Please beware of doing business with Gina and/or Imelda Del Vecchio. They are currently living in Aiken, SC but are from the Grantville, PA area. My boyfriend transported their horses from PA to Aiken in mid November and has still not been paid. They originally wanted 6 horses moved and they agreed on a price for 6 but when he arrived that morning to pick up the horses, they told him they only wanted to send 3. He was told Gina would pay him in Aiken. When the horses arrived in Aiken, Gina was not there to receive them and thus he wasn’t paid. Despite multiple attempts to contact them (phone calls, texts, etc) he has not been paid. They seem to be avoiding him and when he’s able to get a response from either of them, they seem annoyed that he’s asking for payment. They tell him they check is in the mail, etc but nothing ever arrives. When he complains to them and demands payment, they tell him to basically chill out. They have one excuse after another as to when they haven’t paid yet. After doing some one my own research on them, I have found out that they have been charged with writing bad checks in the past and in 2013 filed bankruptcy and we’ve spoken to multiple other people who are owed money (wish we had known before transporting their horses). Be very wary of doing any sort of business with these people!
File in Small Claims Court and quit frogging around. Tell the Judge you want cash because you do not think any checks will be good. When folks dither around like this, a deposit before leaving is good sense.
Best of luck to him.
They have a very long history of doing this. They also have extensive criminal records in Pennsylvania. I know MANY people who have been ripped off by this pair! And this is not gossip, I have the documentation to back up what I am saying.
I’ve never had a hauler that didn’t require 1/2 up front and the other half on delivery. Perhaps your boyfriend needs to review his contract and policies?
Regardless, posting their names on a public forum like this may net your boyfriend bigger issues. Does he know you did this? I would edit your post and have him take this to an attorney where it belongs. If he has a contract for services, then he should be able to move forward legally.
Not really buddy. There are several threads about them on COTH already.
Whenever I’ve shipped a horse, I’ve been asked for credit card information up front. Other than very short local trips with people I do business with regularly, I’ve always been asked for payment or 1/2 payment up front.
I’ll be in the minority, but I have often only paid a deposit, then the balance at delivery.
Generally shippers aren’t unloading your horse without payment in full.
I’m wondering if this was a bad check or declined credit card issue.
Thanks for your input Buddy- he is an equine professional but does not haul horses for people professionally. They were given his name and contacted him to relocate their horses. He’s never had a problem getting paid in the past- guess that’s bc he’s dealt with honest people.
Additionally, I don’t see how this could ‘net bigger issues’. I’m not slandering them. Everything I’ve written is something I’ve seen or experienced personally. If and when they pay, I’m happy to post that here as well. I would have greatly appreciated if someone had warned us about these folks before he committed to providing them with a service.
Many of us have tried to warn people about them OP. I can tick of a list of people who have been ripped off by them. They skate on the fringes of the law, and much of it is crime that law enforcement does not want to be bothered with because they consider it more civil than criminal. Just ask the 4-5 farm/ barn owners they still owe money to in Pennsylvania.
Another trick these two use is to threaten to sue the people they have ripped off. Just wait until they threaten you. Do not cave to them. Go after your money.
