After an extensive search for a Moving Company to move my household goods from Atlanta to Miami, I selected Federal Moving because of their B Better Business Bureau rating and their 4/16/09 Quote for $1,157.42; I made a $201.23 down payment. During the quote process, I explained that my apartment was 1200 square feet and gave them an honest rundown of the items to be moved, and also let them know it was on the third floor. They also promised to store my furniture free of charge in Miami, until I was ready to take delivery. The pickup was scheduled 5/6/09. The truck arrived 5/6/09 at 10 am (late) to pick up my furniture. The truck was a rented truck with a magnetic sign attached to the truck - totally unprepared for the move. Since they did not have the necessary supplies (boxes, etc.) to move my household, they had to go to U-Haul to purchase the supplies further delaying the move. I watched them pack my furniture, take inventory and tag my goods. The pickup was completed late in the evening after 7 PM. After they finished packing the truck, the Driver ran my credit card and had me sign the receipt for the quoted amount. The driver instructed me that I must be present at the Miami storage facility to accept my furniture and sign off on the delivery receipt. However, Federal charged my Credit Card $2376.19 due to "overweight", 2.2x the original quote of 1,157.42. The driver called my cell phone 2 hours after leaving and told me that he was headed to PA since he had to take time off for his girlfriend and that another driver would drive the truck back to Miami.in fact what happened is that they unloaded the furniture in their local storage facility and there were no other drivers available to deliver in Miami. Max, the owner, called to reassure me that my furniture was stored securely in his "personal" storage facility, and that I had nothing to worry about; I was not there to witness the unloading or storage facility security.in July I called Max to schedule furniture delivery in Miami for August 8-10. My son and his Fiancée drove down from Gainesville to help with the move. The delivery van never arrived, and we never received a call explain why or to reschedule. I called Max and was reassured that they would show. They never did. There were 3 subsequent promises to deliver - every scheduled date was missed. Finally on the fourth attempt, the delivery van arrived. When they delivered, they did not have the original inventory list, so I was unable to verify that all my goods that were picked up in fact were delivered. As I reviewed my delivery, I noticed that my 46" Samsung LN46A550 LCD TV was missing. I paid $1,917.18 for the TV on 6/16/08. I also noticed significant damage to furniture purchased in May from Rooms To Go. The damaged furniture is valued at $608 for a total damage/theft claim of $2,525.18. The damage claim overcharges are $3,945.15. I called Federal numerous times and emailed them with receipts and pictures of the damaged furniture. I was promised my Federal's Customer Service (Tim and Jasmine) that Max would make good on the damages. I called Max - he never returned any of my calls. Tim was subsequently let go. I called their customer service again, and spoke to another individual who promised to follow up and call me back. He never did.
I found it hard to understand how this company, rated a B with the BBB (which is why I chose them) would overcharge, damage, and steal my belongings to the extent of $4,000 on a $1,157 quote. I filed a claim with the BBB. After many months of wrangling back and forth, Max promised to reimburse me $1,000 for the stolen LCD Flat Panel TV in 5 subsequent payments of $500 per month. HE NEVER DID THAT EITHER! Another promise broken.
I am still paying off the TV and household furnishings that Federal Moving Systems damaged and stole. The PA BBB sent me as letter apprising me of my options... Take them to court. That option would require that I travel to PA, file the claim, and perhaps hire an attorney. The costs outweigh the potential outcome.
I would NOT RECOMMEND this moving company to my worst enemy. They stole my brand new LCD TV and damaged brand new furniture. They overcharged me and were late on their delivery. Max the owner refused to return my phone calls and make good on his promises.
I have read about many horror stories about moving companies on the internet, but I never thought I would fall victim to one since all my previous moves with reputable moving companies went flawlessly - they did what they said they would do and charged me according to their quote. This is the first time in many years of moving that I experienced not only financial loss but severe personal anxiety.
In conclusion, Federal Moving Systems cannot be trusted to perform as promised. Caveat emptor!
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