When it comes to moving horror stories, truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. You can search on the Internet, and you will find stories of moving scam victims who have suffered the same fate as victims of a tsunami, or a tornado, only their loss was at the hands of man.
The following two horror stories illustrate how moving scams, at their worst, can work to deprive families of all their possessions.
Both stories concern the same ruthless moving company. In the first, recent, tragic event, a family went into bankruptcy and had to sell their house and put all their family possessions into storage. They found a mover who would agree to move their belongings and store them, at a price they could afford. The poor family already had lost their house. Now they must continue to pay rent somewhere, to live, and additionally must pay a storage fee each month, to preserve the safety of their belongings. In the meantime, they are struggling to exist, and hoping for a sunny day in the future when they can redeem all their family holdings. But now, fate takes an even crueler turn.
This is how the story was described on an Internet moving scam web site: “In early December 2008, we received a call from P. Moving Company of East Orange, NJ). They stated to us that they have been storing our property since August of 2008 and that we owed them over $2,800 in storage fees. They also informed us that our former mover (Satisfied, HB whatever) had filed for bankruptcy and that he had intended to abandon our property and that Prime Van Lines had graciously agreed to store all property in their warehouse.
We have been told that we were sent letters notifying us of the change in storage facilities and that the monthly storage fee was going to be increased from $280 a month to $750 per month. Now the family, who had been unable to pay mortgage, is being asked to pay a storage fee close to their mortgage fee, just to maintain control of their former household possessions. The family went to agencies to make complaints, but with no current hope of resolving the problem, and maintaining ownership of their property.
Now listen to another story about this same heartless moving and storage company. A man contracted with an inexpensive moving company to move his belongings.
This company subcontracted the job to the company described above. The company now claimed that the original company didn’t pay them enough to move their goods. So the family’s household goods were placed in the company warehouse, somewhere. The father of the household was very determined, and got a court order forcing the moving company to release his goods. He now hired a new moving company to pick up the belongings. But when they got to the warehouse, the goods were gone. The company now claimed they had been moved to another warehouse. That warehouse was checked, and the items couldn’t be found. The man contacted the FBI, but they could do nothing, because his financial loss is less than 100,000 dollars.
So this family also, have lost all their worldly goods at the hands of the same unscrupulous moving company, and to all intent purposes, nothing can be done to locate and retrieve the belongings.
The family went to agencies to make complaints, but with no current hope of resolving the problem, and maintaining ownership of their property
One way to protect yourself from this type of tragedy is to hire a professional packing company. They will come to your house ahead of moving day, and give you a flat fee estimate of the cost of proper packing and loading of your belongings. Packing Service Inc. is the name to trust in the Packing Service Industry. Packing Service Inc. is dedicated to fighting moving scams They will not only provide you with a packing and moving cost estimate, they will also recommend an honest shipping company that can transport your container to its new location, or place your containers in safe dependable storage for as long as you need. Packing Service Inc. only employs workers who have at least one year experience in the packing and or moving industry. And with a growing number of affiliates, Packing Service can possibly help you on both ends of your move.
Do you have a home security system? If not, why don’t you?
Everyday homes are broken into, and thing you worked for all your life. Your family’s assets can be gone, and most likely, you’ll never see them again. Or, if a few items should be found, they’ll probably be broken or ruined.
You go to work, everyday, to provide for your family’s needs and comforts. So, why do you let your valuables unprotected in a home without a home security system? Keeping your assets in a place without security of protection device, is like playing roulette every time you leave home..
During 2009, the national crime average rose an addition 16%. The high unemployment level is blamed for some of the increased crimes. People that were honest and employed, suddenly found themselves out of work, with no income to support their families.
So, what can you do to protect your home and family?
Deter the Burglar
A good way to start is to deter the burglar from gaining entrance into your home. Most burglars are opportunists, looking for quick “in and out” targets. They scan a block, looking for the easiest entry, the most secluded entry point, and a location that they’re least likely to get caught.
Trim shrubs and trees, install motion activated security lights, and place security signs or stickers on your windows.
Scare the Burglar Away Before He Gets Into Your Home
Install a home security system that has door and window sensors. The sensors should be tied to a central monitoring system, and has a loud screaming exterior siren motion detector. The sensors will trigger the alarm and call the police, before the burglar gets access into your home.
Protection After A Home Invasion:
Let’s assume the burglar is just too stupid to run away, and continues to enter your home even while the siren is sounding. Be sure your security system activates an alarm before the burglar gets what he wants. Placing a motion detector in strategic areas of your home is the best way to set a trap to trigger the alarm. Every room in your home needs to have a motion detector installed. For instance, if you have a big screen television, the burglar couldn’t possibly get it out through a window. Install a detector in a hallway that would have to be used to get the item out of the house. A hallway detector can, often, add protection for several rooms.
