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Green Van Lines REVIEW: Green Van Lines clients feel safe, confident, & secure when doing business with Green Van Lines. Green Van Lines dedicated to complete customer satisfaction and aim to improve services with each and every move performed. 100% Commitment to Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program, a program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction & confidence when doing business with Green Van Lines
This is a cautionary tale about Green Van Lines.
For those who would prefer not to read the long version of our experience with Green Van Lines, here is the bullet list summation:
The first thing we noticed was that they werent using recycled packing materials. They had six people packing our home who went through in a whirlwind of activity. It was difficult to monitor, let alone assess the standard of their packing technique at that point we just had to trust and hope for the best.
In the midst of this, I contacted Arthur to discuss the $8800.00 upcharge. I sent him an email, explaining that while I understood how an estimate can easily vary 10% in one direction or another, 58% seemed exorbitantly high to me. I wrote that I wanted them to share the burden of the increase with us since they were ultimately responsible for the bidding system they used, and it was obviously flawed to be so far from the mark. Arthur called me right away and told me all responsibility for accurately describing belongings was on us that we should have modified the inventory sheet he sent us to make it more accurate. I told him we had tried to read through the inventory sheet he sent, but the language was idiosyncratic to their system, and we could only trust that he had made a high estimate to adjust. I made it clear to him that our only leverage would be to write reviews and make appropriate complaints based on our experience at the completion of our transaction and that I was hoping Green Van Lines would step up and share the cost of the pricing mistake with us. He said he would see what he could do. I thanked him, and the conversation ended.
Later that afternoon, the head packer pulled my husband aside and told him to tell me to stop confronting Arthur or else Arthur was going to make him unpack and put everything in separate boxes so that the load would take up as much space as possible, thereby justifying the $8800.00 upcharge. From that point on, both Paul (the head packer) and Arthur took every opportunity to tell Alan that the way they were saving us money was to not charge more than $24,000.00 which, they said, by their company policy they could. By the way, the companys upcharge policy was never disclosed to us before signing agreements.
Despite Pauls promise to take all their packing debris and waste with them, they left all of their garbage on site with paper cups strewn across the yard. When Arthur called my husband later that evening to see how the packing and loading went, my husband told him about the garbage. Arthur became aggressive in demanding that either my husband say he was satisfied with the packers or agree to go back and meet the packers so they could clean up the garbage left. My husband was not only busy with other details of our move, he had also cleaned up the debris already. He felt put in a very awkward position by Arthur and, ultimately, just said he was satisfied to be able to get off of thephone with Arthur. My husband did ask Arthur if since we were paying for almost the entire truck ($26,000 was the original price Arthur quoted us to rent the entire truck and get delivery made directly from the pick-up to our new home), could they deliver directly and help us save money on the other end by not waiting an extra 5 days for the truck to make other stops. Arthur said no.
Needless to say, our experience with Green Van Lines to this point left us wondering if we were dealing with a legitimate moving company so we started reading more reviews. As we read about more and more negative experiences with Green Van Lines, we decided wed better make sure our belongings were unloaded successfully before giving them another $12,000.00 in cash. (Did I mention they only take cash?) My husband emailed Arthur, explaining our concerns based on the 58% up charge and other issues wed had during the packing and loading phase, and asked for confirmation that our belongings would be unloaded before we made final payment. Arthur said no. Arthur said Green Van Lines had to protect itself from dishonest clients who wouldnt make full payment, and that we would be required to pay $12,000.00 in cash to have our belongings delivered. We would just have to trust Green Van Lines to do right by us.
My husband searched the internet and found an article that cited a law that required moving lines to release a clients belongings for 10% above the original estimate. My husband sent Arthur the link and offered to pay $5,000.00 when the truck arrived (bringing the total to $17,000.00 which was just over 10% above the original estimate) and the remaining $7000.00 upon completion. Arthur said no. As the only concession Arthur would make to our concerns, we did get permission to board the truck and make sure all of our belongings were present. Interestingly, while checking the truck to ensure our possessions were there, my husband noted that our belongings took up 2400 cubic feet, only 400 more than the original bid rather than 1200 to 1400 more as Green Van Lines claimed.
