Complaint Review: Countrywide Van Lines Focus Movers Michael Schneider

8/5/02 CountryWide pick-up in Augusta Georgia, pick-up date was scheduled for 8/15/02 for a quoted price of $1358.00. On the pick up day they came the demanded $1600.00 or no move. Quoted 7-10 days delivery in Vacaville, California.

8/19/02 Call Countrywide to find our belongings (no delivery, no phone call) Michael Schneider confirms a delivery date for the weekend of 8/23/02. Explain to Micheal the inconvenience of late delivery and overcharge, lost wages and home in California due to timing of quoted delivery. Michael assures things will be delivered and compensation rendered. No delivery was made nor a phone call from company with explaination. Loss of work, missing wages.

8/26/02 Phone Michael at Countrywide, no answer, no call back.

8/27/02 Phone Michael assures delivery on 8/29/02 or 8/30/02.

8/30/02 Loss of two days wages, no delivery or phone call. Call Countrywide and am told delivery now would be on the weekend of 8/31/02. Contact initiated by myself and Ken Showalter (fiance), no call from countrywide any time to alert us to lateness. Call Michael on 9/2/02 leaving multiple messages, no call back. Filed claim with Federal Highway Administration.

9/3/02 Phone Michael, he explains the truck had a transmission problem and that he was sending another truck to pick up our belongings that would arrive the weekend of 9/6/02. No goods, lost wages/work.

9/9/02 Phone Michael again, he is now unavailable. Call hourly, get him on the phone at the end of the business day, he says he'll call back - no call. 9/10/02 Phone countrywide and spoke with 'Alex', who assures he will get answers. Alex calls back (first returned phone call in over a month) tells us the truck has wrecked, another truck has been dispatched and our goods will arrive

9/13/02, and a confirmation call will be made on the previous day of arrival. Received no call. 9/12/02 Call Michael to confirm to avoid loss of wages/work, he tells us he doesn't want to deal with us anymore. We try Alex again and he informs us he doesn't even work with Michael, but he does work in the same building and he will do what he can. He says he will call on 9/13/02.

9/13/02 Alex calls says the goods have been subcontracted to Samsung movers and gives the contact name 'Ori' #847-475-4600. Alex explains that he has nothing to do with this situation and apologized for our inconvenience. Proceeds to tell us that other people have been calling with the same problem and that he is about to quit his job. I just want to know where the hell my stuff is.

9/16/02 Contact Ori with Samsung movers. He tells us that Michael owes him money for several moves and our goods where in his wharehouse. He stated our things were in California at one time, but he had his guys return it to Chicago when Michaels check had not shown up. Called Michael to confirm this problem, he was unavailable.

9/17/02 - 9/19/02 calls to Michael, unavailable. 9/20/02 secretary informs us Michael is ill and out for awhile.

9/23/02 Reach Michael, he's feeling better, he states he will pay Samsung and our goods will arrive 9/27/02. Nearly two months after pick-up. 9/24/02 contact Ori to confirm payment arrangement, Ori says he never talked to Michael and that Michael wasn't taking his calls. Call Michael the next day and he is out again.

9/26/02 Ken (fiance) gets a hold of Michael and they have a sort of falling out. Michael tells Ken that he is washing his hands clean of all this and if we want our stuff back it was our responsibility to deal with samsung, not his. Michael says he will refund the $850 we already paid and the check would arrive 10/3/02 and it was up to us to figure out how to get our things that he gave to Ori back to us. No check ever arrived, Michael will not take our calls and Ori tells us we need to pay him $1000 to receive our things.

10/9/02 Ori says our things will arrive 10/12/02 we are to have $1000 in cash or the truck leaves. 10/12/02 no delivery no call. We're use to this buy now, lost work/wages.

10/14/02 driver calls confirms delivery for 10/15/02. Loss work/wages. 10:30 pm on 10/15/02 driver calls from down the street and delivers goods in pitch black night demands his cash, we write up receipt, write down his licence number and finally get our goods.

10/18/02 Phone Michael about refund of money -- all of it. He says he has to speak with claims department and will return my call on 10/21/02. No call. Today 11/02/02 Phone countywide talk to reception (?) he tells me Michael is having problems with many consumers, he himself is quitting his job and tells me to contact ripoffreport.com and file my complaint.

Kelly
Vacaville, California

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