Phoenix, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced today that his office’s Consumer Protection Section obtained a Stipulated Judgment in Maricopa County Superior Court against Amru Abdalla, Emad Abdalla, (collectively “Abdalla Brothers”) and their company, Bargain Moving, Inc.
This Stipulated Judgment resolves the State’s consumer fraud and contempt action against the Abdalla Brothers who repeatedly violated previous court-ordered settlements. In addition to other injunctive relief, the Stipulated Judgment permanently bans Amru Abdalla from working in the moving business in Arizona.
“We won't tolerate business owners who continuously violate the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and harm consumers,” said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. “We have made it a priority to make sure movers are complying with the law, whether that's passing reforms at the legislature that give consumers more rights or holding unscrupulous companies and their owners accountable for their deceptive or unfair actions. Customers need to do their homework and research a moving company and its owners before signing a contract."
Since 2010, the Attorney General’s Office has filed two other consumer fraud enforcement actions against Amru Abdalla and one other action against Emad Abdalla. The State also named the Abdalla Brothers’ moving businesses as defendants, which have included Allstars, Allstar Moving & Storage, Inc., Allways Moving & Storage, Easymoveaz, Allstar Moving and Storage, Allstars Movers, Movers and a Truck, and The Moving and Storage Company. (The Defendants in this case have no connection to Allstar Metro Movers of Glendale, Arizona.)
The prior actions alleged that the Abdalla Brothers and their businesses violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act by giving false quotes, using deceptive invoices, and holding consumers’ property until they paid more money. The Abdalla Brothers and their businesses previously resolved those enforcement actions through Consent Judgments with the State.
In 2017, the Attorney General’s Office filed a contempt action alleging that the Abdalla Brothers failed to comply with the Court’s judgments, including provisions prohibiting them from: (i) refusing to return consumers’ property until after receiving payment; (ii) charging for unearned fees; and (iii) misrepresenting that the moving company is licensed, bonded, and/or insured. In addition, the State alleged that Amru Abdalla failed to abide by a temporary ban from the moving industry. The State also asserted the Abdalla Brothers failed to pay restitution and penalties according to an agreed-upon payment plan in the 2015 Judgment.
After a four-day trial in December 2018, the Court found that the Abdalla Brothers violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and the Court’s prior orders. The parties entered into a Stipulated Judgment permanently prohibiting Amru Abdalla from working in the moving business. The Stipulated Judgment also contains stern safeguards to ensure that Emad Abdalla abides by the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and the prior judgments.
If you believe you have been a victim of consumer fraud, please contact the Arizona Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6648, or outside the metro areas at 1(800) 352-8431. Bilingual consumer protection staff is available to assist. Consumers can also file complaints online.