Complaint Review: Mayflower Moving - Ed Schmidt Moving - Clarksboro New Jersey

Hi, I'm an employee of a local moving company part of a nation wide chain. I would like to speak in defense of the moving industry. Like the guy(tim) above mentioned ,we can only go above our local moves 10%....and also like he mentions that nobody wants to do a shuttle,believe me!!! We all want to go home at a decent .......the shippers (thepeople were moving)often either don't know the situation at the destination or just assumes that the semi can fit down a tight neighborhood .....so then there is a fee and people complain.....the 12,000lb load that was gonna take a couple guys 6 hrs is now a 10hr day.....they charge more for steps and for "long carries" because they cost extra in labor time to move something twice as far...or if their are staircase ,it will end up tiring out the movers ,thus they move sloweras the day progresses from exhaustion and thus it takes longer to complete the job......which cost more in labor....... Some shippers are impossible to please....we try hard too!!!! They figure since their paying u should be there person servant and they shouldn't have to lift a finger.......and you do everything they ask.......we are movers, not maintenance men, not cleaners, not landscapers..... we have limits to what we can do......as for the waterbed mentioned in the original post.....we are not suppose to drain waterbeds....it is not our responsibility or liability..!!!!!!!!!! Homeowners!!!!!!!we cannot even un hook washer and dryers....if something went wrong we would get sued and the insurance does not cover this................people should look @it from the other prospective.......if its something u don't want to do...it'll probably cost u !!!! PS....don't forget to tip your movers!!!!!!!we work darn hard!!!!

Well i think i know a little better than to sign something that i have no clue as to what i am signing.These moving companies will give you estimates plus 10% if it goes over the 10% they eat it if it goes under they reimburse.Now the moving company does not know if the BIG moving truck will fit down a long winding soft dirt road or not. If you read the info that is given to you you are informed of EVERY aspect of the move. And un packing is just that it is unpacking. It not a maid service. I have moved plenty of times and i have never had a problem with Mayflower. I have had 1 claim and it does not take a year. I think the next time you move you should read the paperwork you are given and make sure you understand what needs to take place and what is going to take place. These drivers dont want to have to shuttle your goods, that means extra handling extra labor and more chances of a claim. A shuttle is not extra money in a drivers pocket.

Well i think i know a little better than to sign something that i have no clue as to what i am signing.These moving companies will give you estimates plus 10% if it goes over the 10% they eat it if it goes under they reimburse.Now the moving company does not know if the BIG moving truck will fit down a long winding soft dirt road or not. If you read the info that is given to you you are informed of EVERY aspect of the move. And un packing is just that it is unpacking. It not a maid service. I have moved plenty of times and i have never had a problem with Mayflower. I have had 1 claim and it does not take a year. I think the next time you move you should read the paperwork you are given and make sure you understand what needs to take place and what is going to take place. These drivers dont want to have to shuttle your goods, that means extra handling extra labor and more chances of a claim. A shuttle is not extra money in a drivers pocket.

Well i think i know a little better than to sign something that i have no clue as to what i am signing.These moving companies will give you estimates plus 10% if it goes over the 10% they eat it if it goes under they reimburse.Now the moving company does not know if the BIG moving truck will fit down a long winding soft dirt road or not. If you read the info that is given to you you are informed of EVERY aspect of the move. And un packing is just that it is unpacking. It not a maid service. I have moved plenty of times and i have never had a problem with Mayflower. I have had 1 claim and it does not take a year. I think the next time you move you should read the paperwork you are given and make sure you understand what needs to take place and what is going to take place. These drivers dont want to have to shuttle your goods, that means extra handling extra labor and more chances of a claim. A shuttle is not extra money in a drivers pocket.

