Colonial Van & Storage, Inc.

Review: Contracted with Colonial Van & Storage (CVS) to move my household goods from Reno, Nevada to my new residence in Billings, Montana. CVS picked up my household goods on June 17th. My contract stated that my goods would be delivered to my Montana residence between June 21st and June 28th. The household goods were not delivered on June 28th. I called CVS on Monday June 30th and asked where my property was. Their response was that the property was still in Sparks. They stated that "a driver had not been assigned to deliver my property." I asked when could I expect a driver to be assigned and my property delivered to Billings, MT. CVS response was, "We don't know, you'll have to call Allied Van Lines." On June 1st I called Allied Van Lines. I gave them my "property registration number" and asked when would I receive my property. Allied's response was, "We are busy and we don't know when we'll get around to assigning a driver to deliver your furniture." I told them that the contract stated that I'd receive my household by the 28th of June. I was told that I could file a claim. On July 7th I again called CVS. Received the same answer, "Your property is in the warehouse and a driver has not been assigned". On July 8th I called CVS again and asked for the status of my household goods. Again I received the same answer, "No driver has been assigned." I then asked for the name of the CVS manager. I was given the name Mr. [redacted]. I was told that he was the general manager. I called the number supplied by CVS. I called the number and it was answered by his secretary that stated, "I'll put you through to Mr. [redacted]." The call went to voice mail. I left a message with my name and phone number. This was at 1050 hours this morning (the 8th). No call back. Today, the 8th my wife called the Allied district office in Sacramento, CA to inquire about the household goods. She was told that Allied was busy and when they got a driver they would ship the goods. They would not say when.

Product_Or_Service: moving household goods from Reno, NV to Billings,

Account_Number: Reg. # [redacted]Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

I would like Allied and Colonial Van & Storage to deliver my furniture by July 12th. I want them to pay for the 14 days of lodging I've had to pay while waiting for my furniture. To date I have expended over $1,000 due to Allied's horrible business practices.

Business

Response:

Colonial Van & Storage, as an agent for Allied Van Lines, Inc., contracted with [redacted] to have Allied Van Lines transport household goods from Reno to Billings, Montana. We verified the delivery spread dates with Allied Van Lines before booking this move through Allied's system. Due to the incredible demand for moves during the summer months, we must rely on Allied Van Lines to be able to dispatch drivers to meet their delivery commitments.

Allied Van Lines was unable to meet the agreed load or delivery dates on the [redacted] shipment. To accommodate the customer's needs, Colonial Van & Storage was able to load the household goods and bring them to our warehouse to hold for the driver who had yet to be dispatched. We continually checked with Allied to find out what was happening with this shipment, only to be told "the dispatched driver filled out before being able to load the [redacted] shipment".

Allied Van Lines takes full responsibility for missing the agreed dates. Allied Van Lines will compensate the [redacted] Family with a Delay Claim. The Delay Claim details will need to be worked out between Allied and [redacted], once Mr. [redacted] submits his costs for the delay. Colonial has no part in this negotiation.

The [redacted] delivery to Billings, Montana was made on July 23rd. We understand that Mr. [redacted] is very unhappy with his service, but Allied Van Lines will compensate him for the delay.

Review: I received 2 estimates for my move from Reno to South Lake Tahoe in March. One from Colonial Van and another from a competitor. Both reviewed my belongings in my home on the same day. Colonial Van provided an estimate of 7 hours. The competitor provided a set contract at 10 hours. After discussing the estimate with Colonial's sales rep, his confidence that 7 hours was adequate persuaded me to user their service for my move. The actual time for my move was 10.5 hours. It now seems quite obvious that the competitor's estimate was honest and Colonial's was not. Unfortunately, Colonial Van received my business based upon their dishonest estimate, and I believe others should be aware of this. The competitor did mention that he loses alot of business to Colonial and was wondering what they had estimated for my move. I find this particularly interesting in that it seems to show a pattern of low ball estimations in order to gain business. In the last 3 months I have attempted to learn more about the difference between my estimate and actual move time from [redacted] at Colonial Van. She assured me that she would speak to the moving crew as well as the estimator to figure out how this might have happened. I called her no less than 10 times and was always told that she was "looking into it". Obviously, this is going nowhere so I've decided to bring a complaint.

