- Florida AG Ashley Moody is taking action to shut down a massive moving scam
- According to court records, Gold Standard Moving and Storage is accused of violating state and federal laws since 2019
Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a complaint Thursday in Broward County to end a “massive moving scam” by Gold Standard Moving and Storage.
Moody filed a legal action against 10 companies and three individuals, who allegedly operated “multiple fraudulent moving brokerage businesses.”
According to Moody’s Consumer Protection investigation, the businesses reportedly acted as a common enterprise to deceive more than 400 Floridians into believing the company professionally handled moving services and promised to provide refunds if anything went wrong.
Investigators claim that the company hired third parties to complete the moving services and refused to provide refunds, operating under different businesses names “to dodge bad reviews,” according to the 65-page complaint.
“The defendants promised top-quality moving services, but instead provided shoddy work, higher-than-advertised prices and loads of headaches for people simply trying to relocate,” Moody said in a press release.
Eight of the businesses were registered in Florida, Gold Standard Moving and Storage, United American Moving, Razor Van Lines, Us Pro Moving and Logistics, National American Van Lines, Imperial Moving Group doing business as Simple Path Moving, Spartan Moving and Storage, and Southeast Holdings. The other two companies — Southeast Holding and Executive Van Lines — we’re both registered in Delaware.
According to Moody’s complaint, these companies advertised top-quality moving services to consumers and claimed to complete the moving process with in-house professionals. Moody goes on to maintain that consumers paid large upfront fees required by the company, but third-party movers were employed instead of the professionals promised. She asserts that third-party contractors often tried to negotiate new prices—even though the consumer already signed an agreement at a specified price. According to reports, the defendants also allegedly claimed to offer refunds for unhappy customers, but never paid the refunds.
“We are taking legal action to shut down this moving scam and recover funds for the hundreds of consumers harmed by this company’s deceptive practices,” Moody added.
To view the complaint, click here.
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