I had hired a local company to move me from Portland, Maine to Bridgewater, Massachusetts (139 miles) for $75 per hour for two men and a truck. The final quote was $775 for the total job (verbal contract only). First indication this place was a scam was that only about 30 minutes after I gave the man representing the company a $300 deposit check, he called me on my cell phone to ask where my bank was.
During the month from when I gave the deposit to when the move took place, the same man called several times to "rearrange" my move (different days, different hours) siting all sorts of problems and changes to his work schedule. We finally settled on Sunday, June 26 from 9-10 for the loading. On Sunday, he didn't show during the time allottment he promised. I called and got no answer. He called back about 45 minutes later saying he didn't have the truck that "was promised him", I guess someone else was using it, and he couldn't do the move until later in the afternoon (at 3:00).
I was quite angry at this point since I had to meet with people in Massachusetts and found that there *were* trucks available (from Uhaul, etc) and told him to get one and make the move. I was understanding maybe something "came up" but that it was his responsibility to get it done.
He and a coworker showed up in a truck belonging to a different company. They loaded my things in about 2 hours and said they'd be there in the morning at my new location in Massachusetts. They showed up in a UHaul truck at 6:45 the next morning and before unloading demanded $825 in cash (about two times the amount I was quoted after subtracting the deposit). He threatened he wouldn't ("couldn't" because his "manager" said he couldn't) take anything off the truck until he had the money. I was in a bad situation and knew it. I paid them the money but they could not account for the 15 hours they were charging me for.
In hindsight there are many things I should've done to avoid this situation but it was my first time moving with a company. I ended up calling both the Portland Police, the D.A. And the Bridgewater Police to file a report. I was told that this is a common scam and can be considered extortion, a crime.
My last attempt to get a hold of them was a promise of 1 hour labor charge return of my total. I was told by the "office manager" that it would be brought to my residence at 3:00 pm (I'm still in Maine for some time). No one showed up. No one answered the telephone.
I hope this doesn't happen to any other trusting person in the future. Please stay away from Mel's Moving in Portland, Maine! I have found them to be very untrustworthy and dishonest folks.
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