I have never dealt with a company so devoid of any professionalism, intelligence, or maturity. This is the report I sent to the Better Business Bureau to get my issues resolved, as I cannot deal with this company anymore and they have never wanted to deal with me after they gt their up front fee and my stuff. Do yourself a huge favor and either move yourself or hire a large reputable company like Mayflower, Allied, etc.
Dear Sir or Madam:
I am writing this to inform you of my dissatisfaction with and incomplete service offered by Pony Xpress Van Lines or Skokie, IL. I contract Pony Express to move my property from my old apartment in Hinsdale, IL to my new home in Sherwood, OR. The following is an account of my experience with the company.
1. This all started when I called to get my final weight and balance due. The original estimate was 3000 lbs and $2360, of which they gave me $100 credit for switching from another van line, I paid a $100 credit, and I paid up front or $1080, which would leave a balance of about $1080 if the weight was around 3000 lbs. The woman on the phone stated my final weight was 2360 lbs and my balance due was $1321. Less weight and more money made no sense.
2. When I asked how my balance due could be more than half the original estimated remaining balance if my weight was significantly less, she had no answer and put me on hold. When she came back she stated the owner thought my weight was actually 199lbs over the estimate. When I asked to speak with him I was told he's out and he'd call back. They never did.
3. I never got to talk again with the original sales rep who signed me up, Darius.
4. When I call back to follow up on this issue, I get more confusing information. They claimed' the wrong weight was taken and the wrong weight ticket was in my folder. They said they will reweigh the truck when it leaves. No one is able to explain to me their process or how the truck can both be weighed wrong AND the wrong ticket can end up in my folder.
5. After finally talking to Ori, the owner, I find out that I in fact did not have the wrong ticket in my folder but the truck was weighed incorrectly. I also find out my stuff has been sitting in their Chicago warehouse for three weeks. Ori agrees to have the truck re-weighed here in Portland and I can witness it.
6. During the above phone call, Ori is the most impolite, gruff individual I have ever dealt with. At no time does he even attempt to apologize for the lack of answers and confusion his staff has put me through nor can he adequately explain how the truck is incorrectly weighed or weight tickets handled. He hangs up on me. At this point I consider Ori a dishonest business operator.
7. The last excuse I get from Ori concerning the weight issue and my disgust that I have to take extra time out of my day to witness the truck being weighed before and after unloading my stuff is that he has no control over how the trucks are loaded and some get loaded at 2:30 in the morning on weekends. As a business owner he is fully accountable for the actions of his staff! How can he not control the loading and weighing of trucks? And who the heck is loading trucks at 2:30 am on weekends?
8. I was told on June 7th, the day before they picked my stuff up that it would be leaving the following Tuesday for the west coast. It in fact sat in their warehouse for 4 weeks. I was told by Darius, the sales rep, that they had two trucks leaving each week for the west coast and normal delivery time is 5 10 business days. They didn't come close.
9. No one in their office was polite, helpful, was able to give any straight answers, or seemed the least bit concerned about the information they were giving me that did not make sense, the location of my stuff of when it would arrive. Every time I would ask a question I was put on hold and told they would call me back. They never did once.
10. When I called again on 6/19, Jackie' could not give me an arrival date inside their 21 business day guarantee. Additionally she claimed she could not tell me where my stuff was; it was in fact in their warehouse not 50-75 yards away from her. She either could not or would not tell me the location of my possessions. This I could consider theft.
11. On 6/28 Jackie' informs me my stuff still hasn't left, 3 weeks after I was originally told (on 6/7) it would be in transit.
12. The 888' number on their Bill of Lading doesn't work; 1.888.476.6999. This is also different than the 800' number on the service contract, which thankfully does work.
13. When I ask for the truck driver's name and number, I'm told his name is T. When I ask how to spell it, she (neither Jackie nor Osi) explains his name is Tavareus and in the office they call him T. I don't care what they call him, I have never spoken to nor met this person, and I need his name, not his nickname.
14. Started off dealing with Jackie', after 6/28 I spoke only with Osi', who I'm guessing replaced Jackie. Osi has been receptive to my frustration.
15. The charges for extra distance and shuttle service on the Bill of Lading and service contract do not match. According to Osi, this is the first time anyone has brought this to their attention. At this point I have concluded there is no way I can trust this company.
16. The truck driver was never informed of the re-weigh from the office. Nor did the truck driver give me the 24-48 hour notice their office said he would.instead when I call him to find out what's going on he tells me he'll call me when he's at the Oregon border and again when he gets to my place.
