Complaint Review: AAA Van Lines

1. All ways have mover come to your residence to do site survey. Get a copy of the premove inventory (cube sheet)to make sure all items are listed. Also make sure they list the proper number and size boxes that they will pack and the ones that you will pack. A professional estimator will be able to give a true picture.

2. Request a Firm written price. Either a Binding or Not To Exceed. This is known as a Estimate/Order for Service. Make sure the companies Name, Address City, TX, ZIp and contact phone number is at the top of the Estimate/Order for Service. along with thier ICC Number. This will allow you to see if the person is Representing the proper company.

3. Make sure they list all charges based on the the Proper Tariff. That Tariff Number needs to be Posted on the Estimate.

4. NEVER let a Mover Quote just a Hourly rate. Have Them give you a firm price based on a Hourly rate if that is how they charge.

5. The Driver will give you a BILL OF LADING (BOL). Make sure the BOL is completed with the same information the Order For Service has. Do Not Sign a Blank BOL.

6. Make sure the Pick-up and Delvery dates are posted on the OFS and BOL. and have the Mover tell you in writting That they will compenate you if they fail to meet either on the dates spread.

I think Chad's "non-answer" is a big, resounding, NO.

He certainly didn't mind giving a LOT of information about the customer's situation until you asked specifics about Chad's legal responsibilities as a mover.

None of the questions asked viiolate any Privatcy Laws.

A professional mover who opperates under ICC Tariff 400. can not collect more than 110% of the non-binding price at upon delivery. based on the information provided by Gary that would have been $1320.00 not $2149.00. Gary would then be given 30 days to pay the balance.

Did Gary sign a addendum for the additional amount at the time of loading. This is a simple question yes or no.

Also just to note that I am very well aware and acquainted with the laws and requirements involved in the moving industry as well as being able to best service my customer. Also please note that I did say that i educate my customers because that is my responsibility as a professional. Thank you for your concern.

Best Regards,

Chad C
AAA Van Lines

Danny,

Respectfully i decline to answer your question pertaining to this customer because being a professional i can only disclose what was commented on by our customer. I am not at liberty to be able to divulge further detail without the customers consent.

Best Regards,

Chad C
AAA Van Lines

Was the client told that they should have your outside Rep do a site inspection to get a more acturate price? At anytime was the client told in writing that this was a non-binding price? Was there a written order for service with detailed pricing outlined? After your driver saw the obvious under estimated move was there on challeng to notify the client before loading to get addendum signed to adjust the order for service.

As a professional it is your responability to educate the consumer. Under the regulations you can only collect 110% of the order for service at time of delivery. the client then has 30 days to pay the balance. That is why you still need to do an addendum to the order for service at loading even on non-binding order for services.

Regarding my customer.

Quote:
I was quoted by Chad at this company $1200 for the move. After they picked up the stuff, they called and told me the rate was $2149 because one of the items was "oversize". I made Chad as aware as I knew how when he was doing the quote that the garden tractor was about 300 lbs. Weight doesn't seem to be an issue here because the French guy who called to give me the ransom amount, a $949 increase, didn't care about the weight, but the tractor was something larger than a microwave.

Gary


When I quote my customers I educate them on the moving industry as a whole and try to get as much realistic details as possible because I hate when things like this happen. Most of my moves go without a hiccup except for the occasional circumstance that is out of our control

The above referenced customer told you what he told me on the size of the "garden tractor". He says the tractor was larger than a microwave (comparable in size).

The truth is it was A LOT larger and took up a quarter of the truck. It alone nearly weighed 600-700 lbs by itself. It took 5 guys to move it because it was so heavy. It wasn't your typical garden tractor it was more of a rusted over old antique farm tractor.

When i talked to my customer he was convinced it wasn't much stuff at all...just a few boxes and a small tractor that weighted approximately 300 lbs that was a little larger than a microwave. It was far from.

Out of courtesy to our customer when the truck came back here with a lot more items than described of just a few boxes (BTW we didn't charge for all the extra weight) and a rusted over farm tractor that took up a quarter of the truck and took 5 guys to move...we called out customer and told him about the price change due to inaccurate information given.


To be fair in this matter we then gave him the option to say yes or no to the very fair and generous offer in light of the situation...if he said yes we would proceed to taking his items to NV if he said no we would refund him all his money paid up to that point and we would eat the cost and take all his items back to IN where we picked them up from with no questions asked. That was our offer.

We did not charge an additional $949.00...we only charged an additional $650 for the antique farm tractor and there was also a fuel charge that was previously disclosed to our customer that was on the final bill of lading.

He chose to accept the charges & for us to continue to have us deliver to NV. We provided the customer with two options with no hassles or questions asked, in an attempt to eliminate any/some of the frustration due to any confusion that had resulted from both parties involved. We as a business were trying to be as fair as possible in this matter.

To sum this all up....We are a company that does the right thing...we are not perfect...no one is.....but what customers seem to forget to disclose in their public ventings is a lot of facts that do make a difference.

Respectfully & Professionally Yours,

Chad Curtiss
AAA Van Lines