Happily Moved
United States of America#2Consumer Comment
Mon, March 05, 2012
I shopped around quite a bit before our international move- I looked at more than a dozen companies and interviewed three or four. In the end I decided to go with Move Management International, but it did perturb me that I couldn't seem to find any reviews on-line other than what was on their website. Just before paying the deposit and locking in, I looked one last time and saw the above review.
Seriously concerned, I contacted Manny Rojas and told him about the abysmal review. He responded very quickly with a similar statement to what has already been posted as the rebuttal here. Although it was an well thought-out letter and comforting to hear, I didn't feel like it was enough considering the stress and investment in a cross-continental move.
In order to go ahead, I asked him to prepare an addendum to our contract guaranteeing the delivery of my goods within a certain time frame. If they were not delivered by a set date, I would get a discount- which increased the longer my household goods took to be delivered after that deadline. He was absolutely willing to work with me on this and so I signed the contract and paid my deposit.
The team doing the move on both ends were totally fine. Even after everything was unpacked, we didn't find anything missing- a common tale amongst some of my international co-workers. In the end, we had three broken bowls, which I consider well within the realm of error in a big move. The most important part, though, was that the goods were delivered WELL before the deadline.
The only thing I didn't like was that the moving company contracted on the end of my new home didn't know enough about the customs process. Luckily my co-workers helped me through it, but the company couldn't give me much information on what I needed to do to get my things delivered.
I also do have to stick up for Helen Shany, who was mentioned in the original review. She was nothing but helpful and sweet during the whole process.
Manny Rojas
Doral,#3REBUTTAL Owner of company
Wed, June 22, 2011
Unfortunately, claims made on the internet and at posting sites like these can be made by anyone, be it a disgruntled employee, a competitor or a client with a real gripe. As a company, we address every complaint, valid or not and the onus is on us to defend ourselves.
I have reviewed all our shipments over the last few years and cannot locate a movement that we handled from Brookline, Massachusetts to South Africa. I also reviewed the complaint and found numerous discrepancies with the claimed service failure.
Based on the complaint, I assume that the shipment (if an actual one) was a small one and we would always provide a window for the pickup, i.e. morning (8AM to 12PM) or afternoon (12PM to 4PM). That being said, if there was a delay, we would be in contact with the client and at no point, would anyone be flippant enough to say enjoy the day off.
Also, we do have agency agreements in all major markets and work closely with very good agencies in the Boston area, here an Atlas Van Lines agent. At no point would we claim the truck going out would have our livery. It is company procedure to have our agent contacted the client prior to the relocation date and go over the move day/logistical procedures, confirming the time of arrival.
As for the transit times, the average timeframe for the shipment to be on the water for this lane is indeed 6-8 weeks, but would also need to account for sailing schedules (vessels depart every 10 days, more or less) as well as clearance and scheduling delivery in South Africa. Being that it is now winter there, the shipment should have just happened or at this time last year, none of which is in our system as a real move.
Most of our shipments are sent exclusive of port handling and terminal fees as they vary per line, market and the volume/weight of the goods. This exclusion is clearly noted on our proposals as well as Shipping Agreement/Contract for Service.
I, along with my staff do understand the stress behind an international relocation; however, we make every effort to ensure that each and every client receives the highest quality of services possible.
We are thankful for every shipment we handle as we are aware there are many options and can assure that we take no client for granted.