Moving Van Lines

Tampa, FL

Gail of Mesa, AZ December 21, 2007

DOT complaint #100024927 Complaints to be filed with AZ & FL States attorney

*False Advertising - stated that a moving van would be picking up my shippment, sent a 24 foot Ryder lease truck, stated they are a moving company, turns out only have 3 trucks, non uniform, non professional movers, etc
*did not fully disclose moving details - repack items in wardropes due to size over charging for packing material; subed out delivery to another company without disclosure
*did incomplete BOL and made me, the shipper fill out portions
*intentionally kept from seeing inside of truck that picked up household goods before and after loading, did not provide me with a certified empty truck weigh ticket
*only one of the 3 pick up people spoke English other 2 Russian, questionable legal US work status of all 3
*over charged - refusal to provide me with certified or even uncertified documentation of actual weigh, est on 6400 lbs charged for 10120 lbs (no major appliance involved in move)
*held household goods hostage for additional money
*the delivery done by Sunshine Marine & Movers of S Flordia DOT #988743, tried to extort 1200 for Back Weighing that Moving Van Lines said they would due to resolve the question of overage of lbs, threatened to charge 750 overnight fee if not delivered on 12/14/07, tried to extort additional delivery fees by stating problem with accessability to my house,backed down when I told Mike the driver double-wide mobile homes were moved in and out all the time without any problem with accessability, Mike treatened to drive off with my possessions if I made one complant or talked to his workers (4 non English speaking, propably illegal)just sign the BOL, I(Mike the driver) don't check off items
*dumped items in front storage room, when full, dumped items on porch blocking front door access, when pointed out problem, cleared a path by dumping items in carport storage, with items still on front porch semi blocking egress and both storage areas full, Mike got into his truck with his workers and left - only items placed in my home were by 2 of the worker who came to me without Mike the driver's knowledge (triple dresser, high chest of drawers)
*never given a receipt for 4853 payment of move

Financially I am drained of funds causing problems and hardship with daily living needs. The way the delivery of my household goods was made make it impossible for me to locate basic items such as clothes. This prevents me from seeking employment...no interview clothes.

Lawrence & Dorothy Pisano of New Smyrna Beach, FL June 6, 2007

My experience with Moving Van Lines Inc (Tampa, Fl)was absolutely awful! Based on my online inventory they gave me an estimate of 1700 however before the move I had removed some items and added others and so I expected to incur charges for the additional items. Howevr I did not expect to be charged 354 for tape that they claimed they needed to wrap furniture and boxes that ultimately arrived damaged anyway! To top it off they used three rolls of our packing tape when they ran out of theirs and still charged extra fees for supplies. They also added a 450 fuel surcharge that was not anywhere in the contract.

Though I successfully challenged that charge the total cost topped 3,300 to move a one bedroom one bathroom apartment and the move itself would not be a smooth one as they managed to dent and scratch just about everything on top of breaking and losing a few things too.

For example, the leg of our 9 month old marble coffee table was totally broken off and the break was the kind that doesn't look like it can be repaired. Considering that we paid about 150.00 to move it (they charge 2.80 per cubic foot) and they only reimburse .60 per lb. per lost or damaged item), it's big loss no matter how you cut it. In addition one of four anchors that secures the glass onto the pedestal of our dining room table was missing and is now an eyesore since it's visible through the glass. Our stainless steel garbage pail looked like someone had kicked it - no joke. They managed to bend an aluminum pole that suspends a ceramic carousel horse and our artificial palm tree looked like it had been through a hurricane. What really sent me over the edge was when I watched one of the movers climbing on someone else's plastic bins to get to our stuff and could hear them cracking underneath his feet - so it was no surprise to see all of our boxes dented, crushed or punctured when they were finally taken off the truck.

In fact, boxes that said fragile all over them were crushed. One, which contained marble plates were all chipped despite being well-packed. The contents of another box were strewn all over inside, and items that were packed in smaller boxes had fallen out. I have honestly never seen anything like this and I can't even imagine how this could have occurred unless the boxes were thrown or rolled. I spent the first hour taking pictures of the stuff and immediately called the moving company to complain. Suffice it to say two of the movers were not too fond of me and I could hear one guy muttering bitch under his breath the whole time.

During the move I attempted to check off the numbered boxes as they were taken off the truck however on four occassions numbers were duplicated (e.g, two boxes numbered 29, two boxes numbered 48, etc.)and other boxes were missing the ID labels so that I had no option but to list each item and box and tally up the number of items at the end. However when the mover's claimed they were finished and that there was nothing left in our section of the truck, I noticed we were missing two items.

Despite my insistence the driver promised me there was nothing else of ours on the truck even though he had retrieved our dining room chairs from another section of the truck where someone else's property was stored. When I went out to the truck to look for myself he showed me our section of the truck which was empty except for what looked like a picture wrapped up in brown paper. He asked me if I thought it was mine, and even though I told him it wasn't he kept asking me if I was sure.

