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Beware of this moving company ARK HOLDINGS/24-7 Movers International VAT / BTW: BE0837 712 784

smashee
Aug 7, 2014
14
Question

Hello fellow Xpats,

We hired Ark Holdings for our move from Brussels to Athens. They picked up our belongings on 29/06/2014. We paid them €1,902.07 and took out insurance with them. We came to Athens with one suitcase each.

6 weeks later and we don't have our things, we're still living in a hotel in Athens and the owner of the company, Robert Adam Kasozi has disappeared, along with our money.

A few days ago I found out from the police that this company filed for bankruptcy in November last year, but that they're still operating in Belgium! http://www.arkholdings.biz/

Can anyone offer advice on what to do next in order to recover our belongings and our money?

Thank you,
Sasha

CMH

Sorry to hear about your troubles. You could send a solicitor's letter asking for the location of your goods and their release to a third party. Chances are they're in storage in Belgium. Then hire a reputable company to collect and ship. You would then have to begin a separate (legal) procedure to recover your money. Not hopeful if they have gone bankrupt. Good luck.

Aug 7, 2014 14:53
smashee

Thank you for the advice CMH,

This has been a real nightmare and I really don't understand how this company is still operating freely.

I'm not feeling very trusting at the moment. Would you happen to know of a trustworthy solicitor who deals in these matters who I could contact.

Thanks again.

Aug 7, 2014 15:05
chocjohn9

Once a company has gone bust, unless it is owed money, legally it is not able to collect 'new' money. I wonder if you actually paid him rather than his company. If so, you can take out a civil case against him. Hopefully this gives you a little glimmer of hope.

Aug 7, 2014 15:30
kasseistamper

I’ve been involved with movers more times than I care to remember. I’m currently in at least my 30th home in 8 different countries.

What was specified on the contract that you signed? Which company was providing the insurance?

Frankly, for under two grand this company was never going to take your stuff from Belgium to Athens – their website implies that they only have ONE vehicle. For that price they were always going to pass your stuff on to a big company where it would be a ‘part load’ and used to make up a full load in due course – probably being transferred several times with other part loads as it makes it’s weary way across Europe in the general direction of Greece. It could, quite literally, be anywhere at the moment.

You can always contact the insurers and see what they suggest but, unless the contract was specific as to how your load was to be transported and how soon it would be delivered, you may find that you are simply in limbo. I found about ‘part loads’ the hard way when it took 6 weeks to get our goods from England to Scotland!

Good luck.

Aug 7, 2014 15:48
J

You've been robbed.
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/vatResponse.html
Their VAT number is not valid.

1. Contact the insurance company.
- I hope this was arranged with an independent broker...

2. Contact the police and report the theft. This is a criminal matter.
- Trading illegally = fraud, a criminal offense
- Turning up to your house and stealing all your property is also criminal

3. Contact the bank or credit card company through which you paid - you never know your luck.

Aug 7, 2014 16:05
smashee

Hi CHOCJON9,

Thank you for your reply. I've just gone back and checked the account we made the bank transfer to and it is indeed under his name and not the company name. I will look into the possibility of a civil case. If anyone knows of any trustworthy lawyers please forward me their contact details.

Thanks again!

Aug 7, 2014 16:15
smashee

Hi KASSEISTAMPER and thanks for replying,

We are in our 7th country, but I guess we’ve either been VERY VERY lucky so far, or very stupid this time. I think we’ve been lucky in dealing with honest people up to this point, and maybe that made us too trusting this time around.

The contract we signed specifies that the good would be delivered to us at The Port of Athens (Piraeus) in Greece. This is why he said he could do it for that price.

Unfortunately, we (stupidly) took out insurance with ‘24-7 Movers’, another name he uses for his moving company, but it’s the same guy. What good is the insurance if he has disappeared altogether and can’t be reached?
Unfortunately the contract doesn’t specify the time frame, we just took his word that it would take between 10-14 days from the time of shipping.
6 weeks, from England to Scotland?!?! Well I guess you live and you learn.

Thanks for your advice, much appreciated!

Aug 7, 2014 16:15
smashee

Hi J,

That’s what I fear.

The police have verified that the VAT number belonged to the company, but that they filed for bankruptcy in November last year. We are following up the matter with the Belgian and Greek police, as the company shouldn’t be trading with that VAT anymore.

Unfortunately, and very stupidly, we took out insurance with the same company. If we had been smarter and organised this independently, I don’t thing he could have gotten away with this.

Thanks for the advice about contacting our bank, I will definitely give it a shot.

Aug 7, 2014 16:39
J

If he has openly traded with a cancelled VAT number, he's in deep, deep shit. VAT fraud is falls under the teeth of the FISC, and they bite huge chunks out of people when they get ripped off.

Aug 7, 2014 18:36
me in belgium

don't want to be a wet rag but I think you would be throwing good money after bad. The guy is bankrupt you'll never get anything back. Put a cross on the money and just try to get your belongings back. Good luck

Aug 7, 2014 20:13

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