On 22 September we hired All My Sons Moving and Storage to move the contents of our home. We contacted their Davis phone number (there operations, however, are in Hayward and Sacramento) and were given an original estimate of $1350.
After the crew arrived, I found them as frequently in the truck talking as moving our posessions. Twice, two realitives of one of the crew came over to visit with him when he should have been working. Of the six hours that they were at our house, at least two-and-a-half hours were wasted in breaks, visiting and simply screwing off. All the while the meter was running at $135 per hour for a waste of $337.50.
One crewman as he dollied a bed table pointed out what he claimed to be previous damage he discovered. I knew better as I had to empty and move that piece to another room that we used to stage for the movers. That was a $150 piece of furniture, only three years old, damaged. More damage and loss would be discovered later.
The truck used was too small for all of our contents although their phone rep was thoroughly advised of the amount of rooms to be moved. Items were left behind causing us to incur the cost of renting a truck for $90 and the wasted time of having to move items ourselves (we hired All My Sons so that we wouldn't have to move our posessions in the first place). This lack of planning on their part also delayed the new owners from taking posession of our house and ensuing escrow hassles as well as slowing our move.
We left approximately 45 minutes after the truck only to see it appear behind us from a side street some fifteen minutes after that. If they stopped to eat, it was right after we bought them lunch and brought it to the house for them. This was another hour lost costing me another $135.
Because of the costly delays by the crew, when we arrived I directed them to move the furniture in the house and the boxes in the garage to keep from jacking up the costs. First, however, I had to pay the bill which skyrocketed from $1350 to just over $2200 (nothing would be unloaded until it was paid which is
tantamount to extortion). This huge disparity in cost was the result of the needless delays and breaks of the crew forcing overtime.
As the crew was unloading, their foreman unwrapped a German clock dated to 1875 and proceeded to pick it up by its gingerbread which promptly broke. He did repair it as best he could on the spot, however the damage is evident and the clock's value has dropped some $500 because of it.
After they left, I discovered that the vast majority of our furniture was scarred either moderately or severely; they moved the pieces without first wrapping them in moving blankets and the damage appeared to be from stricking door frames when dollied.
Our master bedroom dresser had a knob broken off, major scars and two drawers that were no longer straight because the dresser frame had been torqued and separated. One of the mirror mounts for the dresser was bent and twisted beyond use. The bed headboard was scarred and and the top trim piece separated and splintered. Both pieces, now useless, would cost $800 to replace.
We also discovered that a beveled glass table top center was missing; the cost of replacement is $80. When I called to ask that they check with the crew to see if it may be on the truck I was told to file a claim as they would not ask the crew. When I asked to speak with management, I was rudely told after a long wait that the crew checks the truck and if they found something they'd tell management. This was followed by telling us, again, to file a claim.
Because the crew's time-wasting acts a $1350 move ended up costing us another $850. Their ineptitude cost us $1530 in damages and losses as well as another $90 for truck rental as well as the lost time and aggrivation.in all, we've incurred $2350 in damages, losses and overcharges.
If All My Sons refuses to make reasonable restitution, I will seek civil remedy, report them to the appropriate regulatory agencies, including the California Department of Consumer Affairs, and bring their bait and switch charging practices, holding cargo hostage for an amount 42% greater than the estimate, before the California Attorney General.
Jack
Magalia, California
U.S.A.
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