On 2/16/02, The principals of Eilid/On Budget were arrested and taken into custody along with the seizure of records and computers. The principals are Ronit Montoza, Danny Montoza, and Morad Al Far.
Checkout the ABC TV news report:
Movers Charged, Accused of Trying to Rip-Off Customers
(Queens-WABC, February 13) The owners of five Queens moving companies face charges after they were accused of overcharging dozens of customers, and holding their belongings hostage until they paid up. Joe Torres reports.
Watch Joe Torres' Report
Armed with search warrants, police officers cleared out more than a $500,000 worth of furniture, computers and trucks Wednesday afternoon, from the "In & Out Mini-Storage" company in Richmond Hill.
...
For More Information:
Making a move involves a lot more than just packing up your belongings and transporting them from one location to another. Here is some helpful information from NYC's Dept. Of Consumer Affairs to save you time and money and smooth the way to your new home.
The Paper Trail
Determining the Cost
Selecting A Mover
For more, check out the DCA's Guide to Moving & Storage Services
...
Earlier Wednsday, the Queens district attorney announced the arrest of the company's owners. DA Richard Brown says Ronit Mantoza, her husband Daniel Mantoza and Morad Alfar ran five unlicensed moving companies out of the Atlantic Avenue warehouse.
Brown says the owners provided low estimates to lure customers, but once everything was packed the movers allegedly demanded excessive cash payments before any unpacking would take place. And he says that no payment meant no furniture.
Richard Brown, Queens District Attorney: "We've identified at least 60 customers who were allegedly ripped off in this manner by these defendants."
Investigators say the moving company was able to quickly 'changed faces' by just throwing up a new magnets on their trucks, covering the previous company name.in & Out Moving quickly becomes Eilid Moving which becomes On-Line Moving, all in just seconds.
It was 'On-Line Moving' that gave Bryan Zaslow a quote of $1,400 to $2,000 to move him from Charlotte, North Carolina to a Midtown apartment. Compared to that estimate, the final price is astounding.
Bryan Zaslow, Moving Victim: "Around $6,000. We had given them $500 in cash when they picked up the stuff, as a deposit. So we had to come up with another $5,500 or so, in cash."
So how can people protect themselves from getting caught in a such a scheme? First, find out from the Department of Transportation if the company is licensed. Check out any references, and if one estimate seems impossibly low, it's an estimate that's highly impossible.
James
0 comments