Horrible Move
Tod Frye
Submitted this review about
federal moving systems
Review made Live: 9/27/2010 10:34:00 AM
This move was so awful that even a summary is going to be very lengthy. I will try and shorten this so that people will actually read it. If you want a longer listing, please send me an email.
Nature of move:
2 houses were doing an interstate move from Indiana to Florida. Both houses were being moved into a single new house. 2 separate orders were used for the move, but they were basically all a single move.
The basic problem was that FMS used an outside contractor (Called both Smith Klien and Associates and Absolute Accurate Relocations), even though they had assured us that they did not use subcontractors during the sales process. I can't tell you what kind of service we could have received if an actual FMS company truck had been used instead (or if those actually exist). Anyway, here is a summary of the issues:
1. Movers did not arrive on the scheduled day, nor the backup day, but a day later. They had underestimated the load, so they ended up sending out another truck that arrived 4 days from the original scheduled day. It really stinks to be waiting in a packaged house with nothing to do. I just wish this had been the extent of the problem.
2. Repeated pressure by the subcontractor to change the financial terms of the contract and to pay early. Fortunately, the overall amount didn't change (except for overage), but we did end up paying early, partially by agreement, and partially by being overcharged early on my credit card. One of the trucks refused to load our goods until they received $500 in cash that was not supposed to be paid until 30 days after the move. We paid them.
3. Items that we asked to be packaged by the mover were not properly packaged (they brought no packaging supplies with them).
4. First 2 trucks arrived way too early, but fortunately we were able to accomodate. The third truck arrived very late - 18 days after pickup.
5. Many items were scratched or damaged - especially from the third truck.
6. About $1800 in goods were just plain missing from the third truck.
7. Both old and new homes were damaged by the moving process.
8. Non-professional movers were used in most cases.
9. FMS office tried to help, but were very ineffective. In addition, I can't tell you the number of times I would be told that they would call me back and they never called me back.
10. Subcontractor lied to be repeatedly. Telling me stories that the final truck was in Florida, when actually it was still in their distribution center of St Louis.
11. Third truck refused to disassemble furniture, even though their website says that they will.
12. Subcontractor made a fraudulent charge on my visa card (his bank was returning our payments to him - I wonder why? - so he was trying to get his money a different way. Instead of contacting me to get payment resent, he instead used my visa card info to send himself a Western Union payment, causing me to receive finance charges).