I have filed complaints with every agency under the sun. The BBB is useless - it seems as long as the company sends a response they consider it closed and the company in good standing. The response I received from Ed Schmidt - I am upset. If I were not upset I would not have filed a complaint. This is an answer??? It seems with the BBB all a company has to do is say the person is upset and they remain in good standing with a sterling record. Regarding damages - a furniture restorer did come to my house and he said he could not repair the damages. Said I would hear from Mayflower. Yeah right - in my dreams. Restorer admitted that it sometimes takes years before they get around to responding and then it is usually "no" I am resigned to the loss, but think it is horrible that a consumer is treated in this manner.

I have filed reports with every agency I can think of. Because it is an interstate move - no one is interested. In looking over my papers, I noticed on the inventory list every number begins with S CH. When I signed this, I thought it was just their numbering system. Now that things are calmer and I can think, I find S CH means scratched and chipped. They are trying to say everything I owned was scratched and chipped before they loaded it. The fact that they did not protect anything and tossed contents of boxes around like they were playing ball in no way caused the damage (yeah, right!!). In talking with others, I find I am actually one of the lucky ones. I did get most of my furniture (even if I did have to pay $850 additional)and the damages are amounting to less than $2,000 so it could be worse. I doubt I will ever see any of the money. I am chalking it up to experience. I just hope I can save someone else from going through the same thing.

First, let me express my sympathy for your experience. I highly recommend you visit the following website, operated by a "victim" of a interstate mover. http://www.movingadvocateteam.com/index.htm is an excellent resource of information regarding the problem with the Interstate moving industry. Since 1995 when our government abolished the ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) the moving industry has gone virtually unregulated. The responsibility for oversight of movers household goods was dumped on the DOT. The DOT currently has a handful of employees (last count, six) to enforce the regulations of household movers. The DOT admits that it is literally swamped with complaints and can not keep up with the demand. As a result, rogue movers are getting away with whatever they please. The Federal Trade Commission states that internet fraud is the number one complaint they receive, number two is against moving companies. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MOVING INDUSTRY: "What if I have an in-home not to exceed guaranteed price from a MAJOR carrier?" It's not entirely that simple. Even the major, well-known and supposedly reputable van lines will engage in estimate fraud and hostage freight. Even if the estimator visited your home and gave you a written "binding" (or even a "guaranteed not to exceed"!) price quote. When you book your move through one of the majors, your move is entered into the van line's central database, and then it's distributed out to one of the van line's agents. The van line then takes its cut of the customer's fee off the top. The rest is "up for grabs" among the local agents involved with your move, including the estimator who's employed with the "origin agent" and the driver who's with the "hauling agent" or "destination agent", all of whom have interests in conflict with each other, seeing as they're all now fighting for a piece of a finite-sized pie. In the end your move will only go as well as the local agents involved. Unfortunately, there's no quality control among these hundreds of agents per van line. If one of them decides to extort you, it's just going to. Sure, you may have a written, "not to exceed" estimate but meanwhile, they have all of your property and you're in a new city sleeping on an air mattress. Here's how they "unbind" the binding estimate at destination (when you're most powerless): The agent and/or driver (who is usually contracted with the local destination agent) will claim that "additional services" INCIDENTAL to the delivery itself are required at destination. For example, they may say the moving van can't fit into the street in front of your house (never mind you've seen large moving vans go through before) and thus you need a smaller "shuttle" truck to effect the move. Or they'll seize upon every little detail of your new home's environment, each of which they will want additional fees for -- steps outside the building; steps inside the building; having to use stairs instead of elevators; having to use stairs and elevators; "excessive distance" between truck and front door; excessive distance between building entrance and your apartment unit; narrow stairways; twisting stairways; narrow and twisting stairways; small elevators; slow elevators; low-hanging trees, etc. etc. They could just as well say that the color of your apartment building dictates an extra charge. Of course, the driver and/or the local agent will make you sign an "addendum" (also called a "change order" or "certificate of additional services") stating that you agreed to the additional charges before they release your goods. By the way, 100% of the money for these additional services go to the driver and/or the local agent he's contracted with. The potential for abuse is incredibly obvious. After you pay the ransom, you can try contacting the van lines' corporate "customer service" department, and protest about being held hostage, but they will invariably deny a refund on the grounds that you signed an addendum. Usually, the amount extorted ranges from a couple hundred to around $1000 -- small enough to make it not worth your while to sue in small claims court. (And remember, you signed that addendum.) The van line doesn't care that you were extorted -- it already got its cut a long time ago. In short, the moving industry is a racket. The large van lines have no incentive to police its agents, and the agents know this. Thus, they know they can get away with the occasional extortion. ("Did that salesman at origin underbid the job? Well, take it out of the customer at destination!") Perhaps most people who get binding estimates from the major van lines aren't gouged in the end. But do you want to take your chances? Even if only 5 percent of the customers get extorted, do you want to take that 1 in 20 chance?

