Quality Van Lines More concerned with other companies than giving an estimate! Internet
I received a call from Frank, of "Quality Van Lines." He wasted my time by starting off asking me a bunch of silly questions, like, "Have you used a moving company before?" and "Okay, so you know how to tell which ones are rip-offs, right?" That second question was a red flag. He also pretended to do me a favor by "squeezing me in" on a day that he was already booked. I didn't believe that, but if that was the case, why the hell should I pay full price to be "squeezed in" and rushed through as an afterthought???
He continued to waste my time, going into unsolicited details on how some companies supposedly aren't licensed, what kinds of scams they will supposedly pull, and asking if I knew how to check their licensing information. I was mildly amused, but I saw this bizarre and uncomfortably long routine as a very bad sign.
I told him that I was not a licensing authority or a police officer, just a guy calling for an estimate. After continuing to play his little scam for a few more seconds, he finally gave me an estimate, which was all I wanted -- and it was WAY too high. I had already found one significantly lower, and I had already decided to go with them when he called, and the only reason I listened at all was that I thought he might beat it, but no, his was EXTREMELY HIGH!
I said, "No, thank you," and he laughed, saying all kinds of nonsense like "You won't find anything lower," and "I've been doing this for ten years, and they will all rip you off...." He had a very weird attitude that I really disliked. His last words to me were, "You've been warned!" Is that a threat???
This guy is desperate for business, obviously, which most likely means that he has an extremely bad reputation. Also, he has a very weird, pushy attitude, and I recommend that you avoid him -- he's a real creep, and he will only waste your time and then give you a very HIGH estimate, an estimate that you'll have to prod and cajole out of him.
QUALITY VAN LINES is NOT worth all the effort! Skip this creep an go to the next company in the list -- you'll be glad that you did!
Andrew
Cambridge, Massachusetts
U.S.A.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
cammass@gmail.com
Cambridge,Massachusetts,
U.S.A.
Vulgar Harassment From Quality Van Lines Retaliation for my first report!
#5
Sun, August 16, 2009
After I filed my first report, I sent a copy of it by email to Quality Van Lines.
2 minutes later, I received a vulgar, harassing phone call from a representative of Quality Van Lines, and it was chock full of profanity and verbal abuse.
This was obviously in retaliation for my first report. The guy who called sounded like a Middle-easterner.
Avoid this company like the plague, unless you want to be pressured, lied to, and harassed with vulgarity by telephone.
Andrew
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Inspector
Tobyhanna,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
It really doesn't matter Jim
#5
Wed, August 12, 2009
I have moved all over the US and also overseas and only used so-called reputable movers and I can tell you that they will all steal your goods and damage your furniture. They may not try to hold you goods hostage and demand more money but, they sure as hell will steal it.
Robert
Irvine,California,
U.S.A.
Research..
#5
Wed, August 12, 2009
Hopefully you did more checking on the "cheap" company than just the price they gave you. If not the guy was right and you have been warned. I am sure you will be back writing a report on the company and how it cost you a lot more money than they told you in their quote.
Just check this site for the dozens of other reports on various moving companies that gave low-ball estimates and came up with a lot of extra costs.
Jim
Anaheim,California,
U.S.A.
The Mover On The Phone Gave You Good Advice
#5Consumer Comment
Tue, August 11, 2009
Too bad you should have listened. He's 100% right. Moving is not an inexpensive venture and choosing a mover based on price WILL cost you more in the end. I see it here all of the time.
Andrew - here is something to consider. Movers on average make 5% profit on moves; I know because I've done the books for the moving industry at one time in my life. The margins have shrunk even further since I did their books. Now, here is the question you should ask yourself:
If all the other quotes were about the same and I have a quote that's more than 10-15% cheaper than the other quotes, what do you suppose they're cutting back on?? Quality of employee (homeless dude)? No insurance for employee? No workers comp? You bet your life that's what they're doing.
The guy was giving you the best warning you could get...
You have been warned. Don't mess up and choose the cheapest quote. Do your research on all the movers you got quotes from. If any of them were from the internet, toss those immediately - those are scam quotes. DO IT. The next time someone gives you a warning like that - listen to it.
He is right; he's seen a lot over the last ten years. You haven't.