Product_Or_Service: moving service

Account_Number: [redacted]Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Refund

At this point, I would like a refund of 3.5 hours. I would have been agreeable to a compromise previously, but after over 3 months of putting me off I am no longer willing to let it go at less than that.

Business

Response:

We have completed our investigation of the [redacted] complaint about his move from Reno to South Lake Tahoe in March of 2014.

Colonial Van's salesperson gave an estimate of 7 hours to move the [redacted] household. Our workers actually spent a 12-hour day between the pickup in Reno, delivery in South Lake Tahoe and returning to Sparks. [redacted] was charged 10.5 hours or a total of $1,114.15 for our moving services.

We apologize for the delay in handling this overcharge and the lack of response to the numerous attempts [redacted] made to settle this issue. We did speak by phone a couple of times, but not with a firm resolution to this complaint.

Colonial agrees to the $371.38 refund to [redacted], which represents a refund of 3.5 hours of our work. A check for this amount will be mailed to [redacted] tomorrow, August 12th.

Sincerely,

Colonial Van & Storage, Inc.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. Thank you!

The worst move of my life! I would not recommend Colonial Van & Storage to anyone. The driver, Bryan M[redacted], arrived 3 days late with only 1 helper & a broken moving dolly. He did find my dolly in the load, immediately started using it, and then stole it when he left (calls requesting that he return the dolly went unreturned)! He was seen literally throwing boxes out the back of the truck onto the ground and didn't finish until 10pm (of course too dark to see anything). Then he stated (due to the late hour) he would not be able to put anything back together -- beds, tables, chairs,dressers, large 5 piece entertainment center and large 8 piece desk wall unit. And these were scattered everywhere from the garage thru the 2nd floor. We spent days trying to find all the pieces and put things back together (had to make several trips to Home Depot as all the attachment hardware was no where to be found). But the worst part was the horrific damage to just about every piece of oak, cherry wood & antique furniture -- huge scratches, gouges & some pieces even splintered apart! I am still trying to fix the damage and find craftsmen who can repair the antiques . Do not ever use this company! They made sure though that they were paid almost $18,000 upfront before I could have any knowledge of the total lack of good service or professionalism. Again, NEVER CONTRACT WITH COLONIAL VAN & STORAGE!

