From June to September 27 the following unfair acts occurred:
I have contracted Tran-Global Moving and Global-Ocean Freight companies to move my household furniture to Lebanon. The contract was to ship already packed furniture (house-to-house) on specific date June 26 and service charges outlined as follows:
X Booking: FCL 40 Foot Container: $7349.00
X Discount: $700.00
X Documentation fee: $75.00
X Your total moving Cost: $6724.00
X Deposit amount: $1137.25
X Balance amount: $5586.75
X Removal Date: June 26
But unfortunately this is what happened:
The shipment was originally scheduled for Monday June 26. On June 12 I paid a deposit of $1137.25 to Trans-Global Moving. After I paid the deposit I told Lisa Setton (Manager of Trans-Global Moving) that I have two business trips after the June 26 she indicated no concerns at all and said no problem.
A week before June 26 I received a call from Tom (Manager of Global-Ocean Freight) to tell me that the container was not ready. I explained to Tom my concern about changing the schedule due to my business trip to New York (Jun 27-29). He said that have no choice but to change it. So we agreed to reschedule it to Friday June 30 with assurance from Tom that it will not change and I told him that I have another business trip to London England on July 3 which I have to make and I need to be at the airport at 6:00pm.
On Wed June 28 I received another call from Tom telling me that the container is ready but there is a slight problem. He said the crew and the container is ready but the vessel (boat) is not ready to accept the container. So if Global-Ocean brings the container and loads it on Friday as planned it will have to be stored at the shipping yard and that will cost me extra money. I have rejected this option immediately since this was not agreed on and the extra cost was too high and unreasonable.
I have asked if it is ok to load the furniture on Friday and leave the container on my property till Monday July 3 and have the truck driver come back and pick it up. Again Tom said that it will also cost me extra money to pick up the truck. Finally, Tom suggested that the truck can be brought on Monday July 3rd early in the morning and load it and it will be done before 4:00pm. I asked if he can make sure that the truck is here with the loading crew at 8:00am. He said "I assure you the truck and the crew will be there at 8:00am". I told him again about my business trip to London England and mentioned to him that I already made changes to my flight before and had to pay change fees $200 and I do not want to go thru this again. Again, Tom said to me "I promise it will be there at 8:00 am".
Monday July 3rd at 8:00am nobody showed up. I waited nervously until 9:00am for Global-Ocean Freight to open. I spoke to a representative and told her that I was expecting the container at 8:00am and nobody showed up. She said "the loading crew is supposed to come at 10:00am to pack not 8:00am and the container will be at the house around 1:00pm I told the representative that the contract does not include packing and it was not requested at all because the furniture already packed.in addition, I told her that this is not what Tom promised and agreed on. She told me that she will look into it. I said again that the furniture is ready to be loaded. Also, I said to her that I faxed this information two weeks ago and talked to Neide (Global-Ocean Representative) that I did not want any packing.
An hour later, I called Trans-Global and spoke to one of their representative about the problem and she told me she will find out what happened. Around 10:30am Trans-Global called me back to tell me that Global-Ocean has made a mistake and ordered the container to be at my house at 1:00pm and the loading crew at 10:00am to pack the furniture and she has told them again that no packing was ordered, Global-Ocean told her that the container and loading crew will show up around 1:00pm.
At 12:00pm I called the airlines to change my flight again to July 4th missing the first day of a training class in London England, the airline again charged me $619.19 for changing my flight. Around 1:30pm the container showed up but no crew. Around 2:30pm the truck driver and I were nervously waiting.
Again, I called Global-Ocean office and talked to Neide and explained to her the whole issue all over about the schedule and my flight changes and she said she will look into it again. Also, the truck driver called his dispatcher and told him that there is no loading crew, the dispatcher told him to wait. I asked the driver what time the container was ordered to be delivered to my house, he replied that the container was ordered to be at my house around 1:00pm not 8:00am.
