A Better Choice Movers Moving Company Ripoff! Take the Quote and DOUBLE IT - and hold your furniture hostage!! Fairfield New Jersey
Below is a quote I was given from BETTER CHOICE MOVERS and the nightmare it turned into:
BETTER CHOICE MOVERS
24D Commerce Rd.
Fairfield , NJ
1-888-541-6683
YOUR MOVING QUOTE
CUSTOMER: KIRK
TELEPHONE #: ((ROR redacted phone number for security purposes)))
PICK UP ADDRESS:WEST NEW YK, NJ
DESTINATION: HOBOKENL, NJ
MOVE DATE: 6/2/07
ESTIMATED COST OF MOVE:
3 men @ $74.00 per hour for a three hour minimum= $222.00
15 free boxes (does not include packing materials) if needed *note: this a non-binding estimate
YOUR MOVE INCLUDES AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE: Load, Unload, Delivery, Disassemble & Reassemble, Packing services, Workers, Gas, Mileage, Truck
EXTRA CHARGES FOR YOUR MOVE:
Additional Packing materials (if needed)
Cancellation fee of $75.00 applies to moves cancelled less than 24hrs
INSURANCE INFORMATION:
Included at no additional cost, for anything damaged or lost.
$.60 per pound. Additional insurance is available, ask for details.
Contact Info:
ERIN @ 888 541 6683
After coming to my second floor apartment and having me sign their documents they loaded my furniture on the truck and arrived at the destination apartment 5 miles away. Once there I was told there was a $75 1hr minimum travel time which apparently was built into their 3 hr minimum above all other quotes specifically identified an hour travel. They then told me an additional $150 would be required for an elevator which they didn't know they were getting into not sure which apartments do not have elevators OR stairs to get to APT # 230. At the end of the day they told me my choices were to pay $587 or they would take my stuff to storage. After paying more than $300 over my quote I was then called names for not tipping.
I write this email in the hopes you will share my experience with any of your customers who are looking for reliable movers or in this case weeding out unreliable and unethical movers. Please feel free to have anyone interested in using BETTER CHOICE MOVERS in the future to contact me.
Kirk
Jersey city, New Jersey
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Jim
Anaheim,California,
U.S.A.
A Bad Situation But Also A Common Misperception
#2Consumer Comment
Wed, June 06, 2007
There are certainly better choices out there than the mover you chose to move your items. There are enough complaints written about this company that you could have found out about before employing their services. That being said, you did not pay double of what you were quoted.
The truth is you were not quoted anything firm at all. The little note next to the asterisk indicating that "this is a non-binding estimate" is the little clue that what you have isn't really a quote, but more of a listing of rates, combined with other items making it appear that you have a quote.
That is a common misperception when doing a local move - the document you get is not binding and therefore your final move cost is unknown.
If you review over the document they gave you, it only provides an hourly rate for their services. They could have even told you verbally that the charge might be $X dollars. However, whatever is said verbally means nothing because it's what you have in writing that matters, and what you have in writing only indicates the move at a minimum would be 3 hours @$74.00, or $222.00.
It only means that's the minimum and the actual amount to be paid will be higher. I am guessing it took them somewhere around 4-6 hours with elevator and transportation to do the job from beginning to end and the amount you paid seems about right to do a local move of that nature. A higher hourly rate would probably have brought you better and quicker movers, and the cost would be about the same.
There is no question this company would not be a better choice in my opinion as they have a number of complaints registered with the BBB. But it is also important that you understand the document you have in order to avoid similar occurrances in the future.