I moved in 2007 from Europe to USA, Miami to be exact. I had all my belongings packed IN FRONT OF ME by very hard-working men who were very careful and loaded everything into the same container it would be shipped in. The furniture, due to a job opportunity, was actually only about 9 months old.
I hired Flat Rate Movers as they claimed a flat rate. They insisted on a Sunday, told me everything was included in the price. I had weights from both sides of the Atlantic in both pounds and kilos and when they arrived, on a Sunday, they refused to honour their price. They told me my weight was HIGHER than stated by both the outgoing and incoming weigh ins and insisted on more money. As it was Sunday I had two choices, pay the guys in cash, get a receipt and take it up with their boss on Monday, or wait. I chose to pay the 300 more in cash.
Further I was told they were going to do the set-up of the actual furniture as part of the package I purchased.
They arrived with three guys, one was a young Cuban who thought his job was to flirt with me, and the other two were Haitians relegated to doing all the work. They lugged things up stairs at times, I physically saw them do damage to things twice at that point and instead of saying anything Mr. Flirter told me that "I could claim the damage and he would back me up as he saw it". After lugging my things up, very expensive furniture, they then told me "ok we are done". I was astonished and said, "Excuse me, you are supposed to set the major things up like sofa, dining table, bed as per our agreement". They claimed to know nothing of that.
The next day, Monday, I called and complained. They argued with me as to the accuracy of their scale (funny but TWO ports do not have has accurate measures as Flat Rate Movers?). They then told me "we will have to speak to him about the damage and what else do you want?"—I told him I wanted what I paid for, that they come back and set up the furniture.
What a disaster that was! They sent three new guys who seemed anything but happy to be there. One sliced the side of a brand new sofa taking the bubble wrap off, and said "oops". I went through the roof. The other broke two of the four legs on my dining table by ruining the place, via tearing it wide open, where the screws go in. And then they dropped the frame of my bed, it was salvageable for two more months.
I immediately got original receipts, found a subsidiary in the USA to the furniture maker and asked that they give me quotes for replacement or repair and then tried to get Flat Rate Movers' insurance company. I also had extensive photos, including photos the day before I left my flat (condo) in Europe.
Long story short they gave me an address on Staten Island New York to submit everything. This is a complete fraud. They use a method called DDD (delay, deny, defend). It is a central house of adjusters working for many companies and their job is to deny everyone's claim. They then find some dumb reason, in my case they said "How do we know it did not happen on the way?" (well I saw the damage happen here and I saw the packing on that end, so that is how we know!). Then they do not answer your letters hoping the average person just gives up. If you are persistent enough, and I WAS, they will defend their denial and refuse to give you the name of the insurer for the specific company they are representing that day or on that claim.
Likewise Flat Rate refuses to tell you their insurer. To get this you need an attorney.
This is a fraudulent company that does not honour its pricing, does not do a good job, and should they do damage do not expect a penny back for it!
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