Milestone Media

(1)Valuation Coverage Only salesnotation that I see in the file is '$ecp ? She will let me know'and then it's crossed off The signedEstimated Cost of Service that was faxed back to our office on 7/21/has$59,ECP indicated with a charge of $ If there was a discrepancy, it should havebeen brought to our attention at that timeEven if it was overlooked on the Estimate; if at the time of moving(7/29/14), it could have been changed and charged accordingly(2a)Notations of Damage The driverwas correct when he informed Ms [redacted] that she has 90-days to file aclaim It is not his responsibility tomake sure that she reads the 'fine prints' On thesigned Information for Shippers that was faxed back to our office on 7/21/14clearly (and not in 'fine print') states PROFF OF DAMAGE/RECEIPT -Uponcompletion of the delivery, the driver will ask you to sign the deliveryreceipt Do not sign any delivery papersuntil delivery is completed Beforesigning, be sure all damage and any lost articles are noted on the receipt orinventory If the driver will not makesuch notation, make them yourself before signing(2b)Commission paid to driver to shorten their moves.Drivers arenot paid a commission to 'shorten' their movesDrivers are paid on a commission basisOn a local move (within miles) charges to the customer and the driver's commission is based the hourly rate As Ms [redacted] s move was completed in hours vs1/as estimated, the driver was not paid more to 'shorten' the move, but was paid his commission on the actual timeIf local drivers were getting 5-a month,I'm sure that there would not be adriver retention problem in the moving industry(3)Reading of the paperworkNot sure howto respond: 'read the property damage certificate section'- chose not to make any comments at that time'too many tolist on that paper' - it's a 1/x 11" pieces of paper with plenty ofroom on the back to comment, notatedamage, and/or lost articles (if the spaceon the front is not enough)'not sentwith original paperwork' - the form that has the 'Loading CompletionCertificate, Property Damage Certificate, and Damage and/or Lost Articles' appliesto the physical moving process and is done at the time the move is physicallyhappening The "Information forShippers" is a form that is done prior to the moving date and was sent with original paperwork(4)Washer DamageI don't knowthe exact conversation that took place, but the driver does have a picture ofthe scraped section as well as the dented section He stated that he took the pictures at the timeof loading and that it was pre-existing damage (5)Price of the LampIt wasclearly indicated on the Statement of Claim form by Ms [redacted] that the cost ofthe lamp was $and that it was purchased in Only during a phone conversation was itmentioned that she actually paid $400-As to the year of purchase; if unsure, could have notated with a"?" just as she did with the approx weight of the desk and dresserThe reasonthat a receipt was requested is because (as previously stated) there are nomarkings or manufacturer information on the lamp Neither *** Interior Services, IncorAllegheny Valley was able to research a value (6)I was the only one trying to oversee my shipment - Why would I have someonecheck my property? That is crazy.That factthat Ms [redacted] was the only one overseeing her move, was clearly a choice that she made and has nothing to do with our crew With the importance of checking the propertyat the time of delivery, I don't see that it's 'crazy' to have someone helping(7)Signature on PaperworkMs [redacted] clearly signed each area on the form in addition to the two (2) areas at thebottom of the form She previouslystated that she did read and chose not to make comments In addition, she signed the Household GoodsBill of Lading and Freight Bill Delivery Acknowledgement that shipment wasreceived in good condition except as herein notated(8)2nd Trip for [redacted] InteriorAll itemsthat were claimed were inspected and addressedAfter Ms [redacted] realized that we were not going to settle as she had hoped, she wanted a secondtrip Asto the statement that "This company cheats the customer of information,facts, insurance copies prior to move, professionalism, and respect for otherproperty", is totally untrueWe are aprofessional company As we are sorrythat Ms [redacted] feels the way she does, we do have many customers that are satisfiedwith our service Our company spends alarge amount of money for pamphlets andforms to inform and educate our prospective customers, whether they decide to move with us or not Even withall the precautions that our crews take, some loss or damage does occur We do not have "insurance copies"because we do not sell "insurance"Only an insurance company can sell insurance We are required to cover up to but notexceeding cents per pound, per article (explained on the Information for Shippers)Ms [redacted] chose to increase coverage and paid a higher tariff rateapplicable to her desired coverage

