After doing my homework, I decided that Moving Star CA was the right mover for me. Having friends at the BBB in Sacramento, CA, I checked Moving Star Ca out. No problem. I also got estimates from several other movers, including well-known names that are reputable. The pricing on all quotes was comparable but the selling point with Moving Star CA was their customer service staff. They could not have been more helpful and someone was always available to answer all of my questions.
Moving day arrived, customer service was impeccable, price was on target. I could not have asked for better service. However, that was the LAST time I received anything remotely close to good customer service, honesty, timliness, truthfullness, accessability to information and services for payment rendered from Moving Star CA.
My belongings were picked up July 27. The agreement was that my goods would be stored at their facility for 30 days free of charge. Knowing that I was to fly from Sacramento, Ca to Austin, Tx on Sept. 6, Moving Star CA agreed that my belongings would be delivered "within the week" of my arrival at my new home in Wimberley, TX - just outside of Austin. That, of course, did not happen.
When the telephoning began between me and Moving Star CA to resolve this delivery date issue, my calls were answered quickly or messages were returned. Not always in a timely fashion, but returned at some point. There was however, no resolution, no firm delivery date, no answers to questions regarding what size truck would be used in delivery... No answers. Period.
Then the phone-shuffle began. "You need to speak with Abby..." or "you need to speak with Josh..." or you need to communicate with the warehouse in Dallas... There were so many excuses and lies for their incompetence, days were turning quickly into weeks, finally I had had enough. I finally told "Abby" to schedule my delivery date, along with a long-carry truck, give me a final price or I was contacting the District Attorney in Sacramento and the Attorney General of the State of California and I would do whatever it took with the help of every law enforcement agency I could possibly bring into the fray to get my belongings. That was a turning point.
Finally, on Sunday, 9-26-06, three days after the scheduled receiving date, I received my goods. Should be good news. Not so.
Living on an acreage in the Texas Hill Country often means narrow, steep driveways. I realized quickly that a semi with a 52ft. Trailer could not negociate the driveway. That was the reason for the long-carry truck that I requested, scheduled and paid an extra $450 for. When the movers arrived, there was nothing except this huge semi and my steep, narrow driveway.
Trying to communicate to the driver, who's English was extremely limited at best, that he could not pull down into the driveway because his truck was too large was useless. My husband and I then tried to get him to turn his rig around on the road and back the truck onto the driveway just far enough to clear the truck from being on the highway. No dice. Didn't get it. Drove in cab first as far as he could.
He and his partner proceeded to hand-carry a houseful of belongings approximately 50 yards down a steep, gravel drive. Oh, did I mention that the temperatures were in the high 90's and the humidity was off the charts? Feeling sorry for the two men, I made sure water was waiting every time they brought a load from the truck. Naturally, they had nothing to drink in their truck.
It was impossible to keep up with their coming in with boxes and furniture. One would come in the front door while the other came in the back door. They moved quickly, spoke little, handed us papers to sign, and away they went. Or so we thought.
As we were moving furniture in the living room, we began to realize the room was filling with dust through an open window and we heard a gunning diesel engine, tires spinning and smelled rubber burning. The truck was stuck in the driveway. After unloading they didn't have enough weight in the back to get traction to back up the drive. During the next 2 hours, they tried everything to back the truck up, destroying the driveway in the process.
We called the Hays County Sherriff for assistance. They dispatched a deputy who told us there was nothing they could do unless we chose to file charges. The driver and his helper were very uncomfortable when law enforcement appeared. Assuring the driver that we would not file charges against them, the deputy left and the gunning and spinning began again.
At this point, the destruction of the drive wasn't uppermost in our minds. Getting that truck moved was. We asked them if they had AAA or some other road-side assistance plan. No, and they had no money to pay for a tow. After approximately 2 1/2 hours they finally got the truck up the drive and moved off up the highway.
I began unpacking boxes and quickly realized that my entire library was missing. Twenty years of collecting books-all for advanced degree studies-gone. Another set of boxs; 3/4 of a picture collection of my only child-gone; and irreplaceable. On and on it went. I finally truly understood what it felt like to feel violated.
Loss Claims were filed; Moving Star CA and Anthem Claim Management LLC "lost" the claim files. Everything was resubmitted. I received written information from Anthem Claim Mgmt. That my claim had been denied as incorrect paper work was submitted. I had submitted a copy of every Moving Star CA form that I had received from start to finish. "Abby" at Moving Star CA was called again. Her response was that the "boxes would probably turn up within 6 months", but refile the claim and she would see that it was paid.
Nine months down the road and the goods haven't shown up, no claim has been paid and no communication has been received from Moving Star CA.
At this juncture, I will not stop trying to resolve this matter. It is the principle. Moving Star CA required that I pay them up front - over $4000.00, for their services, which I did. There was a contract signed by both parties. I did what was required; Moving Star CA did not. They are liable for the loss of my belongings. It was not a packing problem. Nor was it a damages issue. It was Moving Star CA losing 9 large boxes somewhere between Sacramento, CA and Wimberley, TX. They must be held accountable.
Rickey
Wimberley, Texas
U.S.A.
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