My husband and I received verbal and written estimates from Movers USA for a five (5) hour move that would cost $414 ($345 $69); however, we ended up being charged an amount that exceeded the written estimate by 252%. To this end, I am disputing the difference between the written estimate of $414 and the final bill of $1459 which is $1045.
When we first submitted our online survey detailing the contents of our 3-bedroom apartment and requesting estimates for our move, Movers USA quoted an hourly rate of $84 for a five (5) hour move which would have been $420 plus an additional hour for travel giving a total of $504. We had received quotes from several other moving companies and were considering our other offers when Movers USA followed up with a second, lower quote for a five (5) hour move that would cost $69 an hour for a total of $414 ($345 $69 for travel); this is the final quote to which my husband and I agreed.
On the day of the move, and after all our belongings had been loaded onto the truck and delivered to our new home, the movers informed us that the total cost of the move was more than triple the original estimate. When asked what would happen if we simply did not have enough money to pay for the charges in excess of the amount on the written estimate, the team leader stated that he would not be able to relinquish our belongings without full payment. Having no recourse, I authorized credit card payment under duress fearing that my belongings would be taken away and that I would be charged even more to have them returned.
That following Monday, my husband called Movers USA to complain about the exorbitant charges and the other problems (i.E., tardiness, overheated truck, broken items, etc.) we had experienced during the move. Unable to help, the sales agent transferred my husband to someone in the dispatch office. This person stated that he had a copy of the signed contract and an e-mail agreeing to a final quote for a 10 (ten) hour move. The problem is that neither my husband nor I ever received or signed any quote other than the one for five hours.
So, my husband asked him to fax copies of these documents to us and upon receipt, we immediately knew that they were not the same documents. Not only had the quote been changed from a 5 hour move to a 10 hour move, but someone had actually forged an email and also inserted my husband's name into the contract when I was the one who had actually signed and faxed the original documents on April 30. Needless to say a satisfactory resolution could not be reached.
Movers USA willfully misrepresented its services by offering a low estimate to secure my business and then inflating the cost of the move by more than three times the amount. And to make matters worse, a representative of Movers USA actually forged documents in an attempt to conceal the facts about what really occurred.
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