My husband is currently deployed so I was in need of some help in moving our things to our new home. After securing a rental truck online through the UHaul website they displayed a recommendation for MovingHelp.com. It sounded like a good idea especially since it wasn't just some unknown website but a "Partner" of UHaul.
I went to the website where you can find moving companies who can assist you with your move and they even come with "customer" reviews. Now we all know that these "customer" reviews aren't always accurate and some likely aren't even from customers. However the website did state that the mover helper would not get paid until I gave them a payment code.
So I found a moving helper, "Smoother Movers", and chose them because they had postive reviews and were the lowest price. I was then contacted by the company "Smoother Movers" several times before the moving date which made me feel even more comfortable in my choice.
Well moving day arrives and an hour after they were supposed to show up, nobody came. I called their phone number, which apparently was an office number, and kept getting voicemail. So I thought it best to call the MovingHelp.com customer service department.
The lady who answered the phone, named "Valerie", sounded just as excited as a child being taken to the dentist for the first time. I explained the situation and about how I could not get in touch with them through their phone number. So she puts me on hold, after she mumbles something I can't understand, and then connects me to the very same phone number that they weren't answering. The same one I told her they weren't answering.
So I take a deep breath and I call back. I explain that she connected me to the same phone number they weren't answering, which I told her they weren't answering, but I did so in a calm manner. So she puts me on hold after mumbling something else.
After about five minutes of being on hold, we are suddenly disconnected. So I call back and this time I am losing my patience a bit. I explain that this is my third time calling, nobody's showing up, and they are not helping me with my problem. So she puts me on hold without responding and hangs up on me.
So I call UHaul customer service because I was getting nowhere with the Moving Help customer service. I explain the situation and after much holding the woman puts me through with another customer service agent from Moving Help that promises not to "disconnect" me.
She calls their phone number and reports back "no answer". She then says she will find another moving company to help me. I kindly say my thanks and she puts me on hold. A few minutes later she says that there is another company that could be there in an hour to help. I say great.
Then she tells me that I have to pay more money, nearly $20 more but still, in order to hire the other moving company. I explain that I shouldn't have to pay as it is not my fault the moving company I hired through their website did not show up. She simply says she agrees with me but they have to charge the extra. So I ask for a refund. Luckily I had some friends in town who offered to come help.
Well per their rules you do not see a refund until a week later. When my refund came they did not do a full refund. They decided to keep approx. $6. I wrote the company because I was very upset about the whole experience and not receiving my full refund and got the standard reply of "We're sorry this happened to you. We strive for excellent customer service. We cannot undo the damage already done. Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah."
While I understand that they have no control over these companies that don't show up they still could have better customer service skills, don't hang up on you, and give you a full refund of your money. Also the company who stood me up on my move is still listed as a moving company on the MovingHelp website.
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