I am sending you a very detailed account and description of my recent and unpleasant experience with Americas Moving Network, job 1031255. I would like to preface this letter by indicating that Americas Moving Network (AMN) has an unsatisfactory record with Better Business Bureau due to a pattern of complaints concerning contract, credit/billing and delivery issues as per the Better Business Bureau website. Unfortunately, I did not have that knowledge prior to doing business with this company.
I am severely disappointed with the services that I received with this company.initial communications with AMN appeared to be appropriate, informative and guided during this stressful time. However, we later found that the information was inappropriate, misleading and fraudulent. As we were deciding which moving company to use, AMN told us all the moving companies were the same and that all companies that AMN contracted with used qualified and experienced movers and a 53 foot truck. We were told that the service would be a full pack of our Pennsylvania home and that the five movers would pack all our items, load, transport and upon delivery set the appropriate item in their respective room, not unpacking individual boxes. This information was reiterated on several occasions.
When an original furniture list was provided to determine our estimate, I reviewed it and at that time actually added significantly weighing items to that list to ensure accuracy with Joe (4-07-03). When I expressed concern if the weight would exceed the estimate, I was told that the bill would not exceed 10% of the total cost because it was a good faith estimate and that as long as everything was reviewed, it could not exceed 10% of the estimate cost, which was $3976.56. At this time I also indicated my company was to be involved with payment for the move and upon delivery of our items could a bill be overnighted to my company and then the check be overnighted back to AMN? I was told oh yes, we deal with companies moving their employees all the time; that is fine. Via email I received the contract on 4-7-03 and questioned the pick up dates of 4-17-03 to 4-18-03. I was told that the pick up would be on the 17th in Pennsylvania and the delivery would be on the 18th in Ohio.
On Monday, April 14, my spouse again contacted AMN to confirm our pick up date of 4-17-03 and the female he spoke with indicated yes, it is scheduled and someone will actually be at the house Wednesday evening (April 16) to begin packing. Needless to say, no one arrived Wednesday evening. On Thursday, my husband and son went down to our new home while my daughter and I waited for the moving company. The following is a documented series of conversations that I had with AMN to try and establish the status of the movers. The detail is lengthy but significant because the response from AMN was completely inaccurate and what I believe now to be purposefully misleading.
4-17-03
11:30 am: I called to find out where the driver was and the female that answered the phone asked if the driver had contacted me yet. When I told her he had not, she indicated that she would call the driver and have him call me within the hour.
1:45 pm: I called AMN a second time and spoke to the same female again. She questioned, Didnt he call? When I told her I had not heard from anyone, she put me on hold to call the driver. She told me that his cell phone must be out of range. I asked where he was coming from and she stated, he was coming from the West. She said she would call him and have him call me in a little bit.
3:00 pm: When I spoke with this same woman a third time she said now dont get mad at us; I will find out where the driver is. I told her I was not mad, but a little frustrated because the move was scheduled for today and we had confirmed as such on Monday. She put me on hold and told me he would call within the hour. I told her that my daughter and I had missed lunch and I didnt want to leave if he was on his way, but yet needed to go and get something for her and I to eat. She stated it would be fine to go; my neighbors were aware of the situation.
5:00 pm: I called for a fourth time and was then told that our pickup was actually scheduled over a two day spread of the 17th or the 18th. I told her that did not make sense and this was the first time this information was communicated to me because the reason my company sent nearly $1200 was to have the move occur on this particular day before Easter. I asked if the driver technically could wait until 11:59 that evening to call and tell me he wasnt coming. She laughed and said, Oh, he wouldnt do that! I told her that even she had thought he should have called by this time but didnt. I also told her that we were never told of a two-day spread but she insisted that is how all contracts were handled. She put me on hold to verify the status of the driver and then stated that the driver (he) is in Franklin and will be there early tomorrow morning. When I questioned how early is early she stated between 8 and 9 am.
