Complaint Review: atlanta flat rate movers

After a little research, we decided to employ Atlanta Flat Rate Movers to us based on their rate and being insured. We had spent about a week and a half packing all of our belongings. They came and moved the majority of our belongings and left the inspection report. Mind you, nothing was marked damaged even though many items were brought to our attention as being already damaged.

They had our belongings in their possession for approximately 48 hours.  The gentlemen who moved our belongings seemed very nice and helpful; the same cannot be said for the 'manager'. They took our card after advising that the rate would be slightly more as we had more boxes. This is told to us after all our stuff is on the truck and ready to go. Fine. After the movers came and unloaded our belongings, my husband set up the TV for the night so he could watch some shows to relax from the move (I was still in Georgia with the remaining items that didn't fit in the truck - despite the
additional charges (we didn't find out about these until the next day aswe stayed in a hotel). 

Our 46" Sony Bravia TV was broken. It was obviously dropped or banged against something because it looks like someone punched the lower corner. My husband immediately called AFRM to advise on the next course of action. They advised that they would deny the claim as they didn't know if the TV was broken before we moved or not. After calling a few times a day for a couple of days, a guy (who didn't give his name despite being the 'manager') called me back.

He talked with me for approximately four minutes before he had to take a call to 'close out two moves", and he said he would call me back "in about five minutes". I waited 25 minutes and called him back. He answered, and I explained who I was again. I asked what our next course of action was as they were denying our claim because 'they didn't pack the TV'. Ah - their story has changed now! Honestly, I was extremely irate! The second conversation was 13 minutes long. When I asked to speak with someone higher than him, he said, "I am the manager, and I am the highest person you will get to speak to."

Without outright saying it, he insinuated I was a liar when I told him that one of the movers actually wrapped one of our TVs. He said that situation was impossible as that was not their packing. I advised him that he was sorely wrong. The box used to 'pack' one TV was our box (we intentionally bought extras to give the movers for such tasks), but the brown tape was theirs (I know this because I only bought clear tape). I described the gentleman who 'packed' the TV to the 'manager'.

I actually posed this question to the manager: "Does it make any sense that I would pay $3,600 to move most of my stuff and a broken TV when I clearly had other things that could have fit on the truck instead?" I told him that I was more irate over their lack of accountability, responsibility, and caring than anything. I told him that I realize things happen and I am not asking them to pay for a brand new TV. I advised that I just wanted assistance in buying another one and that we are not trying to screw anyone over. We have numerous items that were previously damaged that we would have filed a claim on as they were 'packed/moved' by them.  I told him understand that things (like dishes) aren't covered. He advised me that GA state law requires them not to cover items they don't pack. What sense does that make?

As a last dig, he advised that he had pictures of our TVs before they left. I asked him if they turned the TVs on or had my husband turn them on. His response: "No, we don't do that." So, here we are, they have denied our claim (without seeing any of our evidence to support that they broke our TV), and I am in tears and so frustrated and angry that I could 'spit nails'. I honestly will never use a company again. We had success with craiglist ads for movers and had NOTHING broken. The first time we hire a company to do an out-of-state move (and they are allegedly insured), our TV gets smashed.

BEWARE of this company. Don't use them or any other moving company. After this ordeal, I googled moving company insurance claims and found numerous website regarding how they 'operate'.  Save your self money (we paid craigslist workers about $1000 total and the truck and gas cost  about $300), time (from being on the phone with scammers like AFRM), and a heartache from dealing with these companies.