All California Movers - BK's Moving And Storage
Ripoff, Bait and Switch, Hostage Holding Moving Pirates!

During a recent move from the SF Bay Area to Southern California, we selected BK's Moving and Storage in a competitive situation against Bekins Van Lines. The Sales Rep (Eryn) and her Sales Manager (Keith) were very smooth and seemed quite helpful.

They provided a couple of references, offered a visual estimate, and were willing to match Bekins' flat rate. When we told them that a representative from Bekins had been by to perform a visual estimate, Eryn asked us to fax Bekins' estimate (instead of having an estimator come out) in exchange for a price break.

As time elapsed closer to our move, Eryn was suddenly "unavailable" and I had to deal with Keith, her manager. He agreed to perform the services at a flat rate of $3,800 ($250 less than Bekins' estimate) for the items listed on the visual estimate. Buyer beware; I should have asked about the size of truck they were going to send, and I should have asked for the deal in writing.

When moving day arrived, I was met at the door by Aviv Amosi. He is a self-proclaimed expert visual estimator who is supposedly contracted by all of the moving companies in the Bay Area. He was the foreman for the moving team, and he had arrived with a 26' truck to accommodate our move (for a family of 5).

Most of my boxes were already in the garage, so it would have been quite easy for the "expert visual estimator" to realize that his truck would not accommodate our belongings well before he began loading the truck. Regardless, he instructed his team to begin loading and waited until the truck was half-full before suggesting that all of our belongings may not fit into the truck.

Once Mr. Amosi realized that our belongings would not fit onto the truck, he called Keith at BK's Moving and Storage. Keith suggested that they send a second truck for a $1,500 flat rate. After arguing for a bit with Keith, we agreed to take our most essential items in the first truck (which would be delivered in 2 days) and place any remaining items in the second truck (to be delivered in 4 days).

They also agreed to charge by weight for the second truck, and to provide a discount for packing. Mr. Amosi (again, presumably an expert) estimated our additional belongings at 1,000 pounds, and he estimated our additional charges to be $300 - $400.

After we agreed upon the details of the transaction, the folks at BK completed loading the trucks around 8 PM. I received an additional call from Keith around 9:30 PM, and he informed me that I had an additional 7,000 pounds in the second truck, so my additional cost would be $2,100. He also agreed to "cut me a break" by cutting the cost to an additional $1,000.

At this point the company had all of my belongings, so my only options were to lose my deposit or accept the additional charges. He also agreed, as a matter of good faith, to provide me with paperwork upon delivery that demonstrated the additonal 7,000 pounds in weight for the second truck.

When the first truck arrived on Sunday, it quickly became apparent that BK's had moved items between the first and second trucks. Our sofa, dresser, bedding and a number of critical items had been on the outgoing truck for second day delivery, but were not on the truck when they arrived.

The first truck also included many of the items we said we did not need. When the second truck arrived on Tuesday, the company delivered the remaining belongings, and said they had lost my paperwork.

The folks at All California Movers / BK's Moving and Storage behaved in incompetent, deceptive and possibly fraudulent activities, including:

- Providing an initial quote for a vehicle that was unable to accommodate the belongings included in the cube sheet

- Sending a foreman / "expert visual estimator" who began loading the first truck even though he knew our belongings would not fit

- Waiting until 90 minutes after the company had left with all of my belongings to tell me that their expert visual estimator had missed his initial estimate by 600% / 6,000 pounds, and that we were going to have to fit the bill

- Transferring heavier and essential items into the second truck, thereby causing us to go two days without basic necessities like clothes, bedding and toiletries, and also increasing the weight of the second truck

- "Losing" the paperwork that outlined the weight of the second truck BEFORE the heavier items were transferred onto it.

Scott
San Marcos, California
U.S.A.

Company: All California Movers - BK's Moving And Storage
Country: USA
State: California
City: Milpitas
Address: 329 Sango Street
Phone: 8666346683

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