First, let me express my sympathy for your experience. I highly recommend you visit the following website, operated by a "victim" of a interstate mover. http://www.movingadvocateteam.com/index.htm is an excellent resource of information regarding the problem with the Interstate moving industry. Since 1995 when our government abolished the ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) the moving industry has gone virtually unregulated. The responsibility for oversight of movers household goods was dumped on the DOT. The DOT currently has a handful of employees (last count, six) to enforce the regulations of household movers. The DOT admits that it is literally swamped with complaints and can not keep up with the demand. As a result, rogue movers are getting away with whatever they please. The Federal Trade Commission states that internet fraud is the number one complaint they receive, number two is against moving companies. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MOVING INDUSTRY: "What if I have an in-home not to exceed guaranteed price from a MAJOR carrier?" It's not entirely that simple. Even the major, well-known and supposedly reputable van lines will engage in estimate fraud and hostage freight. Even if the estimator visited your home and gave you a written "binding" (or even a "guaranteed not to exceed"!) price quote. When you book your move through one of the majors, your move is entered into the van line's central database, and then it's distributed out to one of the van line's agents. The van line then takes its cut of the customer's fee off the top. The rest is "up for grabs" among the local agents involved with your move, including the estimator who's employed with the "origin agent" and the driver who's with the "hauling agent" or "destination agent", all of whom have interests in conflict with each other, seeing as they're all now fighting for a piece of a finite-sized pie. In the end your move will only go as well as the local agents involved. Unfortunately, there's no quality control among these hundreds of agents per van line. If one of them decides to extort you, it's just going to. Sure, you may have a written, "not to exceed" estimate but meanwhile, they have all of your property and you're in a new city sleeping on an air mattress. Here's how they "unbind" the binding estimate at destination (when you're most powerless): The agent and/or driver (who is usually contracted with the local destination agent) will claim that "additional services" INCIDENTAL to the delivery itself are required at destination. For example, they may say the moving van can't fit into the street in front of your house (never mind you've seen large moving vans go through before) and thus you need a smaller "shuttle" truck to effect the move. Or they'll seize upon every little detail of your new home's environment, each of which they will want additional fees for -- steps outside the building; steps inside the building; having to use stairs instead of elevators; having to use stairs and elevators; "excessive distance" between truck and front door; excessive distance between building entrance and your apartment unit; narrow stairways; twisting stairways; narrow and twisting stairways; small elevators; slow elevators; low-hanging trees, etc. etc. They could just as well say that the color of your apartment building dictates an extra charge. Of course, the driver and/or the local agent will make you sign an "addendum" (also called a "change order" or "certificate of additional services") stating that you agreed to the additional charges before they release your goods. By the way, 100% of the money for these additional services go to the driver and/or the local agent he's contracted with. The potential for abuse is incredibly obvious. After you pay the ransom, you can try contacting the van lines' corporate "customer service" department, and protest about being held hostage, but they will invariably deny a refund on the grounds that you signed an addendum. Usually, the amount extorted ranges from a couple hundred to around $1000 -- small enough to make it not worth your while to sue in small claims court. (And remember, you signed that addendum.) The van line doesn't care that you were extorted -- it already got its cut a long time ago. In short, the moving industry is a racket. The large van lines have no incentive to police its agents, and the agents know this. Thus, they know they can get away with the occasional extortion. ("Did that salesman at origin underbid the job? Well, take it out of the customer at destination!") Perhaps most people who get binding estimates from the major van lines aren't gouged in the end. But do you want to take your chances? Even if only 5 percent of the customers get extorted, do you want to take that 1 in 20 chance?

