We moved our household from Big Flats, NY to Belgium in July. We had an in-house survey done by Mr. Mark Manning from Dimon and Bacorn in Elmira, NY. They had also moved us into our Big Flats home, coming from Belgium seven years earlier.
Their quote came in around $14,000, for an estimated weight of 12,000 lbs in a 40 ft container, including all the packing, loading, etc. Mr. Manning had informed us verbally that there would be no problem getting everything in a 40 ft container.
I then found some referral websites through which I received several quotes for the same service as low as $7,000. I e-mailed Mr. Manning that we were inclined to contract a cheaper company, unless they were willing to drop their price by at least a few thousand. Mr. Manning then e-mailed us back in a very stern, almost angry tone, that we should beware of companies that give a low quote, and then increase the price once everything is packed up.
This is an actual quote from his e-mail:
"I have seen your household and I know what it is going to take. I did add some weight to my estimate, to be on the high side. [..] It is too small of a town for us to take advantage of someone. Dimon and Bacorn has been doing competitive and quality work for over 100 years."
Later I found a website movingscam.org, where these practices were confirmed, and all the companies that I got low quotes from where mentioned in the forum, so I decided to go with Dimon & Bacorn after all, assuming their price would more likely go down rather than up, and we even got rid of some heavy items after we realized that every pound added a dollar to the price.
Well, after everything was packed up and weighed, it turned out to be about 16,000 lbs, and I had to pay close to $18,000 'ransom', since they had all our stuff and wouldn't ship until we paid. Then there was a whole list of smaller issues that we had to deal with or fight over, which I gladly inform you on separately.
Leo
Antwerpen
Belgium
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