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. Date:10-23-14 This is in response to Allegheny Transfer Moving comments to my complaint. Allegheny Valley Transfer Co. Inc. [redacted] [redacted] ###-###-#### 1.) I did claim that the coverage was supposed to be $75,000, because that is what the sales person and I discussed in the quote for the move. I found the day of moving the contract stated on the moving copy of the agreement was $59,700 of full replacement. Therefore, there is misrepresentation by the sales women. 2.) Yes there were notations made by the manager of the moving crew about sum of my items destroyed or nicked. However, the moving manager kept reiterating that I had 90 days to file a complaint, and neglected to tell me (the consumer) about all the fine prints when they finished the move. At the end I was told to sign or initial. The manager made many inferences they needed to go, time was up. He bragged about how much commission he makes per job/a week to shorten their moves. He quoted about 5-6000 a month. Who knew? 3.) I did read the property damage certificate section and I had no comment at that time because, the manager insured me I had 90 days. I was furious at that point (the end of the move). I had no comment at that time, but was going to address my comments in the near future. There were too many to list on that paper. That paper was not sent with original paperwork, this paper was given to me by the manager after unloading my property. 4.) The washer front top was scraped, he did notify me. However, the biggest complaint is the washer was dented on the side of the washer after delivery to the new location THAT HE DID NOT STATE BEFORE THE MOVE. It was not dented before. 5.) I did not state the floor lamp was priced at $650.00 dollars, I said it was purchased for $450.00 and did produce by mail my receipt for the lamp. I was unsure the year I purchased the lamp. But I do keep receipts for mostly all my home furnishings. The company Allegheny or the contractor did not state at that time I needed my receipt right there and then. 6.) I was the only one trying to oversee my shipment; the person had nothing to do. That is why I stated I was by myself (trying to inspect my goods). Why would I have someone check my property? That is crazy. 7.) The damage and/or lost article paperwork the company is claiming is on the form; however, is not where I signed (none and my name). It was on the driver comments. I signed off on the drivers comments not on the damage and/or lost articles above. 8.) I needed [redacted] Interior to come again to point out several more marks and the Allegheny Valley refused to pay for them to come out again. One would hope for customer excellence, the company would try to please their customer. I would not recommend this company EVER. I am a person who has only used a moving company twice in my life and I am 56. Twice before that friends and family helped me without any problems, and especially did not damage my property. What does that tell you? This company cheats the customer of information, facts, insurance copies prior to move, professionalism, and respect for others property. Buyer bewhere. Sincerely yours, [redacted]

