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Cousins USA Moving
Cousins USA Moving and Storage Harry Chiddenton Cousin's Scam in 3 steps... Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
4th of Jan, 2011 by User554283


Cousin's Moving and Storage
choreographs a nice scam that is too good to be kept a secret. Let me
lay it out for you in 3 easy steps.

Step 1, the setup: An elderly man name
Harry came over and gave us an estimate. He assured us that there was
no way the total cost would exceed the estimate he provided. We
understood from him that the final weight would certainly be much
less than what was quoted. He said that the moving truck would have
plenty of access room. The company is an agent for a very reputable
moving company, so everything sounded good. We even refused lower
offers from competing firms after our contact at Cousin's (Henry)
told us that these other companies were fraudulent firms (the irony).
We put down a $500 deposit and felt confident about the agreement to
pay a total of $3,000 upon delivery.

Step 2, the arm-twist: The moving truck
arrived, but the driver said that there was no room to get the truck
to the apartment. They had to rent a U-haul to shuttle the furniture.
We received a call from cousin's stating that we would be charged an
additional $250 for this service. I argued with them stating that
Harry said nothing about a shuttle and the charge should be on
Cousin's since it was their miscalculation. They wouldn't budge, so I
said we would make other arrangements. At this point, our 3rd
contact at Cousin's, Aaron, buckled and said they would pick up the
charge for the shuttle, but we would have to pay if a shuttle was
required at the destination. I agreed and the move proceeded.

Step 3, the closer: They gave us a 10
day time-span of when the truck may arrive at the destination. Since
they were moving the car as well, they told us it would be sooner
rather than later. Well, the 10th day rolls around and the
moving van finally arrives. The driver tells me the final bill is
$3,000. I figured he just wasn't aware that I had already put down a
$500 deposit, so I called Cousin's. I gave them my name and was
directed to Dakota, someone I had never spoken with before. He
confirmed the charge was to be $3,000. I asked him about getting back
the deposit and then he dropped the bombshell. We were being charged
exactly $500 extra for the shuttle they used at the load and for the
extra 400lbs over-weight. We would be paying a total of $3,500. I was
stunned, angry, confused and incredulous all at the same time. I
asked to speak with the manager or one of the other people we had
been working with previously, but no-matter how many times I asked,
Dakota insisted that he was the only person I was able to speak with.
He kept repeating the same information and would not listen to what I
was saying, almost like he had done this many times before. It was
then that I finally got the scam. Dakota is the closer, and Cousin's
waits until the moving truck is right outside your apartment before
informing you of any additional charges. My additional charges just
so happened to add up to the exact amount of my deposit.

What could we do? My family had been
sleeping on air mattresses for 10 days waiting for the truck to get
here with the beds. We needed the car to get around. Like any good
scam, the perpetrators make it all legal. The initial estimate you
sign is not binding, so the price could really be anything they want
it to be, and they have your belongings to ransom. My advice is pay a
friend or confidant the extra money and have them move your stuff.
Hopefully, this will help someone else before they get taken.

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