Review: 12-7-2014I have been trying to resolvethe issue since May 23rd. I have been the one that has made the calls to [redacted] at ###-###-####. She is from the claims dept. She told me 3 times that Iwas going to get a check for $110.00 and that I would have to talk to [redacted] at ###-###-#### for the [redacted]. In following her direction [redacted] ignoredall my calls and would not call me back. I finally spoke to him and he promisedto take care of this. I waited approx.: 2 weeks. I kept calling and leavingmessages and never would call back. I spoke to him in Aug. he again stated hewould check on this and again I heard nothing.Over the next 2 months I leftmessages with no response back. Finally the last week of Oct. 2014 I spoke tohim he again promised to resolve this. The last time we spoke was Oct 31stand as of today 12-7-2014 nothing is done. I did leave [redacted] a message on MondayDec. 1st. He didn't return my call again instead on Dec. 3rd.I received a message from [redacted] stating that I will not be receiving the $110.00for the damages. That I am only going to receive the $565.92 for the movingcost. I got upset told her that is unacceptable. And that she promised me 3times the $1100.00 damages. She stated that she knows but that [redacted] told her NOonly the $565.92. I tried to call [redacted] and again no response. So on Friday Dec.5th. I called the Fresno office and spoke to Danelle. She said shewould let the owner know what was going on and call me back. The owner knowwhat was going on and call me back. The owner is [redacted] ###-###-####5 ButI didn't receive that call back as well.Wednesday, June 4, 2014I was moving from my oldapartment to a new apartment about a mile away, so I had made arrangements fora moving company to move me when I noticed a resident from the new apartmentusing Allied which I found out later is Colonial Van Storage. I noticed thatthe furniture was all unpaid and thought, well that was great since I had beenmoving belongings by myself but needed someone to be responsible enough to bevery careful and wrap my furniture well and move my big oak furniture. I met one of the guys, his namewas [redacted] and I asked him about how they move customers, and that I was avery picky and wanted to make sure that they would be very careful and not ruinmy furniture. I told [redacted] that I did not want anything scratched and that myfurniture has no scratches on it. [redacted] assured me that they are careful so Ithen asked the other resident and she said she had used them twice and had noproblems so I was confident that they could do the job.So I contacted the company fromthe phone number [redacted] provided to me and spoke to [redacted] he said he was thegeneral manager. I told him in great detail that I had beautiful heavy oakfurniture that didn't have a scratch on it and that I wanted someone that wouldbe very careful and wrap things properly as to not have any damage. [redacted]stated to me that they were the best in town and I was not to worry. [redacted]stated to me that they were the best in town and I was not to worry. [redacted] saidthat they charge for how many men and that there was a 4 hour minimum fee andit was going to cost around $176.85 per hour, but that if it took less hoursthan they would adjust the amount especially if they only used 3 men instead ofthe 4 that I told him I needed because the furniture is really heavy.I told [redacted] as long as the furnitureis not damaged then I didn't mind paying that high of a price to get the jobdone safely with no damage. [redacted] stated that they were the best in town andcould do the move on Friday May 23rd 2014 between 8:30-9:00 am. So Iwas excited to have them do the move since [redacted] reassured me that I hadnothing to worry about. So when Friday came I went to get fresh [redacted]hnuts and bottledStarbucks coffee and water. I put the coffee and water in my new apartment inthe fridge to get cold for when they deliver the furniture. Then I went back tothe old apartment to wait for them to arrive. Once they arrived I reinstated tothem that I needed for then to be very careful and to not hit the furniture onanything and that I needed them not to hit the walls either, that any damagewould come out of my deposit.I never had a scratch on thewalls the whole time I lived there and I wanted it to stay that way. (Unfortunatelythey didn't listen to me on that either and put scratches on the bedroom walland hit paint off the corner of the walls in the hallway as well as the frontdoor that I had to touch up.) I am very prestige to know as to how I keep mybelongings and my apartments.I told them please be very careful.They said they would. So I proceeded to clean the bathroom up while they wereloading since one of the guys said fi I watched them, that would make themnervous, so I did not want that, so I kept busy elsewhere. I kept hearingpossible hits and noticed that they were moving awful fast and I brought thisto their attention again as to be careful as not to damage anything. But theyseemed to just ignore me. They made the comment that my cedar chest was heavyand kept asking me what I had in it. I told them that that was the only thing Ididn't empty and that [redacted] told me to fill everything up but I had alreadyemptied everything for them to be ready for the move. I also had put bubblewrap on the legs of my $1,000 chair with a pair of socks over the bubble wrapfor added protection.So what took place next was anightmare. I met them at the new apartment and I brought down water for themand I gave them a [redacted]hnut when they looked to see the apartment and where thefurniture was going. They made a mess with the [redacted]hnuts, so I was cleaningthat up when I took them a