Sun State Investigative Services, Inc.

Martin Moving and Storage hired a known felon, who robbed me during a move Phil M*** was rude and dismissive when questioned about the possibility that one of his employees stole my items He said "older folks sometimes misplace their valuables" It wasn't until vigilant police work identified one of his employees as having sold my jewelry that he acknowledged he had hired him back after multiple arrests Although it was only one employee caught, I have seen evidence that points to other employees stealing from customers I'm sure Phil M*** wouldn't have given Santos R*** access to HIS family treasures, but had no concerns with giving him access to mine I just saw a *** post from a current customer of *** whose items went missing after a move Clearly things have not changed

*** *** Filed a formal complaint with our insurance company The claim number with *** Insurance is *** Please see attached letter from the
insurance company
Our contract with *** *** was a not to exceed price based on the weight of 20,poundsThis was in our estimate and also in our moving contract and stated as suchSee attached copies One owner was on the packing job and both owners were on the loading part of the move *** *** complimented them on the crew and how wonderful everything was going At that time, the owners knew that the trucks would be over the contracted weight She was originally going to put items in storage in *** *** and M*** Moving offered to keep her non essential items at the storage warehouse for no charge until they made the second trip down to *** *** The owners made *** *** aware at that time that they would be weighing the trucks for the extra weight *** *** even requested the weight slips and was aware that the weight was over The additional weight was 5841lbs which added $to the invoice Originally, there was to be two sets of items left at the house, staging items, and items to be sold which were left in the garage Items that were not sold or ended up not being used for staging that ended up on the truck, possibly were the cause of the trucks being over weight.
David, an employee who was helping unload in *** ***, called the office and spoke to Philip M*** He stated that he was getting yelled at by *** Lousia She had asked him to move the same box three times as they were staging the boxes in the garage David asked her to choose a spot so that they would not have to move the boxes three times knowing the amount of boxes coming in *** *** called and spoke to Philip M*** and stated that David was belligerent and had an attitude and did not want to do what she wanted him to doShe stated that she expected the guys to put things where she wanted Philip M*** specifically spoke with the crew leader of years, Alex Alex said that David did not swear, no boxes were thrown and that the only person who cursed was *** *** herself We also got a call from the insurance company, once the claim was filed, who also said that *** *** was cursing and yelling at her
As for the missing/damaged items, we have all the inventory sheets All items that were packed or wrapped were loaded into the first 50% of the trucksAll the items she states are missing, if they were packed by Martins Moving or *** ***'s friends, and were loaded on the truck, would have to be down in *** *** We also have a list of all items that were left in our storage to go on the second move None of the items she listed as missing were on the list for the second move As far as damaged items, we inventory each piece prior to removal from the house and take note on the inventory sheet of what damage a piece already has *** *** was given a copy of all inventory sheets upon loading her items in CT and she signed them for the condition of her items.
*** *** put in claims to the insurance company for damage that was already noted on the inventory sheets For example: *** *** stated that her cherry night table was damaged Prior damage to the table was noted on the inventory (stating there where scratches on the top, side, and edge of the table) Another example is that she claimed damage done to the cherry vanity and mirror The vanity was noted on the inventory as prior damage also (stating that the mirror was cracked, top was badly worn, faded, and scratched) See copy of inventory
Inventory stickers were put on every item Every piece on furniture, box, loose item, etchad an inventory sticker on it and was listed on the inventory sheets that she was given
As for the $deposit, as you can see from the attached statements, the $deposit was applied to the balance
As of now, *** *** owes Martin Moving & Storage Co$for the extra weight on the trucks over the contracted weight Also, we spoke to the insurance company today and they are not denying her claim, there will be a settlement, and it is not finalized at this time They are still working on it

We recently had Martins Moving and Storage move us out of a home in Easton to Essex CtOur experience from day one was amazingFrom our first contact with their office to the day of moving Their moving staff was professional and just a great group of guysI highly recommend this company for your moving and storage needs

This company exceeded my expectations We needed to store our belongings while the floors were getting refinished in our new house They stored everything for a week and then brought everything in without scratching anything They were even understanding when I asked them to remove a couch from the basement that they just put down there because it didn't fit well in the room I would recommend them to anyone They were fast, courteous, and professional

Martin Movers did a great job for a complicated move. The men were great, and the office was always available. Definitely would recommend this business.

