I would NEVER use Able Apollo Moving and Storage located in Somerset NJ again, nor would I recommend that anyone I know use them. My experience using them to move my property to a new house located a 20 minute drive away was HORRENDOUS for the following reasons: 1) Despite the fact that I provided easy, straightforward directions to my house, the driver still used the incorrect directions provided him by his Dispatcher ignoring the fact that after showing me the driving route information, I told him that the zip code on the mapped route was not the zip code where my house was located and that I did not recognize any of the surrounding street names; 2) I witnessed and extra large, ultra heavy duty plastic bag filled with my expensive, high-end handbags get loaded on the moving van, but they were never unloaded—at least, not in my house anyway!
At 11:30 AM on the morning of my move, September 29, after all my belongings had been loaded, the driver asked me for directions to my house. I gave him simple, straightforward directionsa direct route over a highway&a quick 20 minute drive. The driver indicated that those not the directions provided by his Dispatcher and showed me a printed mapped route and an address / zip code. I informed the driver this absolutely was not my zip code and that I did not recognize any of the street names on his printed map. The driver phoned his office to relay my comments. Despite our conversation, the driver still followed the route provided by his dispatcher. (In hindsight, I should have insisted on speaking to his Dispatcher, although I doubt it would have done any good.) At 11:45 AM we left my house. My sister and I arrived at my new house 20 minutes later and waited for their arrival. A half-hour went byno truck; an hour went byno truck.
Finally, at 1:30 PM I used a neighbors phone to call Ables office. I was transferred to the Dispatcher who informed me the crew had beensitting at my house waiting for me, to which I replied, theyre not at my house; Im at my house and theyre not here, Ive been at house waiting for them for nearly 1 hours. I recounted to the Dispatcher that the driver insisted on following the printed directions to some phantom address provided to him despite my protests that where he was going was not to my house and he should follow the easy, direct route I provided to him! (When I returned to work a week later there was a voice mail message from the driver, Were here but we cant see address 38. (No kidding!) On the work order I signed at the end of the delivery I saw the clerk who generated the work order specified my office phone number as my home number from which I moved, and my previous home number as my cell phone number and didnt bother to include the zip code of my new address. (It just amazes me that this company manages to stay in businessthe incompetence or perhaps sheer stupidity amazes me even now.) Perhaps if they were in the correct town or followed the simple directions I provided, they would have had no trouble finding the address # 38 in the town and might have actually arrived at my house in a timely manner. After providing directions to the Dispatcher, the crew finally arrived at my house 45 minutes later at 2:22 PM. Where they were driving from, one can only speculate11:45 AM 2:22 PM to make a 20 minute drive. Its curious that when I enter my address into Mapquest, magically, a precise map of my street and all the surrounding streets is displayed. This isnt rocket science, although a brain is required to use the computer, or to use even just a plain old paper map!
After unloading my belongings the driver indicated everything was off the truck and asked me to sign the paperwork. Foolishly, I did not take an inventory of my property, nor did I insist on physically getting on the truck to ensure that everything that was loaded on it was, in fact, brought into my house. I would caution anyone to make a detailed inventory and check that all items are unloaded from the truck or get on the truck yourself to ensure all your property makes it off the truck and into your residence. After the move I could not find the large bag containing my handbags and realized that while I had seen the crew load it on the truck, I never saw the handbags come off the truck. (This was a large Hefty unknotted, drawstring trash bag that could easily have been opened to see the contents.) The handbags consisted of several Coach bags, a vintage alligator bag, 2 fine leather handbags I purchased in Florence, Italy, a hand-tooled, hand-made handbag, several Etienne Aigner leather bags and a number of smaller leather handbags.
When I contacted the Sales Manager with whom I initially dealt regarding my move, though sympathetic, he referred me to the Able Operations Manager who informed me that Able was willing to have the police interview the moving crew (as if anyone would admit, Yes, I stole the customers property). (I did, in fact, file a police report, however, the police apparently realize there is little hope of recovering my property.) The Operations Manager assured me that he was convinced his crew was honest to which I replied Yes, so was Bernie Madoff. Ultimately, the Operations Manger blatantly remarked, Its your word against our word! And that ended the conversation. I realize times are tough and crimes of opportunity can often turn otherwise honest people into dishonest people who simply take advantage of what they deem to be an easy score.
Since I closed on my new residence prior to closing on the sale of my prior residence, I had the opportunity to personally move many of my valuables from my 3,700 sq. Ft. House myself, including a very large art collection (original oil paintings, watercolors, etc.) and a large collection of antique books from my extensive library, along with smaller antiques. Thank goodness I had the foresight to move these items myself. Had I not been faced with severe time constraints involved in emptying a large house in a very short period of time, I certainly would have moved these handbags myself as well, or packed them in a sealed carton with the contents identified only by a sequential number.
So that is my experience with Able Apollo Movers and Storage of Somerset, NJ. Based upon my personal experience regarding this seemingly simple 20 minute drive/move, my final thoughts are as follows:
I would absolutely would NOT recommend Able Apollo Movers
Box everything and label the boxes with numbers that correspond to a written inventory of the contents to which only you have access.
Even if youre under severe time constraints as I was, enlist the help of every family member and friend to pack valuable items in cartons marked only with an identifying number so that the moving crew has no indication as to the contents/value of the items and assume that if you present someone with the opportunity to easily rob you, they will.
When your move is complete, get on the truck and uncover every moving blanket, look in every container and ensure that everything that went on the truck actually comes off the truck and goes into your residence.
Dont even think about tipping the crew until youre certain you havent been robbed. If you want to tip them, as I generously did in cash, tell them youll send a tip to the company for them, get their first and last names and send checks to the moving company after youre certain none of your property was taken.
In my opinion, based upon my personal experience with Able Apollo Movers, I would have to say that the office support staff is largely incompetent and incapable of successfully supporting a move that was a 20 minute drive away. The degree of incompetence, starting with the clerk who put together a work order with multiple errors and missing vital information, followed by the Dispatcher who mapped out a route to an address in another town for which there was a non-existent residence (#38), to the driver who insisted on ignoring my simple straightforward directions and chose to follow incorrect directions despite my protests that where he was being sent was not in my zip code, is astounding. To be robbed in addition to all the foregoing is just INCREDIBLE!!! I know its difficult to believe this actually happened (I STILL dont believe it myself), however, this is a factual description of my own personal experience with Able Apollo movers.
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