Identify the Burglar:
Conspicuous exterior surveillance cameras. When a burglar sees that he’s been photographed and recorded, he’ll usually move on instead of entering your home. Or, he might just pretend that he was at the wrong house and turn and leave. Closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras are widely available, and you can install them yourself crime.
Regardless whether the burglar enters your home or not, a recordable hard drive is a perfect way to deter criminal activity. Police cannot prosecute an unidentified burglar. So, the best way to identify the burglar is by collecting video evidence. Arming your home with a video recorder, helps police to identify and capture the burglar.
A sufficient security system is not good enough. You need an effective system that will deter a home invasion, and sound an alarm before the intruder gets inside. It also needs elements that will trigger an alarm after the intruder enters your home. And, with the video evidence, the burglar can be identified and prosecuted.
Your security system should be enhanced with every possible tool to protect your family and your property.
Because of the struggles of making a living, moving companies often are forced to use trainees and inexperienced help when making a move. The results can be catastrophic for the homeowner whose most valuable possessions have been placed in the hands of the company. Read about it in these excerpts taking from the pages of movingscam.com.
“The movers arrived within the agreed upon hours…
They didn’t protect any of our items (no wrap on fabric items like the sofa and they were extremely slow). “
If you think this is an exception read some more descriptions:
“They dropped other people’s boxes as they were shifting. They have promised 3 men, when I got 2 boys of which one just recently started. They have damaged the walls, entrance door and all that they were able to say was “don’t worry”
And here’s a third description.
“They broke the arm of one of my dining room chair (that they wrapped), dropped my tv (it now has a very large crack on it). My dining room hutch and bedroom dresser have chips now. A couple of boxes that I paid to have them pack arrived with the contents broken (nothing I packed broke). They had to remove the legs of my sofa and loveseat, and in doing so ripped the fabric. When I complained about this, I was told that they were professionals and let (them), do their work. I watched from my window as one of the delivery men loaded a dolly with 5 boxes 6 feet high, then stopped short and 4 boxes tumbled off”
Other descriptions abound of professional movers showing up with one man and requiring the assistance of the homeowners who paid for their service, to help move and lift boxes onto the truck. Even reputable moving companies will hire workers who receive only a few weeks of training before their first job. Even experienced moving help may damage your belongings as they rush to complete the packing so they can get the move underway.
To seriously do something to protect your most precious items on your next move, you should consider using a packing company. A professional packing company will
start by giving you an in house packing and moving cost estimate . On moving day, their experienced workers will personally pack and load all of your belongings. Packing Service Inc., is the name to trust in the Packing Service Industry. Packing service is dedicated to fighting moving scams, They have extensive experience working with packing and loading for interstate moves. They only hires workers with at least one year experience in the packing and or moving industry. And with a growing number of affiliates, chances are Packing Service can help you on both ends of your move.
1n 1994, it became mandatory for all American houses, installing new toilet to install low flush, (1.6 gallon) toilets. Older houses are permitted to maintain their larger flush toilets, as long as they don’t need a complete toilet replacement. The initial bugs in the low flush toilet have been ironed out, and consumers are reporting positive experiences with these toilets. Now, in an effort to save even more water, a newer dual flush toilet is gaining popularity in Australia, Europe, Asia and many other parts of the civilized world.
The dual flush toilet flushes with a maximum of no more than 1.6 gallons a flush. However, unlike the low flush toilet, the dual flush has two flush options, a low .6 flush for liquid waste and the standard 1.6 gallon flush for solid waste. The dual flush toilet is also outfitted with a wider trap way, (toilet bowl exit channel), which means less frequent clogging.
People prefer to use the low flush button 80% of the time, for an estimated water savings of between 26-40% over the low flush toilet. There are some drawbacks to the dual flush toilet, however. Perhaps because people occasionally hit the wrong button, there is occasional streaking. The bowl can easily be cleaned with a nearby stationed toilet brush. Also, the dual flush may be a disappointment for people who like to see a half bowl of clear sparkling water, as the water level, in the dual flush toilets, tends to be lower.
Dual flush toilets have been required by law for several years now, in water scarce Australia. And they are equally popular in other countries experiencing water shortages. They are very popular in South Africa as well as being the standard in Europe. In America, even though more than 30 states are expected to experience water shortages within the next 5 years, low flush toilets have not yet caught on.
