We were moving some of our belongings from Jacksonville, Fl to Brooklyn, NY. On Nov. 24, 2010, after they had picked up and packed all of our boxes and furniture in their truck, suddenly it was over the weight of the estimate. By $240. At that point we could do nothing but pay. This is the first extortion, wait, there is more. The window of delivery started on Dec. 3, 2010. No delivery. I called the following week and got nothing but an answering machine that said that it could not take any more messages because it was full. Every time I called for a day and a half, that is all I got. When I finally reached someone that answered with simply a "Hello," rather than a company greeting, I knew this was not a good sign. No, the truck was not in Brooklyn. He did not know when it would be in Brooklyn. Maybe in 3 days, he said. Another week.

I called again, this time I was told the truck was in Atlanta and maybe it might be there by the weekend. The weekend came and went. Then Dec. 20, 2010 yesterday morning, I finally got a call, over 3 weeks after the pickup date to have the other half of the charges ready to pay in cash or money order only. I ran to an ATM and got the cash. And waited all day. Later in the day I got a call from the driver asking me the best highway to take to get from New Jersey to Brooklyn. Another pretty bad sign! Around 6 I got a call for more directions through the neighborhood. We live on a one way street with cars, of course, lining the sidewalk curbs on both sides. I had to meet the driver outside to show him which apartment building though it is clearly marked.

Then they had to drive around for a half hour to find a place to park so they would not get a ticket. TThe man clearly in charge came to me to tell me there would be an additional $150 charge because of the distance they had to park and carry the furniture and the stairs. I told him no. He told me, OK, but you get nothing until I get the $150. I was able to find a way to procure the $150 cash and when he came back with more boxes, he took it, of course. Yes, all of our items were delivered. Many expensive dishes and wine glasses were broken to which he said, take a picture and complain to the company. I am sure they are covered here too, in that they were not the ones that packaged the box (however it was wrapped in much bubble wrap in between each fragile item.

So were taken by Real Van Lines which is the same company as Moving on Time(MC531265), Real Van Lines, LLC(DOT #1992860) and Bravo Movers. If you are trying to go on the cheap and run into these companies online, please do not use them. Read this warning from the US Department of Transportationand you will see that all of these companies should be labeled as "Rogue" companies. It absolutely applies in every aspect. Plus the extra charge as they hold your items hostage and extort an additional fee before they will move it to your home. US DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WARNING:
"Red Flags for Spotting Rogue Movers Rogue movers typically work like this: Without ever visiting your home or seeing the goods you want moved, they give a low-ball estimate over the phone or Internet. Once your goods are on their truck, they demand more money before they'll deliver or unload them. They hold your goods hostage and force you to pay moresometimes much more than you thought you had agreed toif you want your possessions back. Your best defense is to recognize a rogue mover before they have your goods. Here are the "red flags" to look out for:
The mover doesn't offer or agree to an on-site inspection of your household goods and gives an estimate over the phone or Internetsight-unseen. These estimates often sound too good-to-be-true. They usually are.
The moving company demands cash or a large deposit before the move.
The mover doesn't provide you with a copy of "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move," a booklet movers are required by Federal regulations to supply to their customers in the planning stages of interstate moves.
The company's Web site has no local address and no information about licensing or insurance.
The mover claims all goods are covered by their insurance.
When you call the mover, the telephone is answered with a generic "Movers" or "Moving company," rather than the company's name.
Offices and warehouse are in poor condition or nonexistent.
On moving day, a rental truck arrives rather than a company-owned and marked fleet truck." Be careful and don't be mesmermized by a low initial estimate. We were warned by other moving companies when we told them of the estimate we received from Real Van Lines. But we paid them no heed. Remember, it is often truer than we realize, you get what you pay for and contracts unless read by an attorney are usually for the benefit of only one of the parties. Especially rogue outfits like Moving on Time(MC531265), Real Van Lines, LLC(DOT #1992860) and Bravo Movers. Again, don't even think about using any of these services. I just hope I can keep someone from going through what we just went through.