Family Forum / Parenting / Mothers / April 2005

You know.. I hate to be a pessimist,  I've seen stories on Dateline etc.
Where moving companies hold peoples belongings hostage unless they pay for
the "underquoted" weight.  How reputable is this company?  Have they picked
up your things yet?  If not don't let them take it.... it may be a scam.....

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/movers/united.htm

Sandra Marina Alonso     Dec 26 1996, 12:00 am     show options
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: Sandra Marina Alonso <johns...@servax.fiu.edu> - Find messages by this
author
Date: 1996/12/26
Subject: Bad experience with United Van Lines moving company
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[ CLAIM.txt ]

Dec. 26, 1996

Attention:
Anyone who intends to use moving companies to relocate

Moving companies -- even national ones -- need to be regulated. Please
contact your
congressman if you have a horror story as my family has.

In May 1996, my family had Williams Transfer, a local affiliate of United
Van Lines,
move our household belongings from Oxford, Miss., to Plantation, Fla. Aside
from a
broken entertainment center, the move was accomplished without incident.
However, we
had an overload that was put into storage in Oxford, Miss. That's where our
problems
began.

Since we were not going to be in South Florida at our new home until
mid-summer, we
put the overlaod in storage facilities overseen by Williams Transfer. We
thought that the
remainder of the household goods would be delivered sometime during the
mid-summer.
After repeated phone calls to the Oxford office, to the Tupelo, Miss.
regional office of
United Van Lines and to the national headquarters of United Van Lines in
Missouri,
delivery finally came in late October.

Our original delivery forms listed several items that were not listed on the
overload
delivery forms. These items included several things that could not be
replaced or were
hard to replace, thus rendering some furniture useless. For example, the
original forms
had a mirror to an expensive dresser listed. The overload form did not list
the mirror.
Shelving to a china cabinet was listed on the original form but not on the
overload form.
A heavy duty swing set listed on the original form was not on the overload
form. The
swing set had been put together by my father 45 years ago and had
sentimental value. We
trusted the moving company to make full deilvery, but the moving company
appears to
have lost these items and more. After more contact with the local affiliate,
regional group
and national headquarters, we were told to file a claim form for lost items.
At one point,
the moving company appeared to have an answer: Our household goods were
stolen.
Stolen from the company's own warehouse! After even more calls to try to get
answers
and a settlement, we filed a claim for around $2,000. United Van Lines sent
a check for
$60. Mind you, the bedroom set is ruined, the swing set is missing, and
china cabinet has
been rendered useless, and a box of Barbie dolls and accessories, along with
several other
items, are nowhere to be found.

We talked to an attorney. He said that claims made against moving companies
are among
his most fruitless efforts. "They need government regulation," the attorney
said. We
talked to friends, each one of whom seemed to have a horror story about
moving
companies. One friend told us that he and his wife's wedding presents wound
up missing
in a move by a moving company and that they didn't even know who gave what
and
couldn't even thank the gift givers properly.

The moving company we used -- United Van Lines -- has fine print on the back
of its
moving forms. In addition to being fine print, it is also extremely light
print. A
homeowners' insurance claims adjustor told us that his father was in the
military and
moved often. He said that his father would sit at the door and check off
boxes and other
household goods as movers unloaded them. Anyone who has moved knows how
hectic
moving is. Sitting and checking off items is perhaps a better way to ensure
that goods
arrive. But how do you know to do these things in advance when you are
tending to
young children and trying to create some order to all that is being
unloaded -- in 90
degree heat, by the way?

The point is that the advantage lies with the moving company. Especially is
this true with
an interstate move. Moving companies know that most families can't afford to
return to
the location that has just been left to go to court to recover the cost or a
fraction of the
cost of lost or stolen goods. Many movers may hire the lowest commn
denominator of
hired hands. In our case, the hired hands asked what we would give them that
we weren't
moving to Florida. We told them we were taking everything. We wonder whether
the
hired hands may have helped themselves to our belongings? We wonder whether
our
household goods are not still sitting in the moving company's warehouse? We
wonder
how much more of a run around we might get? I have written to the
Mississippi attorney
general and plan to write to the Florida attorney general. Florida has an
office of
consumer affairs. I intend to write that office. I intend to write my
congressman to tell
him I am appalled at the way American businesses do business.

My hope is that anyone reading this and thinking about hiring a moving
company will be
careful about placing any trust in that mover. In this day and age, you can
only trust
yourself to keep an eye on what belongs to you. Remember that movers have
fine print
and light print to keep you off their back if they mess up. That should not
be. Companies
with such careless operations deserve to be regulated. Our story is just one
of many. We
are telling all of our friends in Oxford, Miss., in as many ways as we can
think of not to
give Williams Transfer/United Van Lines their business. We want to tell
others, as well,
so that you will not have similar experiences.

Don Sneed, 1321 N.W. 98th Ave., Plantation, Florida, 33322

Michelle Kraiman Gross    Dec 30 1996, 12:00 am     show options
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: mgr...@wizard.nrl.navy.mil (Michelle Kraiman Gross) - Find messages by
this author
Date: 1996/12/30
Subject: Re: Bad experience with United Van Lines moving company
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In 1984, I was able to take a large moving company (Bekins) to small claims
court when their moving charge differed by more than 10% from their oral
estimate.  They did not dispute the oral estimate. I won the case, having
only
to pay the oral estimate. I brought with me a pamphlet from the Interstate
Commerce Commission, which contained this law, which helped the judge
make his decision. I was surprised how easily all parties cooperated in
settling this dispute.

When I moved last year and had a problem, I discovered that the ICC
was no longer returning phone calls wrt inter-state moves. My insurance
company suggested I file a police report for stolen goods. The policeman
taking the report couldn't stop giggling and told me about all of the
problems he hears wrt moves.

