Complaint Review: Cross Country Moving and Storage - Lebanon PA, AR, MD

My Post:  We were asked, and provided, a detailed list of items.  We identified each item and included the physical dimension of each item. The final estimate provided by our Logistics Specialist was quoted at $5,900.00 for 1,623 cubic feet. 

Your Rebuttal:  The problem of course is that the cubic feet dimensions provided assume 0 available cubic feet spacing between your HHG.  Not an ideal situation.  One of the reasons scam movers use cubic feet measurements is because the have to leave spacing.  Therefore, the calculated cubic feet is meaningless.  Legitimate movers use weight; they weigh the truck prior to the move, and they weight the truck after it's loaded.  This way, you only pay for the weight.  All of your mathematical gyrations about how the quote should have been laid out, how many cubic feet is the truck's box, etc... throughout your narrative are a waste.  This is not an engineering exercise.  This is a move.

My Follow up:  The only measurement that was provided and agreed to during the estimating and acceptance stage was cubic feet.  I didn't establish this premise.  The Logistics Specialist from Cross Country Moving and Storage did.  From the start of the process, they requested the list of items and then they defined the cubic foot measurement.  I added the layer of detail to provide the actual dimension of each item.  They initiated the engineering exercise.  I only filled in the blanks.    

My Post: After the truck was loaded we were told that total bill would be $11,500.00 which was almost double the original estimate. After we complained about the high costs the foreman offered to discount some of the supply and moving costs. We discussed the moving and supply costs for nearly an hour. He lowered the price several times finally stating that the best that he could do was $8,250.00.  This was 40% over the original estimate. Our moving costs went from the estimated $5,900.00 to $8,250.00.  And they didn't take all of our house hold items.

Your Rebuttal: Based on what you've written to this point, you likely had maybe more than 12,000 lbs of HHG to move, which is more than what a 26 foot truck would have been able to carry and hold.  A legit mover would have likely charged you about $9K or more for such a move.  Once you count the additional trailer....you probably would have paid less with a legit mover.

My Follow up:  With the information that I provided you cannot know what the weight might have been for our House Hold Goods.  Additionally, the Logistics Specialist from Cross Country stated that the weight was not a factor to be considered in our move.  All that was ever discussed was cubic feet.  No one ever discussed weight.  You are not bringing forward what should be the main point.  The pick up crew used a 26' Enterprise Rental Truck.  It was the same size truck that the delivery crew used.  At delivery, our House Hold Goods fit into 3/4 of the delivery truck.  A 26 foot truck has the physical dimension of 26'x8.5'x8.5' (LxWxH) which is 1,878 cubic feet.  1,878 Cubic feet multiplied by 75%  is 1,409 cubic feet.  This is not engineering.  This is simple math.  Not to mention that the pickup crew intentionally misled us by telling us that the truck held 2,200 cubic feet and then based his calculations on the 2,200 cubic feet.

My Post:  In addition to paying more for the move than we should have... 

Your Rebuttal:  No you paid more than what the estimate provided, but your estimate wasn't binding against you or anyone.  The only way it would have been binding on the mover, is if the mover saw everything needing to be moved BEFORE the move was started.  Even then, you may have had to pay more, but not more than 10% of the binding estimate.  Since your mover never saw the items to be moved prior to the move, the $5900 estimate was meaningless.

My Follow up:  The Binding estimate was made in good faith.  Based on information that I provided in good faith.  You are failing to recognize that there was an intention by Cross Country Moving and Storage to increase the costs of the move by lying about the size of the truck and the amount of the space that was needed our House Hold Goods.

My Post:  Some of the other lies and falsehoods that we were misled about included the following.

All workers are W2 based employees - Not true - Each and every one of the workers were contract workers. 

Your Rebuttal:  All movers who perform moves, legitimate or scam, use contract workers.  The company who employs the contract workers then have to pay all of the insurance and WC on the contract employees.  The only W2 workers for a moving company are the office personnel and possibly warehouse personnel.

My Follow up:  The Logistics Representative made these comments as a way to enlist trust in the company.  If it is not true then it is a lie.