First, let me express my sympathy for your experience. I highly recommend you visit the following website, operated by a "victim" of a interstate mover. http://www.movingadvocateteam.com/index.htm is an excellent resource of information regarding the problem with the Interstate moving industry. Since 1995 when our government abolished the ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) the moving industry has gone virtually unregulated. The responsibility for oversight of movers household goods was dumped on the DOT. The DOT currently has a handful of employees (last count, six) to enforce the regulations of household movers. The DOT admits that it is literally swamped with complaints and can not keep up with the demand. As a result, rogue movers are getting away with whatever they please. The Federal Trade Commission states that internet fraud is the number one complaint they receive, number two is against moving companies. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MOVING INDUSTRY: "What if I have an in-home not to exceed guaranteed price from a MAJOR carrier?" It's not entirely that simple. Even the major, well-known and supposedly reputable van lines will engage in estimate fraud and hostage freight. Even if the estimator visited your home and gave you a written "binding" (or even a "guaranteed not to exceed"!) price quote. When you book your move through one of the majors, your move is entered into the van line's central database, and then it's distributed out to one of the van line's agents. The van line then takes its cut of the customer's fee off the top. The rest is "up for grabs" among the local agents involved with your move, including the estimator who's employed with the "origin agent" and the driver who's with the "hauling agent" or "destination agent", all of whom have interests in conflict with each other, seeing as they're all now fighting for a piece of a finite-sized pie. In the end your move will only go as well as the local agents involved. Unfortunately, there's no quality control among these hundreds of agents per van line. If one of them decides to extort you, it's just going to. Sure, you may have a written, "not to exceed" estimate but meanwhile, they have all of your property and you're in a new city sleeping on an air mattress. Here's how they "unbind" the binding estimate at destination (when you're most powerless): The agent and/or driver (who is usually contracted with the local destination agent) will claim that "additional services" INCIDENTAL to the delivery itself are required at destination. For example, they may say the moving van can't fit into the street in front of your house (never mind you've seen large moving vans go through before) and thus you need a smaller "shuttle" truck to effect the move. Or they'll seize upon every little detail of your new home's environment, each of which they will want additional fees for -- steps outside the building; steps inside the building; having to use stairs instead of elevators; having to use stairs and elevators; "excessive distance" between truck and front door; excessive distance between building entrance and your apartment unit; narrow stairways; twisting stairways; narrow and twisting stairways; small elevators; slow elevators; low-hanging trees, etc. etc. They could just as well say that the color of your apartment building dictates an extra charge. Of course, the driver and/or the local agent will make you sign an "addendum" (also called a "change order" or "certificate of additional services") stating that you agreed to the additional charges before they release your goods. By the way, 100% of the money for these additional services go to the driver and/or the local agent he's contracted with. The potential for abuse is incredibly obvious. After you pay the ransom, you can try contacting the van lines' corporate "customer service" department, and protest about being held hostage, but they will invariably deny a refund on the grounds that you signed an addendum. Usually, the amount extorted ranges from a couple hundred to around $1000 -- small enough to make it not worth your while to sue in small claims court. (And remember, you signed that addendum.) The van line doesn't care that you were extorted -- it already got its cut a long time ago. In short, the moving industry is a racket. The large van lines have no incentive to police its agents, and the agents know this. Thus, they know they can get away with the occasional extortion. ("Did that salesman at origin underbid the job? Well, take it out of the customer at destination!") Perhaps most people who get binding estimates from the major van lines aren't gouged in the end. But do you want to take your chances? Even if only 5 percent of the customers get extorted, do you want to take that 1 in 20 chance?

