We've put the brakes on Pat & Mike.

The moving firm will no longer advertise in this newspaper ... a decision made easy following a Dec. 4 Action Line report detailing the company's business practices.

"I feel compelled to tell you my experience with Pat and Mike after reading your column," Sharon Dern wrote. "They assured me they were professionals and had been in business for many years. I was told they would charge me $3/km for moving. However, they neglected to tell me they were driving the truck from Puslinch and that I would have to pay for the mileage from there to my home on Hamilton Mountain! The contact phone number (printed in The Spectator ads) was a Hamilton number, so I assumed the truck would be coming from Hamilton."

Like many others who called and wrote, Dern was "angry and upset" at the condition of the firm's truck and says she was asked to pre-sign a $600 Visa charge.

"I could not wait to get rid of them. They were filthy, dirty and their truck was falling apart. I am embarrassed to say that I should have known better. I am hoping Pat & Mike can no longer take advantage of one more person."

Ken and Bonnie Dailey believed they, too, had been taken advantage of by Pat & Mike and operator Pat Canini.

"The truck they brought to our home was not big enough to move our possessions in one trip. A red flag should have gone up then," Bonnie wrote.

"My husband also signed a blank Visa slip and we later learned they had run through a payment before leaving our driveway. We filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and Ministry of Government Services, with no resolution."

Mike Masney was fortunate.

"A few years ago I was looking for a mover for my daughter and called this company. They quoted me two prices, a cash-only price and another for a cheque or Visa. Needless to say, the red flag went up and I called another company."

The comments of these readers and others echoed those of Mona Northey, whose 88-year-old mother paid $427.18 to move eight kilometres from her home into a retirement residence. The elderly lady suffers from the early stages of dementia and had few possessions. Pat & Mike billed her more than $200, just to get to and from the job. The firm charged $3/km to drive 19 kms from an undisclosed storage facility to the house, and $3/km to drive 24 kms to another undisclosed storage facility after completing the move. They also charged $65 an hour for driving time.

On Northey's invoice, the firm claims to have "truck bays" at 3068 Hwy. 2, Hamilton. No such address exists.

In a Dec. 11 e-mail, Canini says that was a misprint on his company invoices and should have read 3058.

"I am sorry to hear about all the calls and letters, but I am not surprised," he wrote. "You did hang us out like a pinata. We park our trucks at different locations throughout the year, not of our choosing but out of necessity."

Canini maintains his customers rent his vehicles and hire his crew and that is why he charges mileage and labour fees to get to and from a job. He says his firm is called Pat & Mike Sunspaces and maintains he has no connection with any moving firm named Pat & Mike.

Ministry records show Pat & Mike Sunspaces was registered on May 24, 2006 as a sole proprietorship. However, the BBB of South Central Ontario has correspondence from Canini that dates back nearly 20 years. Those consumer complaints dealt with a moving firm named Pat & Mike. Canini's Spectator classified ads appeared under "moving/trucking" and bore the name Pat & Mike and the cellphone number Action Line used to contact him.

"We are always there for the consumer," Canini wrote. "We do whatever you need. We always pick up our phone ... the same phone number and owner for 20 years. We do not use answering machines. We tell you exactly what the charges will be ahead of time. It's your decision. This is why Mrs. Northey and family called us and this is why they hired us, because we were there for them when no one else was."

The director of classified advertising for the Metroland West Media Group said she'd spoken to Canini. Metroland West Media Group publishes The Spectator.

"I advised him we would discontinue his advertising in the best interest of our readers," Sandra Lennox noted.

That decision was "an easy one" due to the response from readers, added Suzanne Zandbergen, classified supervisor for The Spectator.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transportation was unable to find the name "Pat & Mike" or "Pat & Mike Sunspaces" in its vehicle or commercial carrier database. Commercial carriers (operators) with a gross weight of more than 4,500 kgs must register for a Commercial Vehicle Operator's Registration (CVOR) certificate.

This applies whether the vehicles are leased, rented or owned. The Highway Traffic Act (HTA) defines an "operator" as the "person directly or indirectly responsible for the operation of a commercial motor vehicle including the conduct of the driver and the carriage of goods or passengers, if any, in the vehicle."

All vehicles operated on a highway must be in a safe condition, or the plates may be removed and charges laid against the owner or driver.

Senior media liaison officer Bob Nichols said MTO's district enforcement office will be investigating complaints involving this firm and its operator.

If you have a consumer problem, call 905-526-4665 or e-mail amacrury@thespec.com. Not all calls and letters can be answered.