Complaint: [redacted]
Thank you for your response.   I am just seeing the statement and a revised
invoice #[redacted] for the first time. I have prepared a reconciliation (see analysis attachment) from the original
estimates (see estimates attachment),
original contract (see contracts
attachment) and original invoice (see
original invoice #[redacted] attachment) that I did receive.    From
this analysis, I now see that my $500 deposit was taken into consideration so
this issue is resolved. 
I do not agree with the charges for the extra weight. When I
talked to Phil M[redacted] about these charges not being contracted for or discussed
with me, he had agreed that the bill was paid in full and Alex from his moving
crew marked my invoice accordingly (see paid
in full attachment).  Also, the
revised invoice #[redacted] that was sent with the response was never sent to
me.  The email that I included with the
original invoice was sent 4/30/15 with the invoice dated 4/27/15.  The revised invoice is dated 4/29/15 so why
wasn’t it attached to the 4/30/15 email?
I did quite a bit of research before looking for estimates
and I also discussed the binding not to exceed estimate with Phil M[redacted] prior
to signing the contract.  I specifically
asked if I would be charged anything extra and he said no.  I asked if I would get anything back if less weight
was moved and was also told no.  I was
told that only packing would be adjusted and I agree. However, if the load was
underweight, I should have been entitled to a refund. My research on binding
not to exceed showed that if the actual weight turns out to be lower than the
estimated weight, then the move price is to be reduced.  However, if the actual weight exceeds the
estimated weight, the price remains fixed.  This is the best option for the customer. I
have listed four sites that explain this. 
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
Regarding the extra weight, I had three different moving
companies assess my house contents.  All
three in were in the same poundage range that was quoted by M[redacted] Moving.  Please
see attached comparable estimate from [redacted].
To address the concerns about extra items, before the movers
came, I had filled and discarded 1.5 dumpsters, and delivered 4 pickup truck
loads to the [redacted] and other charities. I gave away the majority of
the second floor contents and basement which are the items that M[redacted] Moving
is referring to in the garage.  I also
sold over $8,000 worth of items via [redacted]. Part of my payment to M[redacted]
Movers was made with that cash.  M[redacted]
was at my house when I was selling some of the items.  Additionally, M[redacted] Movers left quite a bit
of house contents behind that should have been moved.  I had taken three additional trips to CT to
load my SUV with these remaining items for which I should be compensated but
that I am not going to pursue. I find it hard to believe that my move exceeded
20,500 lb. given this. The weights that were presented to me were from the
[redacted], CT recycling center.  Recycling
centers are generally not accepted to be certified official weigh
stations.  I had asked for certified
weigh station weights and never received them.
Regarding the missing items, I think having accurate weights of all three truck loads as they
departed CT would go a long way to resolve this issue as opposed to
speculation. I had asked Phil M[redacted] for these weights as the trucks were
repacked from two loads into three loads before they left CT.  This request was dismissed.  I find it hard to believe that all items can
be accounted for and all contents supervised 100% of the time between the start
of the move on 4/25/15 and the delivery on 4/29/15.  Also, the third load was held in storage for
over 30 days.  Can anyone guarantee that
my contents were overseen 100% of the time during this period?
I have included links that show certified weigh stations in
[redacted], and ** which are the states along typical
routes from CT to **.  Surely some of
these stations would have been open while the trucks were in route. Are weight
slips available from any of these certified stations for the three truck loads
that came down to **? If so, we would all have assurances that the weight delivered
to ** equaled what left CT to resolve the missing items.  I find it hard to believe that the move