When I pointed out that the ID label on it was a different color (orange) than our ID labels (green) he basically offered it to me anyway. I counted our items four times and kept coming up short - and during the last count the driver kept berating me to sign the delivery receipt. I refused until I had finished counting , because I believed things were missing at which point the driver stormed out of our apartment got in the truck and took off. I have moved across the country once before 9 years ago and was ripped off then too but on a much smaller level. In addition, I've made three intrastate twice in the past 7 years with local movers and even though they were pricey, I did not experience anything like this.

This move was without a doubt the most expensive and worst moving experience I've ever had. While I expected a few scratches here and there I did not expect the kind of reckless behaviour I witnessed by these movers.

I contacted the moving company three times since delivery and was directed to an off-site claims department in Arizona that is nothing more than an automated message explaining how to file a claim in writing and advises that it will take 90 days from the day of filing the complaint to get a response. In the meantime we've paid to move items that were lost or broken.

Dented headboard; Damaged artificial palm tree (broken branches); Badly dented stainless steel garbage pail; gash in end table; leg totally broken off of a marle coffee table; gashed, broken and torn boxes; two marble plates chipped; and a missing Kate Spade handbag; stepladder; and wrought iron magazine rack.

Cheryl of Copley, OH January 7, 2007

On 7/1/06, the above company picked up belongings to be moved to Akron Ohio from Orlando, FL. They arrived 10 hours late with no phone call. They put my things into a small, old rental truck. I asked about the truck and I was told my things woud be transferred to a van line truck to be taken up north. LIE!! The delived my things THREE WEEKS LATER in the same delapidated old truck. So my things sat in there for three weeks! They delivered my things on 7/20/06.

I did all my own packing and taping of my boxes. Yet this co. had the audacity to put 429.50 charge on my daughter's credit for tape! They did not tape anything. This charge dod not show on my bill of lading. It was added after I signed it. I have a copy with no tape charge signed my be. So they are thieves. Upon delivery my things were trashed. My dresser and jewelry bos that sits on top had the backs punched out of them, they were gouged and scratched, my microwave was smashed on one side and I wear a pacemaker and cannot use a snashed microwave, my dyson vacuum (400) was broken in half and only the top was delivered, a full dishpack of glass ware was smashe in and the entire contents were broken. They heard it rattling as it came of the truck and one guy says uh-oh. My china cabinet is ruined, the botton broken off and scratched everywhere.

I only moved 13 pieces of furniture including 4 kitchen chairs. But what I did take they destroyed. So not only did they steal 429.50 from my daughter, they also ruined all my things. We sent complaints, pictures, a woman told my daughter months ago she would give her credit for the stolen 429.50, which never happened. Terrible company!

I have no vacuum, I have 5 glasses, my furniture looks terrible and the emotional stress was awful. I am disabled, on Social Security Disability and cannot afford to fix or replace these things myself. They did all the damage, they need to fix it all. And pay up for what they stole. (429.50).

Daniela of Lynbrook, NY July 28, 2006

I hired this moving company on 07.07.06. This was a long distance move from Florida to New York. The drop off destination in New York was to be called into the company 10 days prior to needing shipment. On Sunday 07.16.06 I called for Delivery. They told me that my shipment would be at it's destination on Thursday 07.20.06. On this day only 1/2 the shipment was received.

My bed, my childrens beds, my boxes with my personal posessions totalling approximately 12, dining room pieces, kitchen chair, living room furniture apparently was not put on the truck. I informed the company that I had no beds for my children to sleep in and that the place in which I was staying was now going to occupied by the new tenants as I gave my friend notice that my furniture would arrive on this specific day (had I know that I would have no where for myself of my children to sleep I would not have given this notice).

From then, The driver who delivered my shipment told me that the remainder of my furniture would arrive on Friday - nothing came, then they told me Monday or Tuesday, nothing came, then they told me Thursday, nothing came - then they told me Saturday and now I have been informed that it is not arriving until possibly Sunday. My children and I have been sleeping on the floor. I suffer from scoliosis and my daughter has asthma. The only thing the company offered to do was put us up in a hotel room for one night giving me a credit of 100.00 which was never communciated as the driver who left me the message said I know nothing about this this is your balance.

The company charged me approximately 3,900.00 for this move and have at this point all the money less my balance of 400.00 + dollars (I don't have my receipt in front of me). When I try to call, I get the run around, the sales person, sends me to customer service, customer service sends me to dispatch all of which are telling me a different story. No where in this contract did it state that I would be taking a chance on this company to receive 1/2 a shipment - I am suffering from back pains as a result of having to sleep on the floor. My daugher who has asthma has falling ill with a nasty cold from doing the same and had to be taken to the Dr. I demand some kind of compensation for this inconvenience.

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