The Moving Company 25 days and counting Jessup Maryland
We contracted The Moving Company to take our goods from Virginia to california in mid-June 08 after reviewing the estimates of 4 movers primarily because they were the only company guaranteeing a date of delivery which was set on 7/17/08 and written on my service agreement. How wrong was I!
Based on that delivery date we looked for a house that we could live in starting mid-July. Pickup happened as planned on the 7th and 8th of July and went smoothly. My wife and 6-month old baby boy left on the 8th to join her family until the goods would arrive on the other side. My English bulldog would stay behind in Virginia for the same reason. I flew back to California for work hoping to be settled shortly. Then the endless saga started.
2 days after pickup I was confirmed delivery on the 17th over the phone. A day later I was asked if the 16th would work as well but it couldn't for me so I was told that the delivery would take place either on Saturday or Sunday. On Friday I was told it would be Sunday, maybe Sunday evening(?!). Sunday morning I was all prepped up and ready to roll. I got up early, released my corporate apartment downtown SFO and headed down to my empty house in Redwood City. I was just disturbed by the fact that noone had called me to confirm a time. At noon I started to be really concerned and called many times the director of operations on his mobile. At 3pm I activated plan B, went out to buy enough for camping in the house, an inflatable bed, basic cookware, some linen.. They never came and I never got a call back. I was furious and concerned. What did happen?
The next day Monday I got through to the director. He acted as if he had not received any phone call or voice mail which I had bombarded him with. Then he told me that the delivery would be on Wednesday. Wednesday morning he called me and told me that the truck was in San Diego and would be in my area by the night. I should expect a call from the driver. My excitement waned rapidly, replaced by rage as noone showed up. I sent an email that night to both director of operations and owner for explanations that I still have not received. I called the owner the next day but he did not pick up and the VM was full and staid full for several days.
Eventually someone else took my call and tried to help me out. It was the first person to apologize for the situation and the first to tell me the story straight. I understood that my goods were still in the warehouse (?!) but that info and commmunication needed to go through the Dir of Ops. I was baffled by the news. Had everything been a lie until then?
On Friday 25 I got a call from the Dir of Ops apologetic and telling me that other families in CAL were impacted as well. I was told then that a truck was heading to California on the 29th or 30th and that I was going to get a confirmationc all from him. On the 30th morning I initiated the call anxious. Yes the truck had left and would be heading first to my house. I should get a call from him thursday morning. Friday I called again suspicious and asked for the name and phone of the driver since he had not called me yet. I got a name and I was promised a phone number later when he would be in his office. BTW the truck would be coming Monday after all not Sunday. Despite multiple messages on Friday afternoon and today Saturday I still do not have a phone number and nobody has called me.
Where are my personal properties then? Should I panic? Are my paintings, furniture, clothes and objects collected over a lifetime destroyed, burnt, stolen or simply stuck somewhere waiting for a deal between moving companies? Is it real or am I hallucinating? How can people lie so hard with no respect for others? Is it a crime? I start thinking so.
BTW the other gentleman who helped me is no longer with the company. He left or was fired after we talked apparently. So here I am, alone in an empty house, my dog in Virginia, my wife and baby boy in Arizona, all at the mercy of whimsical movers who can't handle a simple business correctly. Pathetic.
Jlv
Redwood City, California
U.S.A.
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9 Updates & Rebuttals
Jlv
Redwood City,California,
U.S.A.
32 days and counting..
#10Author of original report
Sun, August 10, 2008
I should finally get delivered this coming Wednesday. I just spoke to the driver between Arkansas and Oklahoma.
It has been very painful to get to this point and nothing would have happened if the owner of the company had not stepped up and taken full ownership of the situation. It all started this past Monday when after the third deceit from the dir of ops I tried again to contact the owner, left a message and got a call back. He never argued or tried to protect his turf, heard my grievances out and told me that he would look into it and get back to me. He did and from that moment on he has been my only point of contact.
A truck was loaded with my goods on Wednesday very late (close to midnight in MD) as promised and I was able to talk to the driver who gave me his number the same day. So things are looking up but it ain't over yet. I am a bit leery of the conditions of my stuff. I was told that the truck was heavily loaded with 4 shipments!
Jlv
Redwood City,California,
U.S.A.
28 days and counting
#10Author of original report
Tue, August 05, 2008
Jim,
Your points are very well taken and I appreciate your advice and tips. I will definitely scrutinize the list of goods delivered when it happens and monitor how far from the 17th we get. Hopefully we won't get to that though.
Oddly enough this company was not cheaper than other more reputable firms that bid on this deal. What attracted me was the commitment to a date and since they owned their (small) fleet and told me that they would do the cross-country themselves I thought I had the assurance of being delivered on time.
Was I naive indeed. I agree as well that for this type of interstate, coast-to-coast move there is no justification to go with the little guys. I have moved many times before including two international moves and never had any problem because I never used a small player. My mistake and I am paying it dearly.
Jim
Anaheim,California,
U.S.A.
