Complaint Review: T's Moving and Transport - Alexandria Virginia

   This company left flyers at our apartment several times over the last few years and the only reviews that I read seemed to be good.  We needed someone for a short notice move and they said they specialized.

   I spoke with a man by phone who told me that they could definitely help us the day we needed.  I advised him that I had a 2 bedroom with a loft and we lived in a four story walk up with no elevator.  He told me that this would not be a problem at all.

   I was told that I would get 3 guys at $115 an hour for all three.  The supervisor would be the driver and would take the money.  He told me that my move would cost around $600 with a possibility of $100 more because of the stairs.  I was told that they would arrive at 8 a.m. and he said "so you will have all day to get your stuff organized when we are done."  I consulted with my roommate and we agreed that we could budget for that much.

   The movers did not arrive until 8:30 a.m.  The man who brought me the slip gave me the fee I agreed to, but with a 90 minute travel time included which I had not agreed to.  We were moving 5 miles away.  When I disputed this, the man told me I would have to take it up with his boss.  He also didn't start at 8:30, they actually began moving things at 9:00.

   The two men with him worked quite hard while this guy hung around our apartment acting like he was moving things around.  He moved some of the items to the hallway, but mostly just stood around outside.  There were several times that nothing was happening for half and hour or more.

   As the time was approaching 4 hours, I was beginning to get worried.  This was costing a lot of money and they weren't getting it done.  The man with the slip told us several times that he wasn't a supervisor, despite the fact that I was told he would be.  He came in and used my microwave without permission, just waltzed into my kitchen.

   This man also asked to use my phone to call his office.  I said fine.  He called someone who he proceeded to yell at in the hallway for several minutes.  He came back and took my phone a second time without asking and called someone to discuss how to cook a turkey for dinner.  (I'm serious)  He complained about his boss to us and how that guy would have a heart attack if his fat a** had to climb up four flights of stairs. 

   I was informed after they finally finished that they would be stopping to get lunch on their way to our new home.  I managed to stop in several locations and still beat them to the house.  When they arrived, they sat around outside for about 10 minutes before actually moving anything in, despite me telling the man what I wanted done before we even left the other location.

   After another 2 plus hours of him standing around while the other two men moved everything inside, he called someone on the phone and was yelling at them on my front lawn.  He came inside with his paperwork and told me that I would be paying them for 8.5 hours of work plus their 90 minute travel time.  He told me it was going to be about $1000.  I almost lost my lunch.  I told him that was $400 more than I was quoted.  He then went outside on the phone again and yelled at that person for several more minutes.

   When he returned, he immediately was rude and disrespectful to me.  He was yelling and talking down to me when I was trying to find out how a move that should have cost me $600 was now going to cost me $1121.  When my fiance attempted to ask the same questions he became threatening and raised his voice even more.  I asked if I was paying for his lunch and their breaks, not to mention a 90 minute travel time that didn't even occur.  He yelled at me and told me that he didn't care what I had to say and if I didn't like it to take it up with someone else but I'd better pay him.

  He made several comments about my profession and how he didn't care what us cops thought we were going to do, he wasn't going to deal with it and we weren't special.  This disturbed me because he was never told what we do and unless he was going through our stuff, should never have known. 

   When my fiance told me not to give him the money since he claimed he wasn't the supervisor, the man began to yell at him and make more comments about getting the money.  I wrote him the check and signed the receipt to get him out of my house.  Picking up the phone and calling the local cops to have him removed was about 30 seconds away.  He gave me my receipt and then stormed out of the house.

   His workers were obviously embarassed.  We had a man from the cable company working on installing our cable and he said that not only was the guy rude and loud, but disrespectful as well.  He told us that if we pursued a complaint that he was more than happy to be a witness.

   I've never hired movers before.  This was an awful experience.  I want others to know about this company so they don't hire them.  I don't mind paying the fee I was originally quoted and for the two that actually worked.  If I treated people this way in my profession, I'd be suspended or worse.  I am going to try to get some of my money back.  I couldn't pay several other things because they took all that I had to pay for other things that day.  Now that guy has my address.  It is really unsettling.