Thanks to A-1 Plumbing of Baltimore for sponsoring this article. If you happen to live in the Greater Baltimore area, and would like to acquire a dual flush toilet contact A-1. We can help you with the selection and installation of your new toilet.
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Technology is running fast these days, including technology for your bathrooms. Today shower unit care equipped with the feature of steam water. You can enjoy the feature from sauna and steam companies directly from your bathroom. Also, when you buy one of these special shower units, you can get the advantages of this shower unit, one is steam shower and number two is normal shower.
If you compare the design to the ordinary shower unit, the steam shower unit has a special in design. Some of the shower unit will be an enclosed compartment. The shower unit will look the same from the outside, including the multiple shelves in the shower where you can place your various toiletries. In fact, some of the shower unit has some kind of compartments for telephone, CD player even a radio if you like.
The door of this special shower unit also has fiber glass door. With this special purpose designed door, it will ensure you that the steam will not escape outside the shower unit or into the cold air of your bathroom. The design also has the consistent flow of hot steam that circle around the cubicle.
Does it have the same effect of the sauna? The answer is, yes, the effect of this kind of bathroom shower will instantly trap the steam in the shower unit, so that make the effect of sauna. The mist will slowly pouring into your body then you begin to sweat.
But unlike the sauna, the other effect of steam shower unit includes your body flushing out any environment that gives your body a stress, so that your muscle will also become loose and the anxious, aching feeling that you may experience in your head and shoulder muscles will be slowly gone.
Call an electrician when you decide to install this type of shower unit, he or she will give you advice about where you should install it. Usually the electrical amount of power that needed is about 220 volts, so your steam shower unit should have access to a nearby electrical socket.
After the steam shower has been installed, you also consider placing a steam jets point away from the person who is seated inside of the shower. Since the steam shower is also fitted onto the shower fitting, you can use the shower head to wash and cool yourself off after you steam shower is finished.
By putting some aromatic aromatherapy oils into a container or dispenser of the steam water, the mix fragrance will come out with the water and provide you with a great relaxing end to a stressful and tiring day. Enjoy your body bath and please go online for shopping and look for discount.
Basement waterproofing is equally an talent and a science. Basement Waterproofing builders can watertight new or mature basements. basement wall repair Basement waterproofing is defined as stopping water from penetrating into your basement area. Use Basement Waterproofing and Crawl Space Moisture Control If you have a soggy basement or crawl space moisture problem of any kind. Basement Waterproofing companies could maybe help seal your basement and prevent expensive structural impairment to your home’s foundation. basement waterproofing michigan
Waterproofing Systems
In the earlier period, drainage systems were not very efficient. Furthermore, up-to-the-minute drainage systems can offer you with tremendous peace of mind with a Lifetime transferable warrantee included with several patented systems. Many systems come including lifetime transferable warranties. basement waterproofing michigan Find out more about professional waterproofing systems and do-it-yourself systems. This tactic ensures you the best waterproofing systems and solutions obtainable.
Concrete as well as Cinder Block Walls
Concrete blocks, particularly cinder blocks, are more permeable to water vapor than poured cement. Concrete paints, waterproofing sealers or paint like coatings are a temporary fix only. The difficulty of foundation crack repair and concrete crack fix has troubled and frustrated homeowners and builders for many, many years. Hydraulic Cement and these types of cement based products are a huge problem because it costs approximately 4 times the original product cost to remove them and decontaminate the concrete owed to routine failure. I always tell customers to stay away from HYDRAULIC CEMENT.
Foundation Maintenance
Basement Waterproofing more frequently than not involves some sort of concrete or foundation repair. The drain tile is a technique that is built on the outside border of your foundation and diverts water throughout a ground drainage system along side from the basement walls. In short, you ought to begin by keeping as much water away from the wall of your house as possible. Also, gutters be a factor to surface water running down behind to the foundation walls. Many homeowners are under the notion that their foundation has indeed been waterproofed when in fact it has only been damp proofed. Cracks in your homes foundation walls or slab are serious. Basic methods of foundation waterproofing include sump pump equipment. As the foundation settles, stress cracks appear. This increases the water strain on the foundation.
Concrete Wall Maintenance
Repair cracks permanently with low-pressure crack injection. Repair holes in a concrete or concrete block wall in the same manner. Learn what is causing your basement water issues and the methods for a wet basement repair. This is one of the most important steps in the repair job. Call a foundation repair professional Authorized foundation repair contractor.
