Daily News columnist Errol Louis has a bone to pick with Brothers Moving & Storage — the business responsible for that giant yellow building on Atlantic Avenue. After a couple of disasters in his family’s brownstone, he had to move out all their belongings and stashed them at Brothers, the nearest storage facility to his home. He rented the largest available room for over $400 per month, but Brothers refused to give him a copy of their contract. Then, things got worse:

“Months later, I called three days before I wanted to get our stuff, but the facility manager, Frank Jones, said we had to give them 14 days’ notice — in writing — and that we would not be allowed to have a moving company get our belongings without written proof they had $2 million worth of liability insurance…

Spicing up his language with rudeness and profanity – the way certain kinds of people do when they work behind protective glass – Jones offered a quick way out of our predicament: We could give his guys an extra $600 cash (on top of the thousands we had already paid) to move our goods out.”

The extra fees and two-weeks’ notice suddenly became unnecessary when Louis mentioned his Daily News column, but he probably isn’t the only one who has been bullied by this company. If anyone has had a similarly awful experience with Brothers, Louis asks that you file a complaint with the city’s Department of Consumer Affairs online or by dialing 311.”Raising a fuss is the only way to stop the ripoff artists that prey on inner-city neighborhoods,” Louis writes. “Complaining about unscrupulous merchants isn’t just a personal matter – it’s a civic duty.”
Buyers, Be Wary [NY Daily News]
Photo by Tim Darach