All American Moving: Treats its customers like crap! *Consumer Suggestion
I am writing regarding my experience with All American Moving on Friday, August 17, 2001. The two men who assisted me in my move to West L.A. were the laziest and most arrogant movers I have ever encountered. For the following reasons, I will never do business with All American Moving & Storage ever again:
* They charged $715 for 7 total hours of moving time ($260 of that just for packaging materials) for moving a one-bedroom apartment's worth of stuff.
* The movers took frequent breaks to smoke, chat with each other, gawk at my sunbathing neighbors and flirt with my roommate.
*I paid $260 for packaging materials. Most of this was spent on shrink wrap. The movers claimed they were giving me a special deal.' The items that were shrink wrapped still suffered plenty of dents and scratches that probably could have been avoided by using moving blankets (which are normally free of charge).
*The movers estimated that it would take 2 hours to unload the truck. It only took 1.
*The movers' were extremely condescending and macho they even hit on me in front of my mother!
*I was forced to pay for my move before they would remove the items from the truck.
*After I expressed disatisfaction at the cost of the move, the movers stopped being careful with my furniture banging items into doorways as they moved my stuff into my new apartment.
All in all, my relocation with All American was a pretty awful experience. The worst part is that I went with All American after they told me they were members of the Better Business Bureau. Well, I just filed a complaint with the BBB...
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Nancy
Los Angeles,California,
U.S.A.
RE: All American's Response
#4Consumer Comment
Wed, May 14, 2003
I think it's pretty fair to say that any moving company that responds to a customer complaint by calling that person a liar, is not a firm that wants to make people happy.
I certainly am not trying to get a free ride, but a fair one is not too much to ask. I moved a one-bedroom apartment 50 miles in 2000 with Mighty Movers in Orange County and paid $300. I moved just 7 miles with All American Moving (same amount of furniture) in 2001 for a total of $715. You do the math.
Lee
Chatsworth,California,
A move for free
#4UPDATE Employee
Wed, July 17, 2002
Well this is the first customer that had the best service and complained the most.
Because she wanted a move for free.
Up until today we didn't even know we had a report here and that we can respond to it.
Let me tell you our side of the story and you be the judge
#1 Our men are not lazy and arrogant, they are hard working men that get a lot of references from other satisfied customers that call us to only send them to their moves because they were so great.
#2 Our customer Nancy was charged $715.00 because she had a big move.
Her 1 BEDROOM was fully furnished, not what you would think of a regular 1-bedroom apartment.
She had 2 flights of stairs at origin and 2 flights of stairs at the destination with 2 men, which does tend to take up more time.
Not mentioning the double drive time, which is a must and is regulated by the P.U.C.
#3 The movers did NOT take frequent breaks, chat with each other, gawked at the neighbors or flirted with her roomate.
That is such a lie, the movers that moved her are both married with kids.
#4 The customer paid $260.00 for packing her whole apartment.
She had nothing ready.
And everything that was shrinked wrap was super protected.
She DID NOT get charged for the blankets.
#5 Yes the movers did estimate the unloading to be 2 hours, and made it in 1.
I don't see anything wrong with that.
Other moving companies would have taken their time to reach the 2 hours.
Our movers didn't.
#6 Nancy claims that she was forced to pay the men before they unloaded her belongings, which is a complete lie.
She in fact gave the men a $50.00 tip each.
#7 The customer claims to have damages to her belongings that was never reported.
And she never filed for a claim with us.
So what damages did she really have?
#8 The customer complained to the B.B.B
We responded to her complaint, and we asked for an arbitration, which Nancy refused to have.
The BBB closed out the complaint as satisfactory, due to our explanation of the situation and that the customer's requested to get a free move.
This customer tried to threaten us by telling us if she doesn't get a free move she will report to the bbb to try to satisfy her regardless that the men worked.
To our understanding this customer is a lie, a cheat and she should be a shamed of her self.
She had a great move with no damages and a great crew.
All she did was complain and complain about things that never happened not at the time of the move only after several days.
It's a shame that we wasted such a good crew and great service to someone that didn't appreciate it.
The moving company has no right to hold your merchandise unless they have a signed contract that states such.
#40
Tue, August 21, 2001
This email is a rebuttal to RipOff #6258.
It was sent by Fraud Chick at TheFraudChick@aol.com.
All American Moving: Treats its customers like crap! (#6258)
They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:
Their email: TheFraudChick@aol.com
Their name: Fraud Chick
Their relationship to the company: Owner
Rebuttal:
The moving company industry is an interesting cottage industry. The complaints about alleged scams are usually the same:
1.I'm given a quote.
2.I give that company the job. They show up late, are sloppy but do the job. Many time they spring hidden charges on you...also known as "fee stacking".
3. On the date they arrive at new address they surprise you with a new and higher charge. They won't unload until they are paid, preferably in cash.
The majority of companies that do this hide behind the fact that the number originally called was not them. Many 800 numbers listed in the phone books are actually "brokers" that assign your load to a nearby moving company
Here are some precautions to take up front:
1. You should ask up front if they intend to assign your load to another company.
2. If they do, request that they have that company fax or mail a copy of an estimate. If they refuse, this should be a red flag.
3. If you have your stuff held "hostage" demand that the movers sign a receipt. Draw up a paper that states they refused to turn over your property until payment is made, which was not part of the bargain.
4. There is another option. The moving company has no right to hold your merchandise unless they have a signed contract that states such. Call the police; they will force the moving company to turn over your property right then and there.