Allways Moving and Storage Allways Moving and Storage, LLC Moving company over charged for its services and would not respond once the estimate was signed Dallas Texas

The problems started with the packing of my items with Allways Moving and Storage on 7/12/2014. My biggest complaint was the amount of the cost increasing from the original estimated cost of $1400 to over $2300, due to the salesman not including “common” items that are usually used during a long distance move. I feel as though the salesman/company deliberately underestimated the cost to get me to go with their company.  The email below was the first of many emails that I sent to the company on 7/17/14, about issues I encountered during the packing of my items.

Jason,

I wanted to let you know that I am not happy with the experience I received so far from Allways moving. The following is a list of complaints I have concerning my packing on 7/13/14.

a. I received a call from the company that I was scheduled to be packed on 7/12/14, between the hours of 10am and 12pm.

b. I did not hear from the driver until 2:00pm on 7/12/14. The driver called me and said that his truck broke down and there was a possibility that he could not move me until 7/13/14. He asked if that would be alright, and I told him that I was planning on leaving for Oklahoma that evening, and I would prefer to be packed on 7/12, but I could wait until the 13th if necessary. He said that he would call someone and then call me back. 

c. He did not call me back until 4:00pm and said that he would not be able to move me until the 13th and would 10am be ok. I told him that would be fine, but I needed to leave as soon as possible on the 13th. 

d. I ended up sitting at home all day long and wasting a day. (I could not leave because I did not know when/if they would show up at anytime) Had I known earlier that they would not be able to move me until the next day; I would have been able to do some things during the 12th. 

e. I tried to call the number on the contract, and it went to voice mail. I also tried to call the number in Dallas from the person that confirmed the appointment, and again no answer. There was no one to call to figure out what was going on with my move. I feel like this is very poor customer service. If someone is going to move on a Sat or Sun, then someone should be available to accept a call if there is an issue.  

f. The driver called me on Sunday 7/13 at 11:00am and said that he was trying to get to my condo, but he was having trouble because of low bridges. 

g. He finally showed up at 11:30am to start my move. 

h. The driver got there and started to do the paperwork and told me that my move would be $2700. That was $1200 more than the original estimate. I told him that I expected the cost to be slightly higher, but that was WAY more than the original estimate. 

i. Some of the costs that were not part of the original estimate were:

                                i. Labor costs

                                ii. Materials

iii.. Mattress covers (on the estimate, it was listed as .01, and the driver said the actual cost was $20.00/piece. I needed one for the mattress, and one for the box springs. 

j. Also the total sq. ft went from 401 to 600 sq ft. This raised the base price by over $600, and the gas cost over $200. He said that my couch, bed, dresser, and curio cabinet were well over 400 sq. ft. I had no idea that the sq. ft would increase by that much. Had I known the cost would increase that much more; I would have rented a van and made the move myself. These are things that I would expect to be part of the original estimate. 

k. I received a call from someone from the company about 12:30pm at told him that I did not agree with the price the driver was charging me. He said that he would talk to the driver and call me back. 

l. The driver received a call and spoke with someone from the company (I am assuming the same person that spoke with me) and said that he would take off some of the costs. 

m. I never received a call back from the person at Allways Moving, and the driver only deduced the cost to $2,333.00. That was still $760.00 over the estimated price. 

n. I finally agreed to the price the driver gave me just so that he could pack my stuff. He said that I could let you know if I wasn't happy with the price. 

o. There were 3 guys, including the driver, and it took them over 5 hours to create and pack my stuff. The driver kept getting interrupted by calls from someone from Allways moving, and the other 2 guys were constantly standing around doing nothing. I only had about 28 boxes and a total of about 52 items total. I cannot believe it took them over 5 hours to pack me up. I had everything ready and organized so they wouldn't have to do to much except wrap up some of my items and move my boxes. 

p. They finally left about 5:45pm on 7/13. I did not get to leave my house to head to OK, until almost 6:00pm. 

q. The driver also told me that he would text me all the paperwork, as well as a copy of the inventory list by the end of the day on the 13th. I still have not received a copy of any of the paperwork, nor has he contacted me. 

r. The driver also explained to me that when the drivers actually delivered my stuff in Dallas, that my cost could go up even more. He said that it will depend on the sq. ft that the movers will have to travel from the truck to the apartment. This could add additional money. 

