December 08 this is still going on.
This letter is in complaint to Belen Relocatio aka, Margot Kapore, aka, Oscar, Dave, Smooth Move, Helping Hand, Cross Country Moving, YLS Logistics and many other aliases, all of thier DOT liscensures and moving liscenses have been revoked.
I scheduled a move with Cross Country with a rep named Michell Laine in November of 06. I had a pickup for a move from my apartment at 11449 AppleGrath Way, Germantown Maryland. My furniture was to be taken to a storage facility that belonged to Cross Country Moving from a representative named Michelle Laine. Michelle Laine quoted me a price that was reasonable low, which included 3 men @ $75.00 per hour, according to what I had for furniture the move would take approximately 6hrs plus 1 hour travel time, in addition I would recieve 1 month of free storage, then $175.00 every month after that. Also, the company that charged my card was Belen Relocation, not Cross Country. I authorized Cross Country to charge my card for the MOVE, not Belen. However Belen charged my credit card.
I made a deposit with Michelle Laine for $300.00. I had a big screen TV so that was an additional $35.00 to pack.
The movers came around 10 am to my home, and started packing my things. The whole time the mover was there he was unprofessional and trying to "hit on me" and engage in "small chatter.
After the move and my things were loaded on the truck, the men then asked for an additional price that was way above what was discussed, an additional $700.00 which would have brought the move to over $1000.00. It alarmed me, and I had them stop and call the manager Oscar, I would not budge, I refused to go further until they fixed this problem. Ultimately Oscar got in touch with Dave (supposed manager) and they adjusted my bill and brought the price back down to what was initially discussed which would have been roughly around $700.00.
I had one free month of storage with Belen from November to December of 06. In December of 06 a woman named Margot Kopora, called me to tell me I owed $300.00 in storage fees plus the cost of the remaining balance of my move. Again I was alarmed! I said $300.00?? I got a price quote of $175.00 from Michelle Laine. The woman became very rude and needless to say the conversation did not go well.
In Jan of 07, I did not hear from Margot or Belen, I did not know where my things were. In Feb of 07, I got a nasty phone call from Margot threatening to put my things in the streets. I made arrangements with Margot to take $175.00 off my credit card for January, and that I would pay up my balance and look at getting my things back. Again Margot's balances did not add up to what I knew I owed. I told her I was not comfortable with her using my card. I asked if I could send her a MO, she stated NO. She wanted me to put the money in a personal account that she had with Wachovia. She stated it was her business account, this I don't know. I did what she asked because I "thought" she had my furniture. The account number she gave me was 2000033222484. She stated I owed storage fees for Jan - March @ $175.00 plus the cost of $339.00 which was a move balance.
The first quarter of 2007 in, I made a cash deposit into Margot's Wachovia Account for the following amounts:
Feb of 07 credit card ending: 0460 $175.00
March of 07: $175.00
March of 07: $130.00
March of 07: $45.00
April of 07: $515.00
Total payments: which would have included any fees/monies owed was $1040.00! I was paid in full at this point!
After making these deposits, I called Margot and asked her to promptly give me the address of where my things were and I needed reciepts, she then stated that she already faxed the reciepts to me. Margot lied, she never faxed anything to me. I called Margot again and asked her for the reciepts she had my address, phone number, and fax number. Margot became baligerant after getting my money and hung up on me, gave me NOTHING. It became hostile, Her husband Oscar called me and gave me a Columbia, Maryland address to get my furniture. I called him back and he never picked his phone up either.
I saw the pattern and disrepect and lack of professionalism. I started doing research on the company and realized that they were mutliple complaints on ripoffreport.com as well as movingscams.com, as well as files on BBB for Maryland. The company is on many website Blacklist as well. The company also had several alias's, and about 7 diffrent websites along with about 15 phone numbers. Half of the 800 numbers were answered by a guy named Dave and the other half were not working and then the other numbers were for Margot, Oscar, and Yugal (spelling he is from Isreal).
I did not put anything in her account from May-Oct of 07. I NEVER HEARD FROM THEM AGAIN. I called Oscar from a diffrent number because by Sept of 07 I had moved to Springfield Mass. Oscar did not know it was me, so he promptly picked up the phone. I asked him about my furniture. He said they still had it, and apologized for Margot's behavior. He stated I could send Money orders to a Maryland address enclosed in initial statement.
