We contacted United Express Van Lines a month prior to our scheduled move. The cost estimate to move us was $2,500 (which included an unasked for "discount". Arrangements were made via telephone and email. My contact was "Melissa H., Relocation Specialist".
All concerned understood the company was to be paid by my husband's new employer, a hospital group in North Carolina. The hospital subsequently provided a purchase requisition/purchase order to this company. All concerned understood that no cash exchange would occur, as the hospital would issue payment in full upon completion of the move.
The company's movers called us and requested to come a day early. We agreed. Both movers spoke broken English. Both feigned at various times not to understand what I was saying to them, specifically regarding the cash they were requesting up front and the forms they wanted signed up front. These forms were designed to be signed AFTER the work was completed, therefore I did not sign them.
My husband and I worked furiously alongside these men. We provided them with both lunch and dinner. At 11:30 pm, their truck was loaded. At that time, the blah-blah-blah about cubit feet began. The cost went from $2,500 to $8,000.
At my insistance that they unload our belongings immediately before I called the police, they asked that I speak with "Shay", their boss in Florida. Shay screamed at me. He called me a liar, a crook, and undoubtedly many other foul names that he screamed, alternately, in another language.
Foolishly, after negotiation, we agreed upon $6,000. They wanted their money then. We didn't give it to them; they left.
Delivery to our new home was delayed. Frantic phone calls and emails to them went unreturned. Finally, they arrived a day late with only half our stuff. Different movers, this time, again speaking poor English. A man from Eastern Europe by way of Canada, and a "Shay Asiad" from Israel.
Eventually, we got our stuff in two trips, after having the police involved, after having our new neighbor park his pickup behind their truck making it impossible for them to leave, and after my husband assuring them that they would not make it out of the Smoky Mnts before authorities shipped their butts back to their respective homelands. The threats worked. We ended up paying them out of our pocket the $6,000 in cashiers checks, as they refused to honor their agreement to accept payment from the hospital.
These men are thugs. Until they thought my husband had the power to get them shipped off, they were arrogant bullies. After the deputies' visit and the threats to their staying in this country, they were servile and snivelling. Cowardly bullies. Weinees - they even said they couldn't get my piano in the house (it was too "heavy" for them) and were going to leave it in the yard.
Why, why, why are these people allowed to do business? Why aren't they not in jail? Fortunately, the only thing broken was an item I had packed. Beware of these Weinee-thugs.
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