I also spoke with you about wanting to pay by credit card. You said that would be fine, but I would have to pay a 4% fee. I agreed. The driver, however, said that in order for the drivers to deliver my stuff, I would have to pay by check or money order. I need to be able to pay by credit card when the drivers deliver my stuff. Because of the increase in the total cost, I cannot have a check or money order for the amount left to pay. 

I feel as though the company did not accurately account for all of the items that would have been included in the estimate, and therefore the estimate was extremely low. (The list should include items such as labor, materials, wrapping of all items, etc) This estimate should also be close to what the driver is going to charge. How can a person be prepared to pay 60% of a cost that increases by over $700? 

I also fell as though it is poor customer service when there is no one you can speak to the day of your move. If you are going to allow people to move on a weekend, then there should be someone from the company that you can call to discuss any issues that arise during the move. I think it is unacceptable to not be able to get a hold of anyone during your move. 

I also feel as though the movers with the driver were very slow, talked on their cell phones quite a bit during the move and then stood and spoke with my neighbor on several occasions. The move in my eyes should have taken no more than 3 hours at the most. If the driver would have arrived on time, and it had taken 3 hours, we would have been done by 1:00pm. As it turned out, I did not leave until 5:45pm.

The events that have occurred up to this point, in my opinion have been unacceptable. The actual charges did not meet or come close to the estimate, there was poor communication from the company during the move, the drivers were extremely slow and took way to long, and my costs can go up even more when my stuff is actually delivered. Had I known all of this when I booked my move, I would have never chosen your company. 

I hope the process when my stuff is delivered does not go as poorly as my packing did. I am not happy with your company, and will be sure to let you know once everything is complete about my total experience. I feel as though I was deceived by the cost, and the communication from the company has been poor. 

I thought I was choosing a good company, but I have not had a good experience this far. I would like to get a copy off my paperwork from my packing as soon as possible. I would like to use the inventory list to ensure that all my stuff will be delivered. I also hope that my cost does not go up when they deliver my stuff. I think it is unfair to customers to way underestimate the moving costs. The driver's charges should not be considerably higher than the estimate. 

We will see what happens during the delivery process. I hope these issues can be resolved for me, as well as future customers. 

Thanks for your time.

1. This is the second email I sent to the company on 7/24/14, and I never received a response back from the company. (See below)

To Whom it May Concern,
 
I have been trying to get a hold of the sales person that helped me set up my move from Chicago to Dallas, but he has failed to return my emails/calls. I am also supposed to have my stuff delivered this Saturday, and I have not received a call from anyone concerning the confirmation of the delivery, as well as the delivery time. I tried to reach someone at the company, but all I was able to get was the Customer Service voicemail. I left a message with no return call.
 
I need to know if my stuff is going to be delivered on Saturday and what time. I also told the sales person that I am going to need to pay for my balance with a credit card. I do not want to run into any issues with the driver if I pay by credit card. I know there is no one available on Sat or Sun to speak too, so I need to get this taken care of by tomorrow. (I ran into this issue when my stuff was packed up. See my long email below with all the issues I ran into with the pickup of my stuff)
 
Can someone please contact me about the delivery of my stuff ASAP? I would also like to make sure I will not run into any issues with me using a credit card to pay the balance of my move. I gave the company over 3 weeks to get my stuff down to Dallas. I also hope that I do not run into any issues with my stuff being delivered. If I run into any more issues with this company, I will be sure to post my issues with this company on every website I can find if my issues are not resolved. I am hoping these issues can be resolved quickly.
 
Feel free to reach me at XXX-XXX-XXXX.
 
Thank you for your assistance.

1. The original “date of delivery” was scheduled for 7/26/14, as I was moving into my new apartment on 7/25/14.

1. This was the 3^rd email I sent to the company with no response back on 7/25/14. (See below)

To Whom it May Concern,
 
This will now by my 3rd email to try to get my issues correct. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, they have.
 

