We were quoted $1500 via phone for our move from NY to NC - understanding it is a rough estimate and it could change we figured doubling that amount was fair to expect. When the foreman arrived onsite the day of the move 7/24/2016 he walked around the home to assess the job. We asked him, Vivian, what we were looking at for price - and stated to him directly "we budgeted it would likely be a bit more but not more than $3000 (double)". Vivian failed to notify us of an amount and said he would let us know. At that point, as consumers, we expected that he would be knowledgable enough to advise us if it would exceed the $3000 amount we shared with him. He notified us of this price after 90% of the truck was already packed that day and that the cost of the move would actually be $7371.79 - OVER 4X's the quoted amount. Being the foreman, and a professional, he should have advised us of such drastic price increase prior to packing up the whole truck because we would have declined services at that earlier point.
Being the first time we have ever used a moving company, we spoke with Joe (the Manager) thereafter who said it was our responsibility as the customer to ask the price, which we did and were not told until the truck was 90% packed - and that we would still incur a pricey cost for the hourly cost of the movers, other services and to then unpack the truck etc. Joe informed us a few days later that he would reduce our bill by $1409.79 to move our items to NC based on our awful experience etc. Joe, the Manager, asked if we preferred a tractor trailer or standard truck and we said standard is preferred if possible based on the specifications of the apartment community we were moving into. THEN the truck arrived in NC on 8/4/2016. Little did we know that per Joe this was him doing us a huge favor, however our stuff arrived with a good amount of our items hanging off the back of the standard truck, tarped, because another person's stuff was within the bulk space of the inside of the truck going to SC. (We can provide photos as proof) I had 8 professional wardrobe boxes that I purchased from Home Depot and packed myself and left my home in NY that way. When my boxes arrived in NC all, but 2 of those boxes had been opened, so 6 boxes worth of $200+ hanging suits were rolled into a ball and packed into 1 and 1/2 of their wardrobe boxes by the moving company without me being present.
UNACCEPTABLE. I am missing some suits, every suit is wrinkled to the point that it needs to be professionally dry-cleaned because ironing them is not solving the problem. The hangers were everywhere, still in the clothes. A REAL UNPROFESSIONAL MESS. At least 6 other boxes were repacked by them (shoes, blankets, sheets, towels). Their inventory system of numbering the boxes does nothing when the boxes are rumaged through and reboxed after the boxes left my possession in NY. This company's moving men dissembled my living room coffee table and end table in NY for the move. Upon arrival in NC the legs for both pieces of furniture are missing and I cannot reassemble. I had 3 big and tall glass decor vases that this company's moving men wrapped and boxed in NY and arrived in NC as broken glass. My tall bedroom wood dresser has multiple scratches on the front that were not there prior, which they wrapped in padding blankets and moved. The master king size solid wood bed frame that this company's moving men dissembled also arrived with scratches and chips in the wood at the foot-board area. They boxed my lamps for my bedroom and 1 of 2 arrived broken and it was not broken prior in my possession. My bedroom solid wood nightstand also has a chip/scratch in the wood. Our PS4 and a weight bathroom scale is missing.
We have pictures to support all mentioned here within. 3 men and a foreman were onsite from this company to move everything out in NY. 2 men (Jermain Oliver and Lawrence Elmore) arrived in NC to unpack and basically dumped all the boxes in 1 area of the apartment and were not happy that they needed to reassemble the bed. I expressed all my concerns here within to them onsite. I also called the manager Joe on 3 occassions while they were on premise and expressed my concerns here within and requested in a demanding way that he needs to pay for my all my suits to be professionally dry-cleaned. Joe stated my wardrobe boxes from Home Depot were not professional and therefore they needed to rebox or my suits would have been all over the floor of the truck. Vivian, moving foreman, at time of pickup in NY stated my wardrobe boxes were fine. Also, 2 of my wardrobe boxes were not repacked and I am led to believe that they reboxed my 6 wardrobe boxes into 1 1/2 of their wardrobe boxes to save space for the move. Joe, the manager, stated he received a fine for thousands of dollars because of my move and that I need to be thankful for all he has done for me.
NOT ACCEPTABLE. Joe the manager hung up on me directly during one of my calls to him because he stated he was emotional based on what he was hearing from us, which is wrong of him to hang up on me. He required that the $2225.73 remaining balance was due in cash upon delivery before any items can be taken off the moving truck on 8/4/16. We were stuck between a rock and a hard place because we did not know of all the damages, losses and repackaged of clothing suits that became extremely wrinkled and mangled until after they had the $2226 in cash I gave them. I had called the Mecklenburg County of NC Police to report the incident, however they stated it needed to be filed in NY. Joe, the manager, called his mover Jermian and advised him to leave with the money asap and they did just that. Joe the manager stated I need to work further with his claims department. In speaking to the moving company's claim department, they require an original receipt for each item I am filing a claim on which is an unrealistic ask - who keeps receipts for everything within their home that they have purchased 10+ yrs ago in the event they deal with a horribly unprofessional moving company and may need to report a claim - not a responsible requirement - clearly the moving company's way to avoid/discourage claim filings. I am gathering any receipts I may have.