Complaint Review: Smart Van-Lines - Pembroke Park Florida

I contacted several moving companies to move inherited antique furniture and decided to go with Smart Van-Lines.  I was apprehensive due to the fact that it is all antique furniture that belonged to my parents and would be devestated if items arrived damaged.  

When the movers arrived at the storage unit in Florida, the two men who packed/wrapped my items were very nice and careful.  I was not pleased when I saw on the paperwork that to use a credit/debit card there is a 5 % fee.  

Smart Van-lines is a broker, they do not own trucks they find other companies for the actual move.  I received a call from the truck driver, whom was extremely difficult to understand and said that he did not speak English well.  He told me that he would be at my house the following day between 3-8pm.  He told me that my final payment for delievery had to be cash or a money order from the Post Office.  I had a cashiers check and explained on the contract that this is acceptable payment.  He went on and on (Very rudely) about a cashiers check not being okay and that he would call his boss. He then called back and said it was okay.

He then called on  the arrival day to say that he would be later and that I need to send him my location because he could not find our home on the internet.   I sent our location and took a screenshot of google maps showing our location. 

He called and said he still could not find it and that when he arrived to the freeway exit he wanted me to come to him in my vehicle and give me a ride up our remote access road to see if he could bring his truck up to our home. I was adamant that there is No way I am getting in a vehicle with a stranger. 

He texted that he had another delivery to make and if he had to come back he was going to charge me a re-delivery fee.  I immediately called Smart Van-Lines, although it was after hours. I left a detailed message concerning, form of payment, the driver expecting me to give him a ride to my house in order to check access and threatening to charge me a re-delivery fee.  

He then called to say that he was at our exit. I explained again, I am not going to give you a ride. He then said that he could not delivery it to my house in his truck because it is to big. I explained that logging trucks travel our road day-in and day-out. He insisted that he would have to use a shuttle (unpack his truck and put it on a u-haul truck and told me it would be $300 cash. I said that the office discussed with me the possibility of a shuttle and it would be $250., he kept saying NO. 

I called Smart Van-Lines again (left a message) for a different charge for the shuttle then originally stated.  He said he would bring my belonging up the next morning.

When he arrived again extremely rude said "where do you want your stuff?" He kept pointing to our pick-up truck and saying something I could not understand. My husband came outside and he suddenly became quiet.  We helped with taking the moving blankets off the furniture, because at this point I wanted them to leave ASAP.  Fortunately everything arrived safely.

Before leaving he said that we could have hauled our stuff in our pick-up. First off it would have been 3 loads, secondly I was home alone with no help thirdly, I paid them to do the moving!  I gave him the cashiers check and he had an issue with it being paid to Smart Van-Lines.  He signed the contract of receipt and I said you need to have the $250 cash payment for the shuttle on there.  He asked me to write it on the contract. 

After they left I called Smart Van-Lines and Margarit made excusses for the driver, "no, he wanted you to come down to his truck because he couldn't make it to your house."  I told her that it makes no sense when he was talking to me on the phone and telling me this, why would I need to go to him?  I explained that he also wanted $300 cash for the shuttle. She tried to tell me that it costs more in the summer, uh it's April.  I also explained that I had to miss additional hours of work because he could not figure out how to get to my house. Funny thing is, everyone else finds my house just fine.  She could have cared less, didn't even apoligize.

When we started bringing our items in the house, we had four boxes moved along with the furniture , I wrote our name and address on them hoping they would make it. The four made it, however there was an additional box, an amazon box (reused) .  I googled the person and their address, who appears is deceased, all I can figure is that her family was having her household items moved. Now, again I have to call Smart Van-Lines.  

Bottomline, horrible customer service, rude truck driver that wanted to scam and threaten.