Best Choice Moving Inc.

Review: I contacted Best Choice Moving for my move from Cambridge, MA to Brooklyn, NY. We spoke on the phone and I gave them a detailed inventory of everything that had to be moved. The estimate is binding, as it says on the contract I signed, and was set at $1198.75. I realize, and I was told, that the final price may differ a little bit, because the price was based on the amount of space my things would take up in the truck. Based on the estimate, it would take up 465 cubic feet. The drivers came, and only after they put all my things in the truck, was I told that the final price was to be $2200. That is a difference of $1000! As far as I am aware, it is only legal to increase a binding estimate with 15%; not increase it with almost 50%. The foreman did NOT show me how much space my things took up in the truck, so I have no way of knowing whether it actually took up the 800 cubic feet he claimed. I even asked him about it, but he got angry and said he just knew it took up that space, that he had seen it and just knew. When I told him that I was not OK with an increase of almost 50%, he gave me a coupon of $85, which was already included in the original estimate anyway, so he should have done that in the first place. The final price came to $2020. I paid, because what can I do? Everything I owned was in that truck, and I was presented with a situation in which I had no way to know what was going on, and had no other option but to pay. The increase is completely invalid. The items that I moved were all on the estimate, except for very few items. Those extra items were: 6 book boxes of 1 cubic feet each. That still leaves 329 cubic feet unaccounted for. Furthermore, I had a drying rack that, folded, barely takes up any space at all, certainly less than 1 cubic feet. On the other hand: there was a litter box on the estimate that I did NOT take; and I also had on the estimate a 3-seat sofa bed, which in reality is a 2-seat sofa bed. I had exaggerated its size precisely because I wanted to avoid the type of surprise that I ended up getting. All my other items were on the estimate. Some of them (like my desk) are actually very small, so there is no explanation whatsoever for the enormous increase that they charged me. I called and emailed [redacted] from the company. She said she would talk to the foreman to see what had happened and what could explain this increase, and see if she could do something, but she never got back to me. I also called many times to find out when they would deliver my things, and they never got back to me either. I called and emailed many times, and after the initial email, never got any response.Desired Settlement: The binding estimate said my things would take up 465 cubic feet. They charged me 800 cubic feet. I am willing to accept and pay for 15% extra space (even though I do not think that my things actually took up that much space) which comes to 535 cubic feet total. I want a refund for the 265 cubic feet that I was charged extra, and for no reason at all.

Business

Response:

To Whom it May Concern:

As request [redacted] move from MA to NY was picked up on 5/**/2013 and completed on 6/**/2013.

[redacted] were given an estimate over the phone and was told that the final price will be determine on the day of pickup, because it's being measured by space, and based on the space taken up the cubic Feet increased. The driver cannot give her a final price until the job is loaded on the truck.

For more information please feel free to contact mme.

Thanks,

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:

If [redacted] from Best Choice Movers repeats her message, there seems to be no other option for me than to do the same thing. I'll enumerate, perhaps she can answer to the bullet points,because I STILL have not received a response to the essence of my complaint.

1) I KNOW that the estimate was made over the phone; a 15% change is reasonable, NOT a 50% change.

2) there was a difference of almost 50% between the estimate and the final price, and the estimate was BINDING

3) I was NOT told that I had an option to not pay, because I would have taken that option. I EXPLICITLY told the driver that I was NOT ok with the amount and that I could not afford it, he said there was nothing to do.

4) Since I moved EXACTLY the things I had on the estimate, either the estimate or the space on the truck is WRONG, so that is UNETHICAL practice

5) I was NOT shown the amount of space taken up, so I have no way of knowing whether my things actually took up the 800 sq ft the driver CLAIMED.

6) Since I was tricked into either believing my things would take up less space, or into believing that my things took up more space than they actually did, I want a refund for the difference. See the original complaint. Again, Best Choice Mover's practices are completely UNETHICAL. I specifically mentioned on the phone that I would not be able to afford more than the estimate, I explained that I had made a generous estimate to ensure that I would not end up paying less, and I was assured on the phone that, although there could be slight differences, the estimate was basically what I would end up paying. This is NOT what happened, so I need a reimbursement for what I overpaid.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

To Who It May Concern:

As Stated several times before, client price changed because of more CF space.

The client signed the Agreement For Over The Phone Agreement, which states that she is aware that the price was only an estimate over the phone, and not a flat price, therefore the final price will be determine on the day of pickup.

By signing the Bill Of Lading with the total amount on the day of pickup , again show that you acknowledge the final amount. Like I stated before if the client was not willing the pay the amount , [redacted] had all the rights to say on that same day that she is not agreeing to that amount , she can't afford to pay that bill and she wants to cancel, it's her belongings, no one forced her to sign the paper work.

At this time there will be no reimbursement on this case.

Please see attached file of paperwork the client sign on the day of service agreeing to all terms of the contract.

For more information please feel free cont me.

Best Choice Movers