My Post:  Professionally trained, uniformed, and courteous movers - Not True - No uniforms, not courteous and I would question that they were trained.  Depends. 

Your Rebuttal:  Most will have a uniform shirt at least, but these guys may not have.  They don't walk around in Dickeys....

My Follow up: I was present during the move and there were no uniform shirts, or Dickeys.  

My Post:  All trucks are owned and operated by the company - Not True - The pick up was an Enterprise Rental truck. The delivery truck was a rental as well as the delivery foreman required us to pay an additional fee directly to him to cover the truck rental.

Your Rebuttal:  That's the only part you should not have paid for....if the mover has to use a rental (and with smaller movers - this does happen), they have to absorb the cost.

My Follow Up:  I agree that I should not have had to pay this additional fee.  I was told to pay it or else they would levy a shuttle truck charge.

My Post:  Cross Country will professionally pack all household goods with free moving quilts - Misleading - They charged for the tape to fasten the quilts to the furniture at the rate of $8.00 per roll. 

Your Rebuttal:  That's not misleading.  You received use of the quilts for free.  Other moving supplies, including boxes and tape, are not included.

My Follow up:  Just how do you think anyone can use moving quilts without taping them to the furniture.  Not to mention that they are charging $8.00 per roll for tape that undoubtable costs a buck a roll.   

My Post We feel that we were misled with false and inaccurate statements with the sole intention of increasing the money to be paid for the move. The pickup crew was careless with our belongings and the packing. The move was very stressful and much more costly than it should have.

We have requested a refund from Cross Country Moving and Storage but they have not replied.

Your Rebuttal:  The items you listed as false and misleading have no real effect on the pricing of the move.  The real problem you have is that your signature is probably on the new contract indicating the price of the move should be $8,250.  Further, there would be no way for the lower quote to be binding on anyone, so the $5,900 estimate is meaningless.  The only way the entire process would have been illegal is if the mover loaded all of your goods, drove away, and THEN told you the cost was $11,000, and then negotiated down to $8,250.  If they told you the new price before they left and you signed the contract with the new price, then what they did was legal.

My Follow up:  A signature on the new contract amount was coerced from us under duress and the threat of not moving our furniture.

Your Rebuttal: Now, the fee for the $300 for the rental truck....you should get a refund for - that isn't in your contract (usually) and needs to be refunded.

You will also need to file a claim for the damaged items, however the damage is limited to what's in your contract - probably valuation at $0.60 per pound.  If you packed the boxes yourself, the damage int he boxes would not be subject to or covered by valuation.  The rest looks like it would be, but based on what you're talking about...I suspect a few hundred is all the claim is worth...  You won't be able to sue the mover for the difference in pricing, or for more on the claim because Federal law limits a consumer to collect only what is allowed in the contract.  No fraud.  No misrepresentation,  No excessive damage.  None of it.

Moving is not an inexpensive venture.  There is no standardization because no 2 moves are alike.  There is no automation either - it is a highly intensive laborious process.  Going with a mover local to you is often more expensive in the short term than going to the internet and finding a mover.  In the long run, the internet mover will cost you far more in damaged product, stress, and other intangible costs.  Best of luck to you.

My Follow up:  We have asked for a refund that includes the $300.00 as well as the over payment for the moved items.  We have also filed a claim for the damaged House Hold Goods.

Your logic and statement do not follow the conditions that evolved with the moving service by this company.  The underlying intention of Cross Country Moving and Storage is to deceive and mislead the unsuspecting customer and then to take advantage by increasing the fees for the move.

We were asked, and provided, a detailed list of items.  We identified each item and included the physical dimension of each item. The final estimate provided by our Logistics Specialist was quoted at $5,900.00 for 1,623 cubic feet.  The problem of course is that the cubic feet dimensions provided assume 0 available cubic feet spacing between your HHG.  Not an ideal situation.  One of the reasons scam movers use cubic feet measurements is because the have to leave spacing.  Therefore, the calculated cubic feet is meaningless.  Legitimate movers use weight; they weigh the truck prior to the move, and they weight the truck after it's loaded.  This way, you only pay for the weight.  All of your mathematical gyrations about how the quote should have been laid out, how many cubic feet is the truck's box, etc... throughout your narrative are a waste.  This is not an engineering exercise.  This is a move.