4-18-03
10:15 am: no driver had appeared and I called AMN a fifth time and spoke with I believe the same female and she asked if the driver had called me yet. When I told her that no one from AMN called me and that I had initiated all the phone calls, she put me on hold and when she came back on the phone stated she had just spoken to the dispatcher who was on his way in and would call me as soon as he stepped in the door.
12:15 pm: I called for the sixth time and spoke with the dispatcher who had been running late this morning. He stated that the move would not be occurring that day and that the driver was tied up with a job in Pittsburgh that had to be hauled to Ohio. When I questioned Pittsburgh and that the female the day before indicated that the driver was in Franklin, he stated, same thing. I told him there were at least 2 hours and at least 90 miles between the two locations. He explained he didnt know and that sometimes there are problems with a truck when a customer doesnt give exact information of when their 53 trucks can fit in certain areas and men have to carry 9,000 pounds over 500 feet and things gets behind. He asked if I wanted to wait until Monday, the 21st and I explained that I did not as my son and husband were already in Ohio waiting with the same clothes on their back since the 17th and that my kids were scheduled to start their new school on Monday the 21st which is why the move had been scheduled for the 17th to begin with. I explained that this was a large inconvenience and he stated we would be credited $30/day and actually they were only one day late since they had that two-day spread. He stated that someone would be there in the morning. When I questioned what time, he stated between 9 and 11 am.
4-19-03
9 to 11 came and went and at noon I called for a seventh time stating I wanted to know the status of the driver.By this time, I didnt even need to give my Job number. I was put on hold and told by a male dispatcher that the driver will be at your house in 1 minute, literally 1 minute; I will have him call you.
1:15 pm: I called for the eighth time stating I had not yet received a phone call and at least 75 literal minutes had passed. The dispatcher stated hasnt he called you? He put me on hold and stated he wasnt able to get a hold of the driver and will have him call you shortly.
2:10 pm: I initiated the ninth call. The dispatcher again sounded surprised that the driver had not called me and put me on hold. When he got back on the line, he stated that the drivers name was Tony and he ran into difficulty with his truck because he had the other driver in a larger truck that they were trying to park and that he would call me in five minutes.
2:24 pm: Tony called and stated he was at a D & K parking lot and I provided him with directions to our home in Franklin, PA. He stated he would be there shortly and I told him with a large truck, probably about 20 minutes as it was through town about 7 miles.
3:30 pm Tony and Al arrived in a Uhaul truck that Tony later stated was rented in Franklin between Route 8 and 62 on that day. We have since tried to trace that Uhaul and both sites in Franklin that rent Uhauls do not indicate one such vehicle being rented. Tony took a quick look around and when I asked where the other movers were, I was told, This is it! By this time, I had packed a lot of my belongings in my own boxes with my own tape and packing supplies because of the delay since Wednesday night. I had everything out of the cupboards and told Tony I didnt know how to wrap the dishes and cups. He asked if I wanted to wrap them or should he. I told him I could and he stated, that would make things go a lot faster and then we (meaning himself and Al) could work in the other rooms. During conversations with Tony and Al, I discovered that there was never a Pittsburgh job that either individual had been involved with and that Tony had actually been on a greyhound bus from his home (later discovered to be Florida!) and they both were supposed to be at home for Easter with their families. Neither driver had traveled from out west.
At 6:30, Al asked if I wouldnt mind getting them dinner. He gave me $20 and I got McDonalds food for them.
At 7:20, Tony informed me that he had contacted his dispatcher and had gotten very ill and had to quit. He was displaying an exaggerated headache and he informed me that he would return the following morning at 7 amno between 6:30 and 7:00 am and we will have you oughta here by 9 oclock; the earlier the better They left at 7:30 and my daughter and I had to spend another night without any change of clothes and one towel to share.