17. One of the first things the driver tells me is that some of the invoice stickers fell off my boxes. I don't understand how this is possible as the adhesive used on the stickers is rather aggressive and it takes a little effort to peal them off.
18. I did not do the re-weigh as they were going to charge me an additional $85-an-hour waiting fee' for this. They are going to charge me to assure they are doing their jobs right when up until now they have repeatedly demonstrated they could not!
19. The weight ticket the driver had reads 3160 lbs (the final weight they claimed earlier). I have no idea where the weight 2360 lbs came from or how or where this wrong ticket in my folder came from.
20. Their driver used my cell phone and my minutes to call their office and the next delivery because he was out of minutes. Why is their driver using my phone for their business?
21.4 boxes of someone else's stuff were unloaded with mine, despite the fact my boxes had red invoice stickers and the other person's boxes had white stickers.
22. Someone from there office called me looking for the truck driver. I could barely understand this man and told him the truck left. Later the woman at the next delivery called me thinking I was the driver. I give her his number, at which point she told me she had been waiting 2 months for her stuff. Still they are using my minutes for their business.
23. One box that is not mine is still at my house because it was buried at the bottom of a stack when mine were unloaded. I called Pony Xpress to say I wanted to ship it back to them C.O. D as this box was someone else's property and I shouldn't and didn't want to be responsible for it.instead Osi tells me (week of 7/20) another truck should be in my area this week.
24. When I inspect my bikes to go riding, I find out they have been tampered with. The headset on one bike is extremely loose and the fork on the other bike is backwards (I can guarantee it was not like that when it left Chicago because I rode that bike a few days prior to them picking it up). Additionally the allen-head bolt on the stem of the bike with the fork reversed was stripped to the point I had to be very careful when loosening and retightening it. I am having a hard time finding a replacement at bike shops since the hardware usually only comes with the component.
25. Two of my boxes were re-taped. I know this because I used clear packing tape and I found these two boxes with white tape. While I don't have proof the boxes where intentionally opened, in light of everything I've gone through so far, it's not out of the question, and there's no way the boxes could've accidentally opened..
26. My tall bookcase arrived cracked in one corner.
27. In the end the shelves for my tall bookcase, my small bookcase, and at least one other box with various stuff did not arrive. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if these items were dropped off at a prior delivery.
28. On Sat July 28,2 weeks after the initial delivery and a week after Osi tells me another truck would be in the area, the driver of the truck calls me to say he is in Portland and has two of my boxes and I could pick them up. I told him I couldn't because at that moment I was in a car headed to Seattle with my parents who are vacationing here. He then asks if he can leave them with the people he's currently delivering to. I tell him I don't want my property left with complete strangers and he can leave then outside my apartment door. He tells he CAN'T do that because HE'S NOT GOING THAT WAY. He then suggests I and my parents wait for him in Seattle as his next delivery is in Bellevue, WA. He gets excited at my refusal to wait in Portland or Seattle for him and tells me he's not responsible for how the trucks are loaded (remember, neither is the owner; point 7). He tells me he'll contact his boss to see how he wants to handle it and he'll get back to me. I didn't hear from him the rest of the night and got his voice mail when I called back later in the evening
A. To sum this up, I paid $2401 for my property to be delivered to my new home. They failed to do this the first time, and with my remaining property on their truck in Portland somewhere, with no prior notice that it was coming at all, I am told they will not deliver my boxes because he's not going in my direction. My stuff his on their delivery truckhow is there any option other than delivering it? Not only I should not have to drive anywhere to get stuff I already paid to have delivered, but this specific episode clearly demonstrates how this company refuses to accept responsibility.
29. I did not receive a claim form Osi last week. When I called to discuss the matter this morning ANOTHER new person on the phone told me (after being on hold again) she (the new girl) would give me the phone number for the claim company.
30. Since their truck did not arrive at my home, I will be shipping the other person's box to Pony Xpress C.O.D. (point 23).
At this point I believe I should be refunded the entire total I've paid Pony Xpress and partial reimbursement for rent and utilities I paid but could not use. They have not performed the service they were contracted to perform and; what partial service they performed occurred well beyond their original optimistic claims; and they were not forthright with information concerning my property. Because of their actions, I was forced to spend 5 weeks living in a hotel, paid rent, electrical, water, sewer, and trash for an apartment I was not living in. I am taking this matter first to the Better Business Bureau because I do not believe the owner and operators of Pony Xpress can be dealt with.
Regards,
Tim (ror redacted last name for security purposes)
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