1. I received an email from someone from "customer service" last night at 5:20pm stating that they had tried to call me all day yesterday and could not get a hold of me. I had my phone all day long and NEVER received a call. This also cannot be the case, since I did not send my email to info@allwaysmoving.com until 4:47pm yesterday.
2. I called customer service this morning and told someone who answered the phone that I was trying to figure out if my stuff was going to be delivered as scheduled tomorrow. I explained that I never received a call to let me know when/if my stuff would be delivered tomorrow. The person on the phone told me that I needed to speak to someone in long distance customer service. So he transferred me to that department.
3. Someone else answered the phone, took down my information and said she would be right back with me after putting me on hold. I finally hung up the phone after waiting over 30 MINUTES. She never came back on the line.
4. I called back again and got another person who took down my information and said that a girl named Paris was handing my account and would get right back to me.
5. After 2 hours, Paris finally called me back and again took down my information. She put me on hold and came back and told me that my "delivery date" was not in the system, and since I haven't received a call from anyone, that more than likely the driver is not in the area.  I told her that I gave my first available date to the original rep Jason, as well as gave it to the driver who picked up my stuff. I actually saw him write it down on several pieces of paper.
6. My stuff was packed on 7/13/2014. I also don't understand if I provided my first delivery date to both the rep who quoted me, as well as the driver, how my "First Available Delivery Date" could not have been entered into the system! This is unacceptable! The sad part is that my stuff is supposed to be delivered to Dallas, which is where your main office is located!!
7. I was planning on moving into my new apartment on 7/26/2014, which was my original delivery date. Now I have to wait to see when my stuff will be delivered. I have to live without my stuff until I am contacted by the driver or someone else.
8. I called and spoke to my original driver who packed me up yesterday, and I told him that I never received all the paperwork from the packing, as well as the inventory list. He said that he would email the information to me again today. I still have not received any paperwork from the original pack up.
9. I have also asked the question about paying for my delivery with a credit card and cannot get an answer from anyone. I do not want to run into any issues when my stuff finally gets delivered. I have no idea what I still owe, since I did not get a copy of any of the paperwork from the pickup. I have to pay by credit card and did mention this to Jason, the rep who first quoted me, and he said it would not be an issue, as long as I paid a 4% processing fee. I said fine, but no one else can confirm this for me. I also need to complete the Credit Card Authorization form at least 72 hours in advance. I don't know how I can do this if your office is closed on Sat and Sun???

I am very tired and frustrated with the way this move has been handled and having to speak with multiple people. I thought when I went with Allways Moving that my account would be handled from beginning to end by the person who quoted me, but I have found out this is not the case. He no longer communicates with me since his original quote.
 
I am so frustrated with this company, and I cannot get a hold of anyone that will fix these issues I am having. I would like to have a supervisor contact me ASAP to get these issues resolved. Had I known I was going to have these issues, I would have NEVER hired your company. If this is how you handle your business and customers, then you do not need to be in business. I hope that I am contacted by someone who can resolve my issue quickly.
 
I hope this will get someone's attention, and I hope I get some good news about my delivery. Something needs to be done to correct my issues, and I deserve some type of compensation/discount for all of the trouble I have gone through and for the mistake that your company made in regards to not entering my "delivery date." I should not have to suffer without my stuff due to your error.
 
Please get back with me ASAP. I have had nothing but issues with your company since I started this process and, I am hoping someone can fix these issues quickly. My next email will be turned over to an attorney.
 
You can reach me at (((redacted)))

1. This was yet another email I sent to the company on 8/5/14 with no response.

    

   To Whom it May Concern,
    
   Can someone PLEASE help me? I called over a week ago to see when my stuff would be delivered to Dallas from Chicago and was told that you didn't have my "first receipt date" in the system, even though I gave it to the rep that gave me the estimate, as well as the driver. Your company packed me up on 7/12/14, and my original "first receipt date" was 7/26/14. I spoke with someone last week, and she said that she put my delivery date in the system, and I would be getting a call from a driver once my stuff was going to be delivered. I STILL do not have my things, and still have not received a call from a driver. You have had my stuff for almost a month, and I have been without my stuff for that amount of time.
    
   I moved into my apartment in Dallas on 7/26/14, and still do not have my things to furnish my apartment. I think it is ridiculous that I have to be without my stuff for this long, especially when your main office is in Dallas!! I have sent several emails inquiring about my delivery and keep getting the run around.
    
   Can someone please look into this for me and find out where my stuff is located and when it will be delivered? I am getting extremely frustrated and feel that I deserve some type of compensation for all of my issues with your company. (See attached emails that have already been sent to your company about my move)
    
   You can reach me at XXX-XXX-XXXX or XXX-XXX-XXXX.

    

2. Email sent to company on 8/13/14 with no reponse. (See below)

    

To Whom it May Concern,
 
I called the customer service line again today (8/13/14) to see if I could find out the status of my delivery, and once again I had to leave a message. I left a message in the morning for "Paris," and still have not received a return call. Paris did call last Wednesday, Aug 6th, and told me that she still did not have an update on the delivery of my things, and that I should call by Friday, Aug 8th, and maybe she would have a status update. I had not heard from Paris or the company since last week, so I thought I would call to find out the status. I again have not received a call.
 