cold coffee, but when I went to get the coffee outof the fridge I noticed one was missing. When I went down stairs I noticed oneof them drinking the missing coffee from my fridge. He had got into my fridgewithout my permission and took one. Then when they were bringing in thefurniture, one of the guys kept hitting the furniture on the walls and doorframes. I again brought this to his attention and he was not happy with me forthat at all. I then noticed that they made afoot print on the wall and I again let them know that they had to be verycareful, (I was saying this) as I am cleaning off the wall from theirfootprint. Then I noticed that there was screws and a piece of the foot thatholds the wood slants that hold the mattress on just laying on the floor. Ithen lifted the mattress up and noticed that they hadn't attached the screwscorrectly and they had gouged the frame and made lot’s of scratches on thesleigh bed and frame. They stripped the screws and broke pieces.I started to cry and told themthey damaged my furniture. They said well [redacted] is coming out let them fix it. Itold them that’s not what they are coming for and that I need the bed put backtogether right. But they had every excuse in the book, to the legs need to becut off, the carpet is new, and they can’t help me. They even suggested that Igo to Lowe’s to purchase new legs. They wouldn't even fix the damage theycaused with all the scratches.I told them if it doesn't getfixed then I would have to sleep on the hard wood floor for over a week. Theydid not care about the situation that they had caused at all. When they broughtin the armoir they had damaged it as well and the handle was broke and thedoors wouldn't close, when I looked at the latches they were all bent out ofshape. And deep scratches all around it. When I showed them what they had done,again they had excuses.I was trying to fix the damagesand get in working order and all they wanted to do was leave me with the messthey created. I started crying again and they still didn't help me. They againstated, well [redacted] is coming, let them fix it. They brought in my cedar chest upside down and the side of it was falling off and they had excuses for that aswell. My cedar chest was and still is completely ruined and falling apart andthey still took no responsibility for anything that they damaged. They took my payment and left. Assoon as they were out the door I noticed my bathroom light on. I opened thebathroom door and I seen they had peed all over the toilet seat and thatsomeone had opened my medicine cabinet door and when they shut it, it didn'tlatch, and since they didn't know how to latch it they didn't notice it cameback open. Good thing I hadn't unpacked my Medicine yet. I then noticed glassby my armoire and I couldn't move the armoire so I called Allied and they cameback out, over an hour later and said they didn't know what it was from andtried to blame me.Then the one guy said maybe itcame from the blanket that they wrapped on it. The glass was so bad it damagedthe flooring and they again didn't help take care of it, and they again wanted[redacted] to fix the problem and damage they left. They then stated they were onlunch and left. I then was in such a state of shock from all of the damage thatI found every bit of my furniture was damaged from dings, scratches, bumps,breaks, broken handles. I had to use putty on the sleighbed and to help hide the deep gouges, as well as on the dresser mirror to hidethe cracks. When [redacted] arrived they gave me a hug and helped get things back inorder for me. They looked at everything and said (this is how they left it foryou?) they were in disbelief. They spent two extra hours helping me fix things.They even said that the bed rail on the sleigh bed was not connected in, andthat the screws were stripped, and they had to use glue as well to fix the bed.They helped me fix doors and the floor damages form the glass that they left inthe armoire. [redacted] had to take the armoire apart just to get the glass out. I spent 11am until 10:30 pmfixing the damages and continued all through the weekend and throughout thefollowing week and I’m still finding problems. It makes me sick to think theywere so horrible at what they did to me and on top of it all I had to pay themfor what? For damaging all of mybelongings. I then got to my $1,000 chair. I thought well I had padded the legsso there shouldn't have been a problem, but I was wrong. They had hit my chairso hard they made a hole through the bubble wrap and socks and damaged all 4legs. I spent hours myself trying to cover up all of that damage as well. Thiscompany told me they were best in town. Well if they are the best in town thenwe are all screwed. I have to live with the fact that they destroyed all myfurniture and took no responsibility in this manner. I want something done to correctthis and I want it done now. I welcome you to come and see for yourself thisand I had to cover up. This made my life a living nightmare. And then theysteal from me out of my fridge. What gave them the right? Then they pee allover my toilet and open my medicine cabinet. Who do they think they are? Just because I am a woman, I get treated tothis level of being violated. Was it my age? Do they think I’m stupid? Someonebetter fix this. My gorgeous furniture is now a mess. I worked hard and spentclose to $10,000 and for what? For you to come and destroy it? I don’t thinkso. The cedar chest was a gift from my deceased ex husband for our anniversary.I now have to send it out for repair. How said is that?Desired Settlement: I want what I was promised and that was the $1100.00 As well as the $562.92 (The $1100.00 is the 60¢ a lb. on the furniture + the 562.92 is the moving cost)