Around 3:45pm the loading crew showed up. When I asked why they did not show up early, the crew leader said that this loading service for my house was not part of their schedule and he was told about it at the last minute after completing two loading service orders.
After the crew loaded and packed the furniture around 6:30pm I called Global-Ocean immediately asking for the invoice paperwork which I was expecting with the crew because I was concerned about the $500 LATE fees for every week which is specified in the contract. Neide asked me to fax the furniture manifest and I was told that the invoice will be emailed to me later. I told her immediately about my business trip and that I will make the payment immediately when I return home, she indicated no issue with this at all.
4 days later I received an invoice from Global-Ocean by email with the balance of $6724.00 due (no LATE fees was on the invoice and the deposit amount that I paid was not shown and was not deducted on the invoice) but there was a note stating that if the balance is not paid $500 LATE fees will be applied for every week. I called Global-Ocean immediately from London England and talked to customer service person and told her that the payment will be paid immediately when I return home and she said OK and again she indicated no issue with this at all.
A week later I was surprised when I received an invoice with the initial balance added to it $500 LATE fees and $500 HOLD fees applied. Again, I called Global-Ocean customer service regarding the deposit I paid, she was surprised about it and she said she will look into it. Almost a week later, I received another invoice with the correct balance due after the deposit amount that I paid. When I returned home I wired $5586.75 immediately to Global-Ocean after talking to Tom who indicated that the fees may be waived if I made the payment, but LATE and HOLD fees were not waived.
I called Global-Ocean and Trans-Global more than 20 times begging them and pleading with them but no avail. Finally, after warning Lisa that I will pursue legal actions against both companies she said to me that she will talk to Global-Ocean.
A day later, she called telling me that she has talked to a manager at Global-Ocean and agreed to waive LATE fees only but HOLD fees will remain and it can be paid COD (Collect On Delivery). I said I will pay the $500 HOLD fees if I get an official receipt and explanation from the vessel for the HOLD fees then I thanked her and accepted the offer and I stopped consultation with my lawyer to pursue legal actions, this was last week of July.
When the container arrived to Beirut port in Lebanon Sep 27 I was told by email that I have to pay $1000 for both the LATE fees and HOLD fees in order to release the container. I told Global-Ocean verbally and by email several times that I will pay $1000 as requested COD in order to expedite the release and delivery of the container. However, Trans-Global and Global-Ocean did not respond to my request or the request of their agent in Lebanon for 5 days incurring more port charges. As matter of fact the delay was extended two extra weeks incurring more port charges and demanding more money from to resolve the issue of releasing the container for of GOF agent in Lebanon to process the container delivery which caused frustration and hardship to me and my family in addition to the amount of time wasted time and phone calls to resolve this issue (Full account of the three weeks will be submitted to the court). What happened tells me the following:
1. Tom promise was a lie.
2. Lisa Setton lied when she said $500 LATE fees will be waived.
3. Failed to deliver the service as specified in the contract. The removal date was changed twice.
4. Global-Ocean scheduled the crew to pack the the furniture even though I specified in the contract that it was not required.
5. The first invoice was issued incorrectly it did not show the deposit money that I paid to Trans-Global Moving. As a matter of fact, Global-Ocean was not even aware of the deposit it took them almost a week to investigate that I paid it to Trans-Global when it was requested.
6. Discrepancies in the invoices that were emailed.
7. Trans-Global and Global-Ocean did not have an honorable arrangement with loading crew, crew were told about the service last minute.
8. Collecting $500 LATE fees is unfair because I explained to both Neide and Global-Ocean customer service representative that I will pay when I return home. Both persons in both times indicated no issues and said it is ok.
9. No explanation and no receipt from vessel for the $500 HOLD fees.
10. Unfortunately Trans-Global Move office did not any follow-up with Global-Ocean Freight but the only thing that they made sure to do was to collect their fees.
Sam
Ashland, Massachusetts
U.S.A.
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