contents were personally supervised by the M[redacted]s throughout the entire move
process of leaving my house and staying in storage before coming to ** as well
as the items that were left behind.  If
there is a certified (i.e.; not the recycling center) weight upon leaving my
house and certified weights in route, we could determine if there are missing
items.
I had also verified on my trips back to CT that none of the
missing items were there.  I needed to
verify this before submitting the claim to the claims adjuster.
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
 Regarding the insurance, I was pressured into filing a claim
right away even though I had 9 months to do so. 
I wanted to take the extra trips back to CT that were mentioned above to
continue to look for the missing items. 
[redacted], the insurance adjuster, threatened to cancel my
claim because I wasn’t reacting fast enough. 
They hounded me nearly daily with phone calls and letters.  Pure pressure tactics. Even though they
finally sent an estimator to review damages, they appear to be disregarding
many of the findings.  They are telling
me that missing items aren’t covered and that I need to work with M[redacted] Moving
to resolve.  Also, they are disregarding damages.  There are fresh scratches and paint marks on
my furniture but because other damages are noted, they won’t cover the item.
They also want to send out another estimator and that hasn’t happened yet. They
also refused initially to give me a contact from Granite State, the
insurer.  The tune changed after I
complained and I was given a contact.
The cryptic coding that M[redacted] did to indicate pre-damage
was not reviewed with me prior to items being loaded on the truck.  The forms were presented for signature
afterwards with no explanation of the coding. No pre-pictures were taken.  If there was any damage listed, then the item
is not considered for a claim even if there is new damage and there are no
pictures to prove otherwise. It seems that damage was noted for nearly
everything.  Items were loaded in the
truck and the forms were presented after the fact so there was no way to
validate what was recorded.  Additionally,
and this is very disturbing, there were additional insurance terms on the back
of the form that were not explained when I agreed to the insurance, including
that electronics were not covered (see
post insurance statement). Upon initially agreeing to the Insurance, I
signed a very basic statement on 4/6/15 (see
pre insurance statement).  I also had
to repair damage in my CT house which I am not claiming but that definitely
accounts for the new damage to my belongings.
I was very appreciative of M[redacted] Moving when they were in
CT.  When they came to **, I thought I
was dealing with a totally different company. 
They were like night and day.  I
attribute this to the M[redacted]s being in CT to oversee and leaving the men to
their own devices in **.  Without the
supervision of the M[redacted]s, the men behaved totally opposite-rude, careless, and
indignant. When I called the office to report David’s unacceptable behavior, Stacey
S[redacted], the office manager said I know just who you are talking about.  Not good that a known problem employee was
sent down without supervision. When I spoke to Phil, he indicated that if he
were there, he would have fired him.  I
have a neighbor who is more than willing to provide a written statement on how
poorly the crew behaved.  She was
appalled at how much I paid and how poorly I was treated. Just say the word and
I will ask her to submit it.
As far as Alex goes, he is a tremendous worker.  He did most of the work down in **.  David was left alone in the garage and in the
truck the majority of the time.  Yes,
Alex wouldn’t have witnessed David’s behavior because they weren’t together
most of the time.  And I, as the
customer, have a right to ask for things to be done properly in my house.  David did not follow directions at all.  I did ask him politely to stop slamming
things down that were marked fragile. 
When I did so, he slammed them down even harder while glaring at me. He
also refused to move things where I asked him to put them.  It was at this point that I called the
office. I believe most of the damage I experienced was due to David’s blatant carelessness.
When I am in a situation where I feel threatened, as I was with David’s
behavior, I will take action.
 