Consumer

Response:

I never refused inspection. When I didn't know what was going on with a call I received I called [redacted] and she stated that they didn't have to come out to see the furniture, that she just needed weights on the items so [redacted] agreed that I could give her the weights. I contacted Furniture and received all the weights and let [redacted] know. I also told her to look at the web site and it would verify that I was correct. I was having eye surgery and she ([redacted]) said no-one needed to come out. I told her if that changes to let me know and again she said no that the information I gave her on the weight of the furniture was enough. I'm tired of you people lying. You need to fix this. [redacted] said the pictures that I provided were enough evidence for the claim, along with the weights. [redacted] also told me during one of our conversations that she told the claims dept. that I never refused to have someone come and look at the furniture and that's why she said she approved the claim and that I would be receiving a check for $1100.00.So this $200 slap in the face is not right and unacceptable. You guys made this mess and you need to make it right.[redacted] 12-20-14

Business

Response:

I am still in the process of pulling all the documents from claims as well as our moving staff to adequately respond to this complaint. Checking all of the claims that [redacted] has made in her lengthy letter is taking some time. I should have a resolution within the next day or so, since I'm only waiting on a delivery of documents from our Claims Manager in Indiana.This has been a long process. Most of it has been due to the difficulty in figuring out what is actually being claimed. Ms. [redacted] made repairs to most of the items she claims were damaged, before we were allowed the opportunity to even view the damages. It is very hard to determine after the fact that damages were caused by transit. In addition, the repairs to her home seemed to be cosmetic in nature and were repaired immediately by the customer, again before allowing us to view them. Since [redacted] did not contact our office while the move was happening, we could not deal with the issues while we could still fix them. If things were going as badly as she now claims, you would think that a simple call to our main office might have dealt with most of the problem. She also made no notations on any of our paperwork, but signed the bill of lading right under the statement that says "Goods received in good condition except as noted heron".Ms [redacted] is now looking for a full refund of her move, in addition to a full monetary value reimbursement to items that have already been repaired. There is no possibility of both of these things happening. We have no problem taking care of damages when they are presented in a manner in which we can deal with them. But to ask us to pay for repairs to items that we could not view is unreasonable. Then to expect a refund of her move in addition is unacceptable. We have been doing everything we can to deal with this customer and hope to have a final resolution shortly.Sincerely,[redacted], Controller

Consumer

Response:

This is a reubuttal to the response from Colonial Van & Storage, Inc. That I received from you today.In the second paragraph - They have known from day 1 what is exactly what was going on with the situation. They were no help at all. They said I would have to file a claim and I did. In speaking to Mira she said there was no problem in fixing the furniture and that that was allowed due to the way the invoice was.As far as the repairs to my home. It was a disaster. And I had to get it fixed or incure charges from my apartment management and if that repair doesn't hold up I will still be charged over $250.00 + for the flooring depending on what it would take to refix it if they are not satisfied when I move out. I contacted there office. They wanted nothing to do in helping the situation. They kept passing the buck.I've been the one making all the phone calls and trying to resolve this in a timely manner. They have done nothing to help. Now they claim I refused to let them look at the damages Again Never Refused. They just wanted me to go away by them not responding to my calls. Don't forget Mor furniture seen all the damage. If needed I can give you their information.As far as a simple call to their office. I DID - They ignored me always.I only sighed that BIll of lading because the movers said I had to and that I would have to go through the office on the damages. I was under a lot of disress due to the situatin at hand.In Paragraph 3:Yes, I'm looking for a full refund of my move. As well as the damages that they caused why should I have to suffer for all the damages that they caused as well as them stealing from me. They violated me in more ways than one.Again I was told by their claims person Mira that I had every right to fix everything and it was no problem at all.And as far as them having no problem taking care of damages when they are presented in a manner in which they can deal with them. Well that's a joke. They were presented with the problem in a wonderful manner but they chose to ignore it and that what unexceptable.Did they not look at all the pictures? I submitted them to Mira, just like she asked. I gave the weights, I just like she asked. I did everything they asked me to do, so cut the nonsense and quit lying.[redacted]

Business

Response:

Despite our investigations, I cannot validate the claims that [redacted] has been making. There have been too many people involved in the supposed damages, the customer, her friends, Mor Furniture, etc. The claims as to who said what and when are unsubstantiated. Our only recourse at this point is to just refund [redacted] the balance of the cost of her move.Colonial Van & Storage has already sent Ms Tozi a $200 check. Today I will be mailing her an additional check in the amount of $365.92This transaction represents a full refund of the cost of this move.Sincerely,[redacted]Colonial Van & Storage, Inc.

Review: We chose to move with Colonial Van Lines as a sub-contractor of [redacted]. We had one of their agents do a on site walk-through or our apartment in June for a move a month later. Their agent quoted us a price and a time window for our move. Everything seemed reasonable, so the agent and I signed a Bill of Lading with a Binding Price Guarantee for services and expected timeline.The day before the move I emailed the agent to confirm the time that Colonial truck would arrive. The agent responded that the office told him that there was a problem with our move, and they wouldnt be able to pick up our items until a week later. We were stunned. After later conversations with staff at the Colonial office and the agent, I learned that he was completely new to Colonial and hadnt properly filed our paperwork and booked our move, so there was no record of our reservation with [redacted]. Despite having a signed Bill of Lading with their employee, our move didnt exist, and no resources were allocated to facilitate it.Colonial offered no apologies nor did they make any attempt to right the situation, however. They told us that we were free to book another move with them at the earliest available time. If we did, however, we would have to pay $800 extra to have our items stored until they could be grouped with another shipment going to our final destination as we were now missing our original grouping. I protested, and asked for the storage fee to be waived, but the agent told me it wasnt going to happen, but assured me that if I filed a claim with [redacted], we would likely be reimbursed for the difference in cost. Three months later, and [redacted] has denied our claim stating that the burden to cover the cost is on Colonial. They reached out to Colonial, but they have been silent throughout our claims process.Desired Settlement: Our original Bill of Lading was $300 less than what we were ultimately charged because of the storage fees that we were obligated to pay to complete services. I would like to be reimbursed for this amount, which seems fair to me.