EASTER morning 4-20-03
Tony called at 7:50 am and said they would be there in five minutes and he did arrive at 8:10 am however at 10:00 am they ran out of packing tape. I did go to Kmart to pick up $40 worth of packing tape and a cold drink for Tony and Al (Al gave me money for the items.) As the afternoon wore on, it was apparent that they would not be finished in time for me to drive to my new home and have Easter dinner with my family. They were supposedly not able to fit all my items on the Uhaul, however it was considerably smaller than a 53 truck that was supposed to be utilized. Later I also found out that Tony did not have a license to drive a 53 ft truck but yet had earlier been identified as the driver. When Al backed his larger 53 truck along the street, the tree limb pulled off the wire of his sidelights; I was told this needed to be fixed immediately or the DOT can shut us down for 12 hours! When everything was finally loaded, I was sitting on the front porch with Tony and told him that I wanted to be present for the weighing of the trucks. At that time, I was told that he would be weighing the truck closer to the Ohio home because they needed to get that light fixed. He asked where the closest weigh station was which I stated I thought was exit 234 off I-80 (Hubbard Exit) which he wrote down as Huddard but I stated I thought it would be closed because of the holiday and again he said we will just weigh it in Ohio after we get this light fixed because the DOT can shut us down for 12 hours. At that time he gave me an inventory list with 49 items that were misspelled and apologized for the incomplete list indicating that they stopped doing the inventory since they were just the two of us and it was taking too long. I asked him where the bill of lading was and he pointed to the inventory list and I said, No, that booklet from the company stated I should get a bill of lading. He did not know what I was referring to as the bill of lading. I gave him my cell phone number and Ohio phone number and directions to our new home and asked him to call me to meet him at the weigh station he would be using in Ohio. I left at 6:30 pm and because of the holiday traffic, I did not arrive home to spend Easter with my family until 11:55 pm that Sunday night.
4/21/03
11:10 am: I hadnt heard from the moving company and called America Movers Network and spoke with Jason who indicated he left a message on my Pennsylvania phone number (I later heard that message had been recorded at 10:22 am). He was very ignorant and starting yelling that I exceeded the weight limit and had an excess of 5,282 pounds @. 43/pound and the balance due was $5055.00 and I needed to be able to pay it or they were going to have to move my items to storage. At this time, I asked when they weighed the truck and was told it was weighed at Barkeyville last night. When I told him that I had requested to be present for the weighing he said it was my responsibility to follow the truck and be present. I informed him that I had told the driver as such and the driver, Tony, indicated he would NOT be weighing my truck until into Ohio on Monday (that day). I told him that Tony never indicated he would be going to Barkeyville and I had given him Hubbard exit as a place to weigh the truck since he didnt know where to take it. He stated that all truck stops have weigh stations and that the Uhaul weighed 11,300 pounds and there was about 3-4000 pounds additional on the second truck. I asked what I was being compensated for the delay and being the delivery person of the food and tape and doing all my own packing. He stated that I took it upon myself to pack my items and they were giving me the weight of the second truck at 3,000# to compensate and that the company was only a day late. I told him that had I not packed my own items, we would all still be in Pennsylvania. He continued to insist that they needed their money and how was I going to pay that so the men could continue with their other jobs. At that time I told him that I had been told by Joe that the bill could be overnighted to my company and then my company could overnight the check. He indicated that Joe doesnt agree to such things and I would have to pay before the contents were released. I told him that I would call my company and contact him back.
I called my company to have them speak to AMN which he did and later found out I was to speak with Chris Flemings.
2:27 pm My company called and told me that there were two trucks outside my house at that time and to call Chris Flemings, but it seemed as though I would have to pay to have my merchandise released. My company was paying up to a certain limit of my move and I was responsible for the other money and I did have to pay the full amount minus $25/day for one day late of service (please recall at one time, I was told on Good Friday it was $30/day) so I needed to have $5,030.00. I called Chris while driving to my house and he gave me the name of Eli Ashkenazi to have the money wired to and a phone number of where to call to get the money wired through a credit card. My conversation with Chris ended at 3:00 and at that time he told me the moving truck was just around the corner from my house and he would have them come to my house if he knew he could get confirmation of the money to be transferred. I told him that I never saw weight slips and had no confirmation of the weight being accurate and wanted them faxed to my company. He said, Michele, I have the weight slips in front of me and we cant waste time. I need to have confirmation of the money sent via wire to Eli Ashkenazi to complete the order and allow the men to continue with their next jobs, or we will have to put your items in storage.
