We hired Flat Rate Movers (Interstate Commerce Commission ICC MC-254356, NYSDOT-T32557) to move us from NYC to Evanston, IL, outside Chicago. Our moving truck was stolen from Flat Rate's facility the night before it was scheduled to leave New York. We think it was an inside job since mysteriously the boxes that were stolen were all packed by the movers on moving day and had the most valuable contents. All of our electronics, silverware, alaram clock, and anything else that runs on electricity was stolen. Additionally, our antique furniture needs major reconstruction - tables have one leg left, our couch has vomit and grease all over it, and worse.
We lived in agony for 24 hours while the polic searched for the truck, and when it was finally recovered by the NYPD, we asked Kobi (Operations Manager) when he would be able to get an idea about how much, if any, of our possessions were recovered. Kobi replied, I've had a long day and I'm going home. You can wait. At this time we decided that we would get the information we wanted only by traveling to the Flat Rate facility, so we got on the next plane to NYC.
Our difficulty continued when we arrived at their facility in the Bronx the next morning. Our original packaging was smashed, and our personal items were mixed in with other people's things and covered in dirt in a huge cardboard box. To make matters worse, we learned that we would be forced to pay the remaining 50% of the $3400 moving fee in order to have what was left delivered to Illinois. We had no choice - we did it.
We purchased $20,000 in insurance through Flat Rate on moving day, but we haven't seen a dime. Ann Colas refuses to take our calls for weeks at a time, and the staff even hangs up on us when we call. We average 7-10 phone calls to the Flat Rate office before we are able to get someone on the phone.
It's been four months, it's almost Christmas, and we haven't seen a dime. Stay away from Flat Rate!
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