Liberty Van Lines was dispatched by my moving brokerage company at movingcost.com for a move from W.V. To C.A. They seemed nice at first on the phone, informing me to not worry and that they were professional movers and would have everything in hand. What actually happened followed:
I had bought a full service move. I was moving a living room, a dining room and a baby grand piano. My piano was prepared prior to the mover's arrival by a professional piano technician. All the movers had to do was take the legs off and strap it onto their dolly, all of which liberty van lines informed me they were prepared to do. This was not the case. When the movers arrived, 5 hours late into the evening, they looked at the baby grand piano in shock and immediately called their boss. They learned on the phone how to take the legs off, and proceeded, while I watched anxiously. I later learned from the piano technicians who came to assemble and check my piano for damages that they did an extremely poor job of it. They removed parts that didn't need to be taken off, which also effected how the piano would stand the move itself. The movers were at a loss as to how to strap the piano and get it on the van. Finally they called their boss, and then asked me to find a professional piano technician to help them, at 9 pm!!! I managed to get the piano technicians over as an emergency and finally the piano was on the van, strapped to a baby grand piano dolly which liberty van lines said they had, but the movers did not have. Liberty van lines informed me not to worry and they paid for the emergency fee of the piano technician.
The day I received my things, the movers were again 5 hours late. Each time they promised to get here around noon or early afternoon, and each time they got here in the evening. As they moved my furniture into the house, I noticed that there were a few items damaged. I pointed out each item to the head mover, who wrote everything down, signed it and promised that their company would take care of it. Before my piano was unloaded, they demanded I give them the check. I asked for the weight receipt from the weigh station, but they said they weren't given the weight receipt, but I would receive it in the mail later or they would fax it over to me. I called their boss, who gave me the weight and the amount due. I trusted them. I was wrong. The head mover suddenly gave me a part that he said fell out of my piano. I was shocked and immediately called their boss again. Their boss yelled at me through the phone and said I was hysterical because "the piano's just a piece of furniture" and it's not considered broken unless it was hacked in half. He then promised that for the piano technician services I would need to check the piano over, Liberty Van Lines would pay for it. I was appalled by his attitude, yet if I didn't give them the check, they wouldn't unload my piano.
After a 2 week period of calling the owner for the weight receipt from the weighing station and not receiving any answer, only false and empty promises, I decided to put in a complaint to the Better Business Bureau. I was suspicious of the amount I had paid, because they would not relinquish the weight receipt. I am legally entitled to that receipt. After another week, I received a letter from the BBB with a copy of a scathing letter maligning my character of person written by the owner of Liberty Van Lines who openly acknowledged that he added additional fees to my actual weight. He rightously wrote that he was nice to me, that he gave me a discount on rates whereas he would have charged more for others. Now I knew the reason for his not giving me my weight receipt. He gave me a fraudulent overcharged fee (at least $280.00 by his own admission on paper) and was afraid of me finding out. I now also realized the reason he didn't want me to tell my brokerage company of the weight he was charging me and why he didn't want to report the weight report to the brokerage company. I am still suspicious of the actual weight of my move, because he could be adding anything to the actual weight, and I won't know until I have a copy of that report.
Due to the damages of my things, I was lucky that I bought insurance just for the move. I didn't bother to try and get damage claim from Liberty Van Lines, I went directly to my insurance company. I am still following their step-by-step routine and hope for a fair resolution to my dilemma. However, when Liberty Van Lines found out that I had reported my damages to my insurance company, they wrote another scathing letter again maligning my character, and told the insurance company to pay me no more than $50.00 How ridiculous! Again it was the owner who wrote the letter, and I must say how he would even know the extent of the damages which he did not personally see. Besides, everything was written, detailed and signed on the claim form. The owner of Liberty Van Lines now denies everything his employee wrote and signed on the form, saying instead that his employees couldn't see things clear enough in the dark. Such an excuse couldn't hold water when everything was pointed out to them, so they could write up the damage claim form and sign it. Besides, the insurance company isn't stupid. An estimator for damages has already been scheduled to check the damages and write up an official report with an estimate.
Be cautious when looking for a moving company. Ask them for references. This was my first move, and while I trusted both the brokerage company and the moving company they would dispatch, I realize now that I did not do enough research in the right direction in ensuring a smooth and worry free move. Because of my inexperience, I was cheated and lied to. As of this moment, I am doing everything I can to find some justice in the resolution of this case.
Anan
Hacienda Heights, California
U.S.A.
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