Your Stuff Will Be Delivered....But
#10Consumer Comment
Mon, August 04, 2008
One of the things many of us who either are in or used to be in the moving industry know is that you can't find one reputable mover in Jessup, MD. I don't know why, but the town is referred to as a hotbed of scam movers. I know that doesn't help you now, but there is research available to you on this that you could have found prior to your move. There are many of reputable companies in VA that could have done the move, and made the delivery by 07/18/08 and if they couldn't (which is possible since it's the summer), then it couldn't be done.
Now, what I do know is that according to the DOT, a HHG mover has 30 days from the last date of the delivery window (in your case 07/17/08 would be day 0) to deliver your items without being in breach of their contract, or in breach of the law. One thing I did note (and it is a dirty little secret you found) is that your items generally sit in a warehouse for as long as 30 days after the items were picked up in order to consolidate as many loads headed east as possible. You found someone who actually told you the truth about how they operate and the Ops Director had to admit your items were still in MD. BTW, a reputable moving company generally doesn't have to do this because they have so many trucks and so many moves going on that they can generally fill an entire 53 foot trailer fairly quickly.
I would not be concerned about whether they will be delivered - they will make a delivery, otherwise it's a $10,000 fine by the DOT. What you should be concerned about is either (1) the price going higher because it took more cubic feet in the truck (assuming you were actually quoted in cubic feet instead of weight), (2) whether ALL of the items you've accumulated actually being delivered and not lost or still in Jessup, (3) the condition of your items upon their arrival, or (4) any combination of (1), (2), or (3). What you need to do is make certain you carefully tick off every item on your inventory sheet and make certain they don't drop off that aren't yours. Is it illegal what they're doing? NO. The moving industry has been largely unregulated for more than 30 years and it just keeps getting worse. The best bet anyone has for making certain someone isn't ripped off is by using one of the large reputable firms for doing a move, even if it costs more.
I'll end with what I usually say: Moving is NOT an inexpensive venture and if you chose a moving company based on price, it generaly costs more in the long run in broken items, late deliveries, and jacked-up prices.
Jlv
Redwood City,California,
U.S.A.
27 days and counting
#10Author of original report
Mon, August 04, 2008
I am pleased to report that the owner has stepped in and called me this morning to get to the bottom of this. He told me that he would look into the situation and give me an update later on today Monday. I called him back in his late afternoon and got through immediately. I was told that my belongings are in the warehouse and that I will get an update tomorrow Tuesday afternoon. He conveyed to me his firm intention to get my goods to California by or prior to the end of the week. I will report back if those statements will stay as further promises or turn to be facts.
Jlv
Redwood City,California,
U.S.A.
27 days and counting
#10Author of original report
Mon, August 04, 2008
I am pleased to report that the owner has stepped in and called me this morning to get to the bottom of this. He told me that he would look into the situation and give me an update later on today Monday. I called him back in his late afternoon and got through immediately. I was told that my belongings are in the warehouse and that I will get an update tomorrow Tuesday afternoon. He conveyed to me his firm intention to get my goods to California by or prior to the end of the week. I will report back if those statements will stay as further promises or turn to be facts.
Jlv
Redwood City,California,
U.S.A.
27 days and counting
#10Author of original report
Mon, August 04, 2008
I am pleased to report that the owner has stepped in and called me this morning to get to the bottom of this. He told me that he would look into the situation and give me an update later on today Monday. I called him back in his late afternoon and got through immediately. I was told that my belongings are in the warehouse and that I will get an update tomorrow Tuesday afternoon. He conveyed to me his firm intention to get my goods to California by or prior to the end of the week. I will report back if those statements will stay as further promises or turn to be facts.
Jlv
Redwood City,California,
U.S.A.
26 days and counting
#10Author of original report
Mon, August 04, 2008
I read your comments about giving myself some "slack". It is sad to read this type of advice. How much slack should I have given myself after 4 weeks in limbo when a trip door-to-door is no more than 5 days? Should I have planned for the worse? What is the worse?
Then like in any other business why can't we rely on dates? Is "moving" as sophisticated as rocket science with so many complex dimensions, engineering, earth rotation, weather and wind?
Finally I believe that you miss my main point which is not about my delay but about the total dishonesty of this company and this unbearable notion of complete impunity no matter what.
Friendly Help
Anderson,South Carolina,
U.S.A.
Next time, give yourself some slack
#10Consumer Comment
Sun, August 03, 2008
and do not base your firm plans & actions on anything you were promised.
It has been a few years since Consumer Reports has reviewed movers but I doubt the relative ratings have changed much. Most organizations are very slow to change unless the person at the top goes on a headhunt.
We have moved a few times with ''The Company'' and the movers always performed exactly according to their agreements on pick up & delivery. Of course if they hadn't, they would have had to deal with ''The Company'' and not me. Still, I always had at least one contingency plan. Air mattresses, sleeping bags & takeout food can be handy for starters.
Mirandas
Phoenix,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Yes, I know
#10UPDATE Employee
Sun, August 03, 2008
This is all true and I feel your pain.