My initial contact was with Tracey Brown. I asked to schedule a visit to the pick-up site to access the items to be packed and moved so that you could provide a quote. She explained that she could provide me with an accurate, not to exceed moving estimate, from a verbal inventory collected over the phone.
Tracey was helpful, and I felt, thorough in collection of my information. I explained in great detail the amount of items that would require packing and delivering. An estimate was given to me after the collection of the information that she explained included more than enough packing materials and that if some reason all of the materials were not used, I could expect a refund on the unused materials. I explained that an accurate and worst case scenario estimate was important as I would have other family members at the pick-up and delivery of my mothers personal household goods. The service to that point was very good with great follow up communication; the things that help consumers differentiate one service provider from another. Based on this experience, I chose Colonial Van Lines for this move.
That was the last of my positive experiences with Colonial. Their derelict and fraudulent execution of duties were unacceptable.
Below are the unprofessional, deceptive, fraudulent practices I experienced:
1. At time of pick up, the driver and packers were instructed that several of the large furniture items listed on their list of pick up items (sofa, end table, and coffee table) were not to be packed and moved. Upon final inspection after packing was complete, it was noted that these items had been loaded into the van. The driver said that he did not understand and, because it was on the list of items, he was required to take it.
2. There was a recliner that was never included on the list of items yet it was packed and loaded. The driver explained to my on-site representative that since it was loaded, there would be additional charges if it had to be unloaded.
3. The personnel that executed the move were unprofessional and intimidating. My representative on the front end (a female) was uncomfortable with their presence and the language they used. My representative on the delivery end was forced to sign the delivery acknowledgement and condition documents before they would begin unloading.
4. There is a tremendous amount of discrepancy in the packing materials and methods that were charged. As I mentioned above, one of the reasons I choose Colonial for this move was their sales representatives thoroughness in taking an inventory and providing me with a comfort level in the quality of the work to be performed and the accuracy of her estimate.
A. I was charged for (30) Picture carton (4 pc) sleeve at $27 per carton. However, not one singlepicture carton was used in this move.instead, standard boxes were cut, folded and taped together. I was charged for (1) Mirror box (4 pc) sleeve yet, instead, the mirror was crudely wrapped using a standard box cut and taped together around the mirror. Most of the items that were packed in this shabby method were not even sizable enough to require packing in picture cartons. I have never had 5x7 through 8x10 frames individually wrapped; typically these are individually wrapped in paper and loaded into boxes. So what I paid $810 in boxes for was crudely constructed out of maybe $50 worth of materials, which should have been properly packed into $20 worth of boxes.
B. Most of the other cartons were only packed half-full. This fraudulent practice was clearly done to double the amount of cartons charged.
C. Most of the cartons were not professionally wrapped and packed. A few were but I seems that, once my
representatives supervision of the packing ceased, there was no more professional packing. This left glass and other fragile items unprotected (see representative pictures below). This is deceptive, fraudulent, and not the professional packing I paid for.
D. Several of the standard cartons were packed with clothes on hangers resulting in a wrinkled mess upon unpacking. This is not the professional packing I paid for.
E. I was charged $64 for (4) Wardrobe boxes yet, each of these boxes were half filled.
F. I was charged $252 for (7) Dishpack boxes, yet here were no dishpack boxes used.
G. A bag of (42) $1 coins in the desk drawer were stolen.
H. It is curious that that your professional estimating staff that can produce a weight estimate that is accurate within one percent of the actual weight, but the packing materials required for that weight was 350% higher.
The bottom line is that I was swindled and grossly overcharged for the horrible service I was provided. Multiple calls and emails to Colonial's customer service line have merely resulted in being continually blown off.
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