I recently moved from Ohio to Colorado using Colonial. I was initially contacted by Colonial sales person Sean Boxer. He was very helpful and made me comfortable choosing Colonial as my mover even though they were not the low bidder. Sean informed me that he would be my only contact througout the move. I was also told that I would only make payments to Colonial (at my request) to simplify my billing.
My material was picked up in Ohio and put in storage in Illinois until I provided a ship to address and date. On my drive to Colorado, I tried to contact Sean Boxer to confirm my total weight and adjusted costs. Sean's extension had been switched and the person answering the phone was now in charge of my move. I specifically requested Sean and they would no longer let me work with him even though he said he would be my main contact.
The new contact was not well informed of my move and could not even send me an updated total cost when I requested. I finally got an updated costs about a week after I requested it.
When I eventually was ready to complete the move I called to set up a delivery date and and location. I was now dealing with another new person in customer service (Gwen). Gwen informed me that I was to make a payment to a subcontracted mover (Best Price Moving) or they would not even schedule my move. I paid BPM and scheduled the delivery for sometime between February 19th and the 22nd.
During this time I updated my cell phone number and informed Gwen of the change 1 hour after I made the change. I informed her to update my account and be sure that all parties were aware so they could call me.
Best price sent me an email confirming that they would call me 24 hours in advance of the delivery date so I would be at the residence.
Sunday the 19th comes along and I have not recieved any call so I assume they will deliver the material on the 21st or 22nd. When I get to the residence I see a note on the door that states "We try deliver nobody home". I had recieved no phone call to prepare me for the delivery.
I get to work the next day with internet access to check my email. Best Price had emailed me Sunday morning the 19th to let me know that they are trying to deliver my material. They noted that I should call them. When I called them we realized that my phone number was never updated so they were trying to call my old number. Gwen at Colonial had failed to update the Subcontracted mover with my new contact information.
Over the next two weeks I had repeatedly called Gwen's supervisor Sam at Colonial. About 90% of the time I called, he would not answer and I would go straight to his voicemail. Sam would not give the courtesy of a call back until the gal at Best Price Moving informed him of my displeasure. I would say that on average I would have to call Sam at Colonial 5 or 6 times until he finally called me back.
Sam informed me that since I was not around to accept the delivery, they had put it in local storage. I asked when they would be able to pick it up and finish the delivery. After about a week, Sam replied that it is now my responsibility to go to the storage facility and finish the delivery. I soon found out that the "local" storage was about 1 hour from my residence.
At this point I was eager to have my goods after 2 weeks of sleeping on an air mattress. I told Sam that I would arrange a local mover to finish the shipment but I expected to forward the cost to Colonial when complete. On Monday February 27th, Sam told me they would overnite the Storage facility key to my residence so that I could pick up the goods myself.
An entire week passes by and I do not recieve the key.By Wednesday the 29th I had began to go over Sam's head to his supervisor Sara. During this time I must have called Sara 6-7 times requesting to get an explanation. To this day I have not spoken with nor had any form of communication with Sara. She has totally ignored my situation.
Eventually at the end of the week on March 1st or 2nd, Sam calls and apologizes because the trucker accidentally shipped the key standard postage. He informs me that I should see the key on Monday March 5th. Monday comes and I see no key. Of course Sam and Sara do not respond to my first several calls of they day.
Tuesday comes and I am at work when my fiance calls me during lunch. I expect to learn that we recieve the key and this whole ordeal will be over.in the mailbox sits a standard postage envelope that is torn open with no key inside. I call Sam (Sara wont do a thing) and he apologizes and says he will call back when he figures this out.
Sam calls back and says there is a backup key at the storage facility. I say great, and I organized a local mover to pick up my stuff the next day at 9 AM. I inform Sam that my fiance will be picking up the material because I have to work and she will be there at 9 AM. I update Sam with my fiance's name and phone number so there will be no trouble.
My fiance goes to the storage facility this morning (Thursday, March 8th) to get the spare key. They will not let her in the main gate because her name is not registered to the unit. After all of this Sam had neglected to inform the storage facility that my fiance would be making the pickup. This wasted her entire day and we had to cancel the local movers.
So here I sit still without my goods. I still have not heard from Sara and Colonial refuses to let me talk to somebody above her to get answers.
Sam did get back to me to let me know that he had "reviewed my file" and had prepared a reimbursement claim. Sam told me that Colonial would rebate me $250 for my trouble.
The local mover I hired (then cancelled due to Colonials lack of competence) will cost me $700 to $1000. I told Sam that $250 was not nearly enough. Sam informs me that the subcontracted mover (Best Price Moving) called me 24 hours in advance on my old phone number.
Sam claims it was my responsibility to update Best Price Moving with my new contact information even though I signed with Colonial being told that they would be my only contact throughout my move.
It is impossible to get ahold of anybody at Colonial. I still have never talked to Sara or anybody above Sam to resolve this issue. I sleep on an air mattress and cook on aluminum foil in an oven. I am highly disappointed with Colonial Van Lines and will plead against them to anyone considering them for a move.
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