The following is our response to ID# ***:
'I purchased the full price insurance
policy the company offered'
Ms*** purchased valuation in the
amount of $59,for Full
Replacement coverage based on a minimum requirement of $per pound
(estimated
weight - lbs.). She
indicated on the returned Statement of Claim form that the actual cash value of
her shipment was $75,000.00.
'The moving men broke into pieces
several items'
There were notations made on the
delivery paperwork of a broken lamp, scratched headboard, nicked dresser (2nd
BR), scratched dresser (mbr), and a nicked armoire
'The company is giving me trouble
about my reimbursement.'
Statement of Claim was returned
claiming damage to a Floor lamp, Oriental Hand Painted Governor Winthrop Desk,
High Lacquer Mahogany Dresser, Washing Machine, and Metal Shelving
In a conversation with Ms*** it
was explained that some of the damage (exwasher ) was not notated at the time
of delivery. She indicated that she
didn't notate anything that it was the driver that made the notations. We are in agreement as it is the driver's
handwriting, but she had signed off with
her signature to the notations
In conversation with the driver, he
took numerous pictures. The damage to
the washer and dresser were pre-existing, he took pictures and also had brought
the damage to the attention of Ms*** at the time of loading.
'The company want receipts for every
item'
We have not asked for receipts on
every item. We have asked for a receipt
or some sort of supporting documentation for the floor lamp. Ms*** had indicated on the Statement of
Claim that it was purchased in at a cost of $and the claimed amount
is $650.00. In conversation, Ms***
indicated that she paid $for the lamp
The local inspection/repair company
that was sent to Ms*** home, researched and was unable to find anything
to determine the value for the lamp.
There are no markings or manufacturer information on the lamp
' When moving I was the only person
there who was there as the mover brought in my furnitureThe men had took
things all over the houseThe men stated that if I would inspect everypiece of
furniture throughly during delivery I would be charged as the men sat and
waited for me.'
The men are going to be taking
'things all over the house' . They will
being putting kitchen items in the kitchen, living room items in the living
room, and so forth. Local moves are done
on an hourly basis - the customer does pay for the time that the men are on the
job
The driver stated that Ms***
was the only person present at the time of loading, but that she did have another
person present with her at the time of unloading. He was not sure of the relationship of the
female to Ms***, but there was a second person present
There were men (the driver & two laborers) on Ms***'s
move. The driver stated that one (1)
laborer pretty much brought in boxes only and that he and the other laborer
brought in the furniture
Ms*** received a copy of
'Information for Shippers' (signed as
being received 7/1:16pm)
On the Information for Shippers under
PROOF OF DAMAGE/RECEIPT - Before signing, be sure all damage and any lost
articles are noted on the receipt or inventory.
If the driver will not make such notation, make them yourself before
signing.
In addition; at the time of the move, we have an additional
form that is used along with the Bill of Lading - under DAMAGE AND/OR LOST ARTICLES: Do not sign any delivery paperwork before
delivery is completed. When you sign the
delivery receipt, you accept your goods in apparent good condition, except as
noted on the receipt. This section is
highlighted in yellowMs*** signed the form and signed each comment area
We have the inspection & estimate
from West Interior Services , Incand are waiting for documentation from Ms
*** for the floor lamp. Ms***
faxed a copy of a receipt 10/16/14. The
receipt was not legible. Ms*** was
called and asked to mail a copy. She
said that she'd bring a copy on Saturday, 10/18/14. She was advised that we are open until
12noon
Once we have all the necessary
information, we will review all documents for her move and determine our course
of action
Copies of paperwork related to Ms*** is attached

