Avatar Relocation of NY Inc.

Review: We contacted Avatar to help us in our move from a single family home. They sent Steve K[redacted] to look at the job and write up a contract. We were told the move would take 9 hours and a couple men and that everything would be taken and set up as found. I stressed to Steve how important my crystal chandelier was and if we can please make sure it would be handled with care. He said we have a chandelier crate that it would be placed in and no damage would come to it. He gave us their restrictions such as no gas in any equipment such as the snowblower, ATV and BBQ. On day of the move a mini moving truck pulls up with three men and they immediately said we are going to have a hard time making this all fit who was the sales man...we told them his name and they laughed and said he is a part timer and he really is a car salesman he does this all the time. We contacte[redacted] and he said there is nothing he can do. So the move didn't take a day , the movers broke half of my stuff, didn't put things back how they had it, they left behind boxes and other belongings cause they didn't fit. My $4k chandelier never had a crate pieces broke and crystals are now missing. All kids toys were taken apart never put back together and all pieces are missing. The ATV was strapped to the loading lift and barley hanging on. The list of items left behind and broken would take up this entire page. We had to stay in a hotel that night and all the perishables expired. We were in a jam and the workers would help us out for cash even with giving them money still belongings were left behind. Steve and his company couldn't care. The truck was so over packed that they started shoving and crushing the boxes. Which led to my kitchen and dinning room glasses and plates to break. Those glasses were wrapped with paper and bubble wrap cause they were my fine china so they would be well protected and boxes labeled glass fragile. The cotton candy machine the globe cracked. Even the BBQ knobs snapped off. We did a credit card dispute and paid them what we felt was fair since we had to purchase and fix what was broke. Plus mind you I had to give the other moving men cash as well. Bill South from Avatar called and said I didn't have movers insurance which I didn't know I needed since that was one of Steve's selling pitches that if anything happened they are 100% insured. He also said anything that breaks in a box is not his problem. What a business motto for a moving company!!! Well it did happen and they are now putting me into collections for a balance that I am refusing to pay. Experience was absolutely horrible for the whole family. STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!!!!! CROOKS!!!Desired Settlement: I would like them to adjust the billing and to not sent to creditors. Also to make sure that Steve learns how to properly price and coordinate his jobs so that this doesn't happen to another family.

Business

Response:

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to address this complaint and please note the following information which is offered in response to this issue...1) Avatar Relocation of NY Inc. (Avatar Relocation) contracted with [redacted] and [redacted] ([redacted] & [redacted]) [redacted] to move 985 cubic feet (6,800 pounds) of household goods and personnel effects from Wantagh, NY to Katonah, NY. The cost estimate for this service totaled $1,801.00 and the move was planned to be completed (loaded and delivered) on a single day (on Thursday, 1/**/2015).2) On 1/**/2015 Avatar Relocation sent a truck and crew to perform this moving job. The moving truck had a capacity to hold 2,000 cubic feet (14,000 pounds), which is twice the space needed to move the amount of goods the customer had stated that they wanted to move.3) Upon arrival at the Wantagh job site the [redacted] instructed the Avatar moving crew to move many additional items which were not included in our original cost estimate. These extra items included the following articles: 150 boxes, 2 bicycles, 5 ladders, 2 doll houses, a cotton candy machine, 3 rugs, 2 TVs and 1 All-Terrain-Vehicle (ATV). 4) The additional items barely fit on the moving truck (which again had the capacity to hold twice what the [redacted] originally said they wanted to move); if any articles were left behind it was because there was simply no more room left on the truck.5) As a result of the extra time required to move the extra items there was not enough time to load and deliver on a single day (as was initially planned). In addition, despite all of the extra work which Avatar Relocation performed (including moving twice as many items as were called for in the estimate) Avatar Relocation only charged the [redacted] an additional $215.00 above the original cost estimate (the total bill for this move was $2,016.00 vs. the $1,801.00 cost estimate).6) Reimbursement for loss or damage is addressed by this process: The mover sends the customer a loss/damage claim form which the customer completes and submits back to the mover; to date the [redacted] have not requested or submitted a loss/damage claim form to Avatar Relocation. The mover then adjudicates the claim according to the loss/damage liability which the customer selected for their move; to date Avatar Relocation has not adjudicated this claim because a loss/damage claim hasn't been submitted. In addition, claims for loss or damage are not settled until the moving bill has been paid.In summation, all contracted services were performed and completed for this customer at a cost which was nominally more than the original cost estimate. However, the customer has not paid the bill for the services which were provided. We ask that, rather than resorting to name-calling, the customer pays the $1,616.00 they owe and then allows us to address any claim they may want to pursue according to the policies and procedures which we have in place to address such matters.Avatar Relocation respectfully declines the customer's request that we do not refer this matter to a collection agency.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because

Everything stated in that letter is false. I called Avatar to propose the moving job. I showed Steve all that needed to be moved. I did not state a cubic feet as I wouldn't know how to figure that out. I thought that would be the moving companies job. I have a couple other proposals from competitors that list the items Steve claims wasn't there. Nothing was added after he came in, in fact as we packed up our belongings many things were donated or thrown out. The ATV was always and has always been in the garage...the rugs were on the floor as where rugs belong...as well as the TV's on the wall. The children's toy house and slide have been in the yard for over a year and the cotton candy machine has been in the house for years ( I have the receipt for the machine to show the year it was purchased) which Avatar also broke as well. As for the ladders I do not even own 5 ladders. I have pictures of damaged items as well as a very long list of broken and left behind items. I even have a bill from the hotel stay that night. Steve obviously didn't measure the cubic square footage properly and missed noting alot of stuff. We have been disputing this for months now and no one ever said anything about claim forms. I called and spoke to Bill who never returned my phone call to rectify the issues. But he did call months later to see about the remainder of the balance that I disputed with the credit card company and to advise he is putting me in collections.To me Avatar was paid the amount if not more than what they deserved. Since so much has been damaged and lost. I have had a problem thus far with the company and would never trust to pay the balance and then wait to get reimbursed. To be honest I don't think they would even make good on the damages and merchandise they left behind.The service Avatar promised was not provided. Steve was of no help the day of the move and told us that there was nothing he could do at that point. They say they only charged an extra $215....what about the extra money that I had to be pay their movers to complete the job?Avatar didn't provide proper service or handling of people's possessions and took advantage when people rely on them. I feel that the public should know the risk they are taking when hiring this company.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,