After the truck was loaded we were told that total bill would be $11,500.00 which was almost double the original estimate. After we complained about the high costs the foreman offered to discount some of the supply and moving costs. We discussed the moving and supply costs for nearly an hour. He lowered the price several times finally stating that the best that he could do was $8,250.00.  This was 40% over the original estimate. Our moving costs went from the estimated $5,900.00 to $8,250.00.  And they didn't take all of our house hold items.  Based on what you've written to this point, you likely had maybe more than 12,000 lbs of HHG to move, which is more than what a 26 foot truck would have been able to carry and hold.  A legit mover would have likely charged you about $9K or more for such a move.  Once you count the additional trailer....you probably would have paid less with a legit mover.

In addition to paying more for the move than we should have...  No you paid more than what the estimate provided, but your estimate wasn't binding against you or anyone.  The only way it would have been binding on the mover, is if the mover saw everything needing to be moved BEFORE the move was started.  Even then, you may have had to pay more, but not more than 10% of the binding estimate.  Since your mover never saw the items to be moved prior to the move, the $5900 estimate was meaningless.

Some of the other lies and falsehoods that we were misled about included the following.

All workers are W2 based employees - Not true - Each and every one of the workers were contract workers.  All movers who perform moves, legitimate or scam, use contract workers.  The company who employes the contract workers then have to pay all of the insurance and WC on the contract employees.  The only W2 workers for a moving company are the office personnel and possibly warehouse personnel.

Professionally trained, uniformed, and courteous movers - Not True - No uniforms, not courteous and I would question that they were trained.  Depends.  Most will have a uniform shirt at least, but these guys may not have.  They don't walk around in Dickeys....

All trucks are owned and operated by the company - Not True - The pick up was an Enterprise Rental truck. The delivery truck was a rental as well as the delivery foreman required us to pay an additional fee directly to him to cover the truck rental.  That's the only part you should not have paid for....if the mover has to use a rental (and with smaller movers - this does happen), they have to absorb the cost.

Cross Country will professionally pack all household goods with free moving quilts - Misleading - They charged for the tape to fasten the quilts to the furniture at the rate of $8.00 per roll.  That's not misleading.  You received use of the quilts for free.  Other moving supplies, including boxes and tape, are not included.

We feel that we were misled with false and inaccurate statements with the sole intention of increasing the money to be paid for the move. The pickup crew was careless with our belongings and the packing. The move was very stressful and much more costly than it should have.

We have requested a refund from Cross Country Moving and Stroage but they have not replied.  The items you listed as false and misleading have no real effect on the pricing of the move.  The real problem you have is that your signature is probably on the new contract indicating the price of the move should be $8,250.  Further, there would be no way for the lower quote to be binding on anyone, so the $5,900 estimate is meaningless.  The only way the entire process would have been illegal is if the mover loaded all of your goods, drove away, and THEN told you the cost was $11,000, and then negotiated down to $8,250.  If they told you the new price before they left and you signed the contract with the new price, then what they did was legal.

Now, the fee for the $300 for the rental truck....you should get a refund for - that isn't in your contract (usually) and needs to be refunded.

You will also need to file a claim for the damaged items, however the damage is limited to what's in your contract - probably valuation at $0.60 per pound.  If you packed the boxes yourself, the damage int he boxes would not be subject to or covered by valuation.  The rest looks like it would be, but based on what you're talking about...I suspect a few hundred is all the claim is worth...  You won't be able to sue the mover for the difference in pricing, or for more on the claim because Federal law limits a consumer to collect only what is allowed in the contract.  No fraud.  No misrepresentation,  No excessive damage.  None of it.

Moving is not an inexpensive venture.  There is no standardization because no 2 moves are alike.  There is no automation either - it is a highly intensive laborious process.  Going with a mover local to you is often more expensive in the short term than going to the internet and finding a mover.  In the long run, the internet mover will cost you far more in damaged product, stress, and other intangible costs.  Best of luck to you...