Summit Van Lines, Guy Shoshanderg, Haidie ripoff, dishonest, changes delivery days constantly, haven't recieved shipment Ft. Lauderdale Florida
Having to plan my daughters second across the country move in 6 months and not having a positve (or so I thought at the time) experience the first go around, I was very selective in choosing a moving company this second time. I talked to 8 moving companies. After researching the internet (BBB, etc) I chose Summit Van Lines for her "small load" move...BIG mistake!
I told Haidie about the trouble we had just a few months ago and she assured me Summit Van Lines was "nothing like that." (I should have recognized the fact that she works on commission.)
The trouble started on pick up day, August 5th, 2004. Five hours late. The two men told us they hadn't bathed in two days. Wasn't hard to notice. One of them asked my 20 year old daughter if she smoke pot when taking a break, kept saying how tired he was after driving 9 hours that day and was headed to New Jersey that night.
I had been told by Haidie I could pay by check. They arrive at 5pm. banks closed. I had to come up with cash for half of the move. Guy (the owner)told me they would have the furniture there in less than 2 wks. He assured me they "didn't want to keep it" for any length of time (like the first company I used). He told me the furniture should arrive in CA the 14th/15th/16th of August. Great, I thought, just about 10 days.
My daughter left for CA early on the 11th. Guy called on the 11th and said it would be in CA the 16th/17th/18th. I was then told that I couldn't use a personal check upon delivery. I forwarded a cashier's check for the balance. Okay, still less than two weeks.
Guy called on the 14th of August and said the truck had broken down in Texas and it would be the 19th/20th before it arrived now. They had a deliveries in Texas and Colorado, then would head to San Francisco. Well, only 3 more days, I thought.
Guy told me to call him on the 16th of August. He told me the truck was repaired but the furniture wouldn't be delivered until the 26th/27th/28th. Why the 10 day difference when the truck was out for repairs only 3 days?! He didn't have an answer.
Guy told me to call him again on the 20th of August to check on things. He then said "it would be delivered the 23rd or the 24th...at the latest on the 25th." He said the dispatcher or driver would call 24 hours out to confirm delivery.
I called Guy back yesterday (the 24th) since we had not heard from the dispatcher/driver. He only would say that it was "on its way" and the driver would call 24-48 hours out for delivery.
I explained to him for the 10th time that the elevator must be signed up for (3 hour max time/8am-8pm). Weekends fill up fast with people moving in/out. I asked what happens if they call and want to deliver on a day there are no times available. He doesn't have an answer other than you'll have to tell the driver when he calls.
Be warned: once you talk to Guy, if you call back the same day (which I did on the 24th to tell him the times available for the elevator) he never is there. Girls say he's "out." "Call back in an hour." "Call back in 2 hours." "Call back tomorrow." You can forget leaving a message and him calling YOU back...it's not going to happen.
Long story short - They picked up furniture 3 weeks ago tomorrow, have changed the delivery days 6 times in three weeks (5 of those times in the past 2 weeks). When asked exactly where the furniture is and where it has been for the past 3 weeks I do not get an answer. After finally loosing my cool yesterday, they finally tell me it's in Nevada. Do I believe them?! NO! Who wouldn't be upset?! I'm calling my lawyer this morning.
My daughter has been sleeping on a blow up mattress for 2 weeks, 2500 miles from home in a town where she knows no one and her furniture is who knows where. My advice - go with Atlas, World or one of the other larger van lines! Summit Van Lines website/phone holding tape calls itself "stressfree, pleasant, simple, reliable and trustworthy." ...I don't know how they sleep at night.
Allison
Birmingham, Alabama
U.S.A.
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5 Updates & Rebuttals
Allison
Birmingham,Alabama,
U.S.A.
#2 "Liar, liar. Pants on fire."
#6Author of original report
Mon, August 30, 2004
The driver called 25th of Aug to say he would be delivering the furniture on Friday the 27th...I relayed the conversation with Guy earlier the same day - "No elevator times available on Friday. Deliver on Saturday." He said Saturday was actually a better day for him anyway and that he would be on time. I crossed my fingers.
The truck arrived an hour early so they had to wait until the assigned time. He and his helper were very nice. He (I will not post his name on this website) told my daughter that his boss had called him "only a week ago" to pick-up this load of furniture. When asked where he picked the load up (Nevada? *See orginal post) he answered "a storage locker somewhere in Alabama"...Where the load originated! The furniture had been in a "self storage" locker in Alabama for 16 days!