3:15 pm: I was not able to get the money wired through my credit card and called Chris back and asked if I could do another form of payment. He informed me that a US Post Office check could be obtained and gave me a fax number to him to show him verification that there would be a post office check that would be given to the driver. He told me that the truck was 40 minutes away and to call him back once the fax was sent and he would have the driver move forward as they have other jobs to do and need to either put (my) items in storage or deliver to my house. At that time I continued to speak with Chris via cell phone and was going to the bank that was 10 minutes from my house.
3:30 pm: The bank was unable to write United States Post Office checks for over $1,000 and the teller at the bank indicated that a certified check was actually better than a money order because it would indicate that the funds were available. The teller wrote the check and faxed a copy of it to Chris Flemings.
3:43 pm: I called Chris and he indicated that it needed to be a United States Post Office Check not a certified check; it needed to be from the Post Office. I told Chris that I was unfamiliar with where the post office was and didnt understand why a certified check wasnt valid and would the company accept cash. He agreed to this and stated that the movers were 20 minutes away and he would have them move forward to my house. On the General Agreement, it states, all charges are to be paid in cash, certified check or valid credit card I waited in the parking lot at the bank where I would be able to see the truck coming towards my house because I realized the timing of where the drivers were when I was having conversations with Chris were very inconsistent.
4:34 pm: I called Chris back and asked where the movers were and that he had indicated to my company around 2:30 that the movers were at my house and now two hours later they were still not here. He denied that he stated that and said that he had told my company that the movers were 40 minutes away. I told him that the timing still wasnt accurate. He indicated that he would find out where they were and put me on hold. After coming back on the line, he told me their exact location and exit number.
5:37 pm: I called Chris back and questioned where the driver was and indicated that the more time that had elapsed the more I had a fear that I was going to be handing over $5,030 in cash and that the movers would not complete the job because it was getting late. He stated, I guarantee that they are not going to do that. He stated that he got into this business because I had a bad experience when I moved from California to Florida; they are not going to take your things and take off with your money. At that time he gave me his cell phone number and stated I could call him throughout the unloading process and that he guaranteed that everything will be unloaded tonight and you can call me throughout the process if you need to.
6:13 pm: I talked to my company and he again indicated that Chris Flemings had in fact told him that the movers were outside of my house when he had spoken with him around 2 pm.
6:19 pm: Chris called me to ask if the movers had arrived and I told him they had not; he put me on hold and gave me Tonys cell phone number so I could communicate directly with him. I called Tony and he and Al were uncertain where they were; I talked to the gas station attendant of where they were and found out that they were about an hour away given traffic at the time of the evening. They had taken the wrong exit despite explicit directions I had written and given to Tony on Saturday.
7:22 pm: Tony and Al arrived at my house with Tony carrying an alcohol odor on his breath. I counted the cash in front of Tony, Al and my husband while Tony and Al separately counted it. They began unloading and at 9:30 pm I was asked to go and get food for them. Tony had noted a Kentucky Fried Chicken (about 7 miles away). Al had injured his back and could barely manage to climb the 2 steps in and out of the front door and Tony was primarily moving the items off the truck with my husbands assistance. While I was gone, Al had dropped the 53-inch screen Hitachi television down the last two steps, which I believe is pure negligence due the Als condition. There were other incidentals of damage I have listed at the end of this documentation that I know can occur during moving, however this particular incident occurred because the movers were fatigued and exhausted and the mover at the bottom of the step was injured. Again there were only two men rather than five to move my merchandise. Tony contacted the dispatcher to confirm that the television was dropped. My husband spoke with the dispatcher to confirm the same. The items were unloaded and placed in the home by 1:45 am. Tony and Al were to return the following morning to finish setting up items and carrying dressers upstairs.
