Athletes Movers Jacksonville

The movers arrived on time, albeit in a rented van that appeared to be too small.  The only identification that they had was an old tee shirt that had the company logo.  We would later find that these were just a couple of contractors off the street, hired by Athletes Movers sight unseen.  The two man crew surveyed the entire house and assured us that the job would be "no problem".
By mid-morning I became very concerned about the slow loading of the truck and the lack of available space.  Again, the crew leader indicated that everything would fit in the van.  At noon, the same man approached me and said simply that the van "was full".  This signaled the end of the move as far as the crew was concerned.  I frantically asked them what I was supposed to do and was told only that I would have to "hire them again on another day" in order to move everything.  They could not provide a number for Athletes Movers and said that they only receive jobs from a guy called "Mike".  I tried to call Mike but received only voice mail.
With the new owners of the house arriving, I was forced to leave the house and follow the van to our new residence while still trying to get in touch with "Mike".  We were truly abandoned in a situation that was beyond belief.  As our furniture was unloaded, I noticed a vast amount of damage caused by the movers lacking pads and other crucial equipment.  I was told offhandedly that the company must have some type of insurance to cover the thousands of dollars of damage.
Thanks to some very sympathetic new owner's, we were allowed access to our old home for a few days.  I finally resorted to renting a 26 foot truck from Penske that my wife and I drove to our old address.  During a very long and grueling day, my wife and I (both in our 60's) managed to load the truck to the brim and still had to leave behind some articles.  By this time, Athletes Movers had ceased responding to our calls and e-mails.  We were out thousands of dollars for the move.
To date, Athletes Movers will not respond to queries or requests for repayment or damages.  It turns out that they exist only as a storefront, calling local contractors who actually complete the moves (or at least go through the motions).  We felt intimidated by the two men who presented themselves and our neighbor described them as "thugs", an apt description.
I'd advise anyone to avoid these amateurs and use a "real" moving company for their needs.  I noted that Athletes Movers had violated several provisions of Florida state law:
1.  They did not obtain a signed contract prior to beginning the move.
2.  Their truck was not a licensed moving vehicle.
3.  They did not advise us as to our rights under Florida law (see 1 above).
I have made a video that is available under "Athletes Movers - Avoid at all Costs" or (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enWOGnEu014).