Hallmark Insurance Group Ltd. McLean Hallmark Insurance Group Ltd. confirms that Universal Moving & Storage is NOT insured by them. Consumers are urged to carefully check this company’s claims.

ALERT Mover Brand Hijackings: Brand hijackings are on the rise. Rogue movers are putting reputable company brand names in their online listings and ads. Always verify a mover's stated affiliations before you hire them. Read CAM's press release Canadian Association of Movers Warns Public about Brand Hijackings (PDF 24Jan2017). Here's an article out of the United States about this same problem (January 12, 2018). Some warnings follow.

Phillips Family Moving & Delivery (Deer Park, NY) is NOT a CAM member. However they are using an old logo of CAM member Phillips Moving & Storage (Toronto, ON), as well as falsely displaying affiliation with North American Van Lines. Phillips Moving & Storage (Toronto, ON) is a reputable and professional company and a long-standing CAM member. Always verify the credentials of your mover before hiring them. NEW

Cut-rate rogue movers regularly hijack the good name of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® which is a reputable CAM member. Always verify the credentials of your mover before hiring them. Here are some examples of organizations piggy-backing on the solid reputation of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®:

  • Two Men Trucks Moving Company – Toronto, ON is not TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® which is a reputable CAM member. Please see the attached PDF.
  • The images and logos of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® and other companies in the Halifax area have been hijacked by Smart Moves (aka Smart Movers & Packers) in their ads on Kijiji. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is a reputable CAM member and has no relationship with this other company.
  • A local organization in the Hamilton/Halton, ON area is representing themselves as TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® which is a reputable CAM member. Always verify the credentials of your mover before hiring them.
  • An organization operating in the Toronto area is using the name of the reputable mover TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®. The company in this ad is NOT CAM member TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®.
  • Another organization operating in the Toronto area is using an adaptation of the name of the reputable mover TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®. The company in this image is NOT CAM member TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®.
  • Here's another business operating in the Toronto area that's using a name that's confusingly similar to the name of the reputable mover TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®. The company is Two Men and a Moving Truck and they are NOT a CAM member nor are they affiliated with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®. NEW

The following companies have implied a relationship with the Canadian Association of Movers, either by displaying the CAM/ACD logo on their websites or by suggesting that they are CAM members or CAM-certified. These companies are NOT CAM members and we recommend that you carefully check their claims.

  • Ali Movers. Always verify the credentials of your mover before hiring them.

CAM recommends that you contact theBetter Business Bureau or the Canadian Association of Movers member directory to confirm that your mover is a trusted, reliable company and to avoid moving problems.

Here's a joint CAM/BBB press release as a caution to consumers: It’s National Moving Month: Over 700 complaints about movers and storage companies trigger consumer warning (April 30, 2019) (pdf). CAM President Nancy Irvine also did a widely-circulated radio interview with 980 CFPL (London, Ontario) which focused on using a trusted and reliable mover and what to expect when you move with a certified professional mover.

The CBC News (Nova Scotia) issued a story about Big Boys Movers/Halifax Movers (NOT Big Boy Movers in St. John's, NL) and how the Movers deliver only half of family's belongings — and dump the rest. Here's the radio segment. Consumers need to validate their movers before hiring them. (June 6, 2019). NEW

How to avoid fly-by-night moving companies. (April 30, 2019).

CBS News posted a story about how Florida is cracking down on movers accused of defrauding consumers: Moving company accused of holding customers' belongings hostage. (January 28, 2019).

The CBC News British Columbia issued a story on Galaxy Mobile Storage in Vancouver: Movers ordered to pay $25K for 'unconscionable and extortionate' treatment of family.

The US Department of Justice, US Attorney's Office (S. District of Ohio) just issued this press release about charges against 12 persons for conspiring in a racketeering enterprise to defraud individuals through their moving companies: Twelve Charged in Moving Company Scams.

Fox2Now in St. Louis, Missouri posted a story about a mover with a name similar to a reputable national van line: Contact 2: Moving mayhem highlights important lessons for consumers. (July 12, 2018).

The CBC News covered a story on a mover found on Kijiji: Movers charged 10 times the agreed upon price, Oakville woman says. Consumers need to avoid using low-ball, cut-rate movers. (June 25, 2018).

The CBC New Brunswick issued these stories involving Vega Line Moving and Storage:  From San Francisco to Moncton: U.S. couple's moving nightmare as they flee Trump along with two other recent stories. (June 22, 2018).

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