(1)Valuation Coverage Only salesnotation that I see in the file is '$589 ecp ? She will let me know'and then it's crossed off.  The signedEstimated Cost of Service that was faxed back to our office on 7/21/14 has$59,700.00 ECP indicated with a charge of $507.45.  If there was a discrepancy, it should havebeen brought to our attention at that time. Even if it was overlooked on the Estimate; if at the time of moving(7/29/14), it could have been changed and charged accordingly. (2a)Notations of Damage The driverwas correct when he informed Ms. [redacted] that she has 90-days to file aclaim.  It is not his responsibility tomake sure that she reads the 'fine prints'.  On thesigned Information for Shippers that was faxed back to our office on 7/21/14clearly (and not in 'fine print') states PROFF OF DAMAGE/RECEIPT -Uponcompletion of the delivery, the driver will ask you to sign the deliveryreceipt.  Do not sign any delivery papersuntil delivery is completed.  Beforesigning, be sure all damage and any lost articles are noted on the receipt orinventory.  If the driver will not makesuch notation, make them yourself before signing. (2b)Commission paid to driver to shorten their moves.Drivers arenot paid a commission to 'shorten' their moves. Drivers are paid on a commission basis. On a local move (within 40 miles) charges to the customer and the driver's commission is based the hourly rate.  As Ms. [redacted]s move was completed in 8 hours vs. 11 1/2 as estimated, the driver was not paid more to 'shorten' the move, but was paid his commission on the actual time. If local drivers were getting 5-6000 a month,I'm  sure that there would not be adriver retention problem in the moving industry. (3)Reading of the paperworkNot sure howto respond:  'read the property damage certificate section'- chose not to make any comments at that time. 'too many tolist on that paper' - it's a 8 1/2 x 11" pieces of paper with plenty ofroom on the back  to comment, notatedamage,  and/or lost articles (if the spaceon the front is not enough). 'not sentwith original paperwork' - the form that has the 'Loading CompletionCertificate, Property Damage Certificate, and Damage and/or Lost Articles' appliesto the physical moving process and is done at the time the move is physicallyhappening.  The "Information forShippers" is a form that is done prior to the moving date and was sent with original paperwork. (4)Washer DamageI don't knowthe exact conversation that took place, but the driver does have a picture ofthe scraped section as well as the dented section.  He stated that he took the pictures at the timeof loading and that it was pre-existing damage . (5)Price of the LampIt wasclearly indicated on the Statement of Claim form by Ms. [redacted] that the cost ofthe lamp was $650 and that it was purchased in 2005.  Only during a phone conversation was itmentioned that she actually paid $400-450. As to the year of purchase; if unsure, could have notated with a"?" just as she did with the approx weight of the desk and dresser. The reasonthat a receipt was requested is because (as previously stated) there are nomarkings or manufacturer information on the lamp.  Neither [redacted] Interior Services, Inc. orAllegheny Valley was able to research a value.  (6)I was the only one trying to oversee my shipment - Why would I have someonecheck my property? That is crazy.That factthat Ms. [redacted] was the only one overseeing her move,  was clearly a choice that she made and  has nothing to do with our crew.  With the importance of checking the propertyat the time of delivery, I don't see that it's 'crazy' to have someone helping. (7)Signature on PaperworkMs. [redacted]clearly signed each area on the form in addition to the two (2) areas at thebottom of the form.  She previouslystated that she did read and chose not to make comments.  In addition, she signed the Household GoodsBill of Lading and Freight Bill Delivery Acknowledgement that shipment wasreceived in good condition except as herein notated. (8)2nd Trip for [redacted] InteriorAll itemsthat were claimed were inspected and addressed. After Ms. [redacted] realized that we were not going to settle  as she had hoped, she wanted a secondtrip.   Asto the statement that "This company cheats the customer of information,facts, insurance copies prior to move, professionalism, and respect for otherproperty",  is totally untrue. We are aprofessional company.  As we are sorrythat Ms. [redacted] feels the way she does, we do have many customers that are satisfiedwith our service .  Our company spends alarge amount of money  for pamphlets andforms to inform and educate our prospective customers,  whether they decide to move with us or not.   Even withall the precautions that our crews take, some loss or damage does occur.  We do not have "insurance copies"because we do not sell "insurance". Only an insurance company can sell insurance.  We are required to cover up to but notexceeding 60 cents per pound, per article (explained on the Information for Shippers)Ms[redacted] chose to increase coverage and paid a higher tariff rateapplicable to her desired coverage.

[redacted]'s mother, [redacted], had phoned to ask me to come to her home to do an estimate for her move to [redacted].  While I was finishing her survey, [redacted] dropped by and was introduced to me.  She explained that she also would be moving and wondered if I had time to do a survey for her move....

