I had a very similar, horrible moving experience with Sirena Moving in Phoenix, Arizona. We moved from Colorado to Arizona in September and after researching moving companies, chose Trans National Van Lines. Unfortunately, with rogue movers, rip off moving companies that contract out and subcontract the work, and all of the scams that we were warned about, there is no verifiable consumer assistance with finding honest and good movers.
So we had no idea the mess we were about to get into. Trans National gave us one quote (which ended up being almost twice as much in the end, and the movers from Sirena wouldn't unload our stuff, saying the "weight" of the truck was over the quote and we had to come up with thousands more if we wanted our stuff. They were almost a week late with the move, causing us extra expenses and a loss on our house that we were moving out of, as the renters couldn't move it until a week and a half later.
Even though I gave Trans National Van Lines - I dealt with Jackie there, who told more lies than I can even recall - even though I gave her a full inventory, room to room of our stuff and she promised a large truck big enough to move our items and charged extra for moving our hottub, when Sirena showed up they had a small truck that didn't even hold half of our belongings.
I was transferred for work so we were already in AZ when the movers were packing our things in Colorado, but my sister was present and called me horrified as she watched them so carelessly throwing our things (without wrapping them) into boxes. My sister was also shocked when the renters showed up and the two male movers from Sirena moving cussed them out in Russian. Maja Sutkovic (pronounced Maya) owns Sirena Moving with her husband and every time I called her with concerns, she yelled at me and made promises that another truck was on the way to get the rest of our stuff.
It is one year later, and we still have not recovered from our losses. Family heirlooms and gifts that were irreplaceable were broken and damaged. Our quote from Jackie at Trans National Van Lines included 100 boxes and she promised all breakable items would be packed. We lost an entire china set from our wedding because the dishes were stacked on top of each other in the box with nothing but one piece of paper between each. I've cried many tears over this experience.
When the first truck arrived at our new home in Nothern AZ, the Russian movers were yelling at us and verbally abusing us to the point that caused a scene and our new neighbors gathered in horror asking if we wanted the police called. They refused to unload any of our belongings until we changed our check, which was made out by my employer to Trans National Van Lines as I was instructed by them to do. Then they would not unload because we didn't pay the full amount - why would we though when they only had a small truck with half of our belongings?
They said they wouldn't unload and go back to get the remaining items from our house for a few more days.in those days, both me and my husband had several painful conversations with Maja from Sirena moving where she promised our truck would be there soon and she promised she would compensate us for damaged items.instead, days later when the second truck arrived with more of our belongings broken and damaged, they charged us an additional $4,500 over the original quote, saying the weight of the truck was over the quoted amount, but they wouldn't show a bill of laden or weight ticket to prove it.
Again, they held our stuff hostage and drove it back down to Phoenix... Where the truck sat in 100 degree weather, ruining even move items as we waited for the funds to arrive to get our stuff out of their unbelievable hostage situation. My husbands 500 cd changer and stereo equipment was destroyed, as was thousands of dollars worth of mirrors, appliances, christmas ornaments, furniture and other items. They did not use the proper lifting dolly for our hottub, and even though Jackie at Trans National Van Lines charged us several hundred dollars extra to have them move it, the heating element has never worked since the move... Leaving a $5,000 hottub useless in our driveway that we are still trying to save up to have hauled off.
Not only did they rip us off, they verbally abused us, and we may as well have had all of our belongings destroyed in a fire because that was how we felt as we unpacked the boxes of damaged items. Of minor side note, but still worth noting as I've read other people's similar complaints: When the 2nd truck came and the 3 different individuals were unloading (the first two men threatened us when Maja told them we complained, they called my cell phone and literally threatened our safety because I mentioned to Maja that there was no DOT number on their truck) the first two men also told us that Maja and her husband ripped people off and then didn't pay their workers well and that every move they did for them was like this, and that this was going to be their last job for them.
So the second 3 movers - one of them was Maja's sister or sister-in-law, they left cigarette butts strewn all over our driveway and front walk along with beer cans and empty starbucks mocha latte bottles. When I tired complaining to the supervisor/manager/owner (? He never would say just what he was) at Trans National Van Lines, he LAUGHED at me saying I should have read all of the print in the contract we signed with them that released them of any responsibility. Since then, I've tried to seek recourse, and unfortunately our only course of action would be civil litigation with Sirena Moving which due to our losses because of them, we have not had the money or time to pursue... Yet.
When I ask why this happened to us, and see the tons of complaints online against Trans National Van Lines, Sirena Moving, and the several other moving companies that rip people off like this, the only answer I can find is that there is no consumer protection when it comes to movers. I feel for everyone who has had this kind of nightmare experience and all I can say is - go UHaul and move it yourself!!! A terribly expensive lesson to learn.
Tooafraidofretaliationtogivename
Notsureifishouldsaythiseither, Arizona
U.S.A.
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