Concurrent to this, we received a call from the delivery guys two Eastern European fellows who worked for Swift Moving Lines. Yet another fraudulent claim by Arthur Fromin that their company owned all of the trucks that made deliveries. The driver said that he expected us to contact a flatbed tow truck and have it at the house for them (Even though wed been charged $500 already by Green VanLines to do it) I contacted Arthur and asked him to show me the language in the contract that required us to obtain the flatbed tow truck. Arthur replied with an apology and said he would take care of it. Unfortunately, given our previous experiences, the fact that I even had to contact him about it did not sit wellwith me. I believed and still believe it would have been left for us to do if I hadnt been assertive as there is no real Green Van Lines standard of monitoring the move only a brokerage company that contracts out all of the pieces of the move, collects the money, and leaves the rest to chance. Again, much different than how they advertise.
The delivery drivers arrived in a truck labeled Swift Moving Lines. I asked, and they said it was not a Green Van Lines truck, they were not Green Van Lines employees, and the truck did not use bio-diesel fuel as promised (Another fraudulent claim on the part of Green Van Lines)
As we unpacked our belongings, it became clear how the packers made such good time very few items were wrapped to protect against breakage. Ceramics, blown glass pieces, wall art much of it put into boxes without any padding. Several of my one-of-a-kind art pieces destroyed (but we didnt purchase the very expensive insurance... if only wed known we were being packed by packers that didnt care how the items arrived possibly because they wouldnt be there to answer for it.) I found one silk wall hanging packed on its rod with garden tools.
They didnt take the time to remove and fold it into a box. To be fair, some items were well packed. It seemed to depend totally on the individual packer there was no company standard.
After we had our belongings back in our possession, I emailed Arthur to remind him that I had taken copious notes and would be writing a review and making complaints to the appropriate agencies. He left messages on our voicemail that he was surprised and baffled by our experience that no one had ever had a bad word to say him before us. I referred him to two review websites, yelp.com and reviewamover.com, to debunk that notion for him. He asked what was required to make us satisfied customers, and I told him a $6000.00 refund would do it. He said he would forward all of my information to his CEO and asked for 48 hours to make the situation right. I gave him 24 hours. I did receive an offer from the CEO, Guy Cohen, for $700.00 (then upped it to $1000.00 when we rejected the $700.00) if we would not submit our review for others to read we decided if they were serious about their reputation as an honest and reputable company, they would have made a serious offer to right the situation so refused it. Now I am making it my part time job to make sure no else gets taken advantage of by Green Van Lines the way we were.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please share it if you know anyone who is looking for a moving company.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Ahnalira
Camano Island,Washington,
Glad to Hear You Got a Settlement
#4Author of original report
Mon, May 27, 2013
I appreciate you stepping forward with an accounting of your experience with Green Van Lines, and I'm glad you got a settlement. It is unfortunate that Green Van Lines is so adept at manuvering the system at the expense of integrity and ethics and the goodwill of their clients.
Going through the DMV was a good idea -- perhaps one not used before so they didn't have a feint in place to manuver around it.
I spent the past several months attempting to negotiate an overcharge settlement through appropriate channels, and Green Vans Lines responded to the complaints I filed with feints and more lies. Fortunately, though, I did get legal advice and do have documentation to prove their lies so they have painted themselves into a "legal corner" by lying on the the complaint response.
Again, thanks for taking the time to post. The best way to "win" in situations like this is to educate people about companies like Green Van Lines.
Florida,
Also a victim but successful
#4Consumer Comment
Mon, May 27, 2013
I contracted Green Van Lines in June of 2011 for a move to Texas. What was delivered to Texas was destroyed...in pieces and I still have those photos. The rest of my items were stolen...Antique carpets, saddlery...They wiped me out.
I was personally threatened by Guy Cohen on the phone. Arthur disappears. They continue to scam people.
I got the Texas authorities after them for regulation violations of their vehicles. The DMV in Dallas and also at the Federal level. I also got their insurance company after 3 months and received a settlement.
You have to present your information directly to their insurance company and u must file claims with the DMV about them not having signage on their trucks and checking them for regulatory violations. The Texas DMV knows about them.
Unfortunately our federal government is hands off with interstate moves....giving no one at the federal level authorization to penalize them for crime...only for regulatory infringment.
They started in Jersey and then went to FL. Ended up in Texas. They are Israeli I think....and they also damaged my home and trashed my place when they picked up. It was one of the largest disasters of my life but I did get payment going after them.......get the DMV after the for local violations...no signage etc...heck their trucks aren't registered half the time either. The word needs to get out...only stay with branded companies...United Van Lines for example.
These others exist and are terrible terrible parasities and most of the goods end up vandalized or stolen and then sold.
Ahnalira
Camano Island,Washington,
United States of America
Green Van Lines - They Lie As Easily As They Breathe. Beware! This company has no respect for law.
#4Author of original report
Sun, February 17, 2013
This is an update to the title to fix typo and improve readability.