I would have never chosen a mover who would put my furniture into an uncontrolled environment. During my first conversation with Heidi I asked and was asured that my furniture would NOT be put into storage and would only be moved from the original truck to be placed in an 18 wheeler. I specifically asked if "all trucks would be owned by Summit Van Lines - not contracted out to another company." Not only was it moved/handled a total of 5 times - not the 3 promised - but the final driver/delivery people didn't work for Summit Van Lines!
My daughter had to ask them to attach the bed frame to the headboard. He didn't want to since it required him to go to the truck to get his tools, but she wouldn't sign the papers until he did. None of her furniture was broken, although her metal kitchen garbage can was dented up even though it was packed inside a box. Box #23 was missing and she had no idea what size box it was since the original workman did not specify anthing other than "box" on the packing list. They also tried to deliver 2 boxes that were not hers to her. He said her box might be on the 18 wheeler in San Jose, CA or could have been delivered to LA - where the extra boxes belonged. But it definitely wasn't in the storage locker in Alabama, because it was empty when he left.
I immediately called Summit to report the missing box. She took our name and phone, reference and box number down and said "someone should be calling back soon." Two days later, no phone call. Maybe we'll get the box, but I seriously doubt it.
I hope that our experience with Summit Van Lines will help you with your decision NOT to use them for your move. Other than telling the truth about the pick-up day and the final driver telling us the delivery day (and actually showing up!) NOTHING they ever said to me was the truth. The truck had never broken down in Texas with our furniture on it, etc. They know that you are at their mercy once they pick up your furniture. They have no desire to make it "easy" much less "stress free" for you. "Ca-ching" is all they can hear. I only wonder what level of purgatory movers are destined to reside for in eternity...Level Four sounds about right!
Allison
Birmingham,Alabama,
U.S.A.
Update #1
#6Author of original report
Wed, August 25, 2004
My husband called Guy today -25 Aug 2004- and Guy said the truck is now in southern CA/should be in San Francisco on Friday. The bad news, the building has no elevator times available for Friday...which is what I told Guy's office yesterday. He says "No problem.
I will hold the truck over until Saturday for delivery. Her furniture will not go into storage." He even offered to pay $60 a night for a hotel room, but what does $60 get you in SF?! Not much, so she's going to stick with sleeping on the blow up mattress for now.
I will update this weekend, hopefully with the good news that the furniture is no longer being held hostage and was released in good health.
Be warned: Even though you take precautions, you can never tell how your move will turn out!
Allison
Birmingham,Alabama,
U.S.A.
Update #1
#6Author of original report
Wed, August 25, 2004
My husband called Guy today -25 Aug 2004- and Guy said the truck is now in southern CA/should be in San Francisco on Friday. The bad news, the building has no elevator times available for Friday...which is what I told Guy's office yesterday. He says "No problem.
I will hold the truck over until Saturday for delivery. Her furniture will not go into storage." He even offered to pay $60 a night for a hotel room, but what does $60 get you in SF?! Not much, so she's going to stick with sleeping on the blow up mattress for now.
I will update this weekend, hopefully with the good news that the furniture is no longer being held hostage and was released in good health.
Be warned: Even though you take precautions, you can never tell how your move will turn out!
Allison
Birmingham,Alabama,
U.S.A.
Update #1
#6Author of original report
Wed, August 25, 2004
My husband called Guy today -25 Aug 2004- and Guy said the truck is now in southern CA/should be in San Francisco on Friday. The bad news, the building has no elevator times available for Friday...which is what I told Guy's office yesterday. He says "No problem.
I will hold the truck over until Saturday for delivery. Her furniture will not go into storage." He even offered to pay $60 a night for a hotel room, but what does $60 get you in SF?! Not much, so she's going to stick with sleeping on the blow up mattress for now.
I will update this weekend, hopefully with the good news that the furniture is no longer being held hostage and was released in good health.
Be warned: Even though you take precautions, you can never tell how your move will turn out!
Allison
Birmingham,Alabama,
U.S.A.
Update #1
#6Author of original report
Wed, August 25, 2004
My husband called Guy today -25 Aug 2004- and Guy said the truck is now in southern CA/should be in San Francisco on Friday. The bad news, the building has no elevator times available for Friday...which is what I told Guy's office yesterday. He says "No problem.
I will hold the truck over until Saturday for delivery. Her furniture will not go into storage." He even offered to pay $60 a night for a hotel room, but what does $60 get you in SF?! Not much, so she's going to stick with sleeping on the blow up mattress for now.
I will update this weekend, hopefully with the good news that the furniture is no longer being held hostage and was released in good health.
Be warned: Even though you take precautions, you can never tell how your move will turn out!