Complaint Review: American Moving & Storage Association

The AMSA is seeking to water down, derail, render impotent and otherwise disable Rep. Tom Petri's newly introduced legislation to help consumers fight back against scam movers. They have failed to clean up this cancer in their own industry, yet the organization uses members' dues money to lobby Congress AGAINST this badly needed regulation. This is a quote from their trade magazine:

"AMSA is initiating its grassroots and PAC networks to help stave off legislation introduced this week by Congressman Thomas Petri (R-WI), Chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, that proposes, among other things, to "open Carmack" preemption and allow for individuals and/or state attorneys general to bring legal action against "SCAM" (rogue) movers in state courts under the various 50 state consumer protection laws (i.e.,punitive damages for unfair and deceptive trade practices). The bill, H.R. 1070, entitled the "Securing Consumers Assurance in Moving Act of 2003," most likely will end up as part of the highway reauthorization bill, TEA-21.

Based on a very productive meeting Robert Drummer and I had yesterday with a staff aide for Congressman Don Young (R-AK), Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am optimistic that we can get this language stripped from the bill and offer some alternative language to other less-onerous sections in the bill as well. However, it is abundantly clear that Congress will address, in some form or another, the household goods consumer protection issue in TEA-21.

The first round of discussions concerning funding for TEA-21 began this week and will be the subject of a mark-up in the House Budget Committee Wednesday, March 12, 2003. We will be sending out a Grassroots alert on Monday with details of what you need to do to help ensure that Congress does not take actions that economically harm our industry. We will keep you posted on other developments surrounding this effort."

Obviously, the AMSA prefers the status quo, that is, consumers getting screwed by movers and having absolutely NO RECOURSE. If you've been scammed by a mover, write your representatives in Congress and ask them to support Representative Petri's legislation.

Kay
Blacksburg, Virginia
U.S.A.