A Cincinnati-area moving company has shut down without warning, leaving some people who need to move with no movers, no truck and deposit money that has disappeared.
Pam Bell is among them. Her daughter Danielle is now helping her move into her new apartment in Madisonville.
But it's been a rough move because the mover she hired never showed up.
"As far as I knew, they were going to show up June 2nd at 10 a.m.," Bell said.
She chose Move Cheap Cincinnati Movers, based on a friend's advice and gave a $50 deposit for her $250 move. She even confirmed again, two days before the move.
"I called before the move," Bell said. "They said, 'We got you down on the schedule, we'll be there Saturday, June 2nd.'"
But Saturday came and went, and no one showed.
"My daughter called me and said, 'Mama guess what? They have permanently closed. It's on their phone message,'" Bell said.
The Better Business Bureau, which gives Move Cheap an "F" rating for unresolved complaints, lists their address at a storage facility in Mt. Carmel.
But the caretaker, who did not want to give his name, said owner Tim Armstrong packed up and left weeks ago.
"I don't know where he is. He abandoned ship," the caretaker said.
How to protect yourself during a move
So how can you prevent a moving nightmare like this? Checking out the company with the Better Business Bureau and Yelp (or Angie's List if you are a member), is obviously the first step.
Several websites and apps now offer additional protection.
They list approved movers, help you select one, then hold your money until the job is done. Movers don't show? No one gets a dime.
Top rated moving apps include:
We finally tracked down Tim Armstrong by phone, who told us his company is filing bankruptcy, but promised to refund Pam Bell's money, and the deposits put down by about a dozen other customers for June moves.
Bell says she's waiting.
"I want my money back," she said.
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