This has gone beyond being ridiculous! It has now been over a month since your company packed my stuff, and it has been over 18 days since I gave the company my "first available delivery date."  I can't believe that it has taken over a month, and I still do not have my things. I have been without my couch, tv, clothes, and personal items for over 3 weeks now. I have called customer service multiple times, and I am continually told that "they are waiting for a driver to go from Chicago to Dallas." I don't think it should be my problem that your company can not get my things to me in a timely manner. I still do not have a delivery date. How much longer do I have to wait to get my things?
 
I would like to speak to someone higher than a "customer service" person. I would like to speak with someone in charge. This is no way to run a business, and I am tired of getting the run around, and I am tired of living without my things. I have been as patient as I can possibly be.
 
I can be reached at XXX-XXX-XXXX.

1. 8/13/2014 – Filed claim with Movingclaims.net

2. Email sent to company on 8/15/14 with no return response. (See below)

    

   To Whom It May Concern:
    
   I tried to call your customer service department again today, and the phone kept ringing and no one answered the phone. I also called on 8/13/14, and had to leave a message for someone to call me back. I am trying to find out the status of my items, as well as a delivery date. I have sent several emails and have had several calls with your customer service department and no one can tell me when my things will be delivered. The original delivery date was supposed to be on 7/26/2014. We are now going on over 20 days past my original delivery date, and I still do not have a delivery date. 
    
   I have now gone almost a month without having my items in my new apartment in Dallas. I have sent emails, I have made calls and I have spoken to a few people about my problem and no one will resolve it for me.
    
   Since I cannot get a hold of anyone via phone, can someone please call me back about a delivery date and status of my items? I can be reached at XXX-XXX-XXXX.
    
   9. Email sent to company on 8/18/14 with no response from the company. (see below)

    

   To Whom It May Concern,
    
   I have tried on numerous occasions to get someone from customer service to call be back regarding the delivery of my items. I have yet to receive a call be, even after I have left messages. This was the phone number and email address I was given if I had any issues. I am hoping that someone will finally give me a call back as to when I will be receiving my items, as it has been over a month since my things were packed. I also would like to pay for my final payment via credit card and therefore, will need to speak with someone in customer service if you ever call me back.
    
   You can reach me at XXX-XXX-XXXX at any time. I would appreciate a call back.

    

3. 8/20/2014 – Called 1-866-710-3104 and spoke to someone who said that “he was not showing anything in his system, and he would put this on his boss’s desk. He said he would have someone call me back. No one ever called me back.

    

4. Email sent to company on 8/21/14 with no response from the company. (See below)

    

   To Whom It May Concern,
    
   I called 1-866-710-3104 to find out the status of my items, and to see if they have finally scheduled a "delivery date" for me to get my items. I actually spoke to a gentleman, and he told me there was nothing in his system, and he was going to "put this on his manager's desk and have him call me back."
    
   I never received a call from anyone so I tried to call the same number back again. When I called this time, it went into the "customer service" voicemail.  I again had to leave a message with my order number, name and phone number and asked for someone from customer service to call be back regarding the delivery of my items.
    
   I have lost count as to how many times I have had to leave messages and spoke to someone from your company and have yet to hear back as to the status of the delivery of my items. I have emailed, spoken to representatives and have left messages, and I have yet to receive a straight answer as to the status of my move. 
    
   We are now approaching 30 days from my original "first available date" for my delivery. I have been living in an apartment in Dallas without my items for almost a month. I would not think it would take this long to move my items from Chicago to Dallas, especially when your headquarters is located in Dallas.
    
   The messages do not seem to be working, the emails do not seem to be working and speaking to someone doesn't seem to be working. I have just about given up on your company and have already filed a claim about my issue with your 3rd party claims company. If I do not hear back from someone before Monday 8/25/14, I will be filing a claim against your company in order to get my items back. I have given your company more than enough time to get this matter resolved and no one will give me a straight answer or call me back.
    
   I hope we can resolve this matter before it has to become a legal issue. You can reach me at XXX-XXX-XXXX at any time. 
    