4/22/03
12:23 pm: I called AMN and spoke with Jason and questioned where Tony and Al were. He was again rude and asked why didnt they finish yesterday? I stated that they actually didnt finish until early this morning and had unloaded by 1:45 this morning and were exhausted because they didnt start until 7:30 that night. He questioned what it was that they had left to do and I stated the assembly of the game tables and moving the furniture upstairs. At 12:30 pm Tony called my cell phone and said they needed to return the Uhaul and that is why they were late. He had stated they were going to the house.
1:45 pm: Tony called my cell phone again and stated no one was there at the house but the car was in the driveway and the garage door was up. I told him to knock loudly and my husband was at home. I called my house and my spouse answered and knew by then that the movers were there. They assembled the items and left within 2 hours.
4/23/03
I called AMN and indicated that I wanted the NOT TO EXCEED furniture list explained. Jason indicated that if anything is added or removed to your furniture list, then we have to go by the exact weight of the load regardless of what the estimate comes out to. I asked where that was written at and he stated, Its our policy. I again asked where that policy would be written and he replied, we dont have to write our policies. I again indicated that I had not seen the weight tickets and he stated that the weight was accurate and all truck stops have a weigh station. I explained that I was dissatisfied with the service and whom could I speak to about my complaints. He stated George Kaldash was the owner of Americas Moving Network. Jason stated that he didnt understand what I was so upset about. They were only one day late and you have all your belongings. You are making it seem as if something terrible has happened. Your delivery wasnt even supposed to occur until this Wednesday. (I had not known this information prior to this comment.) He again advised me to contact George Kaldash. After researching the information that exists on the Internet about Americas Moving Network, Jason is correct, it could have been a lot worse. I asked for an insurance claim form to be faxed to my work address because of the damaged items and broken television.
4/24/03
I called AMN and asked to speak with Chris Flemings. I had not received the insurance form and I told him that I wanted an itemized bill of all the charges and the weight tickets. He asked didnt you get a bill of lading? I responded that the bill of lading was a joke and if he saw it because in comparison to what was charged and the inventory list of 49 items that there was no way it justified the money I was charged and that 49 items didnt weigh 14,000 pounds. He stated it would take 5-7 business days to get that information to me and I stated that was fine and confirmed my home mailing address. He also stated that Tony had taken pictures of the television and I told him that he absolutely did not and that I wanted the form faxed. Chris was speaking with another individual in the background who stated it had been faxed the day before, but I only received the second fax that Chris had sent this day.
I did my own inventory of every box that was unloaded and the following are the boxes that I packed with my own materials and boxes while waiting for AMN to show up at my house as well as during the time that Tony and Al were loading the heavier furniture:
1. Video tapes
2. Crockpot in its own box
3. Tall laundry basket with bedding
4. Cookbooks
5. Fry mate in its own box
6. Plastic dollhouse items
7. Rubbermaid container with old bills
8. Boxed wrought iron tree stand
9. Boxed wrought iron basket holder
10. Framed cross-stitched pictures
11. Spices from kitchen cupboard
12. Plastic container with old bills
13. Board games
14. Garage items
15. Garage items
16. Daughters jewelry cases and dresser knick knacks
17. Old yearbooks/photos
18. Old greeting cards
19. Kitchen items
20. Tupperware
21. Board games
22. Cross-stitch pictures
23. Nonperishable food items
24. Nonperishable food items
25. Cross-stitch pictures
26. Train set
27. Kitchen saran wrappings, etc
28. Books
29. Books
30. Beanie babies
31. Christmas tree (artificial)
32. Tupperware
33. Toiletries
34. Toiletries
35. Towels
36. Towels and sheets
37. Train tracks
38. Train cars
39. Video tapes
40. Photo albums
41. Kids books
42. Beanie babies
43. Tupperware
44. Clothes
45. Tupperware
46. Tupperware
47. Games
48. Garage items
49. Pictures/awards
BOXES from Americas Moving Network (packed by me)
6.0 cubic foot boxes:
1. Pottery/dishes
2. Dishes
3. Dishes
4. Cups (plastic) and mugs
5. Pots and pans
6. Coats
7. Stuffed animals
8. Clothes
9. Basement items (VCR, shoes)
10. Bedding (packed by Al)
11. Computer/printer (packed by Al and Tony)
12. Computer components (packed by Al and Tony)
1.5 cubic foot boxes (packed by me)
1. Silverware
2. Coffee pot and knifes
3. Video tapes
4. Christmas lights
Wardrobe boxes (packed by Al/Tony)
1. Master BR clothes
2. Daughters clothes
3. Master BR clothes
4. Sons clothes
5. Daughter/son clothes
6. Sleeping bags/pillows
7. Master BR clothes
8. Master BR clothes
9. Garage items
10. Garage items
Out of the 75 boxes that were packed, the movers that were to provide a full pack packed 13 of these boxes and of the 75 boxes; AMN only provided 26 of these boxes. I was charged for use of the following:
3 dish packs, which were to be 10.0 cubes but 6.0
30- 6.0 cartons
20- 3.0 cartons
40- 4.5 cartons
4 wardrobe cartons
97 boxes were supposed to be provided by Americas Moving Network and they provided 26!!!
