I DID receive my belongings - but read on for the story and TIPS on what I did to get my stuff back.
I was moving from Michigan to New Jersey and I had to move quickly, my story seems just like everyone elses.
Sheldon, the "Certified Mover, " made it seem that everything would be perfect. I booked the move, paid my $500 deposit, and scheduled the pick-up window of three days when they would come. The driver called me at 11PM the night before they planned on coming and was difficult to understand through his broken English.
The arrived right on time and loaded everything quickly and efficiently. They do NOT weigh you items, even though they will charge you based on the weight - I weighed everything myself before loading it on the truck, just in case.
They came in a Ryder truck, which, I found out later was a big sign of the upcoming problems.
The morning after my stuff was taken, I was watching MSNBC and they showcased a segment on Moving Scams. They said, if the company shos up in a van without their name on it, doesn't send someone to personally estimate how much it will cost, and does online/phone only estimates - Beware!
I got nervous and checked the internet and saw Patriot and Pony Xpress on blacklists. I panicked. I called Patriot, but once they take your things, you get sent to "Quality Assurance" instead of the "Certified Mover." This is so that you can't complain. So, I called Pony Xpress directly, and I called them twice a day for the next 10 days, each day asking, "Where is my stuff?"
Each day they told me something different. First, my stuff was in Florida. Then, only 18 hours later, it was in Texas. Then, the woman on the phone said, "Your stuff will arrive Friday - it can't get there any earliar, we don't have wings on the truck."
My stuff arrived 6 days late and in decent condition. It wasn't even inside the truck when it arrived, it was on the dock-high ledge on the back covered in a tarp, but it was all there. And unlike others, I was NOT charged extra upon arriving. I had 4 people there when they arrived to help if any problems arose. I let them unload my items onto the sidewalk and I told them to leave because I didn't want them touching my stuff anymore, they had already dropped my TV.
Here are some tips.
TIPS: (1) Call Pony Xpress directly, and call as often as you possibly can. Don't stop calling. (2) When the driver of the truck calls you to tell you they are coming, save his cell phone number so you can call him repeatedly (3) Everytime you call, ask them for the exact amount that you will owe when they arrive and ask them if they are positive that is the final amount. (4) Try to have a lot of people present when the truck arrives, strength in numbers.
GOOD LUCK if you have already been suckered in, DON'T USE THEM if you are looking to move.
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