The management company Firman Movers (Sam and Flores) who finds guys for job, are not honest in business dealing.
I prepaid Uhaul for 6 hours of work. The guys were done with unloading in five hours. It was about 10:30pm at night. I told the guys that the work of loading and unloading is done in 5 hours and I can get the refund from Uhaul for the 6'th hours I paid. Flores (one of the mangers) agreed that there is no issue with that and the guys are anyway tired and have to go back to their families as it is already late, so 5 hours of job is good for all of us. I asked him again to make sure that there is no issue with that because if there is then I will use their help for the 6'th hour inside the house for moving/arranging boxes. Flores said that they will make the adjustement with Uhaul and there is no issue with the refund at all. He asked for the payment code, which I gave him on the condition that he will call Uhaul in the morning and will update the hours from 6 to 5 and this way I will get the refund of $82.50 for the 6'th hour I prepaid to Uhaul.
I called the office of Fireman movers in two days to inquire about the refund. Now the guy I believe the owner (Sam) totally became oblivious of any refunds. On the other hand he started to tell me that as there was no Tip given to the workers, according to him the understanding was, that the 6'th hour bill was to be used as a tip for them and he has already paid them that. I informed him that I purchased dinner for your three workers (which my prenant wife went to pick when they were working) and that was my way of appreciating them instead of a cash tip. Anyways, He refused to let me speak to the other manager (Flores) quite rudly and pretty much told me nothing can be done now as Uhaul has taken their brokage fee and he has paid the workers. I was quite surprized at their dishonesty and bad business ethics. After I insisted again on a second call, they said that they will refund me only $28 from the $82.50 they were supposed to (as agreed before giving them the payment code).
Here's the illegal part comes: when I asked them send me the money ($28 and not the complete amount) via paypal,
they insisted on me giving them five star excellent review on MovingHelp/Uhaul site and only after that they will send me a part of my money that they took wrongfully from me. Here's when I told them I will not write a review first as they have been dishonest on the refund and now this is illegal and business extortion to get a 5 star review for the money that was mine to begin with. Sam (the office manager) told me he is now becoming we impatient with this (I wonder, he really had the nerve to say that!) and if I do not write the excellent review for them first then I will get zero refund.
My mistake in all this was trusting Flores to call uhaul and make the adjustment from 6 to 5 hours before using the payment code. I should have done it myself. $82.50 is not a big amount, but it simply speaks of integrity and bad business ethics of Fireman mangement namely Sam and Flores.
For people considering to hire fireman: You may turn lucky in terms of guys you get, but always go and take your business where the mangement is honest and have intergity even if you have to pay a little more. I think Uhaul/movinghelp should stop advertising firman movers on their site. People like Fireman Mover's mangement just donot go much futher in life with dishonestly and bad business dealings. I hope they realize this.
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