I do treat all people with respect.  I felt I treated the moving crews very well
in CT and **, providing them with water, snacks, pizza, and air conditioned
breaks in my home. I returned very expensive wardrobe boxes to M[redacted] Moving
which I didn’t have to do.  I also tipped
the CT and ** move crews. David refused the tip and Alex reprimanded him which
was the most interaction I saw between them.
In summary, the issue with the $500 deposit is resolved now
based on the analysis I did.  I hold firm
that the binding estimate not to exceed was price protection and that I should
not be charged extra. I still am looking for an objective analysis of the
missing items (not he said/she said bantering). 
I believe the best way to do this is with before and after weights of
each truck load.  If there is another objective
way to resolve this, I’m willing to listen. If this can’t be accomplished, then
I want to be compensated for the missing items totaling $2500.  I also want a reasonable insurance settlement
that covers all the damage fairly.  If
this can’t be accomplished, I want the $1,000 in premiums returned to me.  The insurance was misrepresented and I should
be entitled to this refund.  
Sincerely,
[redacted]

$500 deposit was included on the first bill of lading that she signed. 
All other moving companies that I know, require final payment (including the extra weight charge) by a cashier's check or credit card, prior to any items being taken off the truck.   We did not do that with [redacted].  On our final delivery [redacted] owed $2000 for the balance on the contracted amount.  This did not include the extra weight charge of $3796.65.  This was due to the truck being over weight by 5841 lbs. [redacted] refused to pay the $2000 owed on the original amount unless the driver, Alex, signed that this was paid in full.  
We distinctly made a contract.  In our estimate and contract, it states that this is a "binding contract, not to exceed, based on a weight of 20,500 lbs".  This was signed by all parties involved.  There is a weight limit for a purpose.  For example, if there was no weight limit on the contract, [redacted] could have put on 5,000 extra pounds or 40,000 extra pounds.  As for her statement that she asked the owner if there will be extra charges for being over weight, the owner never told her that there would be no extra charge.  Again, that is why the contact states that the price is not to exceed at 20,500 lbs.  [redacted] also said that she asked if the load was under weight, if the price would be less and that the owner told her no.  That is also not true.  If you look at the estimate, [redacted] wrote in her own writing: "How much less per pound if it's lighter? TBD".  This was all in her writing and attached to the contract when she signed it.  
On the weight on the trucks: We had everything loaded into our 2 trucks.  At that time, she told the Vice President of the company, William M[redacted], that she knew she was giving us extra items.  William M[redacted] told her that he was sure they were over weight and we would need to weigh both trucks.   We had all of her items on both trucks and also 2 tables on the passenger seat of one of the trucks.  There was no room at all in either truck.  Obviously, our financial preference, would be to deliver the full trucks during one trip down to [redacted].  However, after weighing the trucks and finding out that we were 5841 lbs over weight, we could not.  It would be a danger to our truck drivers, other people on the road, and it is illegal.  If we left it the way it was, we would have been stopped, fined, and made to take off the excess poundage as all trucks have a weight limit that they can not exceed.  If in fact it was the 20,500 lbs as contracted, we would have had no problem doing it all in one trip because it would have been within the weight limit and would have been safe to do so.  We weigh the trucks at the recycling center for two reasons.  Fist, it is legitimate because they charge to get the weight of each truck so it has to be accurate.  Second, more importantly, we want to know the weights before we leave [redacted], CT, so that we would be at the proper weight for each weigh station we would have to pull into on the way down to [redacted].   
All items and boxes that were loaded onto M[redacted] Moving trucks were delivered to [redacted].  We sent [redacted] a list of the few items that were left at M[redacted] Moving and delivered on the second trip.   All items were stored in out private storage as opposed to a public storage and sealed in a storage container in our building.  These items were supervised by both owners and no one but the owners had access to the items.  
As far as our office manager Stacey is concerned, she said she knew who [redacted] was talking about because [redacted] explained him to her ~ short, Spanish guy.  Stacey was trying to figure out which of the three guys [redacted] was talking about.   Also, [redacted] states that Alex was not with David and couldn't have witnessed David's actions.  Alex stated to us that he was with David during the interaction as was the other crew member Mike G[redacted].  They saw everything and absolutely was nothing like she is stating.  
In summary, the $500 deposit is settled.  The insurance company has not completed their review and are scheduled to come out to [redacted]'s house this coming Friday 10/2/15.

No one likes to move but Martin Movers made our experience much less painful. Whether it was a last minute plea for more boxes or just advice, they were always responsive. The actual movers were professional and courteous. We hope never to move again but if we do, we know who we will call.
[redacted]

Excellent service. Pick-up was on time. the three workers who came were efficient, worked quickly and carefully. Charges were appropriate for the work done. We were very satisfied.

I've used Martin Movers twice and I highly recommend them. I had problems with the timing of my move related to builder's schedule. Martin Mover's were great keeping in touch, and being flexible, which greatly reduced my stress level. They were professional, on time, and careful.

Wonderful to work with. Very professional. They go the extra mile!

Last August of 2014 I hired Martin Movers to help us move from our fairly large house of 35 years to a condo. They had been highly recommended to me by two close friends who had used them, and I in turn was quite pleased with their services as well. The move went smoothly, and their team worked efficiently with care given to my pieces of furniture. Also, they were pleasant and reasonably priced. This is a family business with a good reputation, and deservedly so.