On August 10 I booked Union Movers online to move me from
Eagle, MI 48822 to Albuquerque, NM.
Union Movers
3430 East Jefferson
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-760-6525
MC# 499088
Order # 900324
They agreed to move an estimated 222 Cu. Ft. Of household goods for $1,099.00 of which I gave 1/3 down in a Master Card payment of $366.33; with 1/3 due at pick-up, and the final 1/3 in cash on delivery. The verbal understanding with agent Justin was that: Union Movers would be doing the actual pickup, the 2nd payment could be made by credit card over the phone at pickup. He also agreed that I did not need to be on site (I needed to get to Albuquerque to find housing) as long as they were given access to the goods and that the movers would call from the pickup site before they left for payment.
I made a detailed list of the household goods and boxes I left and measured everything with a grand total of 194 cubic feet.
The pick up was scheduled for August 18, Thursday. The pickup took place at 9pm, Sunday, August 21. No phone communication was made to me in Albuquerque regarding this pickup time or any of the agreed upon details of the pickup. The movers requested no second payment at the time of pickup.
On August 23, I received a phone call at 1pm from Sandra at Magic Movers to discuss the charges and 2nd payment for my goods. She quoted a total of 300 cubic feet of goods at $4.95 per cu. Ft., for a total of $1,485.00, plus packing/taxes of $193.98, fuel charge of $ 74.25 and tolls/scale fees of $95.00, for a grand total of $1,848.23.
Magic Moving LLC
12-82 River Road
Fairlawn, NJ 07410
(201) 797-1314 1-800-862-0911
USDOT# 1331728 MC # 462129
When I expressed my shock at the price increase she said someone would call. On 8-23-05 at 3:15 pm I spoke with employee Eric Ber regarding how total cubic feet changes with packing. He agreed to split the total final due between a Visa payment of $740.95 now and the same amount cash on delivery. I have since had unprofessional and argumentative conversations with both Amos and Gila from this office.
On 8-29-05, I gave my Visa card number to Sandra with the explanation that as I had to transfer funds to that account, they would not be available until 8-30-05.
On 8-31-05, Sandra calls with the explanation that in order to process my Visa they need a fax of my Visa card, front and back, and the front of my Drivers License and my signature on their credit card form, which they will fax. (This included a Credit Card Charge Back Waiver, which I ignored) By the end of business the forms and card copies were faxed. This same evening, driver Zi, called to say he would arrive Thursday, 9-1-05, am and would need cash payment of $1,481.90.
The next morning, 9-1-05, Gila from the office calls enraged that I did not fill out the Credit Card forms correctly and also said that payment of $ 1,481.90 would be due on delivery. Zi calls at 1pm that they are at my home. At this point I phone the Albuquerque police who say unless there is violence at my home all they can do is file a report. Officer Dave Archunde filed report # 050901-542. I arrived home at 2pm and tell Zi and assistant Carlos that I don't have the total in cash. He calls the office and is instructed to put my goods in storage. I invite them into my home to find a local storage facility and call, U - Store It, 4701 Cutler, Albuquerque, NM (505) 884-4580 and speak to clerk, Curtis, who quotes a price of $45.00 per/month for a 5 x 10 storage unit with 18 wheeler access. Supposedly that's where they went.
According to the FMCSA, DC office, when they called Amos at Magic Moving, he claimed that my Visa Card was not approved. Not according to Visa who on 9-1-05, confirmed by phone that Magic Moving had an approval for charges of $740.95, which had yet to be posted. And in her enraged call of 9-1-05 Gila claimed that they were releasing the charges to Visa in lieu of cash.
9-6 FMCSA complaint faxed to David Yessen, New Jersey office.
9-7 BBB online complaint to Trenton, New Jersey office.
Further online research revealed that on October 8, The State of New Jersey, Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Consumer Affairs filed an Administrative Action, OCP0387, against Amos Bretter, Top Moving LCC. A Yahoo search for New Jersey Movers lists: Magic Moving LLC, 160 Passaic Ave, Kearny, NJ 07032, an alternate address to Fair Lawn, NJ.
Ironically, Magic Moving LLC is a member of both the New Jersey Better Business Bureau and the American Moving and Storage Association!!!
Ernest
Albuquerque, New Mexico
U.S.A.
0 comments