Budget Moving Service Inc

Review: I had hired this company and confirmed reservation and moving fee of $44/hr based on their advertisement. At pick up location we signed a form that said $65/hr and no other fee. At drop of they had written in charges of travel time, of truck fee, and a $300 refundable deposit in 3 days with a total of $450. Moving time was less than 30 minutes at pick up location and same as drop off. When I attempted to contact the company with the $450 the employees were going to charge me at the number ###-###-####, the same number I had called to make the reservation, no one picked up. On of the movers said they were going to call the company and their supervisor and spoke in another language and then handed me the phone with a man who said pay the $450 and hung up. The two movers stated the number I called was a broker for moving company and they get a percentage of the move price. After 10 minutes, and unable to reach the company myself, the two movers stated that all items would be in a storage facility and then I would have to pick it up there after paying the $450 + storage fees of $300. At that time, I had asked if there was any discount that could be provided, and they said they would write a receipt for $150, and I pay $300. They continued that they would pocket the $150 and to tell the office if they called that I had in fact paid $150. In addition I had to leave one item behind and it would be in storage. If I did not agree they would take all my items and store it, which in fact would cost more than the $300 they said to pay now.Desired Settlement: I would in fact like a refund on the blatant $150 that the movers pocketed and to come with a way to prevent this from occurring in the future and to have someone available throughout the day so when this does occur, it can be resolved in a better manner.

Review: I was looking for a full service moving company so responded to this ad on [redacted]: http[redacted] I called ###-###-#### and arranged to have 4 men come at 9am on Tuesday, June [redacted]. I asked about the price and was told $95 for 4 men per hour including insurance. I also double checked to make sure there wasn't any extra charges (furniture dismantled, packing clothes and extra boxes) other than mileage. I asked if they'd come equipped with enough wardrobe boxes and tools to dismantle my large wardrobe and other furniture, the guy told me they are professional full-service movers and have everything I need in the van already. I told him I had a large wardrobe with hanging clothes that I wanted put in hanging boxes and the wardrobe dismantled and reassembled. The guy said yes to this and he asked me what other furniture I had and how many boxes. 3 men show up an hour late at 10:10am. He gives me a contract and writes on it $100 for 4 men and $75 for 3 men per hour and doesn't tell me about any other fees. One of the men then disappears for 30 mins and when I go looking for him the remaining 2 guys are sitting in the back of the truck smoking allowing their smoke to get into my things. The other guy eventually shows up after I've called and texted him (###-###-####) and he now has a 4th guy. I go back up to my apartment to assist them loading and unloading. I then realize that I haven't seen the guy that went missing for 30 minutes earlier on for at least 20 mins. I look out the window of the apt and see down into the street that he's sleeping in the front of the van. I call him and see him look at the phone and ignore my call. I then send him a text saying "This is not cool, I'm paying for 4 guys to do a job and you're taking a nap in the van?" He continues to take his nap in the van so I go down and tell him to do the job he came to do and to stop wasting my time as I needed to get to work that afternoon. He said he has to watch the van and I told him he couldn't see the back of the van sleeping in the front cabin. I had the doorman helping keep watch and then I decided I was going to stay by the truck and help them load it. I only saw 2 of the 4 guys working. I went up to check on the other 2 and they hadn't got much of the wardrobe done. They finish uploading the van around 2pm and we drive 2.6 miles form the UWS to Harlem. The main guy says he's going to figure out the total and I have to pay them before they unload. He comes back to me with a Total $1060. I ask him how he figured that out as they didn't work with 4 guys for the first full hour and and he was taking a nap when he was there and it had taken them 2 more hours to finish loading. He said he was charging you for 7 hours of work and it will take us 3 hours to unload, $50 service fee, $50 wrapping fee, $100 insurance and taxes. I told him the ad I responded too and the man I hired the job form on the phone stated clearly that there were NO extra charges for wrapping, dismantling/putting back together, boxes, tape and that insurance was included. He told me I don't know that ad, it's not my ad. I showed him the ad on my iPhone and he called his supervisor. I asked his supervisor to call me on my phone and he refused so I spoke with him on the guys phone and he told me they are subcontractors and this is their pricing, I've signed the contract so I must pay them. I argued with him about that's not what the ad says or what I was quoted over the phone, he then tells me "you better pay the money and then go [redacted]." I have made numerous calls and texts to the original number in the ad but there voicemail is full and they are not answering the phone. I sit down with the guy and go over with him what I believed the billing to be (with the hours they had and would actually work) and come up with generous $550 plus $50 tax if the job was completed with 2 hours to unload. He said no way and I called the police as they refused to unload the truck. The police said this was a civil matter and they couldn't force anyone to do anything. I tell them I'd be willing to give them a check if they wanted then we could dispute later but I didn't have $1060 in cash on me I knew they were ripping me off so they'd have to take a check. The police officer read the contractor and said that would have to unload the truck and accept the check. I tell them my check book is in a bag on the truck the police then leave and they continue to refuse to unload belongings. The police come back again and the officer tells me I have to pay them or that's theft of service and I said my check book is in the van and I definitely plan on paying them. They still refuse the check. 3 hours later we decide on a price midway in between of $800 cash. I give them the cash and 2 of them beginning unloading the truck on the street really fast while the other 2 take my items inside. I assist them taking stuff in and make sure they are stacking them properly. I start to stack the items properly as they are throwing my clothes on the dirty floor and have placed numerous boxes and a wardrobe upside down on purpose. I go out to the truck and see they have most of my stuff on the street. I tell them to get my stuff off the street first before they unload anything else as it's a busy street and I don't want anyone running of with my stuff. I help one guy take a stack of drawers inside and then as I'm blocked in the way of the door the guy takes off running and jumps in the van. Take of outside and see them pulling off in the van and all my belongings are sittitng in the busy street as they are speeding off. It took them not even 10 mins to unload the van and dump my belongings on the side walk. I called the police back as I had paid them and they hadn't finished the job and had now left me in an impossible situation of keeping an eye on my belongings or trying to carry everything in myself. The police called the moving company and requested they come back the guy asked for the address and she told him the address and that the 4 guys who were just here know exactly where it is they needed to come back to. The guy was rude to the officer and they never came back. I had to sit there and guard my stuff for 2 hours while I waited for new help to come and assist me carrying the items inside the building. This cost me an extra $100. When they ran off they stole all the fixtures and hinges to my furniture that they had dismantled (so now all my furniture can't be put back together and is useless) and a key to my front door was the back of the van. So I filed a police report about the incident. They broke the leg of my dining room table, busted the wells on my computer desk, dragged my clothes on the dirty floor and since I am unable to fix my closets I can't unpack and check what else they've broken or stolen. I called the moving company numerous times and eventually a guy answered and I told him they stole my key and fixtures and didn't finish they job so I wanted my money back. He said to me there is nothing he can do about it because they are subcontractors so I can "[redacted]" then hung up the phone. This hole situation caused me to miss a full day of work and unbelievable amount of stress and left me off worse than if I'd rented a van and got 2 of friends to help me.Desired Settlement: I want a full refund of the $800 back (they never gave me a receipt for this) plus $100 for the labor I had to pay for in the job they didn't finish. I want my fixtures back or $500 to cover the cost of new furniture (which I'll have to purchase by this week end if I don't get the fixture back).