Moving company promises furniture delivery, full refund for North Texas woman after FOX 4 report

Moving company promises delivery, refund for NTX woman

After a FOX 4 report about a moving company under investigation for holding a North Texas woman's furniture for over a month, the company has now promised to issue her a full refund and get her furniture to her as soon as possible.

DENTON, Texas - After a FOX 4 report about a moving company under investigation for holding a North Texas woman's furniture for over a month, the company has now promised to issue her a full refund and get her furniture to her as soon as possible.

Representatives of the moving company called FOX 4’s David Sentendrey. At first, they disputed the woman’s claims. We read to them police documents appearing to back up her claims. We then put the viewer on a three-way call, and the company said they will give her a full refund and get her belongings to her.

Amanda Cascella and her three daughters are living in a mostly empty home in Denton County. They moved from California last month.

In an interview with FOX 4 on Monday, Cascella claimed her moving company was "holding her belongings hostage." Now on Tuesday, she’s supposedly on track to receive her stuff and a full refund.

ORIGINAL REPORT: NTX woman says movers haven't delivered her belongings

A North Texas woman filed multiple reports with law enforcement against the moving company she used to relocate from California. She still doesn't have her furniture after they picked it up in mid-June.

Cascella’s belongings were supposed to arrive within 5-18 business days, according to her contract. It’s been nearly seven weeks.

She says she paid the nearly $4,000 amount in full but filed law enforcement reports claiming First National Van Lines is "holding her belongings hostage asking for more money."

"So we want consumers to do their research and do their homework before hiring a moving company," said Monica Horton with the Better Business Bureau of North Central Texas.

A Better Business Bureau study on the moving industry reveals scammers price gouge, take belongings hostage and destroy goods.

"Sometimes people might do the research and things looked legitimate online. But in reality, these moving companies have put money into their website and into fake reviews to make themselves appear legitimate," Horton said. "The crooks will pay for advertising to have their links be some of the top results in the searches and the moving company website could look very professional and you could have a virtual estimate within minutes sometimes."

First National Van Lines is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau. It chose not to comment on Monday before our initial story aired.

On Tuesday after they saw the story, spokesperson David Lee called and said, "Miss Cascella is going to be refunded every dime that she has paid into the company. It’s going to happen very quickly, very soon. It’s not okay. This situation’s not okay. I don’t agree with it at all."

"Why did this happen, and why is this continuing to happen?" Cascella said.

First National Van Lines did not give a specific explanation.

"So much fight that I don’t feel like needed to be done or was necessary in order to get to where we are today, for them to finally take responsibility and acknowledge the wrongdoing on their part," Cascella said.

Cascella showed FOX 4 an email chain Tuesday afternoon where it appears that the refund is being processed and her belongings coming to her.