http://www.moving-company-guide.com/

Wendy · Sep 7, 2004

Hi -

Please can you help with the submission of our consumer advice on moving website to http://dmoz.org/Home/Consumer_Information/

We are very keen to get this information out to the public at large as soon as we can to try to avoid the sort of thing that happened to the Reed family recently who moved to Hilton Head Island from Minnesota in late July and entrusted their belongings to a moving company. They fell prey to a rogue moving company that had no intention of ever returning their belongings. The poor family lost everything and you can read about it here http://www.beaufortgazette.com/local_news/story/3753775p-3360262c.html

It is happening more and more recently but it can be prevented by taking sensible precautions and these are detailed and explained on our website. No companies are mentioned it is purely informational.

Thank you in advance for you help.

- Wendy Fuller

jimnoble · Sep 7, 2004

Your suggestion has been declined. The reason will be found within our Submission Guidelines.

Wendy · Sep 9, 2004

Jim -

Gosh! I'll take a look thanks.

- Wendy

Wendy · Sep 10, 2004

Jim -

I found two possibilities and I think we must have "submitted to inappropriate or unrelated categories" although I must admit I can't at the moment find a more appropriate one. Is there a forum where I can get help in finding the appropriate category?

If we did find the right category then the other possibility was a "promotional description" but I have forgotten what I wrote (it happens when you get older LOL). Do I have to wait before I resubmit with a new description or can I do it right away?

Thanks for your help.

- Wendy

donwiebe · Sep 12, 2004

Your submission wasn't declined due to an error in the way you submitted it. It's the site that doesn't meet our inclusion guidelines, not the way you suggested it.

Wendy · Sep 15, 2004

Don -

OK thanks. Is there anything we can do to it to make it acceptable? We are kind of limited by the folks at the National Transportation Library of the Department of Transportation who approved it and we would have to go back if we changed something fundamental. Is it the fact that it doesn't have any graphics the problem?

- Wendy

Wendy · Sep 21, 2004

Don -

Any chance you can help with my previous post's questions? The more we can provide the average consumer with sound advice before they choose a moving company the better. Have a read through this case from last week it is very depressing but so avoidable http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/09-16-2004/0002252110&EDATE=

- Wendy

jgwright · Sep 21, 2004

I'm not sure how much I'm supposed to tell you, I don't have access to the particulars about your submission, but here goes:

Your submission (or a submission of www.moving-company-guide.com) was declined in July due to lack of content. If you have submitted since July then your site will still be awaiting review. I don't know more than this.

Looking at your site, it seems to have an impressive amount of content. No, lack of graphics won't make any difference to the chances of getting a listing. (Personally I'd like to commend the clean design.)

BTW what does "We are kind of limited by the folks at the National Transportation Library of the Department of Transportation who approved it" mean?

Wendy · Sep 21, 2004

jgwright -

Thank you for your response.

I cannot imagine what happened when the reviewer went to our site in July. We have only submitted once and that was in July. Maybe the webmaster (who is the husband of one of our volunteers) was making some last minute changes and some of the site was missing for a moment. I don't really know but I am sure the site has been the same basic content since we first made it public in June.

To answer your question we sought approval and comments from a number of regulatory authorities before we printed the guide. The principal one in this case was the Department of Transportation who list it on their website as one of four references http://ntl.bts.gov/faq/movingco.html and we published it when they approved of it.

Can you or anyone else suggest what we can do next or have we messed it up so much we can't recover?

- Wendy

jgwright · Sep 21, 2004

I suggest you submit again.

Wendy · Sep 23, 2004

jgwright -

Thank you for your suggestion and we have resubmitted.

After reading the links on moving scams above (and there are hundreds more where they come from) if there is anyone around who thinks it is easier to rip consumers off than try and help them - you are absolutely right! Please help us if you can.

Thank you.

- Wendy

jgwright · Sep 23, 2004

Unfortunately I can't. I'm bad enough with my own place without taking on responsibility for another "Home".

I wish you luck in getting your site listed reasonably quickly though.

Wendy · Dec 1, 2004

Hi -

Please can you give us some good news about our site?

It is so easy for people to be fleeced by bad moving companies and a few simple precautions as outlined in our literature can save a lot of heartache later. Here is a quote from a case just this week "A former moving-company foreman told jurors yesterday that he and his co-workers used to brag and laugh about how they had fleeced customers by overcharging for household moving jobs". http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002104275_movers30m.html

Please don't make it easier for them.

- Wendy

Wendy · Dec 22, 2004

Hi -

Please can someone give me an update on this site submission. Our volunteers delivering this guide by hand have taken a break over Christmas and it would be good news for us all if you said we had made it into the directory.

Thank you.

Happy Christmas and a moving company scam free new year!

- Wendy

jimnoble · Dec 22, 2004

Your suggestion has been received and is awaiting review. We can't predict when that might be. If it hasn't been listed in 6 months, please ask again in this same thread.

Wendy · Dec 22, 2004

Jim -

Thank you!

Take a look at this AP news item today http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash...10/110372514858870.xml&storylist=orwashington "Customers testified that they were sometimes told they had to pay more than they originally agreed to after their possessions had been loaded onto a truck. Government lawyers said the company's practices affected 50 people and were part of an attempt to bring in more than $1 million".

It's the tip of the iceburg....

Happy Christmas and have a great New Year Jim.

- Wendy

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