He stated he wanted to resolve this issue with me and get me my furniture, he assured me that they had my furniture. Here are a list of payments I sent to them at the end of 07:
I spoke to Margot in Novemeber of 07 and she again came with GIGANTIC charges and lies, and on her invoice she was missing payments that I made and recharging me for stuff that I already paid for. I remained calm because I realized this was a pattern. She told me that they still had my furniture and I could have them deliver it for rougly around 1500.00 plus all the back fees. My payments for May-Oct all had additional $25.00 fees to them. Basically they charge me $175 x 5 months plus an additional $25.00 for late fees.
Oct: $175.00 money order
Nov: $175.00 money order
Nov: $500.00 cash deposit in Wachovia Account
Dec:$700.00 cash deposit in Wachovia Account
By the end of 2007 I paid Belen Relocation: $1550.00
Again, no sign of my furniture. After I paid this amount in December guess what? I NEVER HEARD FROM MARGOT AGAIN!! nor did I get any reciepts! AGAIN!!
In January under the assumption they still had my furniture:
I paid these amounts in Margots Wachovia Account.
Jan 08: $175.00
Feb 08: $0.00 no answer to their phone or acknowledgement of payment
March 08: $ 175.00
April 08: $ 130.00
May 08: $0.00 no answer to their phone, Margot's phone was out of service and so was Oscars
Jun 08: $ 175.00
In July I went online and did a bogus inquiry at Cross Country Moving, I immediatly got a call back from Dave. Mind you they lost their DOT liscence, info included in this letter, but he was all to happy to give me a move quote. When he realized who I was, he promised he would have Margot call me back.
I never heard from Margot until roughly around the end of Oct towards Novemeber of 08, again telling me that I had not made a payment on my furniture since June of 07 and that I owed them $3000.00!! unbelievable! I said no way, I made payments to all for almost 6 months into this year and never heard from you! I told her I made deposits in her account! She claimed she never got them! I had to go get my reciepts and prove to her that she had my money. She then adjusted it and sent me an invoice saying I owed $1900.00, in that invoice, she again had that I owed $339.00 for the move in 06, and (to supposedly be nice said she would not charge me the $25.00 late fees). Margot was also again missing payments that I made. Margot advised me that I needed to have all fees paid by Dec 15, 2008 and my furniture out of storage because she could not continue to pay my storage. She was basically rushing me.
The following payments are missing from Margot's invoice:
Credit Card payment:175.00 ending 0460 paid Feb 07
November 07 Money order $175.00
June 08 payment in Wachovia Bank Account for $175.00
These are serious discrepensies. Margot demanded I put the money owed in her Wachovia Bank account or she would auction my furniture off! this was a pattern. I then told Margot, that as of the Weekend of December 5,2008, I would like to pay all balances in full in person. I told her I could have my sister and her fiance meet her with cash in hand, and that we needed to see an inventory of what they had in storage.
Margot became evasive and ultitamatley became biligerant, condesending, threatening and rude, she called me a trouble maker, I told her that her charges on the invoice was wrong, she said to me "That at this point is non-negotiable. She demanded that by December 5, 2008 by 12 noon est that I had better have $1900.00 in her bank account or she will never speak to me again and she will auction off my furniture. I told Margot why would she decline cash in person? That did not make sence to me. I also advised Margot that my suspicion was they did not have my furniture or they already started getting rid of it and was still trying to charge me storage fees at full price even tho they already started compensating themselves by stealing my goods or not have it all.
This company has been paid in full by me at least two times, each time my goods were held hostage and I was NEVER given an address as to where my things were.
After seeing their history, I realized that this company and Margot Kapora are Pirates, and Sharks, they lie, they steal and lack integrity. I will not put another DIME into Margot Kopera's bank account. At this point with everything I have been through. I don't feel I owe them one more penny! I also will not send them anymore money until I see what is left of my furniture or if they even still have it. Even after I see it, I still want a refund of all late fees and a discount for poor treatment and being lied to and putting me to work to prove they HAD MY MONEY!
I really need some help here, I would really like to go forward with legal action against these group of Moving/Relocation Pirates.
There has to be somthing done in the state of Maryland to put Margot Kapora and all of the bandits, and front moving shops out of business forever. I would like to recieve pain and suffering damages, and compensation for the furniture that is missing or not there any more. I would also like to persue criminal charges against this group if possible.
I am enclosing reciepts along with reports from BBB to prove that this is a pattern with them along with other stories from other innocent victims.
As of December 5, 2008 I have not since ever made another payment to them.
Any and all help is appreciated. I can be reached at
or email
Thankyou,
JB
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, California
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Report list of other Moving CompaniesClick here to read other Rip Off Reports on National Moving Network and other various transport companies ripping off the consumer