 It was late afternoon, but I responded that I would be happy to do this.  [redacted] took me through her home quickly and we did an inventory of what she felt would be moving.  There were a couple of places (the attic in the ceiling and a couple of outside rooms in the rear of the house) that were inaccessible.  I asked her to give me an educated guess as to what they would move from these areas, explaining that her move, unlike her mother's was an intrastate move, which meant that the final cost would be based on the ACTUAL weight that was shipped and actual services rendered so it would be better to estimate high rather than provide a low estimate since she would be paying based on ACTUAL weight shipped. She said that she understood that they would be paying based on the actual weight. She didn't remember how much was in these areas but did her best to give me an idea.  There were significantly more items shipped than what we had listed on the inventory so the weight increased which caused the cost to increaseHer home was adjacent to her mother's home but access to it was on another street.  Her mother's home clearly required a shuttle because it was uphill and windy.  [redacted]'s driveway seemed more level and I felt that a tractor trailer would be able to get up her driveway or at the very least, park on the street in front of her home.  My mistake was that I should have driven around to the driveway to make sure that the road was accessible but I assumed that it wouldn't be a problem.  I was wrong.  The driver who was assigned to move them had a tractor trailer with low belly boxes.  This made it so that he couldn't make it up the driveway without bottoming out.  He tried to park on the street and was told by the police that he had to move. The driver had to rent a small truck and shuttle all of [redacted]'s belongings to the tractor trailer so he explained that there would be a shuttle charge.With this information, they started to argue and continued bickering throughout the move.  One of their disputes involved the packing.  [redacted] told me that in order to save money, they would do all of their own packing.  When the driver arrived, she had lamps with attached lamp shades and expected him to take them as they were.  She stated that I had told her that they would do this.  That was absolutely untrue!  I mentioned that EVERYTHING had to be in boxes for the driver to take it.  The driver told her that he knew that this is not something that I would say and it infuriated her.  I truly think that they were overwhelmed with the amount of packing and couldn't get it done. After this, [redacted] ordered the driver off of her property and phoned our office to say that she didn't want him on her property.  The driver then stayed in the trailer and loaded her shipment as it was brought down in the shuttle trucks.  He did not sleep in the truck nor did he leave her residence of his own accord.It is unfortunate that there was a huge personality conflict between the two of them which made the move more stressful than it needed to be.  I think the conflict stemmed from the fact that her belongings needed to be shuttled and normally this is an additional cost.[redacted] stated that the driver said that he hasn't spoken to me in months.  The driver isn't supposed to speak with me, he reports to his dispatcher who is hired to supervise the men, which is why the dispatcher attempted to handle this situation.  After the driver loaded her shipment, I was off for a few days but, when I returned, I phoned [redacted], who complained about being charged for the shuttle and the additional weight.  I acknowledged my responsibility in not checking out her street and told her that I would send a refund of $1,300 (the cost of the shuttle) to her.  Meanwhile, we paid the driver to do the shuttle. She inquired about the additional weight and I told her that both weights were obtained from a certified weight scale, not affiliated with our company, and I had explained that if her shipment weighed more, she would be paying for the ACTUAL weight.A couple of weeks ago, I received a call from [redacted]'s husband who stated that they had several items broken and wanted to file a claim.  As I have already mentioned, they packed their own belongings.  When she told me that they planned to do this, I told her that, if they did this, these boxes would be marked PBO (packed by owner/contents unknown) and, if there was damage, the movers would not be responsible unless the outside of the boxes were damaged and they noted it on delivery.  She seemed to understand but was trying to save money.Additionally, they sold their home without having another place to move into so they were going to store their belongings in a warehouse that was owned by someone her husband knew or worked with.  During my visit to their residence, I told [redacted] that, if she did this, they needed to be present at delivery and would need to check everything off and indicate on the inventories if there was anything damaged.  When a customer delivers into self storage, the mover's liability ends simply because the customer can move things around numerous times in an attempt to access things that they need while in storage.  Also, we were not the company that delivered their belongings out of storage.  If they had done what I told them to do, which is to check all of the furniture over at delivery, and noted it on the inventories, their valuation would have covered it.  Since they didn't note any damage and their belongings was delivered by another party, we are not responsible for any damage. The fact that PBO's and shipments delivered into self storage are not covered, is not our company's rule, this pertains to EVERY moving company.  Had we packed the breakables, we would have been responsible because it is our job to make sure that items are packed properly to prevent damage.  Additionally, if this shipment was placed in an Allied facility, we would have been responsible because no one else would have touched their furniture.The driver tried to accommodate them by paying for additional labor at destination because [redacted] did not want him involved.  However, with the additional labor, there should have been no reason that her husband had to work other than him wanting to get them out of there and get it over with.  I asked the driver why he would stack boxes when he was asked not to.  He said that they had rented a unit which was too small to accommodate their belongings and the movers were trying to fit it all in so that they wouldn't have to rent another unit.  As it was, there was an overflow so they needed to rent another unit anyway.Everyone got off to a bad start and I don't think that there was a recovery.  The driver that was assigned to this shipment is knowledgeable and has worked for several major movers but his PR skills weren't at their best.  He has a low claims ratio and knows how to protect the customers belongings but is rather gruff in how he addresses people.  Because of this, he is no longer employed by our company.We tried to be fair in assuming responsibility for the additional cost of the shuttle but I cannot refund money for the weight that was shipped.  How the cost was calculated was explained at the time of the estimate and there were significantly more items than she had indicated were going.If you have any questions regarding this, please feel free to contact me.Best Regards,Mary

