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| Statewide Van Lines -hidden costs, unfair practices, manipulation- Miami, Florida |
| 27th of Nov, 2011 by User664673 |
| I originally was told my move would occur on Monday, October 31, 2011. No one contacted me to tell me the status of the move and I had to contact the salesperson Lisa several times to get updates. I was next told the truck would arrive between 12:00 AM and 3 PM Tuesday, then got a call back that it would be between 1-3 PM then 4-6 PM but the rented Budget Truck did not arrive until 6:30 PM Tuesday evening. My quote from Statewide was $1,253.54 based on weight according to an inventory list I provided. The supervisor, Teddy, was intimidating and within 10 minutes of arriving stated "you didn't think you were going to pay this price (pointing to the “binding Estimateâ€)...did you?" Even though the estimate clearly states “Binding Estimateâ€, he said it was not binding because it was not in writing… that makes no sense at all! He also stated "I don't need this job… I can leave right now." Teddy knew that we had no other choice but to move with them once they arrived because we had to move that day. The other two movers with Teddy were a smaller young man and older gentlemen, who had just "hitched" a ride on his way to Miami and was not an employee of Statewide. He told us and it was obvious that he no professional moving experience. The quote included “first flight of stairs free†and any additional flights at $75 per flight. Teddy informed us it was an additional $150 dollars even though my condo was on the second floor. He said (quote) “the first flight free is up to 7 stairs onlyâ€. He also added an origination fee of $150 that was never mentioned in my quote. After a very rushed and random packing, Teddy got on the phone with his supervisor Rudy and "negotiated" the cost of my move. There was not quantitative measure by which I could argue. The move was supposed to be by weight but I was quickly informed that no matter the weight, I was paying for the cubic feet my items occupied in the truck. I never received a verified weight amount as stated in the original and I don't believe it was their intention to ever weigh my items. I had a cashier's check for half the amount of the estimate but before Teddy would leave he required the amount for the additional $800 dollars. When the movers finally finished I asked him if there would be any additional charge for the stairs to the second floor at the destination and he said "no". Teddy also stated that my items would be delivered the following day, Wednesday. I called Lisa after the movers left to inform her of my ordeal and she said she would have Rudy's boss contact me... she never did. I had to call her again to find out my delivery date. Rudy informed me QUOTE “it would most likely be, for sure...almost... Wednesday†before they delivered my items. I informed him that I was promised it would be Wednesday and I wanted my delivery on Wednesday. Wednesday afternoon, we received a call to say I would not receive my items until Thursday. Again on Thursday, I had to call several times to get an update and finally had to call Teddy directly. He told me at 2:30 he was an hour away from the destination. He arrived at 5:35 PM Thursday evening (11/3/11). Once the movers arrived Teddy immediately stated that to take the items up to the second level it would cost an additional $150 even though just two nights before he said, and wrote on the contract, paid in full. He threatened to leave with my belongings. He got on the phone with his boss Rudy and was talking loudly and cursing profusely in the parking lot. I asked him to stop as we knew the neighbors were listening and I became so frightened by his demeanor I called the police. All of my items were left on the ground floor of my new home. None were placed and reassembled as the quote states. In addition, the estimate and contract says payment could be made by cashier’s check, money order, or cash yet Teddy would only accept cash for the remainder of the balance due. We did not have $900 in cash and he again threatened to leave. We scrambled to get cash from the ATM and a cash withdrawal on a Credit Card. They still would not take anything upstairs as we refused to pay the $150 extra. Even though floor lamps were listed on my inventory list, which was to include packing, my lampshades were not wrapped and all arrived dented or broken. Teddy said he would wrap them for an additional cost but instead threw them inside an armoire. All knobs to furniture were removed and handed to me upon pick up so I could not open any of the doors on my armoire on entertainment center. An antique small table was broken and left on the back porch. We were not told about this before they left and they left in such a hurry (probably because the police were still there) that we had no chance to go through anything to see what was damaged. I have filed a report with the IRS about the “cash†situation as this is a popular way to not have to report taxes on paying non-employees and not paying taxes on earned income. This was the WORST experience of my entire life, hands down. |
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