I was told that because I used more wardrobe boxes (by Jason) that everything equaled out in the end it is NOT equal and I DID THE PACKING OF 85% of the FULL PACK PAID JOB to Americas Moving Network
I have also reviewed the furniture list multiple times and have not found any added items.in fact, I have found the following errors:
1. I did not have the Movers pack the pole lights (3 were on the furniture list)
2. I did not send the filing cabinet
3. There was only one big screen television and furniture list indicates 2
4. I left the vacuum cleaner at the PA home
5. There was only one king size bed not 2 (we sold the other before the move)
6. I only brought 2 of the 3 mirrors for the dressers; the third I left in PA
This is actually a reduction of the weight and the boxes that we were billed do not match the boxes that the items were removed from nor brought into the home.
The NOT TO EXCEED basis indicates that your total estimated cost should not exceed the estimated amount given, so as long as your Furniture List contains all the items to be transported and any accessorial services requested (i.E. Cartons and packing services) do not exceed the estimate. Your movers did not come with the items they were supposed to have arrived with so if additional wardrobe boxes were used, it was because the other boxes were not available; because this move does not appear that it was scheduled.
According to YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN YOU MOVE, Americas Moving Network has violated the following rights of this customer:
P. 4 Order for Service
Should there be any change in the dates on which you and mover agreed that your shipment will be picked up and delivered, or any change in the non-binding estimate, the mover may prepare a written change to the order for service. The written change should be attached to the order for service. You and the mover must sign the order for service.
I initiated ALL NINE communications with regards to the change of the date and have yet to receive anything in writing in regards to the change of the bill.
P. 4 Bill of Lading
The mover is required by law to prepare a bill of lading for every shipment it transports. The information on a bill of lading is required to be the same information shown on the order for service. The driver who loads your shipment must give you a copy of the bill of lading before loading your furniture.
I did not receive a bill of lading prior to the loading of the furniture and when I asked for it, the driver did not know what a bill of lading was. The bill of lading finally appeared after the cash was paid and clearly does NOT MATCH THE ORDER FOR SERVICE!
P. 5 Inventory
Please review this page in detail and make note that the mover quit taking inventory after documenting 49 items (because they were only two of us) and never notified the customer of this action. An inventory sheet never accompanied a bill of lading nor was presented to the customer and certainly there is no signature from the mover on the single inventory sheet. The inventory sheet is unsigned.
P. 6 Determining the Weight of Your Shipment
Origin Weighingif your shipment is weighed in the city or area from which you are moving, the driver is required to weigh the truck on which the shipment is to be transported before coming to your residence. This is called the tare weight.
Tony stated that he came up from a greyhound bus from Florida and picked up the Uhaul at route 8 and 62 (this is at least 20 minutes from the weigh station they supposedly used and he did not identify knowing its existence when the loading was completed on Easter Sunday; I do NOT believe the truck was initially weighed to get a tare weight and certainly do not have original tickets in front of me).