Business

Response:

We have reviewed the entire move file for the [redacted] move from Walnut Creek, California to Fort Collins, Colorado in July of 2015. We deeply regret that there were additional charges incurred due to miscommunications on Colonial's part between our salesperson, our operations staff and [redacted].Colonial Van & Storage will process an immediate $300 credit to [redacted]'s credit card to compensate for the inconvenience.Thanks so much for your understanding,[redacted], ControllerColonial Van & Storage, Inc.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Thank you for you time and consideration, [redacted]. I'll be taking down my reviews online as this outcome is completely satisfactory to us.

Review: Reported damaged goods from shipping and filed complaint 2 months ago. Have not gotten a response.

On June 12, 2013, movers delivered our household goods. Agreement for service number XXXXX. We were led to believe that it was .60 per dollar, not .60 per pound actual. Our fault in not really checking agreement. We have NUMEROUS items and can send a list if needed. We had at least 4 items that we know of now that did not make the trip. (broom, toy gun, carbine fiber gun cleaning rod, valuable movie posters) [redacted] was the moving consultant. [redacted] was the claims manager and our claim was filed on 7-16-13Desired Settlement: Actual damage cost of .60 on the dollar was $1302.00. Damage .60 on the pound was $80.40. As of 7-16-13 we thought only 2 items were missing and then the total was $70.00 for these 2 items. Two more items were found missing for an additional $200.00. These numbers are conservative and fair as retired people we have had some of these items for many, many years. Example, one inherited item was from the 1930's. A dresser from the 1970's was in really good condition and pieces of wood was broken off from underneath the dresser. The other items were only a few years old.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

Contact Name and Title: [redacted] M. [redacted], Controlle

Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Contact Email: [redacted]@colonialvan.com

[redacted] submitted a 2-page claim form for damages on July 16th for his move completed on June 12th, 2013. The damages were investigated and the monetary loss was determined based on the $.60/lb valuation chosen by the customer at the time the estimate of moving costs was made by our salesman,[redacted] A claim settlement letter and check in the amount of $82.80 was sent to the [redacted] on September 30, 2013. I have copies of the settlement letter, check and the [redacted] claim that can be submitted separately.

All damaged items identified in the [redacted] claim were addressed in the settlement letter. The damages were valued at the level that the customer chose at the time of the sale. The settlement check was issued. There was a delay in the issuance of the check due to internal issues related to the investigation.

We understand now that the customer misunderstood the method of valuation, but the figure is clearly labeled on the bill of lading and estimate. The customer chose to take the no-cost valuation rather than an increase to the moving cost for a higher valuation. The claim form completed by the customer shows that the shipment was released at $.60 per pound per article.

So although we have sympathy for the customer's misunderstanding, we are not willing to compensate the customer for an additional amount with regard to their claim.

I would not give this company a very good review. A man came out and assessed our things to be moved and gave us a quote. This man drove to our home so he knew where we lived and could see the access. A moving date was given but not confirmed until the Friday before our Monday move. The driver of the van would not come to our house because he said he couldn't maneuver the moving van although when we moved in that moving had no problems. So our date changed to the next day so our furniture and boxes could be shuttled, so some of our furniture and or boxes was moved 5 times. Then a delivery date could not be given until the furniture and boxes were picked up. A tentative date was given and then we were told the van could not unload van until we paid at which time we told the company we would not pay until we actually saw the van. Then we were told that there would be an additional charge of $1,100 would be added to our bill because we had to pay for the shuttle of the furniture. I could go on and on about the problems we had with this company.

