This company was chosen after interviewing three contenders because their rep assured us of the following: After our belongings were packed into the tractor trailer truck it would remain in front of the house for the evening and leave for California the following morning - no warehousing involved. We were also told that no other merchandise would be on the truck - no additional stops.
None of this happened. The day of the move we were greeted with a Budget rental Truck and another small dirty vehicle instead of the large truck. They were packed to the hilt and taken to a warehouse where they were unloaded and sat for a few days. Then a tractor tariler picked them up and brought the items to CA - and yes, additional stops were made.
Furthermore, this company didin't even transport our items - They merely acted as brokers and sub-contracted to other companies. The move cost me just under $20,000.
I paid a deposit of $1500 on MasterCard. A week later I had an additional charge made by the company. I was told it was a secretarial error and would be removed from the bill. Two months later when it still wasn't addressed I wrote to the company and told them I would subtract the additional $1245. From the total bill.
My contract stated "The transportation cost listed above includes the following services - disassembly and re-assembly of all household contents at origin and destination... The wrapping of all furniture in moving quilts is included in the costs listed above." My furniture was disassembled and wrapped in moving quilts THE DAY BEFORE THE MOVE AND I WAS CHARGED AN HOURLY RATE OF $129. For this service. I was charged for 10 hours - 2.5 of which was the time it took the truck to get to and from the warehouse i was assured my belongings would not be going to. This figures out to approximately $3.20/mile. The term highway robbery seems appropriate, since the going rate is under. 60 a mile.
I think it is a fair and equitable to assume that the disassembly of my furniture and the wrapping of the items in quilts took 2 hours and according to contract should have been included in the $13284.50 transportation cost. I will happily fax the contract with this information on it as well as the initial deposit recorded to any interested party. I also have pictures of all the furniture that was disassembled and wrapped to demonstrate the time that must have been involved in this phase. When I spoke to Lew Gamerman, Operations Manager (who was either in Europe or Vegas during this fiasco) he told me I should NOT have been charged for disassembly and wrapping in quilts as it is part of the transportation cost and to "take it up with Yuram Ravid". I also received a letter from Yuram Ravid apologizing for "all the inconvenience that you have been caused in all of this". Why would this have been sent if the company was not in error??? Their own moving men told me that half the time when they go for their checks, they have an excuse why they aren't available.
There were also items damaged, including a pre-Columbian sculpture that was thankfully fully insured for $1500, tools "missing", a box was dropped as soon as a worker brought it into the house, damaging all the Lenox castles inside, a beveled glass insert for a curio was heavily damaged and cost us $281.45 to have remade, a picture frame was damaged from wrapping it too tightly, a Frederick Hart sculpture was packed so poorly I took pictures before it was removed (miraculously it escaped damage) and the hinges and screws for my hutch were missing.
Mr. Ravid has blatantly lied to the Better Business Bureau (there are other complaints against them on the MA Better Business Bureau site) and never actually addressed the two hour overcharge claim I intend to pursue.
PLEASE keep this dishonest company from causing other folks the problems and anguish we suffered at their hands.
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