Having to plan my daughters second across the country move in 6 months and not having a positve (or so I thought at the time) experience the first go around, I was very selective in choosing a moving company this second time. I talked to 8 moving companies. After researching the internet (BBB, etc) I chose Summit Van Lines for her "small load" move... BIG mistake!
I told Haidie about the trouble we had just a few months ago and she assured me Summit Van Lines was "nothing like that." (I should have recognized the fact that she works on commission.)
The trouble started on pick up day, August 5th. Five hours late. The two men told us they hadn't bathed in two days. Wasn't hard to notice. One of them asked my 20 year old daughter if she smoke pot when taking a break, kept saying how tired he was after driving 9 hours that day and was headed to New Jersey that night.
I had been told by Haidie I could pay by check. They arrive at 5pm. Banks closed. I had to come up with cash for half of the move. Guy (the owner) told me they would have the furniture there in less than 2 wks. He assured me they "didn't want to keep it" for any length of time (like the first company I used). He told me the furniture should arrive in CA the 14th/15th/16th of August. Great, I thought, just about 10 days.
My daughter left for CA early on the 11th. Guy called on the 11th and said it would be in CA the 16th/17th/18th. I was then told that I couldn't use a personal check upon delivery. I forwarded a cashier's check for the balance. Okay, still less than two weeks.
Guy called on the 14th of August and said the truck had broken down in Texas and it would be the 19th/20th before it arrived now. They had a deliveries in Texas and Colorado, then would head to San Francisco. Well, only 3 more days, I thought.
Guy told me to call him on the 16th of August. He told me the truck was repaired but the furniture wouldn't be delivered until the 26th/27th/28th. Why the 10 day difference when the truck was out for repairs only 3 days?! He didn't have an answer.
Guy told me to call him again on the 20th of August to check on things. He then said "it would be delivered the 23rd or the 24th... At the latest on the 25th." He said the dispatcher or driver would call 24 hours out to confirm delivery.
I called Guy back yesterday (the 24th) since we had not heard from the dispatcher/driver. He only would say that it was "on its way" and the driver would call 24-48 hours out for delivery.
I explained to him for the 10th time that the elevator must be signed up for (3 hour max time/8am-8pm). Weekends fill up fast with people moving in/out. I asked what happens if they call and want to deliver on a day there are no times available. He doesn't have an answer other than you'll have to tell the driver when he calls.
Be warned: once you talk to Guy, if you call back the same day (which I did on the 24th to tell him the times available for the elevator) he never is there. Girls say he's "out." "Call back in an hour." "Call back in 2 hours." "Call back tomorrow." You can forget leaving a message and him calling YOU back... It's not going to happen.
Long story short - They picked up furniture 3 weeks ago tomorrow, have changed the delivery days 6 times in three weeks (5 of those times in the past 2 weeks). When asked exactly where the furniture is and where it has been for the past 3 weeks I do not get an answer. After finally loosing my cool yesterday, they finally tell me it's in Nevada. Do I believe them?! No! Who wouldn't be upset?! I'm calling my lawyer this morning.
My daughter has been sleeping on a blow up mattress for 2 weeks, 2500 miles from home in a town where she knows no one and her furniture is who knows where. My advice - go with Atlas, World or one of the other larger van lines! Summit Van Lines website/phone holding tape calls itself "stressfree, pleasant, simple, reliable and trustworthy."... I don't know how they sleep at night.
Allison
Birmingham, Alabama
U.S.A.
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