Review: We were given a Binding Estimate price of $3701.93 to move our furniture out of storage at Colonial Van and Storage in Sparks, NV. to our residence in Gilroy, CA. When we put our furniture in storage in November 2014 I asked the Colonial Van and Storage Representative [redacted] about the delivery dates because he had indicated on the Binding Estimate the delivery would be between January 14, 2015 and January 19, 2015. I immediately contacted him about the dates and reminded him that we did not have a home yet to move to. He told be both verbally over the phone and in writing via an e-mail "don't worry about the dates" When we found a home to move to in June 2015, [redacted] e-mailed me a new bill for $4580.10 in order to have our furniture delivered. I told him that I strongly objected to the price increase since he had given us a Binding Estimate months earlier for $3701.93. Mr. [redacted] had also forged my initials on the approval of the new agreement. Since they had our furniture in hostage, we had Colonial Van and Storage make the delivery and paid them $4580.10 but under strong objection.Also while our furniture was either in storage or in the moving process several items were found to be damaged.Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Billing Adjustment

Since we were given a Binding Estimate which is Federal Binding Contract you need to credit us $878.17 which is the difference in the Binding Estimate and what we had to pay to get our furniture delivered from your storage facility.We would also like to be contacted in reference to damage to our furniture. Specifically two antique marble tops that were crated in one box. One of which got broken because your packer [redacted] put two in the same crate. We pai

Business

Response:

The Binding Estimate given to Mr. [redacted] was for a move initially planned for January of 2015 during our off season. When Mr [redacted] questioned those dates, he was assured that the dates could be changed to meet his needs. We continued to store the [redacted] goods in our warehouse and waited for their home to be purchased.When Mr [redacted] was finally able to move into his new home, [redacted] had to send a revised estimate since Mr. [redacted] was going to be moving in June, right in the middle of the Peak Season for moving. [redacted] explained that moving during Peak Season (usually May to September) would involve different rates. Mr. [redacted] complained about the increase but agreed to the move during the Peak Season and paid the increased amount. His household goods were not "held hostage", they were stored until the [redacted] family was ready to move. The rates were given and agreed prior to the move.In addition, during their conversations [redacted] explained that the initial estimate would be valid for a limited period of time - that different times of the year require different rates due to the increased demand for our services in the busy summer months. Mr. [redacted] was given and signed for the receipt of the attached Rights & Responsibilities Booklet. He refers to the description of a Binding Estimate on the top of page 23 (attached) but neglects to mention the next page where it describes Peak Season pricing.As for the claim for damages, I would be happy to send Mr. [redacted] a claim form to deal with his damaged items. Colonial and North American both have Claims Departments to handle a damage claim.[redacted], Controller

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:

Review: They broke several of my items and are delaying the payments for the items which are fully insured. It's been almost 3 months.

I paid lot of money based on their reputation and even paid for full insurance. They broke several of my items but I chose to file claim for only the big items that are clearly not useable. However, they simply ignored my claim and are using all possible means to delay the payment. It's been three months already.Desired Settlement: I would like my claim settled without resorting to delay tactics.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

Mr. [redacted] moved from San Ramon, CA to Yuba City, CA on June 18, 2013. Mr. [redacted] contacted me on June 21, 2013 to inform there were a few items broken during his move. A claim form was sent out that same day along with claim filing instructions. The claim form was received from the customer on July 3, 2013. The claim filing instructions inform the customer we make every effort to settle all claims within 30-90 days and by providing us with the completed claim information will help the investigation without any delays. Unfortunately the claim form Mr. [redacted] returned did not list the inventory numbers of the items claimed and upon further review of the inventories, I was not able to locate the claimed items on our copy of the inventory pages. A letter was sent to customer on Sept 16, 2013 informing the customer I needed additional information before I was able to proceed and upon receipt I will process the claim accordingly. As of Oct 10, 2013 I have not received any additional information from the customer. The items customer is claiming as damaged/missing are not listed on his inventories therefore this additional information is needed to prove these items were moved by our company.

Final Consumer Response

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

I have moved a 4-bedroom (with huge family room and entertainment room) house with several items. The inventory list runs for 4-5 pages with several items scribbled and coded. The items broken were discovered by the driver and I believe he took some pictures. I also have the items and the pictures for the broken items. The company can come and check and investigate them.

It is very difficult to have an exact match with the inventory number with the item, but nevertheless I have tried my best to identify the numbers.

