It all started when the moving company was supposed to show up on the 1st of October. The problem was, they didn't. As I am living overseas, I let them know that in order to get ahold of me, they need to send an email. No email. I heard from my friend, who had been storing my things, that they never came and could I find out what was going on.
I wrote them numerous emails, asking what happened and when they would come. No response. Finally, on the 5th, they showed up unannounced at my friends house (a Saturday morning) to take my stuff. Sounds like it was off to a bad start and that now things were finally rolling, right? Wrong.
As soon as I heard the things were picked up, I sent another email, asking if they could let me know a date they could drop my things off, as I would need to notify my parents. No response. I wrote again. No response. I wrote again and I finally received a quasi-response. It basically stated, "We haven't gotten your money yet. Where is it?" As my bank had read that it had paid them 2 days before, I was disconcerted and contacted them to make sure the money went through. It had. So I emailed the moving company to let them know they had already received the money. But why didn't they answer my other questions?
Assuming that it is too difficult to extort someone via email, they began calling my father to extort it from him. This is when it really started to get messy. They began calling my father, telling him that I would now owe $2300 instead of the original $575 we had initially agreed upon. Illegal, as moving companies are not allowed to ask for more than 110% of what was initially stated in the contract. Thank God my father knew my rights! As well, they refused to deliver, or even set a date to deliver, without receiving the money. Again, illegal. My father contacted the feds who then contacted the moving company.
With the help of the feds, they decided to "wash their hands" of my belongings, as I was being too difficult in refusing to submit to the ransom and extortion. I then had to hire a new, REPUTABLE company to finish their job.
Second problem: the losers at CrossAmerica refused to work with the new moving company in allowing them to pick up my belongings. I was starting to believe at this point that they were so upset not to have succeeded in robbing me that they conveniently "lost" everything. They began to threaten and menace the new movers to the point that they were beginning to fear for their safety and questioned following through with the move. With another call to the feds, they allowed the moving company to arrive THAT DAY, before 5 pm, to reclaim my property. Charming, right?
With more prodding from the feds, they promised they would reimburse me the money from my initial deposit. It is now nearly one month since the original set date of moving and I have not received my refund. They do not respond to any of the emails that I send every day and they ignore my father's phone calls.in addition, it cost an additional $700 to move my belongings from their storage in Houston instead of my home in Arkansas. I intend to sue them for that remaining sum (and the cost of my lawyer!)
Basically, in summary, they showed up 4 days late without notification that they would be late OR arrive on the 5th. They lied regarding the weight of my belongings, and thus the price that I owed. They illegally tried to charge me more than the 110% from our initial contract. They attempted to ransom my belongings by refusing to deliver until the money was received. They decided, midway through the process, that they didn't want to work with us anymore and I would have to find a new company. They refused to cooperate with the new movers in allowing them to pick up my things. And they will not send me my refund or reply to any attempts at contact.
Essentially, avoid CrossAmerica Van-Lines as if your life DEPENDED on it! Do not let scum suckers like these take advantage of people any further. I will try to do the best I can in shutting them down by taking them to court, but I am sure it will not be enough. Hopefully enough people will read this and avoid them to make a dent.
Disenchanted Mover
Paris
France
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