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MovingHelp partner of UHaul/Smoother Movers none The company says "Find safe, affordable, and reliable movers in your area. They're wrong. Internet
My husband is currently deployed so I was in need of some help in moving our things to our new home. After securing a rental truck online through the UHaul website they displayed a recommendation for MovingHelp.com. It sounded like a good idea especially since it wasn't just some unknown website but a "Partner" of UHaul.
I went to the website where you can find moving companies who can assist you with your move and they even come with "customer" reviews. Now we all know that these "customer" reviews aren't always accurate and some likely aren't even from customers. However the website did state that the mover helper would not get paid until I gave them a payment code.
So I found a moving helper, "Smoother Movers", and chose them because they had postive reviews and were the lowest price. I was then contacted by the company "Smoother Movers" several times before the moving date which made me feel even more comfortable in my choice.
Well moving day arrives and an hour after they were supposed to show up, nobody came. I called their phone number, which apparently was an office number, and kept getting voicemail. So I thought it best to call the MovingHelp.com customer service department.
The lady who answered the phone, named "Valerie", sounded just as excited as a child being taken to the dentist for the first time. I explained the situation and about how I could not get in touch with them through their phone number. So she puts me on hold, after she mumbles something I can't understand, and then connects me to the very same phone number that they weren't answering. The same one I told her they weren't answering.
So I take a deep breath and I call back. I explain that she connected me to the same phone number they weren't answering, which I told her they weren't answering, but I did so in a calm manner. So she puts me on hold after mumbling something else.
After about five minutes of being on hold, we are suddenly disconnected. So I call back and this time I am losing my patience a bit. I explain that this is my third time calling, nobody's showing up, and they are not helping me with my problem. So she puts me on hold without responding and hangs up on me.
So I call UHaul customer service because I was getting nowhere with the Moving Help customer service. I explain the situation and after much holding the woman puts me through with another customer service agent from Moving Help that promises not to "disconnect" me.
She calls their phone number and reports back "no answer". She then says she will find another moving company to help me. I kindly say my thanks and she puts me on hold. A few minutes later she says that there is another company that could be there in an hour to help. I say great.
Then she tells me that I have to pay more money, nearly $20 more but still, in order to hire the other moving company. I explain that I shouldn't have to pay as it is not my fault the moving company I hired through their website did not show up. She simply says she agrees with me but they have to charge the extra. So I ask for a refund. Luckily I had some friends in town who offered to come help.
Well per their rules you do not see a refund until a week later. When my refund came they did not do a full refund. They decided to keep approx. $6. I wrote the company because I was very upset about the whole experience and not receiving my full refund and got the standard reply of "We're sorry this happened to you. We strive for excellent customer service. We cannot undo the damage already done. Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah."
While I understand that they have no control over these companies that don't show up they still could have better customer service skills, don't hang up on you, and give you a full refund of your money. Also the company who stood me up on my move is still listed as a moving company on the MovingHelp website.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
DisgruntledMover
Kingsport,Tennessee,
United States of America
A Message in a Bottle from a Former Moving Helper
#2General Comment
Tue, April 20, 2010
Here's a word to anyone considering dealing with movinghelp.com either as a consumer seeking moving labor services or as a mover seeking to supplement your income via their "Marketplace".
Moving Help is a vicious corporate behemoth with no regard what-so-ever to ethical behavior.
There are countless write-ups by disgruntled Moving Help customers that can be found via a simple Google search - but, what some folks may not consider - there are just as many complaints from disenfranchised former Moving Helpers.
Examples: http://www.ripoffreport.com/moving-companies/movinghelp-com-uhaul/movinghelp-com-uhaul-movinghe-qfea5.htm
Over the last few years, Moving Help's administrators have been deactivating the accounts of many a quality Moving Helper for several transparent and obvious reasons - here's a few of the reasons I have discovered in my research after I was so abruptly deactivated:
1. Being too outspoken on the company's internal message boards.
2. Not carrying the company's in-house insurance coverage product.
3. NO REASON WHATSOEVER! Here's where - apparently - a Helper becomes too self-reliant by all appearances, is not completely dependent upon the Marketplace as the sole supplier of jobs, seems to be a legitimate, legal business that must charge a little more than other Helpers in order to cover its costs of operating this legal entity.
It seems that the trend with Moving Help has been to eliminate legitimate moving companies from its rosters - to leave room for low-priced, fly-by-night "companies" in an effort to sell moving labor services as part of a "packaged" deal: Truck + dolly + blankets + cheap labor.
And who will ultimately PAY for this new approach? The unwitting consumer!
Where Moving Help's rosters were once dominated by professional, experienced moving outfits - it is quickly being filled by low-budget, non-established, legally-questionable outfits looking to make a quick buck from U-Haul's wide name recognition. All the while - and true to form - U-Haul and Moving Help are continuing with their profit first, contract-heavy, "hide behind your lawyers", "customer service really doesn't matter" state of mind.
There are hundreds of disgruntled ex-Moving Helpers like myself out there - and the stories they tell are nothing short of awe-inspiring! Here's just a few of the things Moving Help has subjected their now-deactivated Helpers to:
- refusing to give the Helper a reason for deactivation.
- non-payment of earned funds to recently deactivated Helpers.
- ZERO response or acknowledgment to the ex-Helper with regard to his or pleas for an answer to the deactivation or the reason why no payment had been deposited.
- refusal to provided needed earnings information to Helpers for tax filing purposes.
- the list goes on and on.
Here's the bottom line: if you are someone who finds it a comfort that Moving Help is a part of a billion dollar corporation and/or that bigger means better - think again! Moving Help is a LARGE company for sure - BUT - it is one that uses is clout as a means to strong arm its workers to the dissatisfaction of its customers.
Don't let the big name fool you - U-Haul / Emove / Moving Help is a money machine with no regard for ethics or moral behavior. Take it from someone who has seen it first hand.