   12. 8/21/2014 – Submitted another claim to Movingclaims.net. Still have not received an answer from Allways Moving or Movingclaims.net

    

1. 8/21/2014 – Finally received a call from the company that my stuff is scheduled to be delivered between 8/25-8/28. The person on the phone was going to email me an Authorization Form so that I can pay the delivery with a CC , as well as the balance. Since the delivery will take place between M-TH, I will have to take a day off of work, without pay.

    

2. Email sent to company on 8/22/14 to authorize the company to “pay off my balance.” (see below)

   Ben,
    
   Please find the attached signed Credit Card Authorization Form for my delivery scheduled for next week. The remaining balance you show below is incorrect. I have already paid the 10% deposit amount, plus I paid $1401.48 via check to the driver when he packed my stuff. The total amount for the move ended up being $2335.81 - $157.00 (10% upfront) - $1401.48 (paid at pack up) should leave the remaining balance of $777.33. Based on everything that I have been through with your company, I feel that I should not have to pay this full amount, but have signed the authorization form for that amount plus the 4% fee , just so I can finally receive my stuff.
    
   Please send me a confirmation email that this amount has been processed and that it pays off my account. I do not want to run into any issues when my stuff is delivered next week.

    

3. Email sent to company on 8/28/14 with no response from company. (See below)

To whom it may conern,

I am trying to find out the status of my delivery. Someone from your office called me last week and said that my delivery was scheduled between 8/25/14 and 8/28/14. I have not received a call from anyone as to when my things will be delivered and it is now the 28th. 

I tried to call the customer service number and once again had to leave a message. I also noticed that the payment for my delivery has already been processed.  I never received a confirmation email that this pays off my account. 

Can someone please get back with me ASAP? XXX-XXX-XXXX.

1. 8/28/2014 – Sent email to claim’s company. No response back from claims@movingclaims.net. with no response from claim’s company.

To Whom It May Concern,
 
I still have not received any confirmation from my moving company (Allways Moving and Storage) about when they are going to deliver my items. The original delivery date was on 7/26/14. I have already paid for my delivery, and they processed the payment, but the company will not return my phone calls or emails. They originally packed my things on 7/12/14. It has been over a month since the company was supposed to deliver my items from Chicago to Dallas.
 
This issue has been going on with this company since 7/12/14. I could use some assistance since the moving company I am using will not get in contact with me. I originally filed this claim back on 8/21/14.
 
Feel free to contact me via email and phone at XXX-XXX-XXXX at anytime.
 
Thank you for your assistance.

1. 9/4/2014 – Driver called and said he would be there between 4pm-7pm. My stuff was finally delivered at 8:30pm. He also charged me $75 for “the use of the elevator,” and $75 for having to travel to deliver my things more than 70 ft. That cost me another $150. Total cost of the move ended up being $2485.81.

I feel like the company misrepresented itself in its costs, services and especially their customer service. I tried to call the company on multiple occasions and it would go to the “customer service” voicemail. I would leave a message and would never receive a call back. I feel like the company did not honor its contract, and owes me a refund of the entire amount I spent on the move. I not only had to wait over 6 weeks to receive my items, but I could also never get any response from the company as to where my items were located and when they would be delivered.

I also went to the address where the company is supposed to be located to speak to someone personally, and there is a warehouse, but their name is nowhere to be found, and there was no way to get into the building. Their website claims to be open on Sunday from 10am-4pm, but when I went the on a Sunday, no one was at the address that is on their website.

This was the worse moving experience I have ever encountered and feel as though the company does not live up to its promise of its great customer service. They did not follow their customer service promise of ” We will always do our best to make sure your moving experience will be as pleasant as possible but sometimes there can be unexpected bumps along the way might happen. Our customer support representatives will do their best to solve any problem that may arise in a timely manner.” They also did not live up to their promise of “no hidden fees.” They had “hidden fees” every step of the process. The company promises “You’ve all heard about moving companies that always try to find excuses to charge clients extra fees on the day of the move. With Allways Moving & Storage you can be sure that the price in your quote will be final – any and all costs that may apply to…”

I feel as though I went through almost 2 months of turmoil, and therefore feel as though I am entitled to a full refund of my money for the move. I followed all the proper steps of trying to go through their “claims” department, and did not get any response. I was in the process of contacting a lawyer when I finally received the call that my stuff would be delivered on 9/4/14.

I do not want other people to have to go through what I had to go through with this moving company. They do not live up to their promises, and the items on their website do not reflect the reality of their business. I would NEVER recommend anyone using this moving company.