Any insurance company can find some excuse to reject the claim but a Revdex.com certified business should not be doing it.

Review: Allied Van Lines was contracted for our recent relocation to NM. We had used them in the past & had a good experience, though this move has been nothing but disappointing. Our belongings were picked up in Reno 6/11. I arrived in Albuquerque 6/14 as our delivery window was 6/15-6/21. By the 20 I hadn't heard from the driver yet, so I called the office. Apparently, the driver assigned to our things "had been pulled from the shipment", & our things were still in Reno. Mind you, no one thought to even call us & let us know there would be a delay, that our things would not be there by 6/21. Monday I called back, there was a replacement driver assigned, only to be "pulled" two days later. This happened two more times, so far. They find a driver, then he's gone. A month later, our things are still in Reno waiting to be delivered. Every time I call, I hear the same thing "We don't know why the driver gets pulled, he just does". I also am unable to reach anyone higher up than the same sales rep/customer service rep, because "there is no one else to talk to", & "even if there was they would tell me the same thing". Our family drove to the warehouse recently to check on our things, just to check on their condition & see that they were even there. The photos we were sent were just as disappointing as the service. Belongings that should have been packaged in a box were not (like our memory foam pad, which instead was sloppily folded over itself on top of boxes w/a ladder & other storage bins on top of it),& shipments were separated from each other by a casually torn piece of cardboard. I'm afraid to see what the rest of our things look like, especially position sensitive boxes (like our TV that needs to be upright).Despite having a "delay compensation allowance", it is barely satisfactory, & we are still expected to pay the 3600$+ for this move, no discount. Important documents, work uniforms, cooking items, furniture, etc, are all on that truck, & being a month without out things is beyond unacceptable.Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

First, some sort of discount would be expected at least. To pay 3600$+ for a service that is completely unprofessional & disorganized is hardly fair. Second, it is unacceptable that despite my efforts to speak with a management type official, I keep dealing with the same individuals & keep getting no where with my concerns. Our move is being treated like it doesn't matter, & that is beyond ridiculous at this point.

Business

Response:

Colonial Van & Storage, as an agent for Allied Van Lines, Inc.,

contracted with [redacted] to have Allied Van Lines transport

household goods from Reno to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We verified the

delivery spread dates with Allied Van Lines before booking this move

through Allied's system. Due to the incredible demand for moves during

the summer months, we must rely on Allied Van Lines to be able to

dispatch drivers to meet their delivery commitments.

Allied Van

Lines was unable to meet the agreed load or delivery dates on the [redacted] shipment. To accommodate the customer's needs, Colonial Van

& Storage was able to load the household goods and bring them to our

warehouse to hold for the driver who had yet to be dispatched. We

continually checked with Allied to find out what was happening with this

shipment, only to be told "the dispatched driver filled out before

being able to load the [redacted] shipment".

Allied Van Lines takes

full responsibility for missing the agreed dates. Allied Van Lines

will compensate the [redacted] Family with a Delay Claim. The Delay Claim

details will need to be worked out between Allied and [redacted] once [redacted] submits her costs for the delay. Colonial has no part

in this negotiation.

The [redacted] delivery to New Mexico

was made on July 19th. We understand that [redacted] is very unhappy

with her service, but Allied Van Lines will compensate her for the

delay.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

We are currently working on submitting our delay claim to Allied so that we can get some reimbursement. We are also working on filling out a damage claim for as some goods were not handled properly. Some things were broken, others, like some storage bins/totes, were badly misshapen to the point where we can't even continue to use them for our storage items. Thankfully, some of the boxes that had damage to the outside did not have damaged good within them, in particular one of our ceiling fans. Despite writing "Fragile" on it, the box was clearly mishandled, as there was a huge slash/break in the cardboard exposing the insides, and a bent corner, yet thankfully our ceiling fan was unharmed. We are thankful that our things finally arrived on June 21, over a month late, however, it's the principle that our things were not handled well which makes me second guess ever wanting to use any moving company ever again. Its hard to let go of your belongings & entrust them with strangers, especially knowing that they aren't being cared for how you would. This probably was a significant enough of an event for us to just rent a moving truck ourselves next time & handle our own things. I suppose we learned our lesson. Still sad that we had to pay so much money for this service, but clearly that is out of our control & we will know how to better spend our money next time.

Thank you for spending the time to work on our case.