Each time a weighing is performed, the driver is required to obtain a weight ticket showing the date and place of weighing and the weight obtained. The ticket must also have your name and shipment number entered on it along with the identification (I.D.) numbers of the truck. The ticket must be signed by the person who performed the weighing. The weight tickets had never been presented to me according to the Rights and Responsibilities booklet.
You have the right to observe every weighing. The mover is required to inform you of the specific location of each scale that will be used and allow you a reasonable opportunity to be present.
I gave Tony my cell phone and new Ohio residence phone number as he indicated that he would be weighing the truck in Ohio near our new home and he never contacted me and allowed me the opportunity to be present. He supposedly weighed the truck in PA, contrary to what he told me was going to occur.
The mover is required to give you written notice of the weight and charges on your shipment before commending to unload at your destination residence.
I was told by Chris Flemings I have the weight tickets here in front of me (which would be in Florida?) and the weights are accurate; the weight was there. I was not permitted to visually see those copies, as I needed to verify that the monies would be paid so my merchandise wasnt put into storage.
P. 8
Experience has shown that the average shipment of household goods will weigh about 40 pounds per item. Maybe 45 pounds or morefor heavier items.
According to the AMN Inventory list: 49 items x 60 pounds (just to be safe) still only equals under 3000#
MY list which is more accurate than your own: 73 boxes PLUS all the items on the Furniture list including those you did NOT pack is additional 74 items equals 147 items and even if we multiply that by 60# and are generous with the additional weight it still only equals 8,820 which is LESS than the estimate and certainly not near the 14,340 pounds I was told (NEVER SHOWN) that I carried.
P. 8-9 Picking Up and Delivering Shipments on the Agreed Dates
It is the movers responsibility to tell you if the service can be provided on or before those date or, if not, on what other dates the service can be provided.
Once an agreement is reached, the mover is required to enter those dates on the order for service and the bill of lading
Please review the multiple phone calls that I initiated to AMN with the altered date.
Please review the bill of lading and note there is not a date entered on that form!
Once your goods are loaded, the mover is contractually bound to provide the service described in the bill of lading
My driver did not know what the bill of lading was!
The mover must at that time tell you when your shipment can be picked up or delivered
Again, I initiated the phone calls to determine this information.
P. 10 paragraph 2
If the mover fails to pick up and deliver your shipment. And you have expenses you otherwise would not have had, you may be able to recover those expenses from the mover. This is what is called an inconvenience or delay claim. Should the mover refuse to honor such a claim. You may sue the mover.
My husband and son were in Ohio and my daughter and I were in PA without access to cook and had to eat out Thursday evening, all meals Friday, Saturday and Easter Sunday. During this ordeal, I missed work and took my time to travel and get food and packing tape for your movers through AMN. I have been compensated with a generous $25.00.
P. 14
Complaints and Inquiries About the Movers Service
All movers are expected to respond promptly to complaints or inquiries from their customers.
Please review the numerous times I initiated contact to Americas Moving Network and have yet to locate a phone number for Atlantic Moving Systems.
At the time you make the arrangements for your move, you should ask the movers representative for a description of the movers procedure.
Please review the information from Joe and the expectations from the contract were NEVER met throughout this 6-day period that was only supposedly one day late.
P. 14 Payment of the Transportation Charges
At the time of payment of transportation charges, the mover is required to give you a freight bill identifying the service provided and the charge for each service. The freight bill must specifically identify each service performed, the rate per unit for each service, and the total charges for each service. Do not accept to pay a freight bill which does not contain this information.
I was never permitted to have copies of freight bills after several times of asking. Chris Flemings told me that he had the freight bills in front of him (in Florida) and they were accurate. I was told time could not be wasted and if I did not pay then my items would be placed in storage.
At the time you make arrangements for your move, you should ask the mover about the form of payment that is acceptable.