Mold Is Dangerous
Black mold can grow almost everyplace there is water damage, high humidity, or dampness. Mold needs three things to grow: food, moisture, & the right temperature…. Mold and mildew, fungi, bacteria, and dust mites flourish in high humidity (over 38%). Mold spores produce allergies, asthma, airways infections, and other health problems, particularly in children. And because of this wet basements hold excessive mold and mildew.
The remodeling industry is full of basement waterproofing products that are planned to keep your basement dry. If your builder built the structure properly this should be all of the basement waterproofing that you will require, but this doesn’t always occur. Does your home require Basement waterproofing to stop leaks? Make sure you use a professional basement Waterproofing builder to do your job.
Logically, movers should be the best packers in the world. Paid to handle people’s most precious household possessions, movers are professionally liable for the well being of the items they are delivering. In fact, many movers, especially workers for second rate or worse, scam movers, show little packing and loading skill, and more frequently exhibit callous disregard for the wellbeing of the goods they are delivering. The following excerpts from a moving horror story published on the web, will illustrate my point.
“I erroneously assumed that since M. had claimed” ‘Disassembly and reassembly of furniture’, he would have tools.”
” they did not ask where stuff was going to go..only where I wanted it stacked.”
‘They haphazardly stacked all the boxes in the kitchen.”
After they claimed the unloading was finished: “I was able to look inside the truck and saw things strewn about on the floor, some mine and some not.”
“I noticed another load, crushing down on the bottom stuff.”
“The armoire came in, upside down, with one door broken off.
They just set it down; paying no attention… the piece was too damaged to be properly reinstalled.”
“The nightstands, were left on the wrong sides, {of the bed}, unaligned.”
” They assemble(d) the bed frame, but improperly”
” My rolling cart was one of the missing items, I had to buy a dolly and borrow furniture dollies in order to redistribute the boxes”
” The damage to the dresser mirror and the broken armoire door is not repairable.”
” I found that most of the boxes had been stacked upside down and showed significant signs of mishandling.”
” Things within the boxes that had been contained well enough to withstand normal handling were spilled”
The printer was the one item I had asked M. to pack for me as it was very heavy. I had the original box with all the original protective packaging. When I opened this box I was shocked to find that the protective packing was not there and the printer simply set inside the box, which offered very little protection and was slightly crushed.
The pattern, which is ubiquitous in the moving industry today, is patently obvious. So long as they were waiting for their final payment, the movers made a show of doing their job. Once they got to the destination, and received their cash payment, the workers tossed the belongings off the truck as quickly as possible, with no regard for the belongings or the homeowner, so they could head off to their next job.
To protect yourself on your next move, consider using a professional packing company. A packing company will send local packers, who are specially trained in packing and loading. The workers won’t be tired from a night of driving on a truck. They won’t be rushing through your job so they can get on the road as soon as possible. They will give your belongings the care they deserve. Packing Service Inc., is the name to trust in the Packing Service Industry. Packing service is dedicated to fighting moving scam They will provide you with a packing and moving cost estimate To protect your belongings, they only hire men with a minimum of one year experience in the packing and or moving industry. They will help you make contact with a reliable shipping company to safely transport your belongings to their new destination. With a growing number of affiliates, chances are Packing Service can either do the unloading for you
in your new city.
Many may well subscribe to the philosophy that when we are faced with the obstacle of wanting to win ex back, we should treat it as a game, a game to win. Sorry, but I don’t. If getting your ex back is really important to you, why would you want to treat it as a competition? Do you think you can win your ex back? Is the time right to do so? Do you know that your ex boyfriend or ex girlfriend is open to getting back together?
The small part of the “game” analogy I would subscribe to is that to win ex back you will need to put all you’ve got into it. Remember, the result of whether you do win or lose will have a considerable impact on you and perhaps the rest of your life.
Let’s cut to the chase (no pun intended). If getting back together with your ex is so crucial, then you better be equipped to ask yourself some very important questions AND be able to answer them about how to win ex back:
• Is how to win back your ex the most important aspect of your life at the moment?
• What went wrong, why, how and when?
• Were you responsible?
• How much thought have you put into how to win ex back?
• What can you improve about yourself that would encourage your ex to want to return to you?
• Are you convinced this is your number one priority?
• No matter what happened, do you really deserve to win your ex back?
• Do you know what your ex wants? If not, why not?
• Do you have a strategy on how to get your ex back?
• Does your ex want to get back with you?
• Is your ex worth the effort?
I know that last question may seem a bit unjust. However, there must be some solemn reasons as to why your relationship came to an end and if you do not know what those reasons are, how are you intending to win your ex back?