First, let me express my sympathy for your experience. I highly recommend you visit the following website, operated by a "victim" of a interstate mover. http://www.movingadvocateteam.com/index.htm is an excellent resource of information regarding the problem with the Interstate moving industry. Since 1995 when our government abolished the ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) the moving industry has gone virtually unregulated. The responsibility for oversight of movers household goods was dumped on the DOT. The DOT currently has a handful of employees (last count, six) to enforce the regulations of household movers. The DOT admits that it is literally swamped with complaints and can not keep up with the demand. As a result, rogue movers are getting away with whatever they please. The Federal Trade Commission states that internet fraud is the number one complaint they receive, number two is against moving companies. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MOVING INDUSTRY: "What if I have an in-home not to exceed guaranteed price from a MAJOR carrier?" It's not entirely that simple. Even the major, well-known and supposedly reputable van lines will engage in estimate fraud and hostage freight. Even if the estimator visited your home and gave you a written "binding" (or even a "guaranteed not to exceed"!) price quote. When you book your move through one of the majors, your move is entered into the van line's central database, and then it's distributed out to one of the van line's agents. The van line then takes its cut of the customer's fee off the top. The rest is "up for grabs" among the local agents involved with your move, including the estimator who's employed with the "origin agent" and the driver who's with the "hauling agent" or "destination agent", all of whom have interests in conflict with each other, seeing as they're all now fighting for a piece of a finite-sized pie. In the end your move will only go as well as the local agents involved. Unfortunately, there's no quality control among these hundreds of agents per van line. If one of them decides to extort you, it's just going to. Sure, you may have a written, "not to exceed" estimate but meanwhile, they have all of your property and you're in a new city sleeping on an air mattress. Here's how they "unbind" the binding estimate at destination (when you're most powerless): The agent and/or driver (who is usually contracted with the local destination agent) will claim that "additional services" INCIDENTAL to the delivery itself are required at destination. For example, they may say the moving van can't fit into the street in front of your house (never mind you've seen large moving vans go through before) and thus you need a smaller "shuttle" truck to effect the move. Or they'll seize upon every little detail of your new home's environment, each of which they will want additional fees for -- steps outside the building; steps inside the building; having to use stairs instead of elevators; having to use stairs and elevators; "excessive distance" between truck and front door; excessive distance between building entrance and your apartment unit; narrow stairways; twisting stairways; narrow and twisting stairways; small elevators; slow elevators; low-hanging trees, etc. etc. They could just as well say that the color of your apartment building dictates an extra charge. Of course, the driver and/or the local agent will make you sign an "addendum" (also called a "change order" or "certificate of additional services") stating that you agreed to the additional charges before they release your goods. By the way, 100% of the money for these additional services go to the driver and/or the local agent he's contracted with. The potential for abuse is incredibly obvious. After you pay the ransom, you can try contacting the van lines' corporate "customer service" department, and protest about being held hostage, but they will invariably deny a refund on the grounds that you signed an addendum. Usually, the amount extorted ranges from a couple hundred to around $1000 -- small enough to make it not worth your while to sue in small claims court. (And remember, you signed that addendum.) The van line doesn't care that you were extorted -- it already got its cut a long time ago. In short, the moving industry is a racket. The large van lines have no incentive to police its agents, and the agents know this. Thus, they know they can get away with the occasional extortion. ("Did that salesman at origin underbid the job? Well, take it out of the customer at destination!") Perhaps most people who get binding estimates from the major van lines aren't gouged in the end. But do you want to take your chances? Even if only 5 percent of the customers get extorted, do you want to take that 1 in 20 chance?