I spoke with the moving company three times and was told that they have
no record of who was present at the move, nor the hours worked. I don't know
what to recommend except for CAUTION if this is how moving companies do
business.
--Michelle

------------------------------------

John Schira    Oct 2 1994, 6:34 pm     show options
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: j...@halcyon.com (John Schira) - Find messages by this author
Date: Sun, 2 Oct 1994 17:41:42 PDT
Local: Sun,Oct 2 1994 5:41 pm
Subject: Re: Complaints about northAmerican van lines
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In article <367nn0$...@news.ycc.yale.edu> kentf...@minerva.cis.yale.edu
(Kent Fitzgerald (GD 1994)) writes:

Call the Interstate Commerce Commission. They will send you a complaint form
to fill out.

I recently got taken to the cleaners by United Van Lines. The final charges
for my move were TWICE what the estimator estimated...

Good Luck!

-J.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

William C. Smith     Jul 11 1998, 12:00 am     show options
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: wcsm...@gci-net.com (William C. Smith) - Find messages by this author
Date: 1998/07/11
Subject: Interstate Household Moving
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United Van Lines lost a significant quantity of my household furnishings
when
they moved me from Rochester, NY, to Tucson, AZ. After attempting to obtain
settlement for several months, my perception is that United Van Lines is an
unethical, disreputable company. Other people use stronger words.

Is there any news group that discusses household moving problems, or any
organization that helps victimized movers? I will be grateful for any
suggestions.

Bill

pat    Jul 11 1998, 12:00 am     show options
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: pat <p...@clark.net> - Find messages by this author
Date: 1998/07/11
Subject: Re: Interstate Household Moving
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nobody.
courtesy of the GOP 94 takeover, the ICC was disbanded.
they regulated movers, now the free market is providing
unethical dishonest corrupt bastards, and unless it's more then
$10K, you can't go to federal court.  Meanwhile they always claim
oh "That's Mayflower of NJ who moved you, you need to sue them.
Mayflower of California is independent of them".

do a Nexis search on movers and horror.

pat

- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
William C. Smith wrote:

when

obtain

an

ganesha111    Aug 7 1998, 12:00 am     show options
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: ganesha...@my-dejanews.com - Find messages by this author
Date: 1998/08/07
Subject: Re: Interstate Household Moving
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In article <35a7b6e...@news.gci-net.com>,
 wcsm...@gci-net.com (
William C. Smith) wrote:

when

obtain

an

Bill, sorry to hear of your problems with United.  I have started working on
a
web page that details my hellish experience with them.  It's not finished
yet, but you'll find company there. Please visit the beginnings at
http://www.teleport.com/~ganesh/airway/
I hope to add a way to post others' experiences with UVL too.

------------------------------------------------------------------

BEWARE OF UNITED VAN LINES!

Fixed font - Proportional font

Amber    Dec 11 1997, 12:00 am     show options
Newsgroups: alt.consumers.experiences
From: "Amber" <amj...@worldnet.att.net> - Find messages by this author
Date: 1997/12/11
Subject: BEWARE OF UNITED VAN LINES!
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we moved from CT to AZ with United and we bought their moving insurance.
When our driver got to our new apartment, he requested we pay him before
unloading(which is customary).  We handed him our check, and he unloaded our
shipment.  However, several items were missing.  He refused to help us
contact his company to settle a claim, saying that he didn't want to "get in
the middle of it."  It has been  four months and 23 letters, 15 phone calls,
and an estimated $2,000 worth of missing and damaged property.  United Van
Lines has not even tried to respond to our claim.  We bought $10,000 worth
of insurance with United and yet they still won't pay our $2,000 claim, or
send an adjuster to assess our damages.  We asked that a tracer be put on
our missing items, which was supposed to take 2 weeks, and it has been
eight, and we have yet to hear from them.   We are considering starting an
advocacy group and wish to hear of any other moving  company horror stories.

Ken Mathison    Dec 12 1997, 12:00 am     show options
Newsgroups: alt.consumers.experiences
From: Ken Mathison <ken...@pop.a001.sprintmail.com> - Find messages by this
author
Date: 1997/12/12
Subject: Re: BEWARE OF UNITED VAN LINES!
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Amber wrote:

our

in

calls,

stories.

I had much the same problems with North American Van Lines.  I had zero
luck with
attorneys general in two states, the better business bureaus and small
claims
court.  I'm still waiting for a claim to be paid from August.
Ken

((((((((((Caroline)))))))))) :-(, I hope everything will be sorted soon!

did they come and look at your stuff to give you the quote - can they be
held to that?

c

Were they a $1000 less than the other quotes you got??  I would think if they
weren't then they are just being shonky bastards...  I hope you can sort
something out..

my DH was a removalist once, now he always gets them to come and look at
the stuff, no quote per hr just a flat price written it's usually works
out a bit more thanif we paid by the hr but DH says if you pay by the
hour here they work really slow!
I hope it works out for you.
Alley

I've hard of that before... imo they should just suck it up and live with
it.   OH well... (((((((((((((caroline))))))

I remember once in a move when we were underquoted and a very dear very anal
friend of ours talked the guy into a corner almost calling off the van.  But
I suppose when they have your stuff you cannot do that.

Let us know how it goes!

I'd definitely call the Better Business Bureau. My friend had problems with
The Brick, they gave her the run around for months. I told her to file a
complaint and they called her right away and solved the problem (even better
than she expected) pronto.

I would anticipate that you will have to pay extra but perhaps with the BBB
getting involved you might be able to negotiate a different price or a
payment plan of some sort. Perhaps you could get a few estimates right now.
Call a few more movers (don't tell them you aren't actually moving!) and see
what they quote. If they all quote close to United original quote you could
use that as ammo for bargaining.