I discussed the overnight of the bill to my company and the check to be overnighted back and was told this was acceptable on April 7. Later this was not acceptable
P. 16 Payment of Transportation Charges on Shipments Lost or Destroyed in Transit
You are also entitled to recover the transportation charges represented by the portion of the shipment lost or destroyed
The following items were damaged/destroyed and I am entitled to recover the transportation charges for these items:
Hitachi 53 screen television is destroyed and actual loss
Oak dresser is damaged
Cross-stitch picture is damaged
24 red mountain bike is destroyed
White single desk is damaged
According to the Contract Terms and Conditions of Uniform Household Goods Bill of Lading, Section 2 (A) the carriers maximum liability shall be the actual loss OR damage not exceeding $. 60 per pound of weight of any lost of damaged article (s).
The Hitachi television and red mountain bike are an actual loss and the carriers liability shall be the actual loss and the additional 3 items at the. 60 per pound because of damages.
Overall, Americas Moving Network did not meet the expectation of the contract in any manner during the time period of 4/16/03 when packers were to be at our PA home to the time of completion of the job on 4/22/03. This company lured us as the consumer into doing business by offering low estimated prices for moving our belongings only to inflate those transportation charges and refusing to deliver until I showed proof of payment for the higher fees. I have been overcharged for packing items; the bill of lading charges me for a book box, linen carton, dish pack/china, mirror box, electronic carton, paper pads, PVC packing tape, corrugated paper, mattress cartons, TV. Carton, purchase of blankets and purchase of wardrobe and mattress covers. I dont even know what these items are however they total $223.35 in addition to the charges for all those 90 some boxes that were never used!
The loss that has incurred from April 17th to presently:
$3,324.15 lost in merchandise and the cost of transportation of those items
$6,222.97 lost in a service that did NOT meet the expectations of its contract
$ 225.00 spent in meals due to delays that were never communicated by AMN
$ 700.00 lost wages
mileage and time getting supplies/food for YOUR employees
Easter 2003 separated from each other&priceless
I have a ruptured disc and should not even be doing what I did and now have an enormous amount of pain and difficulty every day that I cannot really put a price tag on at this time.
The Better Business Bureau indicates that a company should handle complaints in the following activities:
Misleading advertising
Improper selling practices
Non-delivery of goods or services
Misrepresentation
Unhonored guarantees or warranty
Unsatisfactory service
Credit/billing problems
Unfulfilled contracts
I believe that Americas Moving Network violated each and every one of these points and the primary principle is that if the weight of my shipment exceeded as Americas Moving Network indicated, then why werent those freight bills simply faxed to verify that information and complete the business in a professional manner? I did my research and did receive copies from the Barkeyville weigh station and the following is shown from the Uhal truck that supposedly carried 11,300 pounds of my merchandise!
Steer axle 6820
Drive axle 12320
Trailer axle 0
Gross weight 19140 pounds
Although I dont have the tare weight, the Uhaul company on the website indicates that a 26 empty truck gross weight is 11,570 pounds. 19140 minus 11570 is 7570 NOT 11300 as Americas Moving Network employee, Jason indicated. It is apparent that I have been grossly overcharged and AMN won't share their weight tickets.
Mrs. Lily Ashkenazi, you state on 5/14/02 that my goal is to satisfy my customers not mislead them. On 6/03/02 you state. We provide weight tickets before they load the truck and after they finish loading. Each and every one of our customers have the option to follow the truck to a weight station once their shipment is loaded and physically watch them weigh the truck. This was not allowed in my situation; your company contracted to Atlantic Moving Systems and they are doing you a disservice however it is YOUR company that cannot produce those weight tickets, YOUR company cannot give me an address for Atlantic Moving Systems or a completed detailed itemized bill of why I had to pay what I did. This experience with Americas Moving Network has created a great deal of turmoil within my family and a lot of aggravation has occurred as a result of this operation that was supposed to be a professional business with professional movers.
I will be following up with your company in regards to my complaints and concerns.
Michele
Columbus, Ohio
U.S.A.
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