|
|
Review 10/6/2007
|
|
I don't care what any other poster says. I would do business with these guys again.______Rated 4 stars because no move is perfect, but when you read this you might think that it was a 5 star move.______I had a generally positive experience. It was a small interstate move. One bedroom of furniture, some clothes, books and typical personal effects that someone collects when they are away at college. __________The truck showed up on time. The driver suggested packing some things. (He was right.) They charged more for boxes than if I bought them elsewhere. I also had to pay for labor, of course. But they didn't charge more than anyone else would charge, and they didn't pack anything that didn't need packing. They also did a great job. Their packing prevented some damage that would have cost me more than the cost of having them pack. The driver also wrapped loose furniture in blankets and taped it up well. No charge for that.__________The driver estimated that there were more goods than what was stated in the original quote and wrote up a new estimate and order for service. I hear that is common for the moving industry. The fact is that you really can't tell how much space your goods will require until you see them on the truck. Pay attention if this happens to you and it will be okay. (I wasn't at the origin, so more about that later.)__________In addition to the new volume estimate and the packing charges, they added a fuel surcharge at 7% of the original estimate. I checked and found out that it is legal and controlled by federal regulations. It would have been nice if that had been told to me at the time of the quote. But fair is fair, so I am okay with that._________We weren't in any hurry to get the goods and told them so. The goods came in less than two weeks. Not bad for a very small load that had to be combined with others before they could fill a truck. The office kept me informed. The driver called when he left L.A., and again a few hours before delivery.__________Everything was delivered in good shape. Very little damage, if any. Much less than I expected. I don't think you can move stuff without getting a scratch or two or having a box get slightly crushed. Anything that had even slight damage was in boxes we packed ourselves. The fact is it was the kind of stuff that you look at and ask yourself if that little scratch wasn't there before. The bottom line is that I did not claim any damage._________When the truck arrived at the destination, the first thing I saw was that there were no more goods than what was in the original estimate. But they wanted me to pay the new estimate. I had to discuss this with the driver. It took awhile, but I was firm and they eventually conceded that the original estimate was good. Then they had to call the office, but no one was there late on a Friday evening. The driver agreed to release the freight for the cost of the original estimate plus packing and fuel surcharge. I have to tell you that my jaw dropped. I was expecting a much harder fight.__________Here is where it gets interesting. Although the driver agreed to release the goods for the original estimated cost, he didn't really have the authority to do it. I was worried that the office would bill me for the difference if I payed less. Worst case scenario is they would charge my credit card. So I decided to trust the drivers and paid the full amount due with the inflated estimate. Then I sent an email to the office asking for a refund of the difference.__________Jasmine, the manager, was surprised by my request for a refund. We had to do a little back and forth for a couple of days until she was able to get the facts. Once she understood the facts she agreed to send me a refund. That was just today, so I haven't seen the check yet. But she was so open to hearing what I had to say and talking to her drivers to get the facts that I have a good feeling about her. In fact, she never refused to give a refund. She only needed time to get the facts. If I didn't have the facts straight she might have refused, but who could blame her. She had to trust me as much as I had to trust her.__________The driver, Mody, was terrific. He isn't very good at estimating volume, but he did a great job packing and loading. He was polite, hardworking and he handled my goods like he really cared.__________When you read a bad review about this or any other moving company, keep in mind that there are a lot of variables that can affect timing and cost. The movers know the ropes, so to speak, and it is a good idea for you to know your rights and responsibilities as well. In fact, the driver is supposed to give you a booklet that is called "your rights and responsibilities when you move." When the driver shows up is really too late to start reading this booklet, so I suggest you get a copy before you even set up your move. You can get it online at http://www.protectyourmove.gov/consumer/awareness/rights/rights.htm_________Keep in mind that there will probably be surprises. Expect these guys or any other mover to sell you as much as they can get you to buy. What business doesn't do that? Make sure that you are informed and you will be able to tell a good, honest mover from a scam artist. Things to look for are extra charges for long carries and extra flights of stairs. Make sure you ask what a long carry is and how much it costs. Also ask about how many steps are in a flight of stairs and how much they charge for an extra flight. All movers have these extra charges. Something they can't price until the get the lay of the land. So be sure to ask and you won't have unpleasant surprises.________I've had one experience with Divine Van Lines, and I think they really want to do it right._________I know it's a long post, but I hope it helps you plan for your move.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|