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Date:10-23-14
 
This is in response to Allegheny Transfer Moving comments to my complaint.
 
Allegheny Valley Transfer Co. Inc.
 
[redacted]
 
[redacted]
 
###-###-####
 
 
 
1.) I did claim that the coverage was supposed to be $75,000, because that is what the sales person and I discussed in the quote for the move.  I found the day of moving the contract stated on the moving copy of the agreement was $59,700 of full replacement. Therefore, there is misrepresentation by the sales women.
 
2.) Yes there were notations made by the manager of the moving crew about sum of my items destroyed or nicked.  However, the moving manager kept reiterating that I had 90 days to file a complaint, and neglected to tell me (the consumer) about all the fine prints when they finished the move. At the end I was told to sign or initial. The manager made many inferences they needed to go, time was up.  He bragged about how much commission he makes per job/a week to shorten their moves. He quoted about 5-6000 a month. Who knew?
 
3.) I did read the property damage certificate section and I had no comment at that time because, the manager insured me I had 90 days. I was furious at that point (the end of the move). I had no comment at that time, but was going to address my comments in the near future. There were too many to list on that paper. That paper was not sent with original paperwork, this paper was given to me by the manager after unloading my property.           
 
4.)  The washer front top was scraped, he did notify me. However, the biggest complaint is the washer was dented on the side of the washer after delivery to the new location THAT HE DID NOT STATE BEFORE THE MOVE. It was not dented before.
 
5.) I did not state the floor lamp was priced at $650.00 dollars, I said it was purchased for $450.00 and did produce by mail my receipt for the lamp. I was unsure the year I purchased the lamp. But I do keep receipts for mostly all my home furnishings. The company Allegheny or the contractor did not state at that time I needed my receipt right there and then.
 
6.) I was the only one trying to oversee my shipment; the person had nothing to do. That is why I stated I was by myself (trying to inspect my goods). Why would I have someone check my property? That is crazy.
 
7.) The damage and/or lost article paperwork the company is claiming is on the form; however, is not where I signed (none and my name). It was on the driver comments. I signed off on the drivers comments not on the damage and/or lost articles above.
 
8.) I needed [redacted] Interior to come again to point out several more marks and the Allegheny Valley refused to pay for them to come out again. One would hope for customer excellence, the company would try to please their customer.
 
I would not recommend this company EVER. I am a person who has only used a moving company twice in my life and I am 56. Twice before that friends and family helped me without any problems, and especially did not damage  my property. What does that tell you? This company cheats the customer of information, facts, insurance copies prior to move, professionalism, and respect for others property. Buyer bewhere.
 
 Sincerely yours,
 
[redacted]