For all you know, unless you have already found it, your ex could be waiting for you to make the initial move. He or she could be waiting for you to change, maybe even change back to the person that attracted them to you in the first place.
If you want the love to return, if you truly have the longing to rebuild an even stronger relationship, the way to win your ex back is not that complex. Armed with the answers to the questions raised plus any more you can think of, it is possible to get back together, That belief will give you the inner strength and confidence you will need. This, in turn, will stimulate you to make the effort and do all you can to win your ex back.
You want to get your ex back, so do something about it.
Don’t mess about, don’t play silly games. Put your heart and soul into this. If you are lucky enough to know what your ex wants or what he or she is looking for, then go for it and be grateful you have been given this head start.
Believe me, I know how tough and demanding it can be to win your ex back. If the relationship you wish to restore is worth it, just don’t treat it like a game. Take it seriously and you may be one of the lucky ones that get back the love of their life.
During my first year of working, after finished college, living in apartment is becoming a new trend, especially for young people in big city. The popular type that offered by apartment developer is the studio apartment. Small studio apartment consists of one big room that has multiple functions as bed room, living room, office and kitchen.
Common problem in small apartment is related to Decorating home style problem. Without proper decorating, studio apartment will become a messy and small crowded place.
This article will try to provide simple tips about Decorating small apartement. How to pick the right furniture, what kind of color that could camouflage the small space and how to use simple decorating tips for placing furniture in the apartment. This simple tips was not limited only for small apartment, it is also applicable for any small room decoration.
Double Function Furniture, try to buy the double function furniture, double function furniture basically is just simple furniture that will have double or triple functionality. Here is some of the example:
1. Sofa bed, Sofa bed is sofa that could also use as bed in the night. Some sofa bed can be fold to function as sofa during day light.
2. Living room table with storage, table in the living room with drawer under will be useful to store your text book, magazine and even newspaper. This drawer will eliminate the needs for book racks.
3. Bed room with drawer, this furniture will help to store your cloth and eliminate the needs for cloth racks.
Use Small Furniture, always using small size furniture to maximize the space in your studio apartment and to make more space available for your activities.
Use Lighter Color, always paint and use lighter colors for your wall, ceiling and furniture. This will make your room looks bigger than before.
Let More Sunlight, open enough sunlight to enter your studio apartment, don’t block the light with blinds and draperies. Always use large window and let them open and use reflector for more light effect in your room.
Water Heater
Common categorization on water heater type is based on their supply of power which is solar, electric and gas. Solar type needs sunlight for their power supply and energy source. Solar power suitable for home in tropical country with sunlight available the whole year. Among other type of heater, solar power type is the most expensive one with price starts from 500 USD.
Electric type use new adopted technology to make the electricity consumption less than the old electric heater. Another type of electric type use environmental technology and no longer uses Freon or CFC, power consumption for this electric type starts from 1500 watt to 5000 watt. Electric water heater offers the cheapest price for water heater in the market and widely used in the world.
The last type is gas water heater. Gas type is popular in US, Japan and Europe. Most of Europe country rely their gas supply from Russia, while Japan and US uses gas from Indonesia and Middle East. Over all the operational cost for gas type water heater is the cheapest among others.
For all the CCTV cameras in the country only one crime will be solved according to the latest statistics released by the Government. Since the release of this information the public are in uproar over the excessive use of surveillance equipment in and around almost every city.
A local Chief Detective said officers should do more to make use of evidence captured by the cameras which are practically on almost every street corner around the country. Video surveillance and does not mix well with Joe public. The latest statistic does strongly emphasise the effectiveness of the CCTV cameras around the country. Why on earth would we require CCTV if it is not even working very well – I don’t see the logic personally in computer surveillance? The use of CCTV is quickly being challenged as these statistics have just been released. There is a massive dissapointment in these CCTV devices. In my opinion it is only a matter of time before they have mobile phone tracking hooked up on all of us! Granted, that may be a little over the top but none the less it is natural to believe that we are living in a big brother society.
Recent research has indicated that computer video surveillance has been the most useful in preventing vehicle thefts and vandalism in car parks. To help out with this problem people have been investing money into vehicle tracking devices which radically increases the chance of getting your car if it has been stolen. It is somewhat proven that video surveillance technology is not all that useful and it creates a huge intrusion on everyday life. So what is the point? Why must we invest ridiculous amounts of money into this. What can we do? Is it worth keeping hold of these cameras in our streets? Is there much point in these CCTV cameras? Why don’t we just get rid of them all? You would think that no Government official would be thinking that the statistics would be as low as